"Maybe you have a point."
"I know that I have a point."
"You can be persistent, can’t you?"
"You can thank me later." She glances off-screen. "I think the deliveries are here. I have to go."
"Wait." I scowl. "How do I make him grovel?"
She rolls her eyes. "You’re the brilliant doctor. I’m sure you can think up a plan. I really have to go now."
"Wait, you—" She disconnects the call.
That’s when the doorbell rings.
55
Christian
She opens the door, phone in hand, then stills. "Y-you?" She stutters. "What are you doing here?"
"Would you believe that I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by?" I cringe. Really? Is that the best you can do?
"Well, then you can leave the same way you came." She begins to shut the door, and I plant my foot in the doorway.
"Wait!" I protest. "Please, I came all this way just to talk to you."
"I don’t want to talk to you." She pushes the door into my foot.
I grimace. "Just give me a few minutes of your time, okay?"
"That’s what I asked you, but did you listen? No, you did not; you simply got into your stupid Ferrari and drove away."
"Hey," I protest, "hate me if you want, but don’t insult my Ferrari."
"Really?" She stares. "That’s what you want to say to me?"
"What?" I shake my head, partially to clear it because her scent is driving me crazy, and partially because I really need to get my act together. "No, of course, not. I came to … to…" Shit, why is this so hard? "Can I come inside, please?" I ask.
Her gaze widens; she stares at me with surprise written large on her features.
"I know, I’m being polite and shit." I rub the back of my neck. "I’m trying, okay?" I peer into her face. "Please, can I come in and talk to you? I promise, I won’t take too much of your time. Unless you’d rather I do this out here, where all of your neighbors will hear..."
She hesitates, then nods.
Thank fuck. If she refused me, would I have pushed my way inside? Well, we’ll never know now, will we?
She spins around and walks inside. I follow her into the living room. She places her phone on the coffee table, then crosses over to stand on the opposite side of the room.
I take in the bookcase, half-filled with books, the sofa, the colorful curtains, the rugs on the floor. It’s a place that feels like home. "It’s nice," I tell her. "You seem comfortable here."
"I am," she tips up her chin, "but you didn’t come here to comment about my taste in interior decorating, did you?"
A-n-d there you are, my little spitfire, my Flower. This is why I can’t stay away from you, because you’re the only one who feels like home to me.
Shit, why did it take me so long to realize the truth? She not only feels like home, she is my home. It’s why I haven’t been able to stay away from her from the moment I laid eyes on her. It’s why I keep returning to her.
After Massimo and Seb had that talk with me, I was pissed off at myself. Enough to leave on my secret mission, while the rest of my brothers took turns watching over my triplet, who is still in an induced coma.