Page 10 of Let Me Love You
“Also known as your teammates,” I quip.
“Aka idiots,” he repeats wryly.
I laugh, stealing a sip of my coffee and setting it back on the stainless steel table. “Speaking of housing, Gertie finally cornered me and asked if I’d made a decision about my living arrangement for the fall semester.”
“And?”
“And I told her I’m moving out.” I grab the ice water and chug half of it.
His brows knit as he watches me carefully. “Why?”
“I dunno. It feels weird. Staying at the townhouse when everyone else is moving on, ya know?”
“I get it,” he returns thoughtfully. “Have you decided where you’re gonna move instead?”
“No idea. I’m trying to not be annoyed with everyone’s plans, but I can't help but feel like I'm being left behind. Even you and Colt will be on the road soon, and where will I be? In class.” I give him a thumbs up. “Yay, me.”
“Hey.” My chair legs scrape against the concrete floor as he drags me closer to him without waiting for permission. When I’m close enough to smell his aftershave and tempted to lick it off him, he tickles the back of my neck with his fingers, massaging the tense muscles. “What’s going on, Baby Thorne?”
It’s an excellent question. But the answer’s kind of pitiful. Admitting it to myself is one thing, but voicing it out loud is a whole new level.
His thumb and forefinger dig into the nape of my neck, moving in small circles, and I drop my head forward with a low moan. “Oh, don’t stop. It feels amazing.”
“Tell me what’s going on,” he repeats.
“I don’t want to make new friends.” I lift my head, jutting my bottom lip out. “And, yes, I’m well aware of how pathetic I sound right now, but it’s true. And the idea of the Taylor House being gone too? It makes me sad. We had so many good memories there.”
“Hey,” he murmurs. His fingers tighten their hold as he drags me closer and presses a kiss to my temple. “We’re gonna make more memories. Even better ones.”
I close my eyes and rest my head against his shoulder, too drained to care how smelly I am after my run. “Why do I have to be younger than everyone else? Why can’t I have graduated like you guys?” I lift my head and glower at him. “Seriously. I think I’m getting hives from thinking about doing the whole college life without everyone else.”
“It’s two semesters, Blake.” He squeezes the back of my neck again, continuing his magic assault against my tense muscles. I can hear the amusement in his voice. “Not the end of the world.”
“Feels like the end of the world,” I mutter. “Where am I supposed to live now?”
“You could always move in with me.”
“But you said the Taylor House is being sold,” I remind him.
“I mean at my new place.”
I pause and lift my head. “New place?”
“Yeah. With the signing bonus from the Lions, I figure I have options. Would you wanna move in with me?”
Move in with Theo? I mean, we were kind of already living together at the Taylor House, but making it official? With a label and everything? It’s a big deal, isn’t it? To be fair, it’s Theo, and we’ve been dating for almost a year now, but still. I’m barely twenty. Is it too soon by society’s standards? Do I even care if it is?
“Are you serious?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah.”
“Like…serious, serious?”
“Yeah, Blake,” he repeats, his mouth quirking up in the smallest of smiles. “I didn’t want to cut your college experience short by suggesting it before, but if the idea of you finding new roommates gives you hives, I have a better solution.”
“Which is us moving in together?”
“Yeah, why not? I love you. We practically live together anyway. Now it’ll be official.”