Always You - A Second Chance Romance

Chapter 17

Over the rest of the week Luke and I met everyday to go over the project. We eventually settled on a combination of our ideas and started putting together a presentation to pitch to Chris on Friday. Luke tackled a lot of the cost behind the project while I worked on the concept art and development of the actual design.

With each call I would feel less anxious but more excited, which in turn created more anxiety inside me. Excitement meant I was enjoying talking to Luke and working with him, and more than on a professional level. I felt my guard slipping and had to force myself to put it back up every day.

Some of our calls I was warm and friendly, and others I knew I was too cold and professional. Luke was seemingly confused at our interactions. I felt bad for the back and forth but I knew I had to be firm and keep my distance.

Not only was working with Luke testing my professionalism and patience at work, but at home I was being tested as well. Nick hovered all week. Anytime we were home he managed to find a way to be next to me or near me, any second he had. If it was normal behavior for him I wouldn't have minded, but throughout our relationship we both enjoyed our space, physically and mentally, to allow us time to enjoy our own hobbies and decompress from the work day. He even took a half day on Friday to help me clean since Fridays were usually a half day for me too.

It was one thing for him to hover, but to take time off from work to help with chores? I was completely dumbfounded. Who was this person?

I scrubbed at the grout line of our shower aggressively. I had been battling with a patch of mold for the better part of three months in the same area and today it was the perfect outlet for all my stress from the week. Between my interactions with Luke all week and the suffocating behavior from Nick, I was emotionally drained and overwhelmed.

"What can I do to help next?" Nick asked as he came into our bathroom. I resisted the urge to scream out of frustration. Cleaning was a way for me to decompress and organize my thoughts at the end of the week. Now I was supervising someone else.

"I don't know," I said. "I'm almost done."

"Do you want me to strip the bed?" Nick asked. I looked at him over my shoulder. He smiled at me as he waited for my response.

"Yeah, sure, that works," I said, trying to hide a disgruntled tone. Nick headed to our bedroom and I let out a groan. He was throwing off my whole routine. I liked to do our bedroom last before I did the floors and now he had vacuumed the living room. Dust and hair from our room was going to spread and I'd need to vacuum again. I pinched the bridge of my nose and reminded myself he was trying to help, for whatever reason.

"Do you use bleach on our sheets?" Nick asked, pulling me from my train of thought. I looked back at him again and he was holding a ball of our sheets.

"Yeah, and dilute the fabric softener before you add it," I said.

"Got it," he said. He headed to the balcony to use the washer and I heard the slider open. I dropped the scrub brush I was using and stood up, stretching my back in the process. I rinsed the shower and finished cleaning the bathroom by the time Nick returned.

"What next?" He asked. I smiled tightly and spun to face him.

"What's going on with you?" I asked him. Nick gave me a quizzical look. "You've never helped me with my Friday cleaning routine and today you decide to? Why?"

"I thought I should help more," he said with a shrug.

"Okay..." I said hesitantly. I picked up my cleaning supply box and headed to put it away in the kitchen. I appreciated him wanting to help and didn't want this to turn into an argument, but it felt like something was off.