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Yes, the future was fun to think about, but they were living in the present, and right now, she had some lasagna to scrape off her plate.
Chapter 20
Moving Day
It had already been almost two months since they’d first discussed Avery moving into Stella’s place. Now, Avery had her feet on the coffee table, taking a break after moving the last of her boxes. Stella was in the back area talking to her family on the phone. So, she had the living room to herself. The possibilities were overwhelming.
Saying goodbye to Martin had been harder than she’d thought. But he just straightened his bowtie and sent her off with a hug and a wink.
“Pizza and beer for dinner tonight, roomie?” Stella asked, plopping down on the couch and tucking herself to Avery’s side. She was a little overheated, but snuggling felt good. Avery’s stomach rumbled in response. “I take that as a yes?” Stella laughed, patting the protesting area.
“It’s a resounding yes.” Avery kissed the top of her head.
She wasn’t sure when she’d feel comfortable in Stella’s place. Maybe when she stopped calling it that? Right now, she still felt like a guest and had to get out of the habit of looking at the clock to see if she should leave before traffic got too bad.
“When should we have the housewarming party?” Stella asked, pulling out her phone and tapping on the app of their favorite local pizza place.
“Why? It’s not a new place.” Avery rested her head against the back of the couch, closing her eyes.
“It’s new as in now it’s our place” Stella huffed, setting her phone down face up on the table.
“True, but still, it seems silly,” Avery mumbled, on the edge of sleep.
“You’ll just have to trust me. A party is a must. Nana says so. She and my mom say hi, by the way, and can’t wait to meet you for the holidays. My dad said a resemblance of hello, but it turned into a yell when one of his football teams scored.”
Avery smiled, opening her eyes and turning to meet Stella’s green-eyed gaze. “I can’t wait to meet them. All we have to do is get through this reunion tomorrow, and then, it will be smooth sailing and I can leave the house with you on my arm. It will also be nice to get somewhere where, hopefully, the show isn’t as well known. Maybe getting a cup of coffee won’t be so much of a to-do.”
“I honestly don’t even care. I can’t wait to be seen with you out and about.” Stella tucked her hand under Avery’s shirt, drawing a pattern on her skin. Her body tingled at the ministrations, even though she was beat from the move.
Avery groaned when the door buzzed. “I’ll get it.” She removed her arm from Stella’s shoulders.
“You’re my hero.” Stella snuggled further into the couch.
“May you always think that.” Avery squeezed her hand, still playing on her stomach, before standing up with a groan of her own. “Damn, I can feel every muscle.”
“That’s what you get for not letting me pay for movers,” Stella teased, stretching out on the couch now that Avery had vacated the area. “I’m sure my friends would have appreciated it as well. When I sent them home a few hours ago, they groaned all the way down the stairs.”
“It seemed like such a waste. Who knew there was so much stuff crammed into that tiny apartment? When I have a harebrained idea like that again—and I promise you I will at some point—remind me of this feeling where everything is on fire.”
“And I’m sure when the day happens, you’ll be as hard headed as ever, insisting you can do it,” Stella grumbled good naturedly, stretching out on the couch.
On her way downstairs to meet the pizza delivery person, Avery thought about their compatibility. Even when they disagreed, they were usually able to come to an understanding. Rushing down to the front desk, Avery grabbed the pizza. It looked like the delivery guy recognized her, so she paid quickly and headed back up, not feeling up to playing the ‘where do I know you from’ game. Not when the delectable smells of a freshly cooked pizza teased her nose.
Back upstairs, her girlfriend was snoring lightly on the couch. The scene made her heart nearly burst out of her chest. Putting the pizza on the coffee table, she grabbed two plates, napkins, and a couple cold beers from the fridge.
Not wanting to disturb Stella, she sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping open the pizza box to grab a cheesy piece while taking stock of the area. Avery wasn’t sure how long it would take for the place to feel like hers, but today was not the day. Right now, she felt like she sometimes did when walking into a hotel room, comfortable with an undertow of impermanence.
The feeling was magnified right now as she looked around the room. Everything screamed Stella. She hoped they could work towards making this place feel like a home they both resided in. For now, Avery had to shake off the feeling of being unsettled, which happened every time she moved to a new place. Instead, she directed her attention to Stella.
“I love you,” she whispered, the words unable to be contained anymore.
“‘Bout, damn time.” Stella surprised her by answering. “I love you more each day.” Her voice was hoarse from sleep and dust from the move.
Avery jumped up from where she was sitting and rushed to the couch. She slowed down when she got to her side. With a knowing grin, Stella smiled up at her, waiting for Avery to take the lead. Crawling on top, Avery ensured her knees took most of her weight not to crush Stella. Her dancing green eyes stared at her, and white teeth sunk into her bottom lip.
“I think it’s time to celebrate, don’t you? We can celebrate each room. Starting here.” Avery leaned down, capturing Stella’s wandering hands and holding them above her head before dipping down for a kiss.
Stella’s undulating hips drove Avery wild, but she wanted to be in control right now. Pulling back, she settled herself more thoroughly on Stella’s hips. “Slow down. Stop topping me from the bottom,” she teased, waiting until the bright flush on Stella’s neck resided some and her ragged breaths evened out. “Good girl,” she praised, knowing that drove her out of her mind. The long moan Stella let out just solidified she was on the right track.
