“I know it’s too soon. That’s why I gave you a key. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything I can to change your mind as quickly as possible.”
He knew exactly what to say to make me melt.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
A little while later, as I rode in the passenger seat of his truck, he held my hand. I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said, imagining what it would be like to go home with him or to him every day.
I might not be ready to move in with him yet, but I could see how that future would look and I wanted it more than anything.
Epilogue 1
Six months later
I twisted around in my seat to check the crockpot on the back floorboard. The lid was clamped on tightly, but I wanted to make sure it didn’t slide around too much.
“It’s fine,” Elijah said from the driver’s seat.
“I know. I was just checking.”
He chuckled beneath his breath, but I ignored it. We were on our way to Tanya and Jordan’s house for a pool party. It was finally warm enough to use the pool and my friends decided to celebrate by inviting everyone over.
It was the type of event we were having more often now that three of my friends were married. Instead of meeting up for girl brunches or dinners, they would take turns hosting. And even though Chelsea and Landen weren’t married yet, they had invited us over for dinner a couple of times in the past six months.
The guys might never be close friends like we were, but they got along well enough. They even hung out together without us from time to time.
“Hey, when are you going to move in with me?” Elijah asked.
He occasionally answered this question, and I’d always answered, “When I’m ready.”
Instead, this time, I said, “Whenever you ask me.”
It took a moment for my answer to process, but when it did, his head whipped toward me. “You’re gonna move in with me?”
“I don’t recall being asked,” I replied.
“I asked you months ago.”
I shot him some side eye. “I’m talking about right now.”
He laughed. “That’s how it is?”
I shrugged, studying my mint green nail polish.
Still chuckling, he asked, “Will you move in with me, Brown Eyes?”
I turned my head to look at him and saw that he was grinning at me, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. “Yes, I will. We’re practically living together anyway.”
He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “I’d still like to make it official.”
“Then, consider it official.”
We arrived at Tanya’s house, and I led the way around the side, straight to the backyard. She’d texted me earlier not to bother with the front door or the doorbell cam and to come right to the pool in the rear. Her daughter, Millie, would be napping, and she said she would flip a table if someone woke her up. Apparently, if Millie was unhappy, everyone would know about it because she would scream it at the top of her lungs, for a long, long, long time.
Tanya, Jordan, and Yancy were all gathered around the patio table, munching on a vegetable tray and drinking cocktails or beer. There was squealing and splashing nearby, and a quick glance revealed that Yancy’s daughter, Carolena, was playing with Charles in the pool.
Five minutes later, the crockpot of dip I brought was plugged into an extension cord and set up on the table and the bags of chips I brought were open next to it. I had a mojito in one hand and a carrot stick in the other.
We were all just about done with our drinks when Lucy and Chris showed up, swiftly followed by Chelsea and Landen. Once everyone arrived, Jordan started the grill to make hot dogs and hamburgers, and I sat with my friends watching the men take turns tossing Carolena in the pool and “helping” Jordan grill.
