Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 87

*Shelby*

It was extremely difficult saying goodbye to Michael on the Sunday morning that Bruce was driving me back to Cambridge. Even though I wanted to stay and spend more time with him, I knew I couldn’t miss classes.

The car pulled into town, and my anxiety over telling Lin that we had to uproot everything and move into a new house was building the closer we got to home. I got a text message from Michael, a picture of a stately brick home. Once Lin saw this, I knew she’d have no problem moving out of our apartment.

“Miss Hatton?” Bruce called from the driver’s seat.

“Please, Bruce, just call me Shelby.”

“Right,” Bruce said with a smile in the rearview mirror that told me he had no intention of calling me Shelby.

“I was just going to tell you that the packers will be here any minute to get your stuff boxed up, and the movers will arrive at noon today to move your boxes over to the new place. I’ll wait down in the parking lot for you. Just call me when you’re ready to head over to the new house, and I’ll take you there,” Bruce said.

“Thank you, Bruce. I really appreciate you coming all this way,” I said, even though I knew Michael sent him with me on purpose.

I always felt safer when Michael’s head of security was with me. He pulled the car to the front of the building, and I quickly rushed up the stairs, leaving my suitcase behind. There’d be no need to unpack it until we got to the new place anyway.

“Lin?” I called out as soon as I opened the front door.

“Shelb!” Lin returned the call, and I immediately heard her running down the hallway.

She enveloped me in a big hug.

“I have some pretty big news,” I said, unable to keep a smile off my face.

“Did you get back together with Mr. Billionaire Dream Daddy?” Lin said with a knowing smirk on her face.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call him daddy?” I said with a laugh.

“Well, I’m happy for you. That really is great news. Plus, now I won’t have to watch you mope around the house all day like a sad little puppy dog,” Lin said teasingly.

“That’s not the only news,” I said, choosing to ignore the puppy dog comment. “We’re moving!”

“What do you mean we’re moving?” Lin asked, slightly confused.

“When I got back to New York, Michael and I were questioned by the FBI again. He thought it’d be best if we moved into a gated community to keep us safe,” I told her.

I secretly waited for the pushback. I didn’t know if she’d be okay with uprooting everything because I was being blackmailed. I wouldn’t blame her for not wanting to go. However, she completely surprised me with her answer.

“Oh, thank God. I’ve been so nervous the entire time you’ve been gone. I don’t feel like I’ve been able to relax since that car came and picked you up. I keep waiting for another note to show up on the door saying that we’re being watched,” Lin admitted.

“Lin, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize how much this was affecting you too. How can I make it up to you?” I asked, feeling guilty that I hadn’t stopped to think about what this was doing to Lin.

“You don’t need to make it up to me. I’m just happy you’re back. However, if you really wanted to, you could give me the bigger bedroom at our new place,” she said with a smirk.

“I don’t think we’re going to have any issues with space at the new house,” I said as I pulled out my phone.

I pulled up the picture of our new house and showed it to Lin. A little giggle escaped her mouth which she quickly covered with her hand.

“Gorgeous, right?” I asked her.

“Gorgeous and huge,” she responded. “When do we get to move in?”

“That’s the other part of the big news. We actually get to move in today. The packers should be here in just a few minutes, and he movers will be here in just a few hours to get our boxes,” I explained.

Lin clapped her hands and took off for her room at a run. All I could do was laugh before turning and heading to my own room to start packing the things I didn’t want the packers to bother with, like my underwear drawer and personal momentos.

A few minutes later, the packers arrived. I was surprised at how fast the work went, and by the time the movers got there, nearly everything was in boxes. Only a few things remained in the kitchen and living room which the packers assured us they would package up and the movers would bring to our new place after we left.

We headed downstairs, where Bruce was waiting for us by the car. We pulled up to our new subdivision. Giant wrought iron gates stood at the entrance, and a guard sat in a small booth.

“The guard is actually employed by us. Someone will be here at all times, watching everybody that comes in and out. I have key cards for you both that unlock the gates, but if you ever forget them, you just need to talk to the guard to let you in,” Bruce told us from the driver’s seat.

“Holy s**t, Batman,” Lin mumbled under her breath.

