Page 13 of He's Mine

“From your brother. Actually, I got it from Bea who wouldn’t turn it over until I assured her you were fine and would call her as soon as you got out of the shower. But your brother carried it for her.”

He hands it to me and before I can reach out for it, he is speaking again. “I think I found somewhere we can stay while everything is getting worked out at the apartment.”

“Somewhere…to stay?”

“Yeah, hurry and dress. I want to show you before you have to go to work.”

He seems so happy; I don’t have the heart to tell him I don’t think I can afford anything else. Me and Bea were so lucky to have found the little apartment as it is - cheap, close to work and school, cheap. I don’t expect lightning to strike twice. It was one of the reasons I was okay putting up with Super Perv.

I keep quiet all during the ride to this mystery house. I realize where we’re going halfway there. This is on the way to Bear’s place. He even pulls into the little area that has a couple of houses on it with Bear and Bea’s home sitting at the end of the nearly empty subdivision.

I start squirming in my seat when he pulls into one of the houses. I look at the house and then over to the man sitting next to me. He’s already opening his door and rushing over to open mine for me. I step out and let him take me up the porch that wraps around most of the house.

“Whit…”

“Don’t say anything till you look at it. I want to make sure you like it before we put any money down.” He’s not even looking at me when he says it but is looking down at a text message on his phone. He takes the numbers from the text and puts them into the lockbox hanging on the doorknob. He ushers me inside and starts showing me around. I can’t help but wonder ‘what if’. What if I could stay here with him? What if I didn’t have to worry about finding a new place and could just go wherever he goes?

At least he’ll be kind of close when I move in with Bear and Bea. Not right down the hall but right down the road, I guess.

“So what do you think?”

“I…I can’t afford this, Whit. It is a lovely place but…”

“We’ll figure something out, Kat. I promise.” I have no idea how. “I wouldn’t leave you and not even know if you have another place to go.”

“Bear’s...”

“Place might as well be the Hotel Shag-A-Lot and you don’t want to be there.” He turns me and puts his hands on my hips. “I don’t want you to have to feel like the third wheel when this place has plenty of room for both of us.”

“But Whit…”

“No buts. Your brother wouldn’t be very happy with me if he told me about this place and I didn’t take you with me. Consider yourself a finder’s fee. My way of saying thank you to Bear if that makes you feel any better about the whole situation."

“I’m a…” Is that a good thing?

“I’ll take you to work today and pick you up when you get off so you don’t have to drive back somewhere new in the dark.” He drops a kiss on my lips as if it puts the exclamation point on the whole argument and that’s the end of it.

Chapter Twelve

Whit

“Do you think she’ll try to go on the honeymoon with them? How pathetic can you be?”

I try to peer around the corner so I can find out who the harpie is talking about when I hear a very familiar voice. The voice of my little kittycat.

“Wow, what an absolute bitch, Ariel! I mean really… Isn’t the fact I’m single kind of like the pot calling the kettle…I don’t know, unmarried and lonely.”

Pride swells in my chest at the fact my girl isn’t letting someone step on her. She’s got claws and she’s not afraid to use them.

“I choose to be single thank you very much. That way I can play the field, silly. You can’t even find the field to play in it. You are single because you are pathetic and no one wants you.”

That’s it. I can’t take anymore and step around the corner so I can head towards Kat. Her back is turned towards me so she doesn’t see me coming. I wrap my arms around her and give her a little squeeze.

“You ready to go home, Kittycat?”

“Whit. You scared me.” I bend down so I can snuggle into her neck. “Yeah just let me…uh, grab my stuff.”

“Where has Kat been hiding you, handsome?”

---