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The small town famous for its lobster and shrimp that I thought I was craving seems suddenly tasteless.
The only thing I want in my mouth right now is sitting across from me.
Steve ensures he gets the seat next to me, with May sitting opposite us.
“So, how longareyou in town for?” Steve finally asks, polishing off the last bite of his lobster tail.
At least now’s as good a time as any to come clean about moving here permanently.
The idea of living so close to May was good a few days ago when I bought the place, but now I can’t see her anywhere else except next to me every time I look at her.
Even being next door isn’t close enough. How can I just be a neighbor to her when what we both want is to be together forever?
“Uh…I guess it’s time for my big announcement then,” I tell Steve, but my eyes can’t help but lock onto May’s.
She looks suddenly panicked, probably thinking that my big announcement is telling her dad about her and me. What we’ve been up to every chance we’ve had so far.
But I’m quick to tell them both something else.
“I’m gonna stay for good,” I announce, making sure May catches my meaning as I stay focused on her.
A wave of relief and then an excited smile controls her features, but Steve’s reaction isn’t what I was hoping for.
“For good, huh?” he says dryly, not even shifting his expression when I turn my head, catching May’s infectious excitement.
“Yeah,” I exclaim. “I’ve been thinking about it for ages, gonna move the whole operation over here. Even though I can run it from anywhere,” I inform him.
Steve’s look is totally blank. Like, no emotion.
He looks from me to May and back to me again.
“Well, thatisa surprise,” he concedes. All the humor and fun he’s had in his voice all day is suddenly gone.
“You don’t sound too thrilled, Steve,” I murmur, hoping he would’ve at least been glad to hearthatpart of my news.
Steve forces a smile, and slapping my back a little too hard for my liking, he disagrees.
“I think it’s great news, Big B. Just a bit of a shock, I guess,” he concedes.
“I think it’d be great if you weren’t always on the other side of the country, and it’s not as though you’re a complete stranger in town. You know the place better than most locals,” he adds, trying his best to sound supportive.
But I can see my big surprise sinking like a lead balloon with him, fast.
“It’s not as if you’re gonna be living withus, or right next door to us or anything, is it?” he asks, narrowing his eyes on mine.
I feel my stomach lurch, and it’s not from the food.
May picks up on my look and gasps audibly, even covering her mouth as she joins the dots.
Yes, May. I’m moving here, and I’ll claim you as my own. And yes…I bought the place next door, so I will be living right next to you.
But I realize that as quickly as she does, it also means I’ll be living next door to Steve.
Something I may have accidentally overlooked when making my plans.
And if Steve’s this unimpressed with me moving to town, I don’t need a crystal ball to know how he’s gonna react when I do move in next door.
And something tells me it’s for the best if I do that tonight.
