The Deal Taker (Book III)

Chapter Twenty - Happily Ever After

                                                                              Chapter Twenty

                                                                            Happily Ever After

When I arrived back at the house I expected Matthew to be standing at the gate, waiting for my car to pull in. I even thought he'd have called me several times before I'd make it back. But he didn't. Not a single call. I'm not saying I was disappointed or bothered by him not calling—relieved would best describe my feelings—it was just odd for him to not even send a text. Instead of going inside and heading into the bedroom to get ready for bed, even though I had been in bed most of the night, I went straight to the library to see if Matthew was in there.

Matthew sat at his desk with several papers around him as well as stacks of dark books on the edge of the desk. He was on the phone when I walked in, rubbing his temple as if he had some sort of major headache as he spoke.

"...Yes, that's what I have already said. I can be there Tuesday to clarify, if you prefer." Matthew looked up at me and gave a smile. "Of course. Yes, I do expect it to be written down. Everything. I will see you Tuesday." He sat his phone down and let out an exhausted sigh before meeting my eyes. "Feel better?" he asked, genuinely concerned about me.

I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me before plopping down on the sofa. "Yeah. It was nice. I haven't been out alone in months. I admit, I half expected you to have me tailed, or about a dozen calls considering the way you treated my last outing."

He gave a sheepish grin, something he never really wore. Matthew stood up and walked around his desk before sitting beside me on the sofa. "I thought about a lot of things while you were gone and realized I have been overreacting."

My eyes widened in astonishment. "You admit to overreacting? Are you sure you're Matthew Foster? Because Matthew Foster admits to nothing and controls everything," I stated with a slight smirk on my face.

He rolled his eyes at me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me right into his lap. "I may be over nine hundred-years-old, but that doesn't mean I don't make the occasional mistake. It's incredibly rare, but it happens."

"So what does this mean for me?"

His eyes left mine and stared non-fixatedly across the room. "It means I won't be so possessive and overly protective. I've realized when I am overly protective, you push away from me, and I don't like it. I may have stomach ulcers and lose my hair from worrying about you when you are away. However, this doesn't mean you can spend days away on your own; the risks are still there for you."

My smile was so wide, it actually was causing some facial damage. "So...Can I go to my house by myself when you're away?"

It was as if someone had just stabbed him in his side, he looked so pained. "...Yes. But under the condition of answering my calls and me installing motion sensors around your house."

I thought about it, only because he didn't inform me of how many times he'd call. Motion sensors weren't really a bad idea, to be honest. Security cameras wouldn't work in the case of vampires because vampires have no reflection and do not appear in pictures or video. Motion sensors, however, would at least give me a heads up if someone was about to attack me. "I'm fine with that."

"And if someone were to check on you every night to ensure you're okay..."

"If you send a bodyguard to stay out on the street to watch my house, Matthew, I swear..."