As I scan the room, I walk through the mess, looking for anything salvageable. My clothes are fine, strewn about my room as if they were rummaged through. My bedside tables are emptied clean, just garbage and knickknacks lying about. Anything I had that was worth something is gone.
“I’ll call the police,” Emris says from behind me, his tone cool and collected.
I shake my head. “Don’t bother. This is a high-crime neighborhood; it happens all the time. They won’t be able to do anything. I’ve just got to, um, clean up and start over.”
Looking over my shoulder at him, his finger hovers above his phone. His eyes are soft, while his jaw is hardened, his brows furrowed.
I give him a thin-lipped smile, one I’m sure isn’t very convincing.
“Why don’t you come stay with me?” he offers, putting his phone in his pocket.
I blink at him. “What?”
“I know it’s quick, but why not? Instead of seeing this as another hardship to overcome, let’s look at it as a sign to move on. Move forward. Together.” He gives me a sheepish grin, seeming nervous for the first time since I’ve met him. “My place has plenty of room, and you can change it however you like.”
This is crazy, isn’t it? Moving in with a man I’ve only met recently. A man who I’ve had one real date with. But he’s the man I am in love with, and who loves me.
Everything about this crazy, yet, somehow, it feels right, just like how my hand feels in his, like how our bodies melt together perfectly. He is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Why shouldn’t that start right now?
“Are you sure?” I give him the opportunity to change his mind. “This isn’t out of pity, is it? I don’t want a handout.”
He shakes his head, stepping toward me. “Absolutely, I’m sure. And I would never pity a woman like you. You are strong, stronger than any person or monster I’ve met before.”
“I don’t know if I can afford the rent at a place like yours,” I joke, wiping the remaining tears from my eyes.
“Who said anything about rent?” He scoffs, cupping my face with his hands.
Shaking my head, I say what needs to be said. “I can’t live there for free.”
He stares at me, his eyes searching my face.
There’s no way I can accept such a gracious offer from him for free, even though this is quite literally what I told him I wanted originally—everything, at no cost. I never thought I’d actually be presented with the offer, and now that I am, it feels wrong to accept it.
“I have an idea, but you’ll have to trust me.” He sounds sure, his eyes glistening with excitement.
I nod because I do trust him, but I can’t help but be curious. “What is the idea?”
Chapter Six
ONE YEAR LATER
EMRIS
“So, what makes you qualified for this position?” I ask, reciting interview questions off the top of my head.
“Well,” she starts, sitting up straight. “I have recently graduated top of my class in my compressed marketing management and strategies program. A program that usually takes students four years to complete, I managed to finish in only a year.”
Nodding along at her words, I smirk. “Very impressive, it must come naturally to you. Why is it you want to work here at Bloodka?”
“A few reasons,” she says, eyes glimmering with intent. “I want to pursue a passion, and marketing is one of mine. Another reason is that I made a deal a year ago with this vampire, and it’s time for me to uphold my end.”
She tilts her head, those blonde curls falling around her face. Even after a year together, I’m taken aback by her beauty everytime I see her. I need to focus, though it’s hard to do when she looks at me like that.
“You’ll have to start at the bottom of the marketing department, work your way up over time and through merit. You understand this, right?” I half tell, half ask her. She’s earned this job fair and square through hard work, but I can’t just hand her a higher-up position.
Her nod is eager, a genuine smile crawling onto her lips. “Yes, of course. I wouldn’t want or expect it any other way.”
“Then, you’re hired. When can you start?” I ask, leaning over my desk.
