At No Time || Bruno Mars

72

"There's two other prospects we can look into for the venture, Vanessa—call me back when you're able to get in contact with them both."

Peter hung up his office phone, the awareness of being back in the SoulWork building both alien and familiar. He liked being back at his job, doing what he did best and having authority over something once again, because the Coloradan trip proved there were many areas in his life that he did not—and could not—control.

The plan had been to stay at the mansion until New Years', but both he and Trystan agreed the air would be too awkward, especially considering they had talked about all they could at the moment.

"We'll work some things out later. I just . . . don't feel comfortable anymore," Trystan had replied when Peter asked her if they should leave a few days early. He did not like that he was unrelaxed either, especially around the woman he wanted to love.

Alas, forcing themselves to stay in the same home, having to share the same space for Raina's sake, would only harm them.

Peter did, however, offer Trystan a proposal that left her flustered and still without an answer a week passed the New Year.

He caught her while she was packing her suitcase in her bedroom. Raina was there with her, making the job a bit harder with her constant giggling and playing in her mother's clothes. Trystan did not seem to mind much, and even indulge their daughter by draping a sweater over her head to make it look like a head scarf.

Peter knocked on the wooden door, and they both turned around in surprise. Raina spoke first, ever delightful as she always was when she saw him, and urged Trystan to help her off the bed so she could greet him.

"Hi, Mr. B–I mean Daddy! Are you and Jewel coming with us on the plane?" She held his hands and swung them back in forth, hoping that not only her mother but he, too, would help keep her calm as the machine soared into the air and popped at her ears.

"We're actually not, sweetie—our plane is going somewhere else, but I promise I'll see you soon."

Raina pouted, then questioned, "And you'll come to see mommy, too?"

Peter glanced up at Trystan, who paused but for a second at the inquiry before continuing to fold and pack away her clothes.

"Yes, and mommy, too."

That seemed to stifle her discontent enough—the promise of all three of them together always seemed to do the trick—and she left the room without debate when Peter told her he had to talk to Trystan for a moment.

"What's up, Bruno?" she greeted stiffly as she unfolded and refolded clothes, needing something more to do so she would not have to face him. Peter noticed she still seemed to be on edge around him. He wished it were not that way; it felt like they were back at square one.

He had been thinking about what he wanted to tell her the entire night, picking apart the pros and cons and many times, trying to talk himself out of it. Alas, after only an hour of sleep, he awakened with clarity, and he thought it best to tell her outright than repress it through needless conversation.

"I want you and Dew to come live with me L.A."

Trystan dropped the pair of jeans she was situating and turned sharply to look at him. With widened eyes, she whispered, "What?"

Peter explained as best as he could. "We still have a lot of things to work out between us after we leave here, but we won't be able to fix it if you're in Savannah and I'm in Los Angeles. Your company is working to expand to L.A. in the future, so I was thinking why not you get a head start? That way you can do your work there and me, you, and Dew can work on becoming a family."