Moving On

Chapter 7 - Part 3

Kate pulled off her glasses and put them down on the table. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she ignored the knock on the door.

She understood Tyler's intentions, but she wasn't in the mood to get pushed around.

Lord, what should I do?

"Kate, it's me."

Her brows furrowed when she heard Marianne's voice. Opening the door, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

Not waiting for an invitation, Marianne stepped in. "Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that breakfast's ready."

"Oh, I think I'll skip breakfast today."

She was sure that Tyler was already in the kitchen, and it was better to stay away from him after what had happened.

Marianne frowned. "You should never skip breakfast. Come, chat with the old lady for a while." Marianne sat on the edge of Kate's bed, gesturing for Kate to join her.

"Am I in trouble? If it's about Ty, I'm—"

"It is about Ty, but not about what happened," Marianne said, cutting her off. "I thought I'll give you a little insight or understanding about that eccentric boy."

She gave Marianne a small smile. "He's not eccentric; he just isn't incredibly sociable."

Marianne grinned. "You're being kind. Anyway, I suppose you know what happened to him when he was young?"

"Yes, Mr. Hayes told me."

"I'm not using that as an excuse, but since then, he's developed this intense protectiveness over things he cares about. It is as though he feels that anything he treasures will be stolen from him at any moment."

She could understand that.

She understood what it was like to have her world completely changed in one instant.

Shaking her head slowly, Marianne continued. "He had this storybook; it was the last book his mother read to him before ... before they passed away. The Little Prince. He treasured the book so much. Once, Joanne was browsing through the books he had on the shelf, and of all the books, she had to pull out that particular one. When Ty saw her flipping through the book, he snapped and barked at her. He warned her never to touch his things without permission, then chased everyone out of the house."

"He can be rather mean at times," Kate said.

"Yes," Marianne agreed. "He is older now and won't throw a fit when people intrude on his privacy, but he can still be harsh. The same thing happened when Joanne touched his rings. The boys learned long ago to keep their hands off his things, but Joanne always thought she was special; that girl never learned." Marianne sighed. "He yanked the chain away from her and told her not to touch them, but he didn't have a problem when it was you."

"That's because I was the one who passed them to him. Joanne had introduced herself as his fiancée so I thought he could give the ring to her."

Marianne pursed her lips and nodded. "Maybe. The point is, he cares about you enough to let you into his comfort zone."

"So his sense of protectiveness now stretches to include me."

"Smart girl," Marianne said with a pat on her leg. "I know he can be pushy, but tell him, let him know. He's not used to protecting people."

Kate wasn't trying to be a feminist; she simply didn't like to be ordered around. She had always been the one in charge, been the one taking care of others. She didn't appreciate being spoken to like a child.

Then again, Tyler wasn't trying to push her around; he was simply trying to help her.

Marianne didn't wait for her reply. She stood and walked out of the room.

Kate switched off her laptop and followed Marianne into the kitchen. Her stomach growled again as the mouth-watering aroma of Marianne's breakfast hit her. She couldn't believe she almost skipped breakfast.

For a moment, she seriously considered how Tyler would react if she tried poaching Marianne after the one-year stay in the mansion.

She settled on a seat across the table from Tyler and smiled at him, but he was staring at his iPad.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up at you."

Tyler remained silent.

If enduring a grumpy housemate was the price to pay for Marianne's breakfast, she would gladly pay it.

After a few moments, Tyler said, "I shouldn't have made the decision for you. I thought ..."

"You thought it was for my own good." She paused and gave him a small smile. "I understand your concerns, and you know what? You're right. I should have a security system installed. Since that's your area of expertise, I suppose you can advise me on what to install."

Tyler smiled and set his iPad aside.

She was glad they were back on good terms; she never liked getting into fights.

Tyler started explaining all the security installations she should get, giving her a rundown of what the system would do.

She agreed to everything Tyler suggested, everything except the motion-sensor that would trigger video recording. "That feels a little extreme."

"The recording is only activated if the password isn't keyed in. That way, you'll be informed of a break-in and be able to log in to your account from any computer to see who's in your house. It'll be more convenient for you, especially since you won't be home for a year."

She doubted anyone would break into her house. Her neighborhood had always been safe, but Tyler had a point. "Okay. But can we do it tomorrow instead? I've got some work to complete today. Should I pay you now or tomorrow?"

Tyler scowled at her. "I'm not charging you," he said, seemingly exasperated that she'd even asked him about it.

"Why not? It's my house."

She saw him drawing in a deep breath, but he didn't reply.

She thought he was going to leave it at that; he wasn't letting her pay, period.

"You're doing me a favor by staying here; I'm the reason your house will be empty. Let me return the favor."

She thought about arguing, but from the mere number of words he'd spoken, she knew he was trying hard to be patient. "Okay."

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