Because Of Love

He shook his head with a purse of his lips.

She’d forgotten to introduce them and he’d been forced to be a little social. She smiled a little. She wasn’t that sorry.

“I can’t believe I got beat by an old century looking house,” a smile teasing on his lips.

Her own smile widened behind her fingers.

“You love it that much?”

She nodded.

“Take your time,” he said, and with that, he turned and began to walk away, disappearing from her view.

Nelson gave her a thumbs up and then quickly followed. Not long after, the sound of his conversational voice carried to her as he gave Rafe a tour, quick to mention which were her favorite parts of the house.

It took her about thirty minutes to read and re-read the contract before she was sure she was ready to sign. As much as she loved the house, she was about to make the biggest decision of her life, financially and emotionally. The down payment would wipe out her savings and the monthly payments were more than half of her current salary. Thanks to her new project and Rafe’s signature, her dream house was no longer just a dream. The moment she signed the contract, it would become a huge part of her reality. She picked up the pen with Nelson’s realty firm’s insignia on it and just as she was about to make the first stroke of her signature she stopped. She felt a loss somehow and couldn’t quite-right!

She wanted Rafe to be here for this.

Quickly, she got up from the chair and went in search of him. She turned the corner that led to the staircase to the upper floor, glad that unlike most houses, they weren’t located near the front door, she just hated that, and almost ran into Nelson.

“Are you looking for your boyfriend?” he asked with a cheeky smile.

Talia’s face flushed and she cleared her throat, touching the back of her hair lightly with her fingertips.

“Where is Rafe?” she asked, ignoring him.

Nelson chuckled and responded, “Master bedroom.”

“Thanks,” she blurted out, quickly making her escape, taking the winding steps two at a time.

She walked down the hallway, past the open area that the previous owners had turned into a library section, a cushioned settee against the large ceiling to floor brass framed glass wall with shelves of books on either sides-the second best part of the house, the kitchen coming in third-to the master bedroom-ranking number one. The door stood ajar, and she peeked in for a moment before she took a step in. Slowly pushing the door open wider with the tips of her fingers, Talia walked into the carpeted electric styled room, a pair of mid-century armchairs and a gorgeous stump coffee center table with a clear vase of white lilies on top of it, greeting her. A gorgeous four post bed stood against the wall, right in the middle of the room, a sublime coral bench at the foot of it and a pair of metallic nightstands stood at each side of the bed.

The room was so cozy and warm, she could just imagine laying in bed, boosted up with the numerous thick cushions reading a paperback. Just the thought of it made her sigh with longing. She needed to remember to find out who their interior designer was and where they bought their furniture when she spoke to Nelson again. The décor just gave her the feels and if it were possible, she would happily buy every piece along with the house.

Talia spotted Rafe at the balcony, standing against the railing with both his hands in his leather jacket pockets. He quietly stared out at the view, not minding the slight chill.

She went up to him and hugged his side, one arm around his waist. “The view is beautiful isn’t it?” she asked with her free hand she pointed out. “Right over there is the view of the Atlantic. Your favorite place in the world.”

His cheek rounded in a smile but flattened soon after. Talia watched Rafe’s profile and wondered what he was thinking about. Normally, he wouldn’t let a moment like this pass, the second she put her arm around him he would have grabbed her in a bear hug. But now, he just stood staring out, his hands buried in his pockets.

Was something wrong?

Just as she was about to ask, he suddenly asked softly, his voice above a whisper, “The couple who own this house, was it just them?”

“Yes,” Talia answered, watching him carefully.

“So no kids?”

“No kids. Why do you ask?”

With a barely noticeable shake of his head, he added, “You can tell from the design and the décor.”

What was going on? Why was he so shell-like?

In the silence that followed, Talia felt like it was expectant, like he was weighing his next words carefully before he spoke then. That made her tense and her hand at his waist fisted.

“We could get a bigger house.”

Talia stiffened. This suddenly felt like dangerous territory. What did he mean by we?

“I like this house. I plan to grow old in this house,” she murmured. “And it’s within my price range.”

“I’ll pay for it.”

Talia dropped her arm from around his waist and took a step back,.”Rafe, I can pay for my own house,” she bit out.

He turned to look at her, his face blank and expressionless but his eyes… they seemed to be searching hers. Too intent. Too focused. What was he getting at?

“I said we, Talia,” he spoke slowly and softly, stressing on the ‘we’. “La nostra casa. Compriamo una casa insieme.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Clearly he felt like he wasn’t making himself clear in English and he might have been right. Talia gaped at him like he’d grown a second head. ‘Our house. Let’s buy a house together’. Had he lost his mind?

“You want to buy a house,” she said pointing to herself and then to him, “together?”

He stared pointedly at her.

“As in, moving in together, live together, cohabit together?”

Still he stared.