Ominous, but okay. “What does that have to do with me staying away from him?”
He smiles but there’s no humour in it. “You’ve still got a thing for bad boys?”
My blood cools. “Look, Rhys…” I push his hand off of me. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but we’re on a dating show and that means we get to explore our connections with whoever we want. Some days it might be you and other days it might be Dean.” That truth leaves an ugly taste in my mouth.
“I don’t want you making the same mistakes I did, that’s all.”
The amount of times I’ve heardthatgrowing up. “If I want to make mistakes, then they’re mine to make.” I look him straight in the eye, none of my smiles or bright energy disappearing.
“You’re right,” Rhys smiles, apologetic. “I’m sorry.”
He squeezes my shoulder before heading out.
I know he means for it to be comforting, but it isn’t.
When I follow behind, Dean’s still standing where I left him and looking the other way with his arms tersely stretching out the seams of his crew neck.
His eyes flick downwards, and I know he knows I’m looking at him, but he doesn’t glance my way.
Not even once.
CHAPTER 12
“This is amazing!” I run through the room and press my nose up against the window—that’s a door?Oh my gosh, this gets better and better by the second. I turn the knob and step outside into the fresh air and it’s medicine or magic because I feel like I can conquer the world.
The forest from where I walked out of is still there with its cobblestone pathway leading into the backyard. You can tell this house is on a mountain from the way I can see the snippet of water peeking through one of the trees.
I glance to my right. There’s a set of marble stairs that lead downwards. It’s an entrance and an exit without having to go through the main doors. I like it.
Peering a little further, there’s a wooden bridge connecting the mountain we’re on and another one with nothing but grass and… is that abarn? I squint my eyes to get a better look and I’m shaking with excitement, because that indeed is a barn.
“Everyone’s busy gawking over the rooms and you went straight to the balcony,” I turn my head around. Hina’s rolling her luggage inside the room. The room’s beige, there’s art prints in frames on thewall, there’s a vanity, and the bed has too many pillows (there can never be too many).
“It’s a room I’ll be using to sleep in, not spend my life in. Besides,” I turn back to the outside. “This is where the real beauty is.”
“I like how simple you are, Nova.” Hina sounds amused. “And I mean that in a good way.”
The wind blows my hair back, erasing the heat from my cheeks. I’m not good with compliments. Words of affirmation may be my love language, but heck if I can respond to it without acting like an awkward idiot.
I let out a giggle and as I’m turning back around to face her, I pause.
Dean’s standing on the other balcony, looking at me.
His hair and shirt are flying in the wind.
There’s a softness in his eyes thatalmostmakes me forget about last week.
My giggles transform into a glare.
The door behind me slams with more force than needed. There’s three other bedrooms in this house and he chooses the one next to mine.
The nerve that men have.
Blowing air into my cheeks, “I thought you’d take the single room.”
“And let that she-devil room with you?” Hina shivers. “Absolutely not.”
“She’s not that bad,” I plop down on the bed and lean back on my palms. “We don’t know her enough to make any kind of judgement.”
