“I’m glad you approve. I don’t really use this room as much as I should.” It was pretty fucking boring being in here alone. Pretty sad, too. “It’s nice to have someone to share it with.”
“This must be like what being on vacation feels like,” she said softly after a brief pause. “It’s glorious.”
I glanced at her. “You’ve never taken a vacation?”
“Not really.”
“That’s depressing.” And something I would have changed pronto if I really was marrying her. “You’ve seriously never been on vacation?”
“I run a castle. When am I supposed to just slip away to the beach?”
“That’s fair, but it’s still depressing.”
She smiled but focused on the movie once the opening credits were over. About twenty minutes in, her head slowly tipped sideways, landing on my shoulder. I looked down, realizing that she’d fallen asleep.
Even so, I sat there for a while, listening to the quiet sound of her breathing while the movie played on the massive screen, but eventually, I turned it off. Carefully standing up, I slipped an arm under her knees and the other under her shoulders, gently lifting her against me.
She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up, so I carried her down the hall to one of the guest rooms, setting her gently on the bed. She sighed and curled into the pillow as I pulled the blanket over her.
“Goodnight, beautiful,” I murmured, watching her for another beat before I quietly left the room.
Back in the kitchen, I poured myself a drink—and not a polite one. This was a stiff, glass-practically-overflowing drink, but it wasn’t overflowing for long. I brought it to my lips and drained a decent amount of the liquid inside in one long gulp. Then I cocked a hip against the counter and stared out the window into the quiet street.
The truth had been settling in my chest with painful clarity all night long that I wasn’t going to be able to let Eliza go. Not really. Not after all this. I just didn’t know how to do it.
After taking another long drink of my whiskey, I sighed, another problem following immediately behind the first. Because if I did let her go, and if she married Jesse like she was supposed to, how the hell was I ever going to have a relationship with my twin brother when Jesse would be building a life with the woman who had somehow become the center of mine?
CHAPTER 24
ELIZA
When I woke up, I was alone and in a bed I didn’t recognize, which was odd, considering that the last thing I remembered, I’d been in the movie theater with Jesse. Slowly sitting up, I blinked at the morning light filtering through the windows and looked around the unfamiliar bedroom.
It was gorgeous, simple, but tasteful, with crisp white bedding and dark wood furniture. I could only assume Jesse had brought me here after I’d fallen asleep, but it was also clear that he hadn’t slept in this room with me. The pillows on the other side of the bed were pristine, the sheets still tucked in on that side too.
It shouldn’t have bothered me that he could’ve chosen to bring me tohisroom but had instead brought me here. If anything, it was considerate and respectful, but there was a not-so-small part of me that had secretly hoped starting our lives together would involve, perhaps, sleeping in the same bed.
Either way, it looked like that wasn’t happening, but I tried not to be too disappointed about it. So far, Jesse had seemed extremely sensitive to the fact that so much of my life had changed after he’d chosen me instead of Winnie. Maybe he was simply waiting to talk to me about it, which was a good thing.
A positive sign.
With that thought in mind, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded down the hallway in search of coffee and answers. The house was suspiciously quiet, though.
“Jesse?” I called, but he didn’t answer. “Are you here?”
Still no response. I sighed and ran a hand through my loose hair. Obviously, he was already gone. Which left me with yet another day of absolutely nothing to do. Yesterday, it had felt like a treat. This morning, however, the prospect was a little more intimidating.
Coffee first. Everything will feel so much better after coffee.
Determined not to spend the day moping around, left alone in a new city with nothing to do, I walked into the kitchen and stopped short. There was a note on the counter and next to it was a stack of cash so thick, it could have doubled as building material for a small house.
I frowned, wondering just what in the hell that was supposed to be for until I picked up the note. The handwriting on it was hurried but not illegible.
Good morning, Sunshine.
Sorry to miss you. I had to run into the office early.
Use the cash if you need anything. I’m having a card delivered for you soon, but in the meantime, use this one.
