Waking Up With You Read Online Free

doctor. Why would you want to work anyway? You’ll have access to a joint account and some credit cards.”
    “That’s just it. I want to earn my own money. You’ve done more than enough for Charlie and me. I am already beholden to you for a lifetime. No, make that ten lifetimes,” I stubbornly say.
    He doesn’t reply, as if carefully considering what his response should be. His mouth is tight and grim. He quickly takes the nearest exit, finds a strip mall, and parks in an empty space. He then turns to me, notably incensed, and says, “Once and for all, get this into your head. Charlie owed me nothing. I owed Charlie. For that matter, I owed your parents, too. They were kinder to me than my own foster family. I never thought of you as a sister, but I always thought of you as family. So, there, since you like to tally up debts, why don’t you hand me a bill?”
    I swallow hard, unable to respond. I tentatively touch his shoulder, and when he whirls around, I see that his eyes are unmistakably melancholy, as if I’ve unwittingly opened a portal to the past that he’d rather forget. I’m instantly apologetic. I inch my way towards him and embrace him as I murmur, “I didn’t mean to upset you, Jake. I can be such a moron sometimes.”
    He withdraws from my arms and looks directly into my confused face. I see a spark of some indefinable emotion in his eyes. “Forget it,” he quickly mutters, looking away. He begins to drive again, but, this time, I do not dare say anything, knowing he’s already more than upset with me.

CHAPTER 2
    The drive back to Burbank lasts at least an hour more, but not a single word passes between us. I fall asleep midway through the trip, finally wake up as his car goes up the hill and he drives up the pebbled driveway. He gets out of the car and opens the door for me. I stretch my limbs as I alight from the car.
    I gaze at my new home and observe how visually stunning it is – the type of modern architecture Jake and his firm are known for. There’s a lack of ornamentation, though the elements are combined for dramatic effect.
    I’ve been here twice before, and on those two occasions I was intimidated by its beauty and elegance. There are large expanses of glass and steel bars that overhang around the exterior. Natural light filters through from all directions. The rooms flow together in a casual and relaxed way. I recall that an indoor pool is at the center of the house, but water surrounds the building as well.
    Jake seems to be studying me closely. I’m quite sure he’s aware of my nervous trepidation. He clutches my hand and says, ”Let’s go inside.”
    It is a showcase house and I’m skittish about fitting in. The furnishings are all in shades of cream and taupe, and no unnecessary detail is allowed to mar the fluidity and design of its surroundings. I’m in awe of how truly gorgeous the house is but, more than that, I’m struck by how it hints at nothing at all about the owner’s personality. Jake guards his privacy well, and it shows in the interior of his home.
    “I’ll show you to your room.” I don’t miss his use of the pronoun ‘your’ instead of ‘our.’ I do feel sort of relieved that I’ll not be sharing a room with him. Perhaps he understands that I need to be alone. Or maybe he’s uncomfortable with the thought of being in close quarters with me. Evidently, this is his way of clarifying that ours is a special arrangement and that a bed is not something we’ll ever be sharing. I can’t help but think that it’s like we are venturing into uncharted waters, as we finalize what started as a pledge to my dying brother.
    In the middle of my room is an expensive-looking bed with a beige leather frame and a good-sized tufted headboard, ideal for late night reading. There’s a comfortable lounge chair and a wall-to-wall bookshelf, half-filled with books. It is spare, but luxurious in every sense of the word. Sliding doors lead to the gardens and I notice