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“We’re good,” he said. He didn’t look happy about it, but at least it was settled.
After the library meeting, I made my way home. There was something nice about feeling like it was home, even though I knew the truth was, I didn’t really have a home right now. I’d let my lease lapse in New York when I’d gotten the Port Grandlin job. All of my personal belongings, the ones I hadn’t traveled to Virginia with, were in a storage unit up north, waiting for me.
Maybe I’d get myself a place soon, I mused as I walked through the front door. Here in Pine Bluff, maybe. Or, hell, anywhere. I could go literally anywhere. My stomach ached at the thought of leaving Ellis behind, letting our relationship fizzle out or limp along long-distance. I didn’t like either of those choices, so Pine Bluff was sounding more and more right.
Then again, I wondered, kicking my shoes off and calling out for Lena, was it too soon in our new relationship to make living arrangement decisions that included him?
“Lee?” I called a second time, a little louder. “I’m home.”
“Kitchen,” she shouted.
I found her putting her earbuds back in their case and tapping her phone. She was surrounded by baking ingredients, wet and dry, in various size bowls, and the oven ticked quietly as it heated.
“Sorry,” she said at a normal volume. “I got caught up in this order for cookie bars for the school. They’re having a cake walk at their fall carnival this weekend.
“It’s fine. How was work?”
She shrugged and dumped one dry bowl into another, whisking the ingredients together rapidly. After a moment’s silence, she turned to me. “Can we talk?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Hand me that bowl, the one with the eggs in it. And the vanilla.” I did as she asked, waiting for her to start talking. Eventually, she took a deep breath. “What’s your plan here?”
“Plan?” My eyebrows rose.
“Yeah. Do you have a plan? You’ve been here for a while now. Have you decided what you want to do next?”
“Where’s this coming from?”
She gestured toward the baking pan. “Can you spray that with the nonstick spray?” When I did as she asked, she kept talking. “This isn’t about you, not really. Promise. It’s just… I’m ready to have my own space back, you know? I’ve had someone else living in my house for six months, and now there are two of you. I need to reclaim this place for myself, you know what I mean?”
I did, and I nodded. “I’m sorry if I overstayed—”
“You didn’t.” She took the baking pan from me and began to spread out cookie bar batter. “I just need some alone time again. Do you know how hard it is to date when you can’t bring anyone back to your place?”
I grinned and elbowed her gently. “Are you dating someone?”
She kept her gaze fixed on the baking pan, but her smile grew.
“Lena Wilson,” I demanded. “Tell me everything right now.”
She laughed and sighed, putting the baking pan in to bake before closing the oven and leaning against the door. “There’s this girl.”
“From work?”
Her eyebrows shot up and she laughed again. “You won’t tell me about your mystery man, you get no details on who I’m dating.”
“Fine, fine. So what you’re saying is, you need more alone time so you can get laid.”
Lena nodded slowly. “That’s definitely part of it.”
It was a fair complaint. I’d already started thinking about how much I wanted to go further with Ellis, and how we didn’t really have any private spaces to do that, unless he was going to bend me over the office desk again, and…. No, do not go there right now. Nope. “Do you want me to arrange for Ellis and me to get out of your hair sometime?”
“That would be nice, actually. But that doesn’t mean either of you are off the hook completely. I need my bachelorette pad back. Got it?”
“Got it.” I chuckled because I understood, I truly did. Besides, I’d just been thinking about moving out. Things would be fine. Right?
Chapter Twenty-Six
