Page 51 of Falling Madly
“I didn’t have any bedrooms on my Pinterest board?”
It was almost too absurd to say out loud, but he nodded. I took a breath and stepped in, looking at the stark white walls surrounding the huge bed. White on white. Even the scenery outside was white.
“Your bed needs a headboard,” I said. “And you need some kind of curtains.”
“I know.”
“A rug.”
“Uhuh.”
“And a chair, maybe?—”
“I know what normally goes in a bedroom, Teresa. I just didn’t know which ones to choose.”
He looked so stressed that my heart lurched. I stepped closer, placing my hands on his huge chest. “Would you like me to put something on a board for you?”
His gaze darted around the room, as if searching for an escape. “I know I messed up. And I promise I’ll list all that crap on eBay and replace it with random stuff ye’d never look twice at on Pinterest. I’ll get fifty beanbag chairs and cover the walls with posters and?—”
I covered his mouth, horrified. “Shh. Stop talking. The gorgeous couch will hear you!”
“I promise I’m not this creep,” he said as soon as I removed my hand. “I was going through something, but it’s over now. I will get rid of it. I?—”
I grabbed him by the arms. “Chill, Trevor. What you did here is super weird, but it’s also sweet. I think it’s one of those things that is simultaneously both. If I’d seen this last week, before we spent the night together, I would have thought it was some kindof sick power play.” He stiffened under my touch, but I held on. “But I feel like I know you a little better now, and maybe it’s still odd, but not that creepy. I know you didn’t do this to gloat.”
“Of course not! What would I gloat about? Being a dick to you? Being possessive? I didn’t want ye to work with Gavin, but I had no right to influence the outcome.”
“You really didn’t want me around, Gavin, huh?” I thought back to our earlier conversations, trying to make sense of it. I’d never believed those arguments. It had sounded like something he’d cooked up after the fact to make himself sound like a hero.
“I’ve had that feeling about a couple of other guys before, and they both turned out to be rotten eggs, so I thought I had some sort of psychic ability. Turns oot I was just a jealous idiot.”
“What kind of rotten eggs?”
“A scam artist who worked on my nan, a long time ago. I remember telling my parents there was something off about him and they finally decided to look him up. And then this high school teacher I had, who was having affairs with students. He’d been going for years without getting caught.”
“Did you catch him?”
He shrugged. “I like to think I helped. I followed him a couple of times and picked up on some hints. I was a young lad, so it took me a while to make sense of it. But I was friends with the girl he was seeing, and she told me some stuff. I finally convinced her to talk to the guidance counselor, and the guy got caught. It took forever, though. I’m patient, but I still remember the frustration.”
A shiver ran through me as I thought about my own youth. I’d been fighting for justice and run out of patience. “I’m glad they caught him.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m not as patient as you,” I confessed, leading us back to the living room. “I wish I was. Revenge is a hollow victory.”
I sat on the couch, pulling my striped legs against my chest. He remained standing, his tall frame hovering over me. “Are you hungry? I could fix us some lunch.”
“Sure. Do you need help?” I was about to get up, but he waved me off and continued into the kitchen.
I sank into the plush cushions, listening to the sounds of cooking. Faucet running, pots clanging, the fridge door smacking open… Trevor was out to impress me, and I still couldn’t decide how I felt about it. For one, I couldn’t remember ever listening to anyone cook for me, not since childhood. Suze cooked for us sometimes, but I usually joined in.
I had to admit, it felt nice to be taken care of. My whole life, I’d been the capable one. The independent one. At work, I’d looked out for Bess. But she didn’t need my help anymore, not like she’d used to. I was happy for her and grateful that they’d saved my ass after I lost my job at Wilde. Yet I was still getting used to the shift in dynamics. We had an exciting little business, I had a good salary and interesting work, but I was the odd one out. Not a shareholder. No skin in the game. Even Lee had some shares, and he only worked part time.
I was also the only one with no access to any wealth. Trevor with his crypto money, Lee with a bit less crypto money, Charlie with his grandmother’s backing, and Bess now married to him. I was the one who looked after herself with no lucky breaks. Trevor had stolen the only lucky break I’d ever been gunning for.
So, what the hell was I supposed to think of him?
“Bon appetite!” He set an impressive egg salad sandwich on the coffee table. “Coffee?”
