Waking up early the next morning felt like a terrible hangover. I was exhausted, which shouldn't have been the case because I went to bed early last night.

The movers stopped by around seven in the morning to pack and load up all of my belongings into a moving truck. It took them an hour to box up my tiny apartment and put it all into storage.

My landlord had been so confused when I told him I was moving out. And while we were working on the termination of my lease he received an unexpected call.

I didn't know it had been Levi's doing until my landlord told me that everything had been paid for as a courtesy for helping him out with Declan.

I was shocked, and more than grateful for his generosity, because I didn't know how I was going to get out of this lease without my bank account going negative.

By the time eight-thirty rolled around, I had showered, thrown on a simple striped shirt and a pair of light denim jeans, and even played around with a little makeup.

I scowled when I saw my converse shoes. They were the only pair of shoes that I had, so I couldn't get rid of them just yet.

Even though the incident yesterday made me want to set them on fire and watch them burn like a maniac, I was going to have to endure them for a little while longer.

Rolling my eyes and quickly slipping into the shoes, I hurriedly made my way out to the parking lot and shoved my suitcases in the trunk.

After closing the trunk, I paused to give the apartment I spent most of college in one last look.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea to to have my lease terminated because if something were to happen while working for Levi, I would have nowhere to go.

I doubt it will ever come to that, but just in case, I'll make sure to keep Ivy as an option in the back of my mind.

When I arrived at Levi's home, I greeted the security guard with a smile. "Hi, Spencer."

"Good morning, Laurel." He returned the polite gesture, before opening the gate and waving.

After parking my car, I shifted over to the back to grab my suitcases. I couldn't believe I was actually going to be staying here. I was especially excited to be spending time with Declan. Even though I've only known him for a day, I could honestly say that I really care about him.

Bringing my bags up to the front door, I glanced up at the camera and rang the doorbell. A second later, the door opened but it wasn't Levi. I stared down at Declan, who had a bright smile on his face.

"Hi, Declan." I looked around for Levi, but didn't see him anywhere. "Where's your daddy, bud?"

He shrugged his shoulders. Entering the house, I set my bags to the side and took off my shoes. Closing the door behind me, I picked up Declan and carried him over to the couch.

Setting him down, I sat down beside him and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I was getting ready to call Levi when his voice boomed in the silence. "Declan!"

The sound of thundering footsteps filled my ears, a dripping wet Levi wearing nothing but a towel practically leaping down the stairs in search of his son. He froze at the foot of the stairs when he saw me.

Seeming to snap out of whatever daze he was in, he glared at Declan who for some reason found humor in the whole thing. He giggled, the sound so wholesome that Levi knew he couldn't stay mad at the kid for long even if he tried.

Softening his features, he sighed and sifted a hand through his damp hair. "You were supposed to wait for me, Declan." He sighed once more, his eyes drifting to me.

I blushed, not sure if Levi knew that he was only wearing a towel, or if he knew and just didn't care. Nervously chewing at my lower lip, I struggled to look away. The man was pure beauty, more intricate tattoos decorating his torso.

"I apologize for my indecency. I'm running a little behind as you can see, which is so unlike me, but Declan has been really excited to see you."

"It's okay. Declan and I will be fine. Right bud?"

He nodded, smiling from ear to ear.

"Alright. I'll just be a couple minutes and then we can get started."

As soon as Levi returned back upstairs, Declan hopped down from his seat and started working on the coloring book that was on the coffee table. He handed me a red crayon, motioning me to join him.

Sliding down on to the floor, I sat cross-legged and began coloring the puppy with him. By the time we had finished coloring the spotted animal, Levi had returned in an olive green crew neck and black jeans.

"Ready?" He asked, smiling.

Nodding, I stood to my feet and grabbed Declan's hand. We followed Levi throughout the house so he could show me where everything was located.

The tour took about a half an hour, Levi wanting to make sure I knew exactly where everything was should he ever have to leave me and Declan alone.

We paused in front of Declan's room. He tugged me into his room, wanting to show me his ocean themed bedroom. The walls were covered in detailed paintings of all kinds of sea creatures, the shades of blue replicating the feel of an ocean.

Declan jumped on to his bed, giggling excitedly at finally having someone to show his room off to.

"We don't get many visitors," Levi said, sadness laced in his tone. "We don't live near any family and making friends has been difficult for Declan, since he doesn't speak."

"Why doesn't he speak, if you don't mind me asking?"

It was uncommon for someone his age not to be forming full sentences, but I'm sure Levi already knew that.

"His doctor isn't a hundred percent sure, but he thinks the trauma of being abandoned by his mother has something to do with it."

I didn't press him with any more questions, because I could tell that the subject was still fairly sore. It was a wound that although has been around for some time, was still fresh in his mind.

Leaving the room, Levi and I headed back downstairs while Declan stayed in his room to play with his toys.

"Do you have any other que-" His phone rang in his pocket, cutting off his words.

Excusing himself, he stepped away from me to answer his phone. I couldn't hear much, but from the frequent use of curse words, he wasn't very happy.

He turned back around, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "I have some business to handle at one of my companies. Will you be okay if I leave you here with Declan for a couple of hours?"

I nodded, giving him a small smile.

He called out to Declan, the tiny tot scampering down the steps and towards his father with a wide smile.

Levi kneeled down in front of him, his voice soft as he spoke to his son. "I have to go to work for a bit, okay bud. So Laurel's going to keep an eye on you."

Declan nodded, his green eyes flickering to me for a split second before returning to his father. "Be good for Laurel, okay?" Declan nodded once more, Levi pulling him in for a hug, before returning to his full height.

He seemed hesitant to leave, a nervous look in his eyes.

"He's going to be fine, Levi," I assured. "I'll call and check in every hour."

"Okay," he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he nodded his head slowly and eventually took his leave.