Grace added, voice harder now. "I'm not—we're not?—"
"I know," Luke said quickly. "Separate rooms. I promise."
She studied him for a long moment, like she was trying to decide if he was capable of keeping that promise.
Luke held her gaze. Didn't flinch.
"Pack a bag," he said finally.
Grace hesitated one more second. Then she turned and walked down the hallway toward her bedroom, shoulders squared, spine straight.
Like she was walking into battle instead of accepting help.
Luke exhaled slowly and sank onto the arm of the couch.
She was coming home with him.
Not in the way he wanted. Not wrapped in his arms, not laughing against his mouth.
But she was coming.
As long as she was safe, he would be able to breathe.
Luke unlockedthe front door and stepped aside.
“After you,” he said.
He followed, setting her bag down by the door, and locking it behind them.
He watched Grace take in his living room with careful, assessing eyes.
Leather couch. Coffee table. Television mounted above a gas fireplace. Hardwood floors.
It looked exactly like what it was: a bachelor's house. Functional. Clean. Empty of anything that mattered.
Grace's gaze traveled slowly across the space.
She didn't say anything.
Luke felt the silence like pressure. Did she like it? Would she be happy here?
He picked up her bag and nodded toward the stairs. "I'll show you where the guest room is,” he said.
Grace nodded.
They climbed the stairs in single file, her footsteps soft behind him. He flipped on the light when he reached the hallway—and suddenly he was seeing his own house through her eyes.
Beige walls. Neutral carpet. Three closed doors and nothing on the walls.
He wanted it to be nicer for her.
Luke stopped at the guest room and pushed open the door.
The room was bare but clean. Queen bed with a blue comforter. Nightstand. Lamp.
"Bathroom's across the hall," he said, setting her bag on the bed. “There's—" He gestured vaguely. "Shampoo and stuff under the sink. Help yourself to whatever you need."
He went into the linen closet, pulled out a stack of towels and handed them to her when he came back.
