Page 21 of The House Guest

I nodded. “Dorian and I have been learning to cook, but we’ve spared you as our guinea pigs tonight. We ordered from that new Moroccan restaurant, and it should be delivered soon.”

Chandler raised his eyebrows. “Dorian has been cooking?”

Dorian shrugged. “Getting there. Almost burned the house down the first time I tried. But you know, practice makes perfect.”

Candace gasped. “Are you serious?”

“I had to jump out of the shower when the fire alarm went off.” I laughed .

“It was just an excuse to get her to come out naked,” he joked. “I’m slick like that.”

It made me happy to see Candace laughing and escaping a bit from the bad news she’d received earlier today. You can have a dozen problems until you have a health problem, I’d heard someone say. Then you only have one problem.

After a minute, Dorian and Chandler took their drinks into the living room while Candace and I stayed behind, chatting around the kitchen island. The food soon arrived, and we were just waiting for the guys to rejoin us after their chat.

“I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you’re so nice,” she said to me. “Dorian has never been known for picking women. But you’re a gem.”

“I’ve met a few of his dates, so I know what you mean.” I took a sip of my wine.

She ran a finger along her glass. “I feel like he always chose a certain closed-off type because he was afraid of getting too close to someone. He stuck with people he couldn’t necessarily fall in love with.

But I’m glad he seems happy now, especially after everything that happened with his dad.

I was worried about him after Remington passed.

I’m thrilled you guys found each other.”

“Everything does seem perfect, doesn’t it?” I looked away for a moment. “Despite that, I still have my fears.”

She cocked her head. “Fears about what?”

“Monogamy is not normally his thing. I worry he’ll wake up one day and remember that. Everything is new and fresh now, you know? It’s always bliss during the honeymoon stage. But what happens when it’s over? ”

“Well, if there’s one thing I know,” she said, “it’s that you can’t live in fear. It will steal the joy from this amazing thing you and he are experiencing. So, try not to overthink it.”

I nodded. Gosh, if she could live day to day with her situation, I sure as hell could learn to manage my fears surrounding Dorian.

Candace looked over her shoulder, lowered her voice, and continued, “But even as I stand here giving that advice, I still struggle with fear. Like for example, want to know what scares me even more than death?” She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. “Never mind.”

“It’s okay,” I said softly. “Tell me what’s on your mind, Candace.”

She nodded and let out a long breath. “Whenever I look at my husband, I wonder if someone else will get to love him someday…if someone else will have his babies.” She shut her eyes.

“That one kills me. It scares me and makes me profoundly sad. It’s not that I wouldn’t want him to be happy if I weren’t around.

Of course, I’d want that. But I want a life with him so badly.

To grow old with him.” Her eyes watered. “I love him so much.”

I opened my arms and pulled her into an embrace. Sniffling, I felt a tear roll down my cheek. “I know I’m not supposed to cry, but I felt your love for him in my soul just now. I will pray so hard that you get everything you want and deserve.”

“Thank you.” She wiped a tear, too, and then shook off her mood, bravely feigning a smile. “Where the hell are those two anyway? I’m starving.”

“I’ll go fetch them,” I said, still feeling like I could cry .

When I approached Dorian and Chandler in the living room, they were mid conversation. Rather than interrupt, I stepped back behind a wall for a moment.

“Anyway, you’ve listened to me ramble on enough…” Chandler said.

“Talk as long as you need to, man. You know I’ll always listen. Never feel bad about talking to me about this. You need to let it out.”

“Thanks. It’s definitely better to vent to you than make her feel worse than she already does.” He sighed. “I just love her so much. I can’t let her see me scared.”

I closed my eyes as I felt tears well up again. Shit. I couldn’t let them see me crying. I waited and continued listening for a few moments.

Then Chandler asked, “Anyway, are you as happy as you seem, lover boy?”

“Honestly?” Dorian said.

“Yeah…”

“I’m probably even happier than I seem. I’m happier than I’ve been in my entire life. And to say that so soon after the hell I’ve been through the past few months is amazingly unexpected.”

“Well, damn. It makes me happy to see you happy.”

“I truly am. And that’s even after she tried to break up with me this morning.”

“Say what?” Chandler chuckled. “I think you need to back up.”

I cringed. There was no way Dorian could spin the story so I didn’t sound like a complete lunatic.

“It’s a long story. But she freaked out a little because of how fast things have moved.

She says she loves me, yet I think she’s afraid to fully trust me.

That’s partly my fault because I told her I wasn’t into monogamous relationships when we first met.

So I can’t blame her. But she’s changed how I feel about that.

I just have to accept that trust takes time. It can only be earned.”

“Well, I hope you told her how you feel.”

“I told her I loved her. And I do.”

“Wow.”

“I know, right?”

“And she said it back?”

“Yeah.” Dorian paused. “You know, I always thought when I found someone, I’d have this worry in the back of my mind, wondering if she loved me for me, or whether somehow she was after my money.

But with Primrose? I know it’s not about that.

We have this natural connection that leaves no doubt.

She looks at me, and my feelings for her are reflected back.

Like we’re both on the same page. I’ve never had that synchronicity with anyone before.

I never imagined I’d fall in love this fast. But here I am. ”

I pulled in a breath. My heart was beyond full. Between the tears I’d shed over Candace and Chandler’s love and now this, I felt ready to burst.

I waited for another pause in their conversation to pretend I was just entering the room.

When it finally came, I cleared my throat as I came around the corner, trying to seem nonchalant. “Your ladies are hungry.”

They both turned.

Dorian stood. “Sorry, Rosebud. We’ve been yapping.”

Chandler arched a brow. “Rosebud?”

Dorian shrugged .

Chandler punched him playfully in the arm. “You got it bad, dude.”

“That I do.” Dorian put his hand at the small of my back as we headed to the kitchen.

I felt like I was walking on air. He had no idea how much peace that conversation had given me.

There was something so endearing about overhearing someone talking about you.

No ulterior motives, nothing to prove. Just pure honesty.

Though I had believed him when he’d poured his heart out this morning, any remaining doubt had been removed after hearing him tell his closest friend he was in love with me.

For the rest of that evening, I was on cloud nine. And with each passing day for the next couple of months, I fell more deeply in love with Dorian Vanderbilt—until the day my worst fears started to come true.