Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten
I'm awakened by the ringing of the telephone. I don't answer it, because honestly, I could soon go back to sleep, even though it's already ten in the morning.

A text message comes in.

"Good morning beautiful, please make this house a home, check the fridge," it says.

What's he talking about now?

I'm sceptical as I open the fridge. A surprise from a guy with a dragon, I dare not think what it could be.

It's money. A whole lot of money, more than I've ever seen in my life. It's ten years of my monthly salary.

I call Scott, but it's only for a minute. He's already at the restaurant, but from the looks of him, I know he was with his girlfriend all night. I can't tell him about the money without revealing where I'm. My friend and my brother are two different worlds.

I'm not sure I can stand up to his judgement  because I'm dating a dragon-swinging, Pinocchio-looking alpha prince.

The money is enough to drive the last traces of sleep from my eyes. While I'm awake, I might as well start doing something in this house.

I rummage in the fridge for last night's takeout. It's raw meat and some frozen vampire blood. Amen.

It's all there, which means he left without eating, I just need to heat it up. No microwave. He doesn't have a microwave. Who doesn't have a microwave?

I groan. Yeah, it looks like this isn't so much money after all, not with all the expensive things I've to buy to make this house a home.

I decide to call him back.

"If I'd known you snored like a drunk," he says with a smile in his voice. "Then I'd have bought something to protect my poor ears."

I roll my eyes. I smile.

He doesn't say hello, I'm used to that by now.

"Good morning, Third Prince," I say.

"At this hour?" he asks. "It's already noon for me."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, babe, of course."

I'm sceptical as I ask. "What did you eat?"

He laughs. "Bumped into a deer on the range line."

"You ate a whole deer by yourself?"

"Of course not," he says, startled. "I didn't eat the guts, the head and the legs."

For God's sake!

"Isn't the money you left a little too much for a microwave, cosmetics, and some groceries?"
He laughs, I can sense he thinks the microwave thing is funny. He laughs at the smallest things, really at this.

"And a new bed if you want, just anything to make living in this house bearable for you," he says.

Of course, I've no intention of ever moving in with him. But I don't say that to him. I'm still facing the crime of having a locked vagina, I can't commit any more crimes now.

After eating my damn cold breakfast, I start spring cleaning the guest rooms, living room, dining room, bathroom and by the time I get to the master bedroom. I'm tired. So I only manage to make the bed and put everything else off for later.

My phone rings. I answer it without looking at the caller's number because I already know it's Carl.

"Hey Sexy," it's crazy Finn. What the hell does he want?

I grin. He responded to my breakup "text" by saying they should tell me he didn't know we were even still together.

"I'm sorry about how we broke up, can you go for a run with me tonight?" he says.

Now, I know this guy, he's one of those guys you'd call a 'mama's boy', but when it comes to me, he develops some smart tendencies. I'm pretty sure his impeccable timing has a lot more to do with the full moon coming tonight.

"Uh, no thanks either way, I think I'll pass," I say.

"Baby, please, we need to work things out," he says.

Am I 'baby' now?

"No, just stop calling me," I say and hang up.

I turn to get a glass of water. And there he's. I know, I just know, that he's been standing here for a while. He's heard the whole conversation.

"Who was that?" he asks without lifting his eyes.

I freeze. I know my cheeks are red at this moment. I'm not sure why, I mean, it's not like I got caught cheating, I dumped the guy before I kissed him (that's an important factor in my case).

"Just a friend from work offering to give me a ride," I lie.

He doesn't believe me.

"I understand," he says. "Why didn't you just tell her to go with you on Monday?"

I'm going to lose this case for sure, so I might as well plead guilty now.

"I don't think you're going to like this..."

"Why?" that too-early answer again. There's an unfamiliar glint in his eye.

"To be honest, it's a guy I dated for a while..." I say it with zero conviction.

"No, stop it, it's fine, I don't want to hear it. Just delete his numbers. But if he calls again... I'll skin him alive," he says calmly.

Yeah, okay, I get that he's jealous. What I don't understand, though, is why I fully believe him when he says he'll skin him.

He walks right past me and right into the bedroom. I think that's what he does when he's angry.

He comes back, stands in the middle of the kitchen, hands in his pockets, and looks at me.

"When did you go out with this guy?" he asks.

"Before you. But I can't really say it was a relationship, I don't really see him, I don't really see him, but I see him at work..." I explain too much.