Chapter 105: We could share a room.
Elijah entered the modest home with a grateful smile. Grandpa clapped him on the back with his usual hearty welcome, guiding Elijah toward the living room.
"Make yourself comfortable, son," Grandpa said warmly. "This house may be small, but I bet you’ll like it here. Peaceful. No noise, no rush."
Ash, who was standing nearby, added quietly, "It’s not much, but I hope you’ll feel at ease. The atmosphere here...it’s different from the busy city life."
Elijah nodded, looking around. The small but quaint house already felt more like home than anything he’d known in years. "It’s perfect," he said softly, his gaze landing on Ash.
Ash studied him curiously, noticing the brief hesitation in Elijah’s voice. "What about your company?" he asked, his tone betraying a hint of worry.
Elijah’s business was massive; it wouldn’t just run itself.
Elijah hesitated for a moment longer before shaking his head with a soft smile. "There’s no need to worry about that right now. The company can wait."
Something in Elijah’s words left Ash feeling unsettled, but before he could press further, Grandpa reappeared with a tray of fresh fruit, offering some to Elijah. Elijah accepted a piece with a polite nod but found his attention drifting back to Ash almost immediately. He couldn’t help it.
Watching Ash move around the house, helping Grandpa and going about the simple routines brought him a sense of calm and happiness that he had long forgotten.
Elijah rested against the back of the couch, his gaze never straying far from Ash. Every time Ash smiled softly at Grandpa or worked his hands with gentle precision, Elijah’s heart swelled with an indescribable warmth. He had finally found his husband again, the man he had spent so many nights searching for.
Despite his words earlier about not forcing Ash back, Elijah’s mind was already made up. He knew he couldn’t push Ash to return but he was ready to stay here as long as it took to win him over again. If Ash wasn’t ready to return to the city, then Elijah would stay in this quiet little home forever if that’s what it took.