Page 184 of The Grand Duel

I walk to where she stands and take Luna from her, placing her on the ground. She quickly runs off up the stairs to find Daisy, her paw doing much better.

“It has the most beautiful kitchen which looks over acres of land. All your land, Charlie. Imagine the lives the dogs will live. Your friends’ children too. Ave and Ellis.”

“How much was it?”

“Mason got a deal.”

“Lissie.”

“Space,” she quickly tells me, swallowing before stepping closer so that I have to look down at her. “I didn’t know it when I had the idea but look at this place. You don’t know if there’s space to try another way, and in some wild twist of fate, I had Mason buy this.” Her eyes flare with something I can’t place. “There’s space, Charles.”

She reaches up and toys with one of my buttons.

“Make it yours. Make it your dream home and spend time here. I’ll work on it with you when I can.” She shrugs. “Can you not picture me in my cutesy wellies and farmer’s hat? The dogs in the garden?”

I shake my head and look away, around the house, my traitorous lips twitching.

“I know you said you don’t think you can do this differently, but I almost know that you could. I don’t want to force something.” I look back down at her, her eyes holding so much sincerity, they make my throat go tight. “I wouldn’t. But I want to try. As a friend, maybe? I want to help you, Charlie. And not for me, but foryou,and maybe whoever you meet after.”

I try to make sense of her words, my eyes flicking around her face.

After?

“Mason loves this place. He wasn’t about a repeat of the penthouse, so he bought it in his own name with his own money. But it can all be changed.”

“Of course he did.”

She chews on her bottom lip, her eyes wide and pleading as she looks up at me. When I don’t say anything, she dips her head.

And I hate that I took a second too long to think about it.

Because there’s not a single measure of time needed when it comes to her.

I take her chin and lift it, my smile reluctant and there for her and her only. “Do you even own a pair of wellies, Lis?”

She chuckles, her eyes lighting up. “No.”

“I’ll have to buy you some.”

“Yeah?” she says in disbelief.

I’m scared to my fucking bones of hurting the woman in front of me. But that woman—this beautiful, thoughtful, tenacious woman, she makes me feel like I can take on the world.

Sounds stupid, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way before.

“Yeah,” I tell her.

THIRTY-THREE

Charlie

Lissie

Do you have plans today?

It’s seven thirty on a Sunday morning

You’re obviously awake