Page 196 - It Ends with Us

idea if I sho uld kno ck or just go ins ide. For all I kno w, someo ne could

live here. Probably one of her people.
I kno ck on the door and hea r footstep s from the other side.
I’m shoc ked when the door swing s open and R yle is stand ing in
front of me.
“Hey,” I say, conf used . “Wha t are you doing here?”
He grins and lea ns agains t the door frame. “I live here. Wha t are

you doing here?”
I glanc e at the pew ter nu mber plate nex t to the door and then
back at hi m. “Wha t do you mea n you live here? I tho ught you lived
with me. You’ve ha d your own apartment thi s who le time?” I would
thi nk an ent ire apartment would be somet hi ng a hu sband would
bring up to hi s wife at some point . It’s a little unner ving .
Actually, it’s ludicrous and dec ep tive. I thi nk I might be rea lly

ang ry at hi m right no w.
R yle laughs and pushes off the door frame. Now he’s fil ling up the
ent ire door way as he lifts hi s ha nd s to the frame over hi s hea d and
grips it. “I ha ven’t rea lly ha d a cha nc e to tel l you about thi s
apartment , cons ideri ng I just signed the paper work on it thi s
morni ng .”

I take a step back. “Wait. Wha t?”
He rea ches for my ha nd and pulls me ins ide the apartment .
“Wel come ho me, Lily.”
I pause in the foyer.
Yes . I said foyer. There is a foyer.
“You bought an apartment ?”
He no ds slowly, gauging my reaction.

“You bought an apartment ,” I rep ea t.
He’s still no dding . “I did. Is tha t okay? I fig ured sinc e we live
toget her no w we could use the ex tra room.”
I spin in a slow circle. When my ey es land on the kitchen, I pause.
It’s no t as big as Allysa’s kitchen, but it’s just as whi te and almost as
bea utiful. There’ s a wine cooler and a dishw asher, two thi ng s my own

apartment does n’t ha ve. I walk int o the kitchen and look around ,
scared to touch any thi ng . Is thi s real ly my kitche n? Thi s can ’t be my
kitche n.