Page 35 of Love Spell

Turf was an excellent example of the many English words that could sound the same, possibly be spelled the same, and mean totally different things.Noah’s use of it was quite unusual in Timo’s experience, however.Timo appreciated that.Day-to-day vocabularies tended to be so limited he needed his audiobooks to make sure his own did not sink to the same level as the average English football fan’s.

“If you’re sure,” Timo said, finishing off his dinner.“It’s entirely up to you.Wherever you like.”

Noah shifted, rubbed the back of his neck, turned the mug in his hands, and took a careful drink.He pursed his lips, tapped the mug with a finger, looked at Timo, then away.

Timo cleared his plate and took his dishes to the dishwasher.“I do get up early, but it’s just to get out for my morning run.I’ll be quiet.Then it takes about fifteen minutes to get to the office from here.Please help yourself to anything in the kitchen and bathroom and plan your own schedule accordingly.I’ll show you where the linens are.Use whatever you like to make up the couch.”

Noah joined him to see where everything was, then they returned to the kitchen while Timo also got a cup of ginger tea.

“Are there any programs on British television you enjoy, Noah?”

From standing by the bar, again looking out the mighty windows, Noah rounded on him.“Okay, what is this?What are you doing?”

Timo pressed his tea bag with a spoon to extract the air bubbles and make it sink and steep.“Making tea?Hot herbal beverage if you want to be factual.Tisane, if you prefer.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“How am I acting?”

“Like a normal person.”

“Am I?”Timo was startled.No wonder most people were so boring.Those must be the normal ones.

“Yeah, you’re like … calm and reasonable and all … mild-mannered.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No.I mean … I would if I thought this was just you.But it’s not.”

“How do you want me to be?”

That shut him up: looked like he’d walked into a glass wall.

Timo smiled down at his ginger beverage.

“I — it’s not that bad.It’s just that you’re obviously scheming, so that’s the problem.It’s not how you’re acting — it’s that it’s an act.”

“You’re saying you like me best when I’m my authentic self?”Timo squeezed out the bag with the string wrapped around the spoon.This was turning out to be more fun than he’d expected.

“I didn’t — I don’t —” Noah turned away.“You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“A strange expression.”

“Most of them are when you start to think about it.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.Feel free to watch TV.I’ll use earbuds so you won’t bother me, and I’ll be up for a while yet.Just knock if you need anything, or you can always text me.”

“Sure …” Noah watched him in apparently stunned silence while Timo walked away for the bedroom.

He’d only meant to keep his mind focused elsewhere, to keep reminding himself that he was going to do something to stop this whole disaster tomorrow.He’d no idea the results would be so satisfying.Indeed, by the time he’d retired, he half expected Noah to come knocking on the door, at least for an argument, if not to climb into bed with him.

Timo’s mother used to tell him to run at a dog if he wanted to scare it away; only run away from a dog if he wanted it to follow.He’d been a small boy at the time and her advice was in no way meant to be metaphorical.Now, though, for the first time in many years, the words came back to Timo as he settled his earbuds in place to continue his audiobook.How very interesting.

* * *

He’d almost allowed himself to become distracted last night, letting Noah get in his head, make him start thinking of new wooing strategies instead of remembering that he was going to put an end to this nightmare.Then getting up in the morning for his run and protein shake and Noah was there, right there, T-shirt and boxer shorts to sleep, in Timo’s home, and he’d felt lucky to escape with his life.

If this continued — it just couldn’t.His profit/loss ratio suffered, his sleep was destroyed, his life was in chaos, and now the source of all the trouble was living with him while still holding him at arm’s length.Surely all the troubles he’d been having with Noah before were nothing compared to this.

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