“I’m not sure,” I say carefully, unsure of how to proceed. “I hope that my dad and I can move forward from here, and I’m going to do as much as I can at first to help ease him back into his home life.”
“Oh, I know,” Blake says quickly, “I wasn’t talking about us.” He winks at me. “I may have to move out but I’m not going anywhere.” He teases.
I sigh with relief. “I’ve enjoyed all the time you’ve spent here,” I say honestly, “but I just don’t think we can live together under my daddy’s roof while he’s here.”
“And I completely agree. I respect your dad, and I respect your relationship with him. Plus, he’s my boss.” Blake gives me a lopsided grin. “It would be kinda weird to run into him in my boxers in the morning.”
I shudder at the thought. My Daddy is a tolerant man, and he likes Blake, but I am still his little girl.
Blake takes a deep breath. “How would you feel about moving in with me?”
I can tell he’s nervous to ask the question, and I have a feeling it’s been pressing on his mind.
I take my time answering, wanting to be honest without hurting his feelings. “This relationship has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I’m still so scared that I’m going to do something to screw it up-”
Blake cuts me off. “Impossible.”
“Wait. Hear me out. I don’t want to screw this up. And when my Daddy comes home, I need to be here for a while to make sure that he’s okay and to try to repair our relationship. I’m worried that I won’t be able to do that properly if I move in with you now.”
Blake nods, understanding as always.
“And there’s one more thing,” I add in a small voice. “It’s very childish of me.” I feel silly admitting this, but I always want to be honest with Blake.
“What?”
“I don’t want to live in the house that you shared with Savannah.”
I see the surprise on Blake’s face, and then his face twists into one of shame.
“Damn Paige, I never even considered that.”
Great. Now I felt bad, for making Blake feel bad.
“No, please don’t! It’s very immature of me, I know. But I can’t help how I feel.”
“Of course, it’s not immature. It’s very reasonable. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself. I would never want to make you do something that you’re not comfortable with, and certainly not that. I guess I just think of it as my house since I lived there before Savannah moved in.”
“I know. That makes sense.” I give him an apologetic shrug as I spear a piece of lettuce with my fork.
“So, let me get this straight?” Blake asks. “You aren’t opposed to living with me, just opposed to living in my current house and opposed to doing anything until you and your dad fix your relationship?”
He isn’t angry or hurt, just seeking clarification.
“Yes,” I say, still feeling somewhat silly.
“Then, I have a new proposition,” he declares, grinning at me, instantly lightening the mood.
“I’m all ears.”
“What if you stay here and work things out with your father, and in the meantime I put my house on the market? Then we can take our time and look for a house that we both love together.”
“Really? You’re willing to do that for me?”
“Paige, you silly girl, I love you. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. I had to spend thirteen years without you. It’s going to be a lot harder to get rid of me this time.”
I giggle. “I think it’s a fantastic plan!” The idea of house hunting with Blake sends a happy thrill through my entire body. Blake wants a future with me just as much as I want a future with him.
We finish our lunch and head back into the pool and float lazily around on oversized rafts as we let our food digest. We lay quietly enjoying the warm sun beating down on us during these last days of summer, it feels heavenly.
After a while, Blake looks at his watch and shakes his head in disapproval.
“Is something wrong?” I ask, shielding my eyes to look over at him.
“It’s past two in the afternoon, and your bikini is still on. I think that’s an all time low for this past week.”
I laugh. Blake had a point. In the past week, we hadn’t gone this long in the day without succumbing to our desire for each other. We usually go back inside to my bedroom at least once during the morning, and one day we couldn’t even make it out of the pool. I bite my lip in anticipation of what the afternoon will hold.
“I think we need to mess up that neatly made bed of yours.” Blake says.
I feel a tug of desire deep in my belly.
“Actually,” I say seductively, “I was thinking we could try the shower instead. I still haven’t forgotten that little fantasy you shared.”
Blake’s eyes widen with surprise and unmasked lust.
“Seriously?” he croaks.
I nod, biting my lip again. I'd been thinking over Blake’s shower fantasy, and it excited me, and I think I'm finally ready to start pushing my boundaries. There's no one else in the world that I trust more than Blake.
“You’ll tell me to stop if it’s too much?” he asks, his eyes desperate with his need for me.
“Yes. I promise.”
And with that, Blake leaps off of his raft, pulling me with him. I laugh at his eagerness, and follow him out of the pool. We start to kiss along the patio, and I feel myself getting wet already. Without a single doubt in my mind, I follow Blake towards my bedroom.
THE END
Damaged But Not Broken Page 21