My fingers were nearly white I was gripping the strap of my bag so hard. I wasn’t nervous about the room. Not really. More because of what the room meant. And walking into a place that had the potential to be your new home was nerve-wracking. Or at least I hoped I wasn’t the only person who would find that nerve-wracking.

The door was ajar, and it did smell like paint, but I pushed open the door into a miracle.

Ombre walls which did exactly what I’d asked–dark near the windows so it didn’t feel stifling, and the beautiful, delicate silver trees along the inside wall. The bed on the darker side of the room and the velvet couch on the lighter, facing the entertainment system. Even the closet was incorporated, the walk-in walls painted with the same shade of the ombre.

Things I hadn’t ordered but were perfect—gray velvet curtains for the windows and a dark rug at the end of my bed. There was plenty of room for me to hang art, and even without all my personal possessions, it was stunning.

I allowed myself to think about what it would be like to live here. Have this be my home and come back to it all the time. It was a beautiful image, even if it wasn’t real yet. Regardless, this space soothed my soul deep down in a way I hadn’t experienced in years.

Setting my bag down inside the closet, I went to the bed, ran a hand over the comforter, and felt the softness. It was perfect. Beautiful. The colors on the walls were seamless, and I couldn’t wait to grab my paints and create constellations on the ceiling.

“Knock, knock.” Ben’s voice was at the door.

I hadn’t heard them arrive, but the third floor was a long way from the first. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.”

He came straight to me, enveloping me in a hug and kissing me soundly. “I missed you.”

With everything that happened today, I missed them, too. I hadn’t realized how much until exactly this moment.

“You okay?” He asked the question quietly, sensing my own solemness.

“I’m fine. Things didn’t… go well today. With my mom.”

“You know what? That makes a lot of sense.”

I pulled back to look up at him. “Why?”

“Because the paparazzi are assholes trying to get information about you through us, and they asked about her.” Kade’s scratchy voice pulled my attention, and my stomach twisted.

That probably meant they were outside. Pushing myself backwards from Ben, I rolled across the bed, aiming to close the windows Addison had left open. The curtains too. I wanted to enjoy my newfound resolve without being spied on.

I came up off the bed and was caught by Kade. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To close the–”