Chapter 28
Will and I wave goodbye to Ollie from the car, and he waves back with a big smile on his face, Jess standing behind him. And to my surprise, she lifts a hand too.
We drive in comfortable silence, processing the events of today as the town goes by.I think that could have gone worse, Will had said. He’s right about that.
And now, without planning for it, our relationship is suddenly real. Something our family knows about, before we’ve even gotten the chance to be something ourselves.
But I’m finding I wouldn’t have it any other way. So I reach over and take his hand. “Move in with me.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see his head turn toward me. “What?”
“Move in with me. Everyone knows now. The motel is expensive, and I have a house with—”
“Dude, are you crazy? We’ve been on like four dates.”
“Maybe I am, but I want to wake up to you every day,” I admit, past the point of keeping how I feel bottled up. I love him, and he loves me, and he’s going to have to accept it.
“I’m not being your sugar baby.”
“I’m not rich.”
“You’re richer than me.”
“You can help with bills. We’ll split them,” I offer, even though this sugar daddy argument is nonsense and he knows it.
He turns that over, tilting his head this way and that. “I’m not sure that’s fair. You’ve got three people, I’m only one person, so—”
I pull into the motel parking lot in front of his door, and now more than ever, I hate that he lives here. I should have asked him to move in a long time ago. He deserves better than this.
When I turn to face him, he’s already looking at me.
“Will.” I hold his gaze, taking his other hand too. “Move in with me. Please.”
With a sigh and a pause short enough that I know he was always going to say yes, he nods. “Fine. But I gotta grab my stuff.”
His entire life fits into a single duffle bag. A few shirts, jeans, boxers. Some things from the bathroom, a couple of tools. Guilt sits in my chest for not inviting him to live with me sooner. He deserves more than this.
“Alright,” he says, zipping the bag. “Ready.”
It only took five minutes.
And I’m suddenly aware that I haven’t kissed him all day. So I cross the room and take the bag from his hand, setting it on the floor. “What are you—” I cut him off with my lips, the desperation amplified by the fact that we’retogethernow. He makes a surprised sound against my mouth, pulling back. “What are you doing?”
“I missed you.” I tug at the hem of his shirt, urging him to kiss me again. “It’s been too long. I want you inside of me again.”
He looks toward the wall against the headboard. “We can’t. I know for a fact there are neighbors on that side right now. Met ‘em the other day. Real nice folks from New Jersey. And trust me. The walls are thin.” I ignore him, walking him back toward the bed. He goes with a laugh. “Come on, Nolan, we can’t—”
“You’re moving out, what does it matter?”
“Okay, okay,” he says, with a put-on sigh. “If you’re so desperate for it. But you’re fucking me this time. I’m not doing any of the work. That’s your punishment for being an asshole.”
“I’ll accept that.”
“I mean it. I’m just going to lie there. Don’t look so excited about it.”
I’m already pulling my shirt over my head, because I wasn’t expecting that offer and as much as I want him inside of me again, the thought ofWillletting me fuck him…
We strip off our clothes, and he pulls me down, to kiss for a while. Exploring each other in a way we haven’t before, taking our time. His hands are in my hair, and mine are everywhere, feeling every inch of skin I haven’t been able to yet.