The only thing I could manage was a small laugh. It was going to take a lot of getting used to living in a community like this. I could understand why Michael wanted me here, it would be a lot harder for Blaine to leave anonymous letters or make unannounced visits with someone standing guard at the entrance at all times.

The wrought iron fence wrapped completely around the rest of the community. Red brick homes covered each side of the street with grand front yards, all of which were immaculately kept. Our home was located in a small cul-de-sac with a bubbling fountain in the middle. Bruce pulled into the driveway and immediately got out to open the door for us.

We entered the home into a small foyer with a grand staircase to one side. I couldn’t help but notice the security system that looked newly installed on the front door. I assumed it was on every door and window in the house.

“Welcome home, ladies. There are two bedrooms upstairs, both with their own ensuite bathrooms, and two separate offices are on the main floor,” Bruce told us.

Lin bounded up the stairs, likely to go pick her room. I followed Bruce into the kitchen and living room area. I loved the open floor plan and the giant fireplace that sat at one end of the living room. A moving van pulled in right behind us, and soon the house was filled with men depositing boxes in the different rooms.

“I’ll stick around until the movers have brought everything over. Michael also asked me to give you this and told me to tell you to pick out anything you like, and it will be delivered within a day or so,” Bruce said, handing me a thick furniture catalog.

“This is too much,” I said breathlessly, turning in a small circle, taking in the new space.

“He told me you’d say as much. He also told me to remind you that nothing is too much for his fiancee,” Bruce said with a smile.

“I still can’t believe this is all real,” I said more to myself than to Bruce.

“I know there are a lot of new changes,” he said, handing me two brand-new phones.

“These are for you and your roommate. All of your contacts have already been uploaded; however, your numbers have changed. Hopefully, this will keep you from getting any unwanted text messages; please report any unwanted messages that do come through.”

“There will always be someone on our team standing guard. They’ve also been asked to follow you to class, at a distance, of course, to make sure of your safety. I promise that eventually, you won’t even notice that they are there,” Bruce continued.

“Okay,” I said with a nod.

The idea of having someone following me to classes, essentially having a bodyguard everywhere I went, was slightly unnerving. However, it was a much better trade-off than constantly worrying I was being followed by Blaine. I quickly realized that much of my new life would take some getting used to. I hoped, eventually, it would feel normal.

“I’m sure you noticed the security system that’s been installed. It’s top-of-the-line and we have the ability to monitor it at all times. A door or window cannot be opened in this place without us knowing about it. There are also cameras placed around the exterior of the property,” Bruce continued.

I nodded but was unable to respond. It was a lot to take in just how much trouble Michael had got to, to keep me safe. He must’ve thought that Blaine really was capable of violence to go to such lengths. Bruce must’ve picked up on the fact that I was overwhelmed by everything.

“I’m going to let you get acquainted with your new space,” Bruce said, leaving me alone in the empty living room.

Soon the movers were done moving all of our stuff over, and unpackers came and organized everything, putting it where it best fit, except for our personal boxes. Those we’d unpack ourselves later. Even with all of our stuff moved in, the place was so much bigger than our apartment that it still felt empty.

A knock sounded at the end of the hallway on the front door. I headed back into the foyer, and Lin poked her head down the stairs, curious as to who was there. I opened the door and was surprised to replace a pizza delivery man on the other side. He passed over two large pizzas and a bottle of wine, letting me know it’d already been paid for.

A small note sat on top of one of the pizza boxes.

“Consider this a housewarming gift. I hope you’re liking your new space. I can’t wait to visit you this weekend. Love, Michael.”

“I have to say, I’m getting used to the reality of you having an ultra-rich boyfriend,” Lin said, taking a large bite out of a piece of pizza.

I smiled, slightly tempted to tell her to get used to the reality because he was no longer just my boyfriend; he was my fiance.

We took the pizza boxes into the kitchen making a makeshift picnic on the hardwood floor. We used an empty box as a table and sipped wine straight from the bottle. We had no idea which box our glasses ended up in, and the unpackers were still working. Our dining room table was covered in miscellaneous items, so this would have to work. We laughed at how crazy the day had been as we scanned through the furniture catalog picking out a cushy-looking sofa with matching armchairs.

I smiled to myself, thankful for my amazing fiance.