“That you’d be here and we could talk about what happened at Charlie’s house.” He looked away and pretended to be unpacking food. She was beginning to be able to tell the difference now. “Should I start by saying I’m sorry?”
He shook his head. “No. I should. I was the one who put you in that situation. My family can be…”
“Presumptuous?”
“Pains in the ass is more like it. Gareth likes to joke around a lot and Rosslyn, well, I think because she’s a mother now, she wants one of us to have one right away. You know, someone for Penelope to grow up with.”
“That’s kind of sweet. But that doesn’t explain why you became so…quiet. Because it sounds like you expected that behavior from them.”
He looked at her for what seemed like an eternity. When he spoke, his words were like a knife. “I did. It was yours that…hurt.”
“Mine? What did I say?” She really didn’t recall anything that horrible.
“Nothing.”
“I don’t understand. You said it was what I said.” She was totally confused.
“Yes. You said nothing and used that word more than once. There is nothing between us. Nothing. Is that how you really feel, Sofia?”
She could see now that her choice to conceal their relationship had been the wrong one. “No. Not at all. When I realized they didn’t know you were allowing me to stay here, I figured you didn’t want anyone to know.”
“I don’t share my business or ask their permission. Besides, it hadn’t come up, and we’ve been a bit preoccupied. Or had you forgotten that as well?”
She deserved that. ‘Sorry’ didn’t seem to be anywhere near enough of an apology. The damage was done, and now his family believed they were…nothing to each other. “What can I say Dylan, to make this…right?”
He came around the counter and looked directly into her eyes. “The truth.”
“To your family?” she asked.
Dylan shook his head. “I don’t give a damn what they believe. I want you to tell me. Why are you here, Sofia?”
“You offered me the job, and I’m in the play, and—”
“And if you were fired from both? What is left for you, Sofia? Anything, or nothing?”
How could she tell him what she wasn’t sure of herself? “Dylan, I care so much about you and I’m…I…I don’t want it to end. I just don’t know what this is. We’ve never talked about it.”
“You’re right. We started, but got…distracted. So why don’t we talk now?”
“Okay.” You go first.
“Let me start by saying, I didn’t ask you to come here for any damn job. Or because of a play, for that matter.”
“Why did you ask me then?”
“Because I wanted to see more of you. The way we were going, neither of us was getting any sleep. Of course, I don’t remember sleeping much last night, but at least we were together.”
“Yes, we are. But as what? Lovers?”
“I would say we are definitely lovers. But I want to think we are more than just that. Did you see how I live here? It has been a bachelor pad. No other woman has ever been here. I liked it that way.” He tipped her chin and asked, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes. You like living alone. You like being single.” It was crystal clear.
“No, sweetheart, I said ‘liked’. That is the past. This is what I want right now. You. Me. Here.”
They weren’t words professing his love, and she wasn’t ready to do that, either. But at least she knew she wasn’t his flavor-of-the-month gal. “So where do we go from here?”
“Honestly Sofia, I don’t know. This is all new to me. I know it’s asking a lot, but I’m hoping we can take our time and figure this out together.”