Page 88 of Tristano

“I can’t wait to watch how this plays out.” Killian chuckles.

“Shut it, Westie,” Bash says with zero heat.

ChapterEighteen

Controlling my breathing, my feet pound on the treadmill as I stare at myself in the mirror as I run. I’ve never done well with sitting idle and not having something to do. When I was little it was extracurriculars, and as an adult, I drowned myself in work.

Now I have no job and no home of my own. Don’t get me wrong, Tristano has made me feel more than welcome, but I hate relying on others. I feel useless and like I’m taking advantage of his kindness.

I can feel him before I see him. I don’t know what it is about him, but I know when he’s around. Through the mirror, I watch him walk into the gym. He rounds the front of the treadmill and braces his hands on the handles, his eyes on my bouncing chest.

Typical male.

I snap my fingers and smirk. “Eyes up here, buddy.” I pant.

He raises a brow with a small smile. “Can’t blame me for looking when they are right there in front of me.”

I roll my eyes as I start to slow down. “What’s up?”

“Do you have anything planned for the rest of the day?”

“No, my calendar is jam-packed,” I deadpan.

“Would you like me to show you around the neighborhood? Maybe grab some coffee? Ice cream? Something.”

I sigh as I come to a stop. “Do I want to? Yes, but I know you’re busy with work.”

“That’s the great thing about what I do,anima gemella, I can set up notifications that will alert me as soon as something pops up. I don’t have to actually sit at my computer all day.” He raises a brow. “I’m sure you’ve heard that a watched pot never boils. Same thing with computers.”

“Are you sure?”

He holds out a hand. “I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.”

I place my hand in his and step off the treadmill. “Do I have time to shower real quick?”

“Sure. Whenever you’re ready,” he tells me as we walk toward the door.

“You know, it’s really nice that you have a gym in your home,” I tell him as we make our way up to the bathroom.

“I used to spend a lot of time in here, but lately I haven’t been able to get away.”

I frown. “Are you sure you should be leaving with me then?”

He smiles. “There is always something that’s going to be going on in my work life. Working out was never more important than that. You,anima gemella,will always be the most important thing in my life.”

My cheeks heat at his admission. It’s something I’ve always hoped he would say, but never dreamed I would hear coming out of his mouth.

It makes this whole situation seem surreal. Almost as if I can’t trust it or my feelings.

“Hey.” He cups my cheek. “What’s with that look? Am I moving too fast for you? I know I can be intense sometimes. The guys tell me to tone it down all the time.”

His rambling makes me laugh, which in turn makes him smile.

I really like his smile.

“Have you ever had this feeling like your life isn’t really your life? Like you are living in some alternate reality?”

“Every single day I wake up and you are still in my arms. I have no idea what I did to deserve an angel like you, but Lord knows I will do everything I can to prove that I will protect you.”

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