"It means I'm having dinner with my wife tonight. And I'd like her to have her things."
I can hear the smile in Leo's voice. "About fucking time."
"Just get the tools, asshole."
"On it."
I hang up.
Look out at the garden where Sera was staring.
It's not much. Tools and books and a promise to have dinner.
But it's a start.
And maybe that's enough.
CHAPTER 20
Sera
I find the box on my bed when I return from the shower.
For a moment, I just stare at it. The cardboard is old, busted, and familiar.
I don't need to open the flaps to know what is inside the box—my tools.
He actually did it.
I sink onto the edge of the bed, fingers trembling as I pull the tape free. Inside: my restoration kit, each tool exactly where I'd left it. The set of brushes Mr. Bolinger gave me when I started. The wheat paste I'd mixed myself. The leather punch I'd saved three months to buy.
And underneath, wrapped in tissue paper: two books.
Jane Eyre.A collection of Mary Oliver poems.
He didn't just grab random books. He got the right ones. The first ones I'd restored.
I press the poetry book to my chest and let myself cry.
Not because I'm sad, but because for the first time since this nightmare began, someone listened to what I needed and actually followed through.
There's a knock at the door, and I quickly flick the tears away.
"Come in," I call out, sniffling slightly.
Adrian enters, and for a moment we just look at each other.
"The tools arrived," I say unnecessarily.
"I see that." His eyes move to the poetry book I'm still clutching. "Are they—did I get the right ones?"
"Yes. All of them. Thank you."
He nods. Awkward. Like he doesn't know what to do with my gratitude. This seems to be the thing between us right now. Adrian seems to oscillate between being incredibly controlling and not knowing what he wants to say to me.
"Dinner's ready," he says. "If you're still interested."
"I am." I gesture down to the silk dress I'm wearing. It was the one that had been hung newly in my closet. It's a deep emerald silk that's more revealing than I might have chosen for myself, but it's also lovely and accentuates my new curves in a way that makes me feel incredibly sexy. "I got all dressed up and everything." I chuckle, trying not to feel awkward.
