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“If the price was right?”
He sat back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. “Why are you so interested? I’m sure your dad can have it sold in no time. And we’ll find something when we’re ready. I do appreciate the heads up, though.”
“It’s my unit. I bought it a couple years ago but… things changed. I don’t need anything that big anymore. I’ve been on the fence about selling, and I thought it would be perfect for you.”
Bryce didn’t move from his position, his arms still crossed as he thought about what she said. According to Samantha, Lizzy’s affair with Brandon would have been around the time she bought the place, or not long after. But even if that’s when things went bad with their marriage, it didn’t explain why the place was in the middle of a renovation.
“Has it been sitting there gutted for the past few years?”
She shook her head sadly. “No. I got it in my head that I wanted to go through with all the plans we had when we were married, but that was a mistake. Every part of it made me sick. So, I called it off. I’d rather sell it cheap and let the new owners do what they want with it. You would be able to do most of it yourself if you wanted. Between that and how low I’m willing to go, you’d really make out in the deal. If you’re interested.”
It didn’t take a detective to figure out there was more to the story than just her marriage going bad, but he didn’t pry. It wasn’t his business. The more he thought about it, the more inclined he was to agree with Lizzy. It did sound perfect. He would have to be careful about how he broached the subject with Samantha, considering they hadn’t exactly come to an agreement about where the relationship was heading.
“When are you putting it on the market?”
“Obviously I’m not in a hurry. I was hoping to do it soon, but if you want some time to think about it, I can wait. I’ll let you guys take a look at it first.”
“Okay. Give me a few days to talk it over with Samantha, and I’ll let you know. Thanks for thinking of us.”
Lizzy finished her coffee and left after reiterating how perfect the place would be for them. All he could do while he continued to sit at the coffee shop was imagine what life would be like if they lived together in a place meant for them. A place without memories. A place that felt equally like home to both of them. All he had to do was convince Samantha to take a look. The renovation would be easy.
Samantha woke up to the smell of coffee and… bacon? She opened her eyes to find Bryce sitting on the side of the bed holding a tray of food. Eggs, bacon, toast, and cantaloupe. A glance at the nightstand led her to the steaming coffee she’d been anticipating since she opened her eyes.
“Good morning,” he said, smiling when her gaze found his.
“Good… morning?” she greeted him hesitantly.
Sitting up, she scooted until her back was against the headboard. As soon as she was situated, he placed the tray over her lap and added the mug of coffee to it as she continued to watch him suspiciously.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” she asked, her tone dripping with skepticism.
“Why are you so suspicious?” he asked, laughing softly. “Do you not trust me?”
She dug into her food. After taking a bite of each item on her plate, she finally responded to his question. “Random breakfast in bed? No, I don’t trust you. Something is definitely up.”
He tilted his head back and laughed. If she wasn’t so busy devouring her food, she would have been annoyed. She felt the bed shift as he climbed in next to her, but her attention was on the tray in front of her. Once she had finished, she finally looked over at him and prepared to demand he tell her what was going on.
“I think it’s time for us to get a place together,” Bryce blurted before she had a chance to demand answers.
“I thought I pretty much moved in here. Is this your way of telling me I’ve worn out my welcome?”
“No,” he answered quickly. “I’m saying I don’t want this to end. And I don’t want it to be like you just came here one day and then never left. Not to mention, the commute is bad now, but it’ll really be bad once you start a new show and get on a rehearsal schedule.”
It would be a lie if she told him she hadn’t thought of that. She was already getting tired of the commute, and it had only been two weeks. They’d gotten the new paternity test results back, and they were as they expected. Bryce was ruled out as the father and Brandon confirmed.
“I’m surprised you still want to do that knowing…” she said before trailing off.
Before she realized he’d moved, his fingers gently gripped her chin as he turned her head to face him. “Look at me when I say this.”
Swallowing hard, she dragged her gaze up to meet his. “I’m not sure how many ways I need to tell you this before you accept it. I love you. I want you. And I’m honored to have the chance to be in this baby’s life. He’s my flesh and blood and I don’t want anyone raising him but me. As far as I’m concerned, he’s mine and I will not spend days and nights away from the two of you.”
“Oh. Okay,” she breathed.
“Now. As I was saying, I want us to get a place together. There’s a place in Bayonne that sounds pretty perfect for us. Well, it will be once I finish it.”
“Have you been looking for places without me?” she asked, slightly annoyed at the thought of it. “I know we haven’t talked about it, but I would like to be a part of it. Not just look at the places you deem acceptable.”
“No. It’s not like that,” he explained. “I haven’t been looking. This just kind of fell into my lap.”
