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She turned in a slow circle and sat on the end of the bed. Her fingers curled, nails skimming over the bedspread.
“It’s really, really nice,” she said.
“You are free to renovate it how you please,” I said. “I’m going to get you a credit card with both our names on it. You get the things you need and all the bills will be sent to me directly.”
Her brows shot up.
“Really?”
“Of course, I’m here to make sure you’re taken care of. I stocked the fridge, but you can make a list of things you want if I missed anything and I’ll give it to my assistant.”
She nodded slowly, clearly struggling to process everything. I stood in the doorway and watched as she pulled her shoes off and tossed them aside. I winced as her coat hit the floor.
She was clearly a little messy.
I picked it up, folded it, and laid it over the chair. She’d gone to the window and she stood, holding the curtain back, staring out over the hills.
“Do you actually like the room?” I asked.
She spun, a surge of energy in her step. “It’s really nice for now. But I like things to be a little more glittery and bright.”
Glittery and bright sounded like hell. I swallowed my words and nodded, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet. I didn’t have any cash on me, but I did have my secondary credit card.
I held it out. Her eyes dropped and her fingers clenched together. Twisting into a little knot over her stomach.
“Go ahead and go shopping now,” I said. “I have to work this afternoon, but I’ll see you later tonight.”
She took the credit card tentatively, like she’d never seen anything so precious. Then her lips curved and her eyes lit up. When they fixed on mine, I noticed her lashes were wet.
“Thank you,” she said.
“I know we don’t really know each other, but I’m here for you, Clara. I want to make sure you have a comfortable home, that you get to go to a good school. And when you graduate, I’ll arrange a good marriage for you.”
She nodded once, staring up at me like I was the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky. I’d never had anyone look at me like that before and…well, it felt really fucking good on my ego. In fact, I liked it enough to jump through some hoops just to see it again.
“I thought you were going to be mean,” she said.
I frowned. “I’m not mean.”
“I mean, clearly not. Where do you sleep?”
I pointed at the ceiling. “My bedroom is upstairs. I felt it was best to have our rooms separated by a level, as you are an adult woman living with me and I’m not your blood relative. It’s only proper.”
“I understand.” She nodded vigorously.
She needed time alone to unpack. I left the house and went to the office. My chest ached less and the grief in the pit of my stomach felt more distant. There was something about Clara that lit up the entire house.
For the last decade, I’d lived my life in a safe cage of strict routine. But looking at Clara…maybe I was ready for something different.
It was almost eight when I got home that night to find her in the kitchen. She was making coffee and playing soft music from her laptop. When I walked in, she froze and her eyes widened.
“Sorry, is this okay?”
“You live here now,” I said. “What’s mine is yours. Just don’t bother my bedroom or office.”
She grinned and I noticed she’d changed her clothes completely. Instead of the black dress and short boots, she wore a pair of berry pink shorts and a fluffy oversized black hoodie. Her hair was piled on her head and secured with a glittery pink clip.
I dragged my eyes over the counter. Over the spilled coffee grounds, the ring of cream, the dirty spoons.
