Page 76 of The House Guest

Primrose: See you then.

Dorian: See you Friday.

Letting out a long exhale, I pushed the phone away, forcing myself to return to life at hand. I called to Rosie. “Wanna go play outside?”

“Okay!”

I grabbed our jackets, vowing not to think about Dorian again until I had to.

CHAPTER 21

Guilt and dread twisted in my stomach as I dropped Rosie off at preschool Friday morning. When the teacher came out to get her, I waved to my daughter, feeling like a fraud. I hadn’t told Casey what I was doing this morning. I’d decided not to mention anything until I understood what was going on. I didn’t want to alarm him, and this felt like something I had to do without any outside voices complicating the matter. Also, Casey was under a lot of work stress lately, and this would only compound that. Keeping business as usual on the homefront seemed like the best idea.

My stomach churned as I pulled up in front of Dorian’s rental property in a residential neighborhood, tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac. The beautiful two-story brick house was huge. Not sure why this surprised me. It made perfect sense.

I’d planned to sit in my car and find my bearings for a few minutes, but I didn’t have the chance. Before I couldeven take my seatbelt off, the front door opened and Dorian appeared. He held a hand up in a wave, then slipped his hands in his pockets, seeming anxious. The beauty of the house paled next to the man standing at the doorway.

I got out of my car and walked toward the door. I stopped a few feet away, keeping my distance. I looked up at the house. “This place is nice.” Though as lovely as it was, it was a drop in the bucket compared to the Vanderbilt mansion.

“Thanks. It was the only thing I could find that didn’t require a minimum stay.” He moved aside. “Come in.”

The inside was even more impressive than the flawless exterior. The entry opened to a huge living room with a large wraparound couch the color of sand. Everything coordinated perfectly, and large windows let in an abundance of light. This place was meant for a large, wholesome family, not some mysterious meeting between ex-lovers.

Dorian had a roaring fire going.

“Let’s sit,” he said, leading me to the couch in front of the fireplace.

The flames crackled. It was a scene way too intense for eight fifteen in the morning.

“You’re nervous,” he said.

“I can’t help it.” I licked my lips. “I don’t understand any of this.”

He sat across from me on the far end of the couch, rubbing his palms along his thighs. “Believe me. I’m nervous, too. Can I get you some coffee?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

He nodded and exhaled. “I don’t even know whereto begin.”

“Why don’t you start with why you showed up at my doorstep after five years? Why did you wait so long if you have things to say to me?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You’re not supposed to understand, but do you know anything at all?”

“What am I supposed to know about?”

“Have you googled me?”

“Only very recently. Like literally a week ago. That’s part of why it was such a shock to see you. I came across an article about you having gone missing, and I was afraid to keep searching because I thought you were…” My voice trembled.Shit.Why am I crying? He’s fine.

“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.” He moved to sit next to me and took my hand in his. “I’m sorry to have worried you like that.” He sighed. “You’d never searched my name before that?”

Sniffling, I shook my head. “Not even once. I chose to erase you from my life like you did me. It wasn’t going to make anything easier to keep tabs on you. It would’ve been painful to see your face.” My confusion worsened by the second. “Why? What would I have found if I’d kept searching?”

“Just some things that wouldn’t have made sense without me explaining—like the real reason I went missing, why I eventually walked away from my father’s company. Nothing you would’ve found told the full story, though. You would’ve probably just been more confused.”