Book 2: Beginning Again -Carlos Sainz

Chapter 55

Heheheee 55

Marie took a deep breath as Carlos swung open the door.

"So," Carlos said as he opened his arms wide. "This is it."

Marie stepped into the threshold of the home, being hit with the ending of the sunset as it poured in from a large window in the living room. It was open, airy. The decor was minimalistic but still warm. Hints of Spanish influence from his home in Madrid popped out to Marie as she scanned the room. She did a slow walk, letting her hand trail around the different surfaces as they stuck out to her. The smooth feel of the marble countertops, the toughness of the wood of a decorative vase. It was a beautiful space, and truly, Marie expected nothing less.

"Wow," was all Marie could say as she stood in the very center of the living room, taking it all in again. "This place is..."

"It's taken me a while to get it decorated, but you know, I had some time off and I finally got it done," Carlos said.

"You did a wonderful job, I'm so impressed at how... homey it feels," Marie said as she returned to looking at Carlos who stood some feet away from her with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"It does feel like home now," he said with a small smile, forcing Marie to wonder what exactly he meant by now. "And I have one more room to show you."

Marie gingerly stepped forward to follow Carlos towards the closed door. She figured it was the office, the one that he had told her about. She was ready to face the conflicting emotions of what it all meant as she stepped into the room. Her breath was gone instantly. A dark olive accent wall lined the back of two other creamy white walls, the fourth wall being full of windows. There was a sleek, light wood desk in the center of the room with perfectly placed accents and desk items. Floating shelves, a soft shaggy rug, a cozy big swivel chair all sat perfectly aligned in the room to make it feel like a place one would want to live in. Marie was brought out of her trace by Carlos' words.

"I was hoping you could see it in the sunlight, I mean, this room has the best view from right here. I really wanted to make sure the office focused on... that."

Marie looked to Carlos, with her mouth still agape. She blinked at him, watching as concern spread over his face. "You... hate it. Oh god, you hate it. Was it too much?" His hand immediately went through his hair as the panic started to rise on his expression.

"You," Marie started, causing him to look up. "You really love me?"
Carlos took a minute to answer as amusement sprinkled his face. "Was that a question?"

"I'm not sure," Marie answered slowly, still trying to decipher her emotions. "You really love me... this much? To create this beautiful space for me? Even though I haven't been able to give you a choice about whether or not I want a relationship again, and even though I don't even live anywhere close to you, and even though-"

"Yes," Carlos said, cutting her off. "It doesn't matter how many 'even though's' you come up with, yes. I love you... this much. More than this room. More than... yeah."

Marie watched as he became more uncomfortable with his words and expressions. The pink that filled his cheeks as he avoided eye contact.

"Carlos," Marie spoke softly, almost whispering as she looked deeply at him. "I love you so much."

His head sprang up immediately, staring at her. There was a beat of silence before they both sported matching smiles.

"You really mean that?" Carlos said even quieter.

"God yes, I do. I always did, always..."

Marie faltered at the 'always will' part due to the fact that it fully sounded like wedding vows.