Dylan sat in the large chair in the corner of the room and pulled her onto his lap.
“Listen to me. I don’t want to leave you here. I’ll miss you like crazy. But I think this is what you and your family need. You all need some time together, without me. It will be hard to be apart from you, but in the long run it will be the best idea. You’re never going to be truly happy unless your family is fully behind our relationship.”
Tilly nibbled on her lip. “I’ll miss you. How long do I have to stay here?”
“Hey, this isn’t a punishment,” Dylan told her. “You call me, even if it’s three hours after I’ve left, and I’ll come back and get you. You don’t have to do this.”
For a long moment, she just sat on his lap and thought. He simply relished her closeness. It would be torture to be apart, but he would do whatever was necessary to look after her. That included her mental well-being, as well as physical.
“Okay, I think you’re right,” she agreed. “Doesn’t mean I like being apart from you.”
“I should hope not.” He kissed her forehead. “But I’ll talk to you each night and if you need me, I’ll be here.”
“How long do you think I should stay?”
“You’ll know when the time’s right to leave,” he told her.
“My boss isn’t going to be happy.”
He wondered whether now was the right moment to bring this up. What the hell. Might as well. “Do you care about that job? I mean, would it make you sad to give it up?”
“Well, I need it to pay the bills. I’ve almost gone through my savings to pay the rent while I’ve been away.”
“Money aside, would you miss it?”
Tilly gazed up at him fiercely. “Are you suggesting I let you support me?”
“Tilly,” he said warningly. “Answer the question.”
“Okay, no need to go all Dom on me,” she replied, wrinkling her nose.
He gave her thigh a sharp smack and she jumped. “Ow,” she complained, but a flash of heat entered her gaze.
“I’d miss the people I work with, but no, I wouldn’t miss the job. I have to admit I’ve been getting pretty tired doing the waitressing at Club Decadence on top of my day job.”
“What would you like to do, money aside?” he asked. He didn’t want to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. If she wanted to keep waitressing, that was fine with him. Although she wouldn’t be waitressing at Club Decadence anymore. He’d take care of her membership fee. He just wanted her to be happy.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if I want to go to college. I don’t know what I would do.”
“Maybe you should think about it. If you lose your job, I’m sure you can get another one and I can help you out. If the tables were turned, wouldn’t you do the same thing for me?”
He could see the thoughtful look on her face, the realization that she couldn’t really protest that.
“Okay. I’ll call my boss tomorrow.”
“Good. Then I think I’ll leave tomorrow.”
She gazed up at him in dismay. He tapped her nose. “Cheer up, little one. It won’t be forever. This isn’t a death sentence.”
“I know.” She sighed dramatically. “It’s just that I’ve gotten used to having you around. I mean, who will keep my feet warm at night?”
Dylan tickled her until she giggled with laughter and begged him to stop.
“I’ll let you borrow a pair of socks, brat.”
Tilly looked up at him, love and laughter in her gaze. “I really will miss you, you know.”
“Me too, baby. Me too.”