Out of the corner of my eye, Chelsi shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Besides having Kate for dinner, what other type of food will you be having?”
“Don’t plan on eating anything but Kate.” Jake arches his eyebrows, causing me to wonder if he might be actually serious.
“I can’t determine whether the two of you are being adorable right now or grossing me out. Whatever. I guess I won’t come over. Let the two of you fuck all over the house tonight, so you can accept guests tomorrow.”
“For the love,” I mutter, shaking my head against Jake’s chest.
In a serious tone, Jake says, “You’realwayswelcome, Chelsi. Just call first.”
Although he might joke around with Chelsi, he’d do anything for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if he let her move in with us if she ever needed a place to stay. He considers her part of our family, and it warms my heart in a way I never expected.
“But where would the fun be if I called before I came over? Need to keep the two of you on your toes,” Chelsi replies with a smirk.
A loud knock interrupts our conversation. Jake gives me a quick kiss on the top of my head before walking away to answer the door, because we both know it’s the movers. They’re here to load up all of my belongings and bring them over to the new place, which means it’s time for me to say goodbye to Chelsi and this chapter of my life.
Tears immediately fill my eyes as I turn toward her. “I’m going to miss you.”
She shakes her head and presses her lips together tightly. “You’re not supposed to cry. We did that last night.”
I chuckle as the tears brim in my eyes. “I’m so glad we got to spend the past decade living together. Thank you for taking a chance on a random girl who replied to your ‘roommate wanted’ ad.”
“Thank you for not being psycho,” Chelsi teases before her face slowly morphs into sorrow, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you for being my best friend. I’m going to miss you so much.” She wraps her arms tightly around me as we both let the tears fall.
We stand there for at least a minute in each other’s arms, letting our emotions out. The joy of being in each other’s lives for so long, combined with the pain of embarking on slightly different journeys, starting today. I know I’ll still see her, but it won’t be the same. We’ll never go back to being in our twentiesor early thirties, living together in downtown Chicago, trying to figure out this so-called journey of life. That era has officially ended, and it hits me a lot harder than I expected.
“Are you ready?” Jake asks outside the front door of our new home.
“Yes. I can’t wait to start this new chapter with you.” I take his hand in mine.
He unlocks the door, pushing it all the way open. I start to move forward as he quickly picks me up. “It’s a tradition to carry you over the threshold in a new home. I forgot to do it in Nashville; I’m not going to make the same mistake here.”
A soft laugh escapes me as I toss my head back. The guy who never cared about traditions growing up is the same one who insists we follow all of them now.
“Welcome to our new home, Kate. I can’t wait to spend the next few years with you and our future family in this house.” He carries me into the foyer and slowly spins me around in his arms before putting my feet firmly on the ground.
Taking me by the hand, he walks with me through each room on the main floor as we admire the furniture and overall decor the designer has set up for us—perfectly blending our two styles once again. Nothing in this house mimics our home in Nashville. That house has an updated farmhouse style with thoughtful modern touches incorporated. This house’s style is more a combination of traditional and modern styles, making it truly classic.
“I know all of these rooms are set up for guests, but I thought this one might be the best option for a nursery,” Jake suggests as we walk into the guest bedroom closest to our room. His fingersare laced with mine as he brings up our joined hands and kisses them.
My heart skips a beat because, for the first time, I’m not scared or nervous about the thought of having kids with Jake. It no longer seems like a far-off idea. In fact, it feels like something I might want sooner rather than later. I chew on the corner of my lip before staring deeply in his eyes and saying, “It would be perfect for a nursery.” The biggest grin takes over his face, and pure happiness radiates in his eyes.
“Let’s go see our room,” he says, gently pulling me in the direction of our enormous suite.
My jaw drops when I see everything that I picked out on the computer with the designer come to life in this room. It’s a sanctuary that reminds me of the most upscale spa, with white linens, pale blues, and greens, along with the hint of lavender permeating the room. I follow Jake into the bathroom and gawk at the massive soaker tub that might’ve been one of the reasons why I fell in love with this house in the first place.
“I can’t wait to use this tub over the next few days. If you can’t ever find me, I’m probably soaking right here,” I tease, running my hand along the rim of the tub.
“That’s why I wanted to come in here. It’s only fitting that we christen the tub first.” He wiggles his eyebrows and gives me a devilish grin.
I glance at my watch. “We don’t have time to take a bath. The movers will be here in less than an hour.”
“Didn’t plan on taking a bath,” he responds, reaching for the hem of my T-shirt. “Never said we were getting in. Only that I wanted to christen it.”
“I don’t understand.”
His lips brush against my neck. “I’m going to bend you over and fuck you against it.” He pulls back as his eyes darken. “Takeoff your clothes, sweetheart. I plan on making you come at least twice before the movers get here.”
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
