This place was supposed to be bare and unfurnished, but cream-colored and gray chaises and chairs stood guard in our living room.
Complementing drapes hung high over the windows, and grayscale photos of Marie and me were framed on the walls.
What the…
I double-checked to make sure the number on my door was correct and that the key matched before taking another step forward.
The kitchen was fitted with designer appliances, and every drawer I pulled open was filled with cutlery or cooking tools.
Swallowing, I walked down the hallway and peered inside the first bedroom, which was Marie’s.
With rustic pink accents and soft white walls, its thirty-pillowed bed looked like it belonged in a luxury hotel, and the plush seating area was exactly Marie’s taste.
When I made it to the master bedroom, I froze.
Plucked straight from my dream Pinterest board, a beautiful gray carriage bed stood guard next to a sleek glass desk and a chaise that bore my name on its fabric.
The throw blanket folded across the bed was the exact shade of gray I’d once told Dante made me feel calm.
Even the candles on the nightstand were my favorite brand.
Oh my god…
Returning to the living room, I spotted the model of The Holden in the corner.
It was the model that Dante and I had agreed on long ago.
Next to it, on a small glass table, stood a tall vase with orchids and an envelope that read “To Chloe. From Dante.”
“Oh my god!” Alyssa rushed toward me and pulled me into a hug. “Thank you so much for buying this place instead ofrenting. The commission on this is going to cover the rest of my year!”
“What do you meanbuyingthis?”
“Oh come on!” She pulled back. “No need to be modest at this point, Miss Sterling. I see why you were being so weird at our last few showings now.”
“I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Okay.” She winked before handing me the other set of keys. “I’ll play along with your game. I hope you enjoy your lifetime rental.”
“You’re really starting to worry me…”
“I think it was smart of you to pay all the condo fees twenty years upfront,” she said. “If I had that much in my savings, I’d do the same thing.”
Before I could ask her what the hell she was talking about, she picked up the contract folder and held it out to me.
“I’ll be back up with your final welcome documents, okay?”
“Okay…”
She rushed away and left me standing still, more confused than ever.
Not even five minutes passed before she knocked at the door.
“Coming!”
When I opened it, my breath caught at the sight of Dante.
“Give me two minutes,” he said quietly. “Please, Chloe…”
