I pinched his side. Reid had been joking about me moving in with him again ever since I’d got Vermont back. When I insisted it was too soon, he’d said I could still stay in the guest room. I told him that would be ridiculous, and he’d backed off. What he hadn’t backed off from was the security at my current apartment. He’d even installed a new video doorbell at my door. I think even with the restraining order, he wasn’t in love with the idea of me being here. But I was hardly alone. Reid and I spent one, maybe two nights apart per week. I was sure we’d figure out the whole moving-in thing eventually, but I wasn’t in any hurry.
His lips pressed against the top of my head as the opening credits to the movie played.
“How are you holding up today?” he asked.
“Better now that you’re here.” I squeezed around his middle.
Everything was always better when he was around. Everyday I spent with Reid, I grew more and more confident that this was it for me.
He felt like more than my boyfriend, or even the love of my life. He felt like family. He felt like home.
He felt like forever.
Epilogue
REID – SIX MONTHS LATER
Armchair_Detective: Cat tax, please.
ReidingRainbow: (ATT: picture of orange cat curled up on couch)
WhiteKnight31: Stop distracting yourself and finish the blog post, Eddie.
Armchair_Detective: It’s basically done. And shouldn’t you be looking at hotels for next month?
ReidingRainbow: Already booked a refundable one. Figured you guys could just send me the money.
WhiteKnight31: Of course you did. Leave it to Reid to figure out the logistics.
Armchair_Detective: I still can’t believe it took you getting a girlfriend for us all to finally get together.
WhiteKnight31: Yeah, tell Hazel thanks again for the tickets. This Cold Case Convention is going to be a blast.
ReidingRainbow: I’ll let her know.
Armchair_Detective: Maybe we can finally start up that podcast we talked about.
WhiteKnight31: You mean the podcast you talked about.
ReidingRainbow: Got to run. The moving truck will be here any minute.
Armchair_Detective: Fine, but I’m not dropping this podcast discussion.
“You’re sure?”Hazel questioned me, her eyes narrowed. Vermont was on the counter pressing his head against her hand, demanding pets again.
When she’d first started bringing him over all the time, I’d tried for maybe five seconds to enforce a no-cats-in-the-kitchen rule, but it was pointless. Vermont had a mind of his own, and it was a challenge to keep nudging him away. I found it easier just to constantly disinfect instead.
“I like it there,” I said.
She glanced from me to her giant grandfather clock, now standing in the entry hallway right before you hit the living room. It was a deep, massive piece, but with the high ceilings in this house, it fit a lot better than in her cramped apartment.
“You sure? Because we can move it.”
“We actually physically can’t move it,” I pointed out. “I’m not sure how you got it in your apartment in the first place.”
“A really nice delivery man.”
I chuckled. “Well, it’s perfect there.”
