“What is your expectation then, because I’ll tell you one thing, I’m pretty sure I’ve avoided a lot of situations in my life to avoid anyone expecting anything from me and now I think you all might need me to uphold something I can’t. Dante gave me this file and…”
“Take a breath, Morina.” He approached and went to take the plant and lamp from my arms.
I gripped them tightly, not letting them go. “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking these from you.”
“No.” I stepped back. “These stay, Bastian.”
He peered down at the offensive plants.
“They’ll live. They just need water.”
“It’s dead,piccola ragazza,” he said in a voice that was probably meant to pacify me.
“It’s not dead.” My heart squeezed hearing him call me that. Why did I resort to thinking about how he’d cared for me during a meaningless one night stand?
I took another humongous step back. “Do you nurture plants back to health?”
“I…” He paused over his words, probably because my line of reasoning was somewhat outrageous at this point. “Of course I don’t nurture plants back to health.”
“Then you wouldn’t know!” I stomped over to his granite countertop and placed the plants in the center.
“Morina, no.” His jaw worked as he stared at the dark pots full of dirt so dry it would surely crumble if either of us touched it.
I ignored him and floated over to an end table where I set the salt lamp.
He combed his hand through his dark hair. “Look, you get to add things to this place however you want… mostly. I’m going to try to stay out of your way and I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of mine. This place is more than big enough for the two of us.”
“So, then you’re fine with the plants there.” I waved over to my newest favorite things. I took great pride in the way Bastian looked literally itchy just staring at them. He needed something to ruffle his feathers because God knew this whole situation ruffled mine.
He stuck his hands in his pockets, and I thought I saw the fists they made under the expensive fabric. “Fine.” He said through gritted teeth. “Salt lamp and suitcases in your room though.”
“Suitcases. The salt lamp stays. I need peace when I’m out here.”
“Peace? I’m not even going to be here.”
“You’re here now. And this place isn’t peaceful.”
“You don’t like it?” His voice was suddenly pained.
“Does it matter?”
He dragged a hand through his hair. “No, I guess it doesn’t. I’ll help with your suitcases and show you to your room.”
“So, we’ll just pretend we’re together when people come over and that I sleep in the same room?”
“The queen and king of England had different rooms,” Bastian said, like it wasn’t a completely preposterous idea.
“Not one of my friends would ever think I’d live with a man if I wasn’t sleeping with him.” I grumbled but that was sort of a lie because I didn’t really have any close friends anyway.
“Who? Linny? I have yet to see that woman since the first night I met you.” He scoffed like he knew me better than everyone already.
“Linny just travels a lot.” I crossed my arms. “Fine. Would your friends believe that?”
“Katie lived with me for a while.”
For some reason, that grated on my nerves and I probably should have let my feelings about it die, but my mouth ran away with itself. “And she just said you almost slept with her!”