She waited a few seconds after he left before she talked to the plants about where she was going and why. As she told Clay, they responded in their own way. Outdoor plants were more independent than indoor, so she wasn't too worried about them. After a quick good-bye, she went back into the house and started speaking to the indoor plants.
"We have to leave the house for a while," she told them, reaching out with her magic. "You'll still be with me, just at Clay's house."
They all seemed to understand and accept what was happening, so when Clay came back into the house, she and the plants were both ready to go.
Together, they loaded the pots up in his truck and a few in her car. Once she double-checked that the doors were locked, she climbed into her car and headed back toward Clay's house. He followed directly behind her, not even letting a car between them.
Any other time, having him tailgate her would have annoyed the shit out of her, but not today.
Unloading the car at his house wasn't as difficult. He carried her suitcases inside while she unloaded plants. As she had at her own place, Dylan let the plants guide her on where she should place them. They all seemed to love the numerous windows at Clay's house and the space that they could have.
By the time she was done, Dylan realized she hadn't seen Clay since he brought the last few pots inside.
"Clay?" she called.
"Back here."
She followed his voice to his bedroom. As she walked in, he turned from the big dresser, his arms full of stuff.
"There are two empty drawers on the right side," he said.
"You didn't have to do that," she said.
He grunted. "I've been meaning to clean them out for a while anyway. I keep grabbing socks with holes or boxers with shot elastic or ripped crotches, so you're saving me from annoyance."
He carried the items in question out of the room and Dylan stared at the two drawers still standing open.
"Oh, and there's plenty of space in the closet. I don't have much shit in there anyway."
Dylan had no idea how she felt about this. She hadn't lived with a man before so she didn't know if his nonchalant attitude was typical or not. She expected him to be irritable at having his space invaded, not relaxed. Especially considering how grumpy he usually was about other people.
Clay openly admitted that he didn't like most people, yet he was clearing space out for her things as if he were happy that she was staying with him rather than begrudging.
Dylan walked over to the bed, unzipped her suitcases, and started unpacking. As she arranged socks, underwear, and pajamas in the drawers in question, Clay returned to the bedroom.
"I ordered pizza for lunch." He hesitated. "And a salad since you insist we should eat vegetables at every meal."
Dylan smiled and closed the drawers. "We should. It's good for you." She walked to the suitcases and grabbed a couple of shirts, carrying them into his closet. A few seconds later, she came back out. "Uh, you have plenty of space for my stuff but no hangers."
"Shit," he said. "Hang on."
He disappeared again and came back a few minutes later with a couple of handfuls of hangers. "I keep my extras in my laundry room."
He set them on the bed next to her suitcases.
"Thanks," she said.
Clay watched her hang up clothes for a few minutes before he jumped in and started helping. They were almost done when the doorbell rang.
"That's the pizza. I'll be right back."
"Don't worry about it," she said. "We're almost done anyway."
A couple of minutes later, she was done hanging up clothes and stowed her suitcases in the closet. When she walked out of the bedroom, the scent of pizza hit her, making her mouth water.
She followed her nose to the kitchen and found Clay putting salad and pizza on a couple of paper plates.
"I figured we'd eat at the counter," he said. "That cool?"
