“It’s dark,” I complain, not that it’s super dark where we are. The entire street right here is lit with huge lights.
Hansley kisses me again. “Promise I’ll leave as soon as I can. Go home and get comfortable. I’ll talk to you soon. I swear.”
I sigh in exaggeration. “All right.”
After a long hug, I grudgingly back away and head for my car.
By the time I get home, it’s so damn late. That’s the longest I’ve ever been at school and, while it turned out to be a lot of fun, I’m thankful that tomorrow is Sunday. I take my time in the shower and wash the food smells from my body. Then I’m out and in comfy sweats as I wait for Hansley.
Minutes tick by. Then an hour and I keep checking my phone. I wonder if he forgot. He did say he had a surprise for me. But it was a super long day, and he’s probably exhausted. And because he helped organize it, he has to stay there to make sure it’s all shut down and no fires are going to burn the campus to the ground and all that.
I flounce down on the couch, trying not to be sad. He forgot.
That’s okay. I’m going to choose to be understanding and not upset.
Just as I reach for the phone, there’s a knock on my door. Scowling, I get to my feet. I hate when people just show up uninvited. Stomping my way to the front, I throw open my door and then stare at Hansley with a big bouquet of flowers in his hand and a box in his other. The smile on his face is gorgeous, as always.
“Hi, neighbor,” he says.
His words obviously confuse me, so I continue to stare at him dumbly. “What?”
Hansley’s grin widens. He pushes the box and the flowers into my arms and then literally sweeps me off my feet, which is good since he’s bringing me outside and I’m barefoot. He turns us on my front porch so we’re facing the disaster of a house across the street.
I didn’t notice before, but now that I’m looking, I can see the large, bold letters that read SOLD on the sign across the house. My heart thunders. “You bought that house?” I ask.
He nods. “Yep. I put in offers on like six houses.” He chuckles. “Including this one. This is the one I chose when the bids came back. I hear there’s a hella hot football coach across the road.”
I’m definitely not overcome with what this means. It doesn’t make my palms sweat or my jaw tremble. He bought a house across the street from me. He wanted to be close!
“You need to cut your grass,” I snark.
He laughs. “Yes. I have a landscape company stopping by next week to give me a quote to completely redo the house outside and then for maintenance after.” He somehow pulls my door shut and then starts across the street with me still in his arms. “The house needs work. Mostly updates, but there aresome things I need changed. Probably won’t be able to move in for another month or so, but it’s already been scheduled.”
Hansley lets us in and it’s… not awful. Definitely covered in a thick layer of dust, as if it had been abandoned for years and not just months.
He sits me on the kitchen counter and then looks around, holding his arms out wide. “What d’ya think?”
“You moved in across the street,” I say and have to blink all the dust from my eyes since it’s making them water.
Turning back to me, he smiles softly. Pressing a hand to my cheek, Hansley nods. “Yes. I did.”
I sniff. Damn dust. “Does this mean you sold your old house? This must be quite a bit smaller.”
He shrugs. “It’s not up for sale yet. Jess is… stalling. I don’t care if she keeps it, but I think she’s keeping it because she’s convincing herself that this isn’t happening. Everything else we own together is up for sale though. As far as the size—” Hansley shrugs again. “Honestly, this is much more reasonable. Once I started packing my shit, I realized how very little I have or want to keep. It’s a waste of space having anything bigger than this for a single person. Even for two people.”
So I can try to avoid the tears, I bury my face in the flowers. The bouquet is bigger than my head. Then I sit straight again and look at the second thing I’m holding. “What’s this?”
Hansley takes the flowers from me and sets them aside. Then he opens the box on my lap. I’m stunned when he pulls out a crown and sets it on my head. “For my queen,” he murmurs, with the most handsome smile as he stares into my eyes.
This bitch just made me cry!!
CHAPTER 34
LEMON
Four months later
Itell myself this isn’t going to be awkward at all. Why would it be? These are men that I’ve spent almost no time with since I’ve known them. I’ve never really been kind to them. I’ve tried harder since getting together with Hansley, but I still get jealous kind of easily.
