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“Oh my god,” she groans. “You're so weird.” She sighs, rolls onto her back, and closes her eyes. After a moment, my eyes widen as she actually burps from A to E. We're both quiet for about thirty seconds after she finishes. She turns back on her side. “Do you still find me attractive or am I going to have to work harder on my beauty sleep?”
“You're beautifully human, Eva.”
Her lips lift in a smile. “Good answer.” She snuggles closer to me, wrapping around me, and I make sure to tuck her comforter around her back at least. “What happens if we break up? I'll be out of a place to live,” she tells me softly and somberly.
“We're not going to break up.”
“I need a back up plan, Emerson. I hope we don't, but I can't predict the future and if we do break up, I need to know what I'm going to do. This is too big of a step for me not to cover all my bases.”
I sigh. I don't like thinking about a future without her. The thought is terrifying and makes my heart ache. I can't lose her ever and under no circumstance am I going to willingly let her go. However, I understand where she's coming from and her need to look out for herself if it does happen. “If we break up, I'm not going to kick you out. I could sleep on the couch or sleep elsewhere until you could find a new place. If it'll make you feel better, we can tell Glen and then he can see to it that I'll keep my word.”
“Thanks. Can we sleep now? I'm tired and I definitely know I need the beauty sleep.”
My response is a kiss to the top of her head.
Glen cracks his knuckles for like the millionth time. He's stopped eating at this point. He keeps glancing between us like we're a math problem he's in the middle of solving.
“You don't think it's a good idea,” Eva states, a touch of disappointment in her voice.
He shakes his head. Damn it. Panic sweeps through me at how he might talk Eva out of moving in with me. If anyone can do it, he can. I stay quiet, not waiting to say something through my fear or anger.
“It's too soon, especially after everything going down with Kelly. Y'all should wait. Until the end of the school year at least,” he says, his eyes focused on Eva. Obviously, I'm not changing my mind, so she's the only one worth trying to convince.
“We talked it over,” she tells him. “We covered how it's going to work and we both want to do it. We're telling you as part of my back up plan.” She goes on to explain that part to him. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised she's standing firm against him. I expected her to hear him out more, to debate it with him, something other than simply tell him it's done and decided. “It's what we want, Glen. We don't need your approval, you know.”
“I know.” His brows pull together in frustration and he pops his knuckles again. “Are you sure you want this and have thought it through?”
“Yes,” she answers immediately. “For heaven's sake, I burped for him yesterday. If I can survive that, I can handle living with him.”
Glen laughs and I smile. “Okay, then. I'll leave it alone, I guess. I just wanted to make sure this wasn't as rash as it sounds.” He turns his gaze to me. “Sorry.”
I shrug. He has Eva's best interest at heart and it's no surprise that sometimes, it means he's questioning me. I can't blame him for that even if it does occasionally piss me off.
“Have you told Catherine or Aunt Beth yet?”
Eva shakes her head. She's nervous about telling Catherine, I know. She told me so this morning. She d
oesn't want Catherine to be upset with her. I don't think she will be, but then, I don't know Catherine very well.
As we continue through lunch, I can't help but feel as if my world has finally righted itself. As if I'm right where I'm supposed to be after being lost for so long. Eva changed my world, filled it up, and I can't wait to see where our future will lead us. Because it most definitely will lead us together, not separately. She can have her back up plan all she wants, but she won't ever have to use it.
She has me. She has me so invested in her and our life that I'll never be able to untangle myself. Her moving in with me is one more way for me to get closer to her. It's one more way for her to get closer to me. And I want her so close to me, her doubts fall away once and for all and she won't be able to untangle herself from me either.
“Emerson?” Eva snaps her fingers in front of me. I blink and glance at her. “What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing. I just love you.” I lean over to give her a kiss.
“Ugh, I don't need to see this,” Glen groans, making us laugh.
He should get used to it because I'm going to be by her side for the rest of my life.
“OKAY, WHY ARE you taking me on a shopping trip?” Catherine asks as we walk into the mall.
I shrug. “I missed you.” That's not a lie, but not the complete truth either.
Catherine stops walking, forcing me to do so as well. She folds her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes. “What's going on, Eva?”
“I'm moving in with Emerson.”
