“This is outrageous.” Nash shakes his head. “I refuse to stay where I’m not wanted.”
Grandma’s brows are sky high. “Clearly that’s not true, because I never invited you here in the first place.”
“It’s time for me to move into my own place. Just as soon as we’ve finished breakfast. There’s no way I’m missing out on pancakes.”
“Wait a minute.” I put down my cup of coffee. “You have access to your house already?”
“Yeah. Lawyers sorted it out with the owners. They weren’t using it so…”
Charlie pours more batter into the pan. “You two giving each other some room sounds sensible.”
“Hopefully with some time and distance, Audrey and I can heal this unfortunate rift in our relationship,” says Nash.
Grandma looks to heaven. “The nonsense you come out with. You’re only moving next door.”
“And I’ll be taking my Junebug with me.”
I raise my chin. “You’re doing what now?”
“You heard me.”
“Yeah,” I say, with more patience than I feel. “And it sounded like you thought we were moving in together. Did you mean to suggest that?”
He nods. “Yes I did.”
My mouth opens, but I don’t know what to say. “Um. Talk me through your thought process here. Because while the town might think it’s sensible for us to shack up together for the sake of our imaginary progeny, I however, am not so sure.”
He shoves a forkful of pancake in his mouth. “It’s got nothing to do with the town and their expectations.”
“Okay.”
“I just like having you close.”
“Shewillbe close. She’ll be right next door,” says Grandma. “You’re quite welcome to visit.”
Nash ignores her and says, “And I thought you liked being with me too.”
“You know I do.” I smile.
Grandma goes to open her mouth, but Charlie gets there first. “They’re adults, Aud.”
“Doesn’t mean they make good choices,” she says snappily.
He nods in agreement. “I hear you. Doesn’t change the fact that you need to take a step back and stay the fuck out of it. Let them live their lives without the burden of other people’s judgement. Something you’ve never tolerated in your own life.”
Grandma huffs out a breath. The woman is seriously perturbed. What is interesting is her not saying another word, however.
And as for Nash, he just watches me. I swear sometimes he can see straight down to my soul. How he sits there so silent and still with me as his sole focus. Like he already knows me inside and out. The good and the bad and the undecided.
Then he downs some of his coffee and keeps on watching me.
So my suitcase will be at his house instead of here. This doesn’t need to be a big deal. And yet it feels like one.
I can’t remember the last time I took a risk. Like, a real one. Which is kind of sad when you think about it. Life needs to be more than doom scrolling, death, and taxes. This might only last five minutes. He could ghost me and go back to his glamorous existence. Leave me sitting on read in this small town. It would be foolish of me to ignore this fact.
But to have the chance to be with him and be too afraid to take it…not happening.
I breathe in deep and ignore the bright, nervous ball of energy inside of me. Because I think maybe it’s happiness and I don’t entirely trust it for some reason. “Just to recap. You want me to move in because we like being together. This has got nothing to do with what the town thinks. And it’s got nothing to do with how much you enjoy irritating my grandmother.”
