Page 45 of Lovewell Lane

“I already know you don’t want me to, that’s why I didn’t ask.” I leaned over to rest my forehead on the cool marble countertop of his kitchen. It felt nice on my hot skin. “I just want somebody like you have. You have soooo many people. Why can’t I have one?”

Derek patted my back and lifted me upright. Then he lowered himself to have one arm under my knees and the other still on my back. Suddenly, I was horizontal.

“Hey,” I complained. “Don’t lift me.”

“You’re tired and need to go to bed.”

I was airlifted right to my cozy bed. It was warm and snuggly, just how I liked it. “I love this place,” I said airily.

Derek mumbled something and put another bottle of water with something else on my nightstand. I sat up slightly to look him right in his eyes. “I really love this place. The whole town, and my diner, and this house. I love it,” I repeated.

“I’m glad.”

“Why can’t I take care of you?”

“You take care of me plenty, Margo. It’s time to get some sleep, now, okay?”

I nodded and fell into a deep sleep the second my head hit the pillow.

-

“No way,” Scarlet gasped.

“Please, not too loud, I’m still hearing stars,” I winced. My laptop was propped up on a pillow while I sat up in bed and watched Scarlet put on concealer through the screen. She was getting ready for work but made the time to have an emergency therapy session with me.

“What did the text say again?”

“Come over now. He probably thought I was booty-calling him!”

Scarlet shrugged. “He came over anyway. Andwereyou booty-calling him?”

“No, even drunken Margo knew that was unfathomable. I just wanted to talk to him, which is so much more embarrassing.”

“Maybe just lay low for a day or two, lick your wounds.”

“I live in his backyard, Scar. There’s not much room to hide.”

“Don’t hide, then. It sounds like there is undeniable sexual chemistry to me. I mean hecarriedyou to your bed? And listened to you rambling about how much you love living at his house? He clearly has a thing for you.”

“He’s just older. And a gentleman. He takes care of everyone like that.”

“He carries grown women to their beds?”

“Well, maybe not like that, I just don’t know if he sees me that way.”

“Margo. Open your eyes. It’s a beautiful world out here. There are lots of great things to see.”

I scoffed and lowered my head to rest in my hands. “He’s so hot. The way he always fixes everything with so much ease is so sexy. Him wanting to take care of me is so sexy. Even the fact that he’s older does it for me, which has never happened before. He’s so strong and smart andcompetent. He’s kind, not just nice, but genuinely kind.”

“Uh huh,” Scarlet mumbled with a smile.

“Isowant to fuck my landlord,” I said out loud. It was quite the epiphany.

Scarlet lowered her eyeliner to look directly into the camera at me. “You don’t just want to fuck him, Margo.”

“Whatever,” I murmured. “Fuck him. Date him. What’s the difference?”

She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at me. “You’ve never really dated anyone. I know you’re joking, but you shoulddefinitely know the difference before moving forward. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

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