Page 128 of The House Guest

I’d never hit it big as an artist, but that particular monkey exhibit had done really well, each painting selling for a decent amount. Back then, the school had split the profits with the artist when a piece was sold. I was sure,though, that Dorian had paid way more than the original prices. “This had to have cost a fortune.”

He shrugged.

Of course. Sometimes I forgot who I was talking to. That’s how normalized Dorian had become in the past couple of years. It was easy to forget he was still a multi-millionaire—though not the billionaire he used to be. He’d donated a lot of his father’s fortune to charity after he gave up his stake in Vanderbilt Technologies. But he was still certainly wealthy enough to purchase all of these paintings and then some without feeling a dent.

Dorian took my hand. “For so long, I thought these would be the only pieces of you I’d have left. They brought me joy and made me feel close to you. They’re my prized possessions.” He grinned. “And you know, I’m anal about having complete collections of things. I tucked them away in storage until I had them all and could figure out the perfect space for them.”

“Wow.” I started to cry. “Looking at them all in one room makes me miss how I used to feel when creating them.”

“Well, good. Because they’re coming with us to the new house in Ohio. Maybe you can get your mojo back once we finish your art room.”

Excitement raced through me. “I hope so.”

I finally felt like I could breathe. Any remaining guilt over ending things with Casey had dissipated once he began dating a woman he really seemed to love about six months ago. He and Caitlin were getting serious, and by some miracle, Casey and Dorian had become friends. We’d even had Casey and Caitlin over for dinner a coupleof times. I knew fostering a true friendship with Casey was the best gift I could give my daughter.

Rosie was now fully aware that Dorian was not only my friend but someone I loved. After he moved in with us six months ago, I had a talk with her and made that clear. I didn’t want to have to hide my love from her. Dorian and I’d spent too much time living apart to have to continue to hide. Thankfully, Rosie had grown to love him, too.

This evening, Dorian and I decided to watch—what else?—Pulp Fictionon the theater screen. When the movie ended and the credits rolled, Dorian dropped to one knee. I covered my mouth in surprise.

“Rosebud, I couldn’t think of a better place to do this—at the end of the movie that first bonded us in the room where I first knew I was falling for you…”

“Oh my God.” Now it made sense. The monkey paintings displayed. His insistence on watchingPulp Fiction.

“You are the love of my life,” he said. “I feel like everything we’ve been through was so you and I could have this life together with Rosie. I consider her my daughter, too. You know that. And I’m so lucky to have you both.” He opened a small box, displaying the most beautiful diamond I’d ever laid eyes on: a sparkling round stone on a pave band. “Presenting this to you is long overdue. But I want to show you the receipt for this ring.” He reached into his pocket and handed it to me. “If you look at the date, you’ll see that it was actually purchased a couple of weeks before we broke up seven years ago—before I realized what was happening with my father’s death investigation. I’d planned to ask you to marry me even then. I lost several years with you, yet my love has only gottenstronger. Back then, I thought I couldn’t love you more. I now realize that my love for you knows no bounds. Seeing the amazing mother you’ve become has only made me love you more.”

He paused, his eyes glistening. “And the fact that our son is inside of you right now is the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. To know my family name won’t end with me is something I never imagined.”

I was three months pregnant, and we’d taken a special blood test that predicts gender early. We were having a little boy. Dorian and I were beside ourselves with excitement, but we hadn’t told anyone until we could tell Rosie first when we got back to Ohio.

He took the ring out. “I know I’ve done everything in a whacky order. Friend-zoned you. Fell in love with you. Broke up with you. Practically came back from the dead. Stole you away again. Got you pregnant before we had a chance to get married. I’m hoping you won’t use all that against me now—because I really need you to say yes. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“Yes!” I wrapped my arms around him as I burst into tears.

We embraced for a long time before Dorian took me over to one of the paintings on the wall. It was the last monkey I’d created.

“Can I ask…whenexactlydid you do this one?” He smirked. “Because it wasn’t part of the original twelve.”

My cheeks tingled.I’d hoped you’d love it.“I painted it for you before things went south and was going to give it to you on your birthday,” I explained. “But then we broke up, and I just let the school sell it.”

“It’s my favorite.” He grinned.

“I’m so glad to hear that.”

The painting depicted a monkey in the same wool coat Dorian had worn the night I met him. He wore a confident smile and had the most perfect mane of black hair, along with blue eyes the color of oxidized steel.

It was aptly titled,The Gorillionaire.