“So this, you’re not faking things to make me think this is what it will be like?”
He glanced over at her, his eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”
“Like if I move in, you aren’t going to change?”
He flipped the chicken and then turned the heat down before he faced her. “We all change. That’s how life is. Sometimes we change for the better, sometimes we make things a lot worse. Some days I’ll do all the cooking because you’re busy, and other days you’ll do it because I’m busy. But no, I’m not going to start acting like a totally different person just because you move in here with me.”
“Oh, moving in? About that, were you thinking I should?”
“That’s what you were thinking about when I walked into the bedroom, right?”
She nodded. “But how did you know?”
He shrugged like knowing what she was thinking was no big deal. “Just the logical thing.”
Laughter spilled from her lips. “You’re amazing.”
He shook his head. “Just observant. Plus, you looked worried. I get it. The last guy you trusted turned out to be a dick. I may have issues, but I’m not going to change how we’re interacting now. I’ve lived on my own for a long time, and I don’t need a babysitter or a housekeeper. I want a partner.”
She nodded slowly, thinking that Cy was very smart. He had taken all her worries and basically made her realize that those worries weren’t that big of a deal.
“So work. That’s another issue.”
“What’s the issue? Tell me while we finish cooking dinner.”
“I don’t like that most days we wouldn’t even see each other. Or if we did, it wouldn’t be for long.”
He nodded. “Do you have an idea for a solution?”
“The room was the cheapest I could find, and it was sixteen hundred a month. I’ve tried finding cheaper places, but it’s hard. Any time I get a line on a new place, it’s gone before I can make arrangements. Plus, I can’t afford another deposit for most of those places.”
“That must be difficult.”
She pulled out plates, and Cy served the food. He ate a lot more than she did, and she kind of wondered where he put it all.
“I don’t want to be stuck, and I know you’re not trying to get me into a position where I am stuck.”
“No, I don’t want you stuck. How about this? You can move in here.”
“What about rent?”
He shook his head. “I don’t pay that much for my mortgage. I got a good deal, and I’ve owned this place for a while.”
“I can’t live here for free.”
“We could set up a reasonable rent price, and then you could save your money. If you had a good base of money saved, then if you wanted to live on your own again, you could.”
His words played through her mind. If she didn’t have to pay so much in rent, she could save money.
“How much were you thinking about for rent?”
“Just a few hundred.”
“That’s not enough.”
“It is. Plus, you could save money. Then, if you ever wanted to leave, you would have the down payment for a place.”
“You’re being way too nice.”
