Chapter Twenty-Eight
They squeezed in timefor dinner. Chloe met Devon for pizza after work; he'd promised to bring some home for Hailey and his parents.
"Have you looked into a place of your own?" she asked as they sat and waited for their order.
He shook his head. "I haven't given it a second thought."
"Do you want to give it a second thought?"
One corner of his mouth lifted. "The place you're currently living is plenty big enough for the three of us."
She raised her eyebrows. "Um, there's one bed."
He nodded. "And one bathroom."
"And no privacy," she added.
"It's cozy," he countered.
Chloe leaned toward him. "When it's only me, yes, it's quite cozy. And maybe with you and me, as well." She rested her hand on his. "But as much as I love Hailey, there's no way it would be anything but claustrophobic with all three of us in there."
"Oh, I know." He stood as their number was called, and she sat back against the booth with a laugh.
"You did that on purpose," she accused when he came back.
"Well, yeah." He set two pizza boxes on the table and opened one.
"Good thing I have a sense of humor."
"One of the things I enjoy about you." He set slices on their plates and stacked one box on top of the other one, pushing them out of the way.
She smiled at him over her slice. "I enjoy the teasing side of you."
There was a brief silence as they began to eat. "Is that something you'd like to do? Look for a place to live?" Devon eventually asked.
Pausing mid-bite, Chloe leaned back and closed her mouth. She looked at the table for a moment before meeting his gaze. "I didn't ask in order to nag you into anything. I thought of it because it's convenient for your parents to be right there to watch Hailey, but on the other hand, they're always there."
"This conversation reminds me of talking on your couch. You and I both know where this is headed, I just don't have a timeline to give you." Devon thought about what his mother had said. There was no way to know when he'd be ready.
"As long as we're on the same page. I don't intend to invite myself to live with you if you want to look for something with long-term potential."
They ate, each seemingly lost in their thoughts. When they finished, Devon walked Chloe to her car.
"Can Hailey and I take you out this weekend?" he asked as he pulled her close to him.
She ran her hands through his hair. "Of course. Saturday evening is wide open, but I was thinking of going to my parents' for dinner on Sunday."
"We'll figure something out for Saturday night, then." He kissed the shell of her ear, smiling when she shivered.
Chloe tugged at his head until she could rise and meet him for a kiss. Devon encircled her and held tight, giving her what she wanted.
"It's about to become a get-a-room-moment, Chloe." He eased away from her and held her by the shoulders.
"We should give that some thought."
Heat crept up his neck. "I'll take it into consideration."
