Page 107 of The House Guest

Rather than wait at the door, I walked around to the bushes that surrounded the patio. While you couldn’t access it, you could see what was going on if you looked through a certain spot. The music was indeed coming from here. I recognized the song as an old one: Frank Sinatra’s “The Summer Wind.” Remington had loved Sinatra. I finally garnered the courage to peek through.

Dorian and a woman who looked like the person from the photos on Candace’s Instagram were slow dancing. The beautiful glow from the lights of the pool cast a rainbow over them. My insides twisted as I stood there, taking it all in. Every doubt I’d ever felt bombarded me at warp speed. I should’ve turned around immediately, but instead I quietly observed the living aftermath of my decisions. I could see the man I loved falling in love with someone else before my eyes in real time. This moment set to music was a nightmare come true.

Was it fair to disrupt his life whenI’dsent him away? Just because I had reservations about marrying Casey, just because I still loved Dorian—did that give me the right to interrupt what might have been the only stability he’d had in years? I felt like a fool for ever thinking I could insert myself back into his life. When Dorian turned, his hand at the small of her back, I could see his eyes were closed. He looked at peace as they swayed.

You can’t do this.

You have to leave.

I turned and walked back toward the driveway. Suddenly a light flashed on.

Security light. Oh no!

Picking up my pace, I ran right into someone as I fled the house. “I’m sorry. I was just—”

“Primrose?”

I looked up at his face. His old, familiar face.

My voice trembled. “Benjamin...”

“What are you—”

Panicked, I whispered, “I can’t let him see me.”

“Come into the guest house.” I followed him, and he ushered me inside.

After the door closed behind us, I took a deep breath.

Benjamin’s phone chimed. “Hang on,” he said. “Dorian’s texting me.”

Fuck.

“What does it say?” I asked frantically.

“He said he noticed the light go on outside. But I’m typing back that I checked it out and it was probably a false alarm caused by an animal.”

My chest rose and fell. “He won’t come here?”

“He rarely does. You’re safe.”

Benjamin waited for a moment. “All good. He bought it.”

I sat down on his couch, my back sinking into the pillows, and closed my eyes. “I just need to calm down for a moment, okay?”

“Take your time. Can I get you anything? A glass of water?”

“That would be great.”

Benjamin went to the kitchen and poured me some water before joining me on the couch.

After taking a long gulp, I said, “I nearly had a heart attack when those lights came on.”

He nodded and let me decompress in silence for a minute. Then he said, “I think now is a fair time for me to ask what’s going on and why you’d be here if you didn’t want to be seen.”

I finished the last of my water. “I made a horrible mistake in thinking I could come here, Benjamin. I suspected Dorian had moved on, but I didn’t realize how bad it would be.”

“I need you to back up a bit, okay?”