Lilly led us towards the sitting room that was off the main foyer and open to the dining room, the two-story ceiling of the room decorated with stunning hand painted murals that reminded me ofA Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was actually one of my favorite rooms in the entire house.
Well, except for Yates’s bedroom, and not for the reason you would assume. My lips pressed up as I remembered the last time I was in there.
“Yates?” I called out. I was lying on his bed, flipping through his files from the office that day. His father owned a law firm, and Yates had been working there for most of the summer before starting his pre-law courses this fall… at Silver Oak. Even though he literally could have gotten in anywhere else.
“Yeah, bunny?” Yates called out from his closet as he looked out at me, brow arched as he rolled up the sleeves of the button-down he’d worn to the office. I tried to not look at the impressive forearm porn he was sporting.
“I think we should grab the twins and watch a movie tonight. Oh! Or we could actually go to the theatre.”
Yates groaned. “I do not want to leave again tonight. If I have to see anyone fucking else today, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Poor baby,” I sassed, amused, and then arched a brow. “Do you want me to head out and leave you to your brooding?”
“You don’t count.” He waved me off before coming to sit next to me on his bed.
Yates’s entire room was fairly modern compared to the rest of the house, which was styled in an elegant traditional design. It had massive open windows, and his king size bed was covered in the softest blue sheets I’d ever laid on to this day, and that was saying something. It was one of the reasons I’d chosen to lay here instead of on the couch near the massive flat screen he had. It was a light and airy room that I could spend hours in, and I was almost damn positive that he knew it.
“Oh good, I love not counting.” I flashed a scowl as I sat up.
Yates groaned. “Woman, you know exactly what I mean. Come on, downstairs to the movie theatre. We will watch a fucking movie. I’m not messaging the twins, though, so you’re going to have to deal with my company.”
Oh no. That sounded horrible…
“Fine,” I sighed, sitting up and hopping off his bed. “We are watching—”
“Don’t you say it,” he growled, following after me.
“Come on, it’s not that bad!”
The man muttered a curse as we made our way downstairs… where we watchedRoman Holidayfor the millionth time in a row. What?! I was an Audrey Hepburn girl, he could deal with it. Plus, I think he secretly loved it…
So yes, unfortunately, the man was holding my favorite space in his entire house hostage, so if I wanted to spend time in it… it had to be with him. I suppose I would just suffer for the time being. Plus, Yates could be okay.Sometimes.
Shortly after walking into the sitting room, my parents’ voices echoed behind us, along with Mr. Carter’s. I didn’t bother sitting down in the main room right away—dinner was never just dinner here—and instead made my way towards the massive side porch that a pair of french doors opened up to.
One of the household employees, Hailey, offered me a sweet smile before handing me a glass of sweet tea. I blushed, feeling a bit awkward, because frankly I wasn’t a huge fan of hiring estate staff. The concept alone made me feel weird. Besides a landscaper, bi-weekly house cleaner, and pool worker, we didn’t have anyone work on our property unless we were holding an event. My mom wasn’t a fan either, but not all of the families in Wildberry shared the same sentiment.
Yates barely noticed Hailey, waving her off as she offered him a glass, her face drooping slightly and making me nearly sigh… I could see the hope there. Something that both annoyed me and made me feel bad for her. Hailey was around our age, and her mom was the household chef that helped Lilly. When Hailey had graduated from high school two years ago, she had been hired while attending classes at a local community college outside of town. The few times we’d talked, she had seemed really nice, but there was very much a divide between us.
For example, when I’d asked her why she wasn’t attending Silver Oak, her face fell before explaining the tuition was too high. I think that was when I realized how dense I was and decided to save myself the embarrassment. I would keep my socializations to a minimum because I was such a dumbass. Plus, I didn’t want to accidentally upset her further than I already had.
On the other hand, as nice as she was… I knew she was into Yates. Something that I felt undecided about.Yeah, sure, that was how I felt.Hailey left the doorway to go greet my parents as I sat down on a massive, padded porch swing that cradled my form.
Yates sat down next to me, unsurprisingly, and pinned me with a curious look. I arched a brow and took a sip of my tea. “Yates, you need to be nicer to those around you. Saying hi to Hailey wouldn’t kill you—you’re breaking the girl’s heart.”
He blinked, confusion crossing his face as he arched a pale brow. “Hailey?”
I huffed out a laugh. “The girl who works in your house, like, every day? The one who handed me this glass?”
His eyes moved towards my glass before finally meeting my gaze again. “Why would I smile at her? We aren’t friends.”
Oh man, this was a lost cause.
“Yates.” I tilted my head and changed direction. “Why are we here?”
The man next to me spread out slightly as his posture relaxed and he put his arms out, his large fingers tapping on the back of the swing right behind my shoulder. I turned towards him, watching something cross his face as he tried to decide on what he was going to say. Finally, he flashed me a smile.
“What, you don’t like spending time with me?” he teased. There was a tension to him tonight, almost a nervousness that I didn’t fully understand.