Page 34 of Love You Already
Shaking my head, I pace in front of her. As I move, it hits me how empty her space is. There are a few key pieces like a couch and dining room table, but everything else is bland. There's nothing to make this place Rose. Nothing that screams personal.
Boxes are scattered about too. Stacked two and three high, the cardboard is a maze she has to weave through.
“Why haven't you moved in? How long have you been back on the ranch?” I ask as I halt in the middle of the room. My eyes bounce from place to pace as I try to make sense of it all.
Rose sinks deeper into her nest. “Since right after Vegas. I was too busy setting up the bar at first. I had things to get in order there, systems to learn. Then it was just that I hadn't done it. What was another day? Then days turned to months.”
“And now it feels like an impossible task, right? Like the big, tall mountain peak you can't climb?”Her eyes widen as she nods slowly. Again, I only take about two seconds to decide what needs to happen next.
Without a word, I walk over to the first box I see and pull out the pocketknife Donnie gifted me yesterday. I flick it open, then slide it down the plastic tape holding the lid together. The material splits like melted butter, separating and giving way with ease.
“What are you doing?” Rose asks from her spot on the couch. She hasn't moved a muscle, though I can see the tension in her brow. The confusion lining her forehead, each tiny wrinkle an imperfection I long to trace and memorize over time. The downturn of her lips almost stops me. It's only when I think of how much of a relief this will be for her that I decide to keep going.
“I'm helping you unpack. Your dad gave me the day off. Suggested I spend it with you getting to know you a bit more. What better way to get to know someone than to help them unpack their life?”
She bites her bottom lip, nibbling like a small animal before it pounces on its food. I wish she'd pounce on me.
“I don't know what to say to all this. I'm not even sure where I want things. They built this place for me when I decided to come home,” she says after a moment of watching me shuffle through the box. This one is pretty uneventful. Some photo albums, which I'm sure I'll dive into soon enough, but otherwise nothing substantial for me to move around.
My hands freeze on the cardboard edges. Their sharpness digs into my palms as her words settle over me.
“Are you saying you didn't pick any of this out? That you didn't have a say in anything?”
She nods slowly. “I still get turned around if I'm distracted,” she admits.
“Not even paint colors? At least tell me they got that part right.” I picture Beckett, Nate, and Donnie out here painting her walls in some ridiculous colors. I can only see the main area, which is a simple off-white. That doesn't mean she's not dealing with a shit stain green in her bathroom or something.
Rose looks away. I'm starting to understand that's her go to move when she's faced with something she doesn't want to deal with. She turns away like it no longer has power over her.
If only it were that easy, Ace.
I clap my hands together as I step away from the box. “That's it. We're fixing this now. Go get dressed, baby. I'm taking you out today.”
“Out?”
“Yeah, out. We're going to get paint and furniture. Whatever your heart desires to make this place home. I'm your errand boy for the day. Put me to work. I want you sleeping in a place that feels like yours all the way through, Rose.”
She shakes her head. It's not to tell me no. I can tell it's more like she's in disbelief. My theory is proven right when she asks, “Why would you do that for me? I don't understand.”
Because I love you. Because I want you to be happy. Because I want more time with you.
I don't say any of that. Instead, I move to where she's seated, and I squat down until we're eye to eye. I tug on the edge of her blanket, effectively trapping her in my circle.
“You don't have to understand it for this to make sense. I see a need, and I want to fix it. You can't live with boxes forever, Rose. Life isn't meant to be surrounded by cardboard and tape. Let me help you. Let me give you this. When we're done, we'll eat and talk. There doesn't have to be any heavy conversation while we get you squared away.”
The concession is what does it. My promise to keep things light and fun turns the tide in my favor.
Rose's face lights up. From the uptick of her lips to the sparkle in her bright blue eyes, she comes alive. Vibrant. Vivid. Mine.
She wiggles to get free of the blanket, causing me to release my hold. In a blur of movement, she slips past me to move down the hall. Her voice echoes back to me, “Give me ten minutes!”
I chuckle as I move to the kitchen. She didn't get to finish her cup of coffee this morning thanks to me. The least I can do is make her a new batch to go. The plan is solid enough, except when I go to grab filters, she has none. Same with coffee itself and the cream. In fact, her fridge is bare. Ultra-bare. It's practically sparkling with how clean it is.
My gaze is still on the insanely clean fridge when she steps out a few minutes later. “I'm ready,” she calls.
The pull to her is instant. I whip my head to look at her, then have to fight from letting my jaw drop. Gone are the silk pajamas she teased me with all morning. In their place are a dangerous pair of cutoff jeans and a tight graphic tee with Reba on the front. The words 'Don't Let me down' are emblazoned across her abdomen. And her hair... fuck. Those dark locks hang in loose waves over her supple tits.
But the best part is the big smile she gives me as she jingles her keys. “You ready?”