My Name is Ranel [Short Story] ✅

Part 6

"I don't want to do this," I say, pressing my lips together as my eyes scan the bottom paragraph of the letter. "I'm not leaving her for ... for whatever this offer is."

"It states there that you've been qualified," Colton tells me.

"The more reason I don't want to accede,"

"Just look at the income," he taps the six-digit number printed in bold and italic somewhere in the middle paragraph of the letter repeatedly with his finger. "It's bigger than what you're in right now. Might as well take the shot."

I contemplate on it for a moment before shifting my gaze to his face. "What about you?"

He huffs. "What about me?" he shakes his head. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me – I always take care of myself, remember? And I promise I'll look after Savannah. You do this thing, whatever it is, and nothing will go wrong. Life will be simple."

"No, it won't," I murmur.

Colton rests his palm on my cheek, and I lean into it as he caresses my temple with his thumb. "Just take the shot," he says softly, his gaze burning into mine. I turn my head and kiss his palm.

He picks my phone from the coffee table and hands it to me, silently directing me to call them. I wouldn't do this without his consent, for the reason that I simply don't want to leave this man – not after every obstacle that we've been through. Apart from him, I honestly don't want to leave my sister. I don't want to leave the people I love behind.

But it's my choice. Colton Squire, after all, is the one who has been encouraging me to take the offer. I trust him, because he's always right; he always knows what kind of choices we should make, the kind of opportunities we should take. I trust that in the end, things will stay simple.

"So, who tops now?"

The query is followed by a profanity being cursed under a breath, followed again by a weight shifting off me in a haste, and finally followed by a heavy thump on the floor. I hear bare feet slapping against wood as the person scrambles upright. Cold air envelopes my torso at that precise moment. "How did you get in?" I hear Colton cry, panic evident in his tone.

"I called you three times, and became really concerned. You always pick up your phone on the tenth ring – that's always maximum," That's Caden, with a slight humour in his voice. "So, being the good mate I am, I came over to see whether you're all right. Then I saw your door was open, and you think my concern wouldn't double? You know I'm still in a trauma, right, Squire?"

I press the heel of my palms against my eyelids, rubbing them in an effort to open my eyes. I hear Colton murmur something incoherent, and I think I catch the words, "He came over."

I open my eyes and find Colton – still fully dressed – standing in the middle of the sitting room, facing Caden, who is currently standing at the threshold with a spade in his hands. Caden's attention lands on me, and a beam forms on his lips. "Good morning," he says in a falsely sweet motherly voice, waving at me with the spade as if that is his hand. "Where's your shirt?"

Instantly, my eyes land on the floor, where my jacket and shirt lay. "They're damp," I say, my voice groggy.

"Causing you to seek warmth in Colton Squire? Excellent choice," he says, ignoring the look of disbelief on Colton's face. "You two are sort of like ... dominants? I don't know how it works, honestly, this kind of relationship. But you," he points a finger at Colton, wiggling it a little in exaggeration, "are too cute to top."