Page 15 of Designing Love
I laugh softly despite myself, bending down to pick up a perfectly smooth stone and turning it over thoughtfully in my palm. “Maybe all three. But mostly, I’m just trying to breathe. I haven’t done that in a long time, Jen.”
“Breathing?” Her voice softens slightly. “Soph, breathing won’t pay your bills or support your obsessive shoe-buying habit.”
I smile faintly.She isn’t wrong.“I’ll manage. I’ve got some savings. Plus, Sage is — well, you know Sage. If I ever run out of money, she’ll pay me to feng shui her entire gallery. Again.”
Jenna groans playfully. “Oh gosh. Anything but that. Remember when she insisted on hanging that twelve-foot abstract sculpture upside down because it ‘channeled the energies better’?”
I chuckle, shaking my head at the memory. “You have to admit, it was a conversation starter.”
“Yeah, if the conversation was ‘Did an earthquake hit?’”
I laugh openly this time, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. “Thanks, Jenna. Really. I needed this.”
Her voice softens again, tinged with genuine concern. “Soph, just promise me you’re okay.”
“I promise. Or at least, I’m on my way there.”
We say our goodbyes and I tuck my phone into my pocket, taking a deep breath of salty air. The breeze plays with my hair, teasing loose strands around my face. Closing my eyes briefly, I let the rhythm of the waves settle something restless inside me.
Tranquility envelopes me, and as I turn to go, my sandal suddenly hits something solid and unyielding. My eyes fly open as I stumble forward, arms windmilling gracelessly before strong hands grab my shoulders, steadying me firmly.
“Careful there.” A familiar voice chuckles. “We really have to stop meeting like this.”
Heat immediately floods my cheeks as I meet Ethan’s amused gaze. “Oh gosh, Ethan. Seems your clumsiness is contagious!”
“Hey, not fair. I tend to resemble that remark.” He grins, gently releasing me. He nods toward the phone poking out of my pocket. “Important call?”
“Sort of.” I shrug, sighing lightly. “A job offer. A big one, actually.”
His brows furrow slightly, something flickering in his expression. “Congratulations?”
“Thanks,” I laugh softly, “but I haven’t accepted it. Not sure if I want to.”
He raises an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. “Why not?”
“Because...” I pause, chewing my lower lip uncertainly, “I’m trying to figure out if that life still fits me. Or if maybe... maybe something else does.”
He nods slowly, understanding dawning in his eyes. “Well, speaking from experience, sometimes the unexpected path is exactly what you need. Maybe what you’re searching for is right here.”
Our gazes hold a second longer than they should, the silence thickening between us. His eyes are warm, inviting, and dangerously distracting.Were they always this moody grey?
“So, speaking of dreams,” he begins carefully, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Remember I said I accepted the challenge to find you an old house to flip…”
“You didn’t!”
He nods, an almost boyish grin sneaking across his lips. “There’s an old house on the outskirts of town. From the 1800s.”
“I think Sage might have mentioned it. Called it a death trap,” I say dryly, smiling a little. “Apparently haunted by rats and ghosts, right?”
“Ah, she undersold it.” Ethan laughs, his tone playful. “There are probably raccoons, too.”
“Wow. Now, you’ve piqued my interest. It’s for sale?”
“It was. I just bought it.”
“You… what?” My eyebrows shoot up, astonished. “Why?”
“Investment,” he replies immediately, then shrugs, looking away. “I was thinking it could be a good investment, since I knew someone looking for a renovation challenge. It’s a quirky place, tons of potential. And, uh, I figured…” he hesitates again, shifting on his feet.
