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“I think we should just forget about that part.” My tone is casual.
“Forget about that part.” She repeats it in a tone that tells me she thinks I’m losing it.
I hold up my hand. “We’ll still be married. We’ll wear the rings, show up to events together. But really, we’re dating. So let’s keep dating. We can do all the dating things. People will just see them as married things, and if it doesn’t work, we can get a divorce when we break up.”
It hurts my chest to say that last part out loud, but I’m trying to be reasonable. And I feel like this is the right direction to take with Natalie.
Chapter 88
Natalie
When we break up.
As the one who was pushing for a divorce, that sentence hurts a lot more than it should.
Luke keeps a smile on his face. “I’m not saying we will or when it would hypothetically happen. But I’m saying, why publicly end a relationship we’re both still interested in having?”
I purse my lips, feeling slightly better.
It’s a fair point.
“So… we just live together?” I circle back to the immediate situation.
“Why not?” He shrugs. “With our schedules, we’d hardly see each other if you got your own place. And it would be hard to pull off fake living together when your dad eventually insists on coming over and it’s either at my place with none of your stuff or your place with none of my stuff.”
Every single thing about this is ridiculous. But I guess, at this point, we can only control what we can control.
I let out a breath. “Okay.”
Luke lifts his brows. “Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll move in with you.” My heart starts to race.I’mmoving in with Luke.“But if you turn out to be someone who wakes up early and instantly wants to have a conversation, this divorce is gonna happen sooner rather than later.”
It didn’t take us long to pack up my stuff and load it into the back of Luke’s vehicle.
I told him about the furniture and other things I have in storage, and he said we could go through his condo and decide what to swap.
And that was that.
Then, for the entire ride over here, Luke’s been listening to my plans for investing in tidal energy, my outline for making Wag Corp carbon neutral, and my ideas for scholarships for STEM programs with the hopes of educating our future employees.
It’s a lot. It’s very big picture, long term. And it’s why I was so adamant that everyone believe we’re in a real, planned marriage.
I know I won’t be able to single-handedly save the planet. But I believe I can do a better job trying than anyone else.
It’s my passion, and as I went on and on, Luke didn’t just listen, he asked questions. Responded with his own thoughts. Reacted the way I’d always dreamed a partner would.
And now, as Luke slows in front of a beautiful brick building that’s going to be my home for the foreseeable future, I wonder if maybe this will turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.
Chapter 89
Luke
Wheeling two suitcases each,we walk down the hall to my condo on the fourth floor, and I try to remember what state I left my place in. It’s usually pretty clean, but my bedroom and closet… not so much.
The building itself is pretty cool. It used to be a school, way back when, but they tore out the inside and remodeled the building into large industrial-style condos.
“You good?” I ask Natalie, hating that she’s hauling suitcases too. But when I suggested she wait in the car while I ran up the first set, she refused, insisting that it would be easier and quicker this way.
