Free Web NovelChapter 234: Chapter 234 Moving In
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Nancy felt a little lighter as she walked out of her parents’ house.
The air was cold and sharp, carrying the faint smell of wood smoke from a neighbor’s chimney. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
She pulled her coat tighter and took a deep breath.
Yardley was waiting by the car.. He opened the passenger door for her. "It’s still early. Want to swing by your apartment and grab your stuff?"
Nancy blinked. "Pack up?"
She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Were they really doing this? Moving in together, just like that?
But then she pictured Orion. His round cheeks. The way he laughed when she tickled him. She nodded. "Yeah, okay. Thanks for helping me."
"Don’t thank me. You don’t need to be so polite all the time, Nancy."
Yardley drove them across town to her rental. It was a small one-bedroom above a laundromat. Old building, but she kept it clean. Cream blinds. A thrifted couch. A few books on the windowsill. Cozy.
It didn’t take her long to pack. She came out twenty minutes later rolling a single small suitcase.
Yardley raised an eyebrow. "That’s it?"
Nancy shrugged. "Everything else is still at my parents’ place. This is just clothes for the season."
She hadn’t brought much when she moved out after the breakup with Ben. Just the essentials. A fresh start.
"Fair enough." Yardley grabbed the suitcase and loaded it into the trunk. "Let’s head back."
They walked out of the building together. A delivery truck rumbled past on the street. Somewhere down the block, a dog barked. Normal city sounds.
Nancy felt her stomach flutter.
She wanted to ask if she could stay in Orion’s room tonight. But how do you bring that up without sounding strange?
Yardley glanced at her as he opened the car door. He caught the hesitation in her eyes. A small smile tugged at his lips, but he didn’t push.
The drive back to Wolfe Manor took about forty-five minutes.
They rolled through the iron gates just before ten. The house was quiet, lit up softly from inside.
Yardley parked and killed the engine. "Orion’s already asleep."
Nancy nodded. Her heart beat a little faster.
Yardley gave her a quick tour. "First floor is my dad’s room, the living room, and the dining room. Second floor on the left is Orion’s bedroom, his little study, and his playroom. Right side is my study, my bedroom, and the walk-in."
"Third floor is where Dominic and Elara stay when they’re in town. Which isn’t that often."
He rolled her suitcase into the walk-in closet without even asking. It was the size of her entire apartment back in the city. Rows of shirts and suits lined up by color. All black, white, navy, gray. A rack of leather shoes at the bottom. A tie drawer. A watch box.
"You want to shower first?" His voice was chill. Like it was no big deal.
Nancy froze.
Last time she stayed over, she slept in a guest room on the first floor. She didn’t expect to go straight to the master bedroom.
"Uh, thanks. You go ahead. I’ll unpack."
Yardley smiled a little. "Sure."
Nancy looked around the closet. His clothes were all neutral. Nothing bright. She pushed his stuff together and hung up her own clothes. Her dresses added some color. A little red here. Some floral there. The closet looked way more alive now.
She was trying to figure out where to put her skincare stuff when she saw a vanity in the back. White marble top. Gold mirror. A cute little stool. It looked brand new. Like he had it set up just for her.
She sighed. Yardley was so thoughtful. Why did she ever break up with him?
She just finished unpacking when Yardley walked out of the bathroom.
She turned around.
White towel. Low on his hips. Lean chest. Defined abs. Water still dripping from his hair. Like he walked straight out of a magazine shoot.
Under those suits, Yardley was ripped. His shoulders were broad. His arms were toned. He clearly spent serious time at the pack’s gym.
Nancy felt her ears get hot.
"I cleared some space for you. Put my stuff over here. That okay?"
Yardley didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her. Water dripped down his chest. Then he smiled slowly. "I bought that vanity for you. Of course it’s okay."
He nodded at the bathroom. "Go ahead. I’ll wait for you."
Those words hit her hard.
What did he mean by wait for her? Like wait up? Or wait for something else?
Nancy grabbed her pajamas and walked into the bathroom. She didn’t look at him.
The bathroom was gorgeous. Marble floors. A huge soaking tub. A walk-in shower with two shower heads. His stuff was on one side. Shampoo. Soap. A razor. All simple and clean.
She took forever. Like an hour and a half. She washed her hair twice. Used his fancy shampoo that smelled like cedar. Let the hot water run until her skin turned pink.
Maybe he’d be asleep by the time she came out.
She finally turned off the water. Dried off. Took a deep breath.
Then she opened the door.
