“You’d be a fool to pass this place up,” he says over his shoulder before sitting on the couch. He gives the cushion an experimental bounce as if testing out the furniture. “Did you see thesizeof the bedroom?”
I laugh under my breath, but the sound dies halfway out of my mouth when his eyes slowly slide up to meet mine. The sight of his cocky grin has my mind cycling through all the other things we could be doing in that bedroom.
I pretend not to notice his loaded gaze as I sit close to him … but far enough that we’re not touching. I turn my body so I can face him, an elbow resting on the back of the couch as I rest my head on my closed fist.
From the side, I gaze out the windows and let out a pleased sigh. “Can you imagine those sunsets?”
A crooked smile pulls at the corner of Huxley’s lip, but he says nothing as he watches me with a casual ease I rarely see on him.
“What?” I can’t help but ask, craving to know what’s happening behind those broody eyes.
He smiles. “Nothing.” His voice is soft, almost a whisper, and a pleasurable shiver skitters down my spine at the unassuming sound.
We fall into a comfortable silence as we look out over the harbor.
“I’ve never seen Marsford Bay from this high up before,” he mutters. “Almost feels like I’m in another city.”
“Yeah …” I say pensively. “I guess I take these things for granted.”
We share another beat of silence before Huxley speaks.
“Whatdon’tyou take for granted?”
I furrow my brows and look straight at him, feeling slightly insulted by his question, but his innocent expression stops me in my tracks.
He appears curious, as if waiting for me to answer; his body language is open. He’s leaning back into the couch with his fingers loosely laced over his stomach while his head is turned slightly to the side, watching me.
“That’s a genuine question?”
He nods, his expectant gaze roving over my face.
I suddenly feel vulnerable. As if he’s asking for more of me. As if he’s asking me to strip naked, but this time he wants to see the inside of me.
I chew on my lip and look away.
What don’t I take for granted?
Love, friendship …life.
But all those answers sound so flat when I rehearse them in my head.
Generic. With no real meaning.
After a few seconds, I glance back at him.
“The moon.”
Huxley bursts out laughing, the corners of his eyes crinkling. He shoots me a look full of amused shock, clearly notexpecting my answer. In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting to land onthe moonas my answer either.
“Themoon,” he repeats, his whole body shaking with laughter.
I realize then how nice it feels to make Huxley laugh. The feeling blooms behind my chest.
I could get used to this.
“Okay, hear me out.” I straighten on the couch, now ready to defend my answer at all costs. “I know it’s cliché, but you know how they say, no matter where you are in the world, if you look up, we’re all gazing up at the same moon?”
Huxley chuckles while shaking his head. “You’ve watched one too many romcoms.”
