AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ve already spoken to Ron’s teacher about our situation, and she agreed that we should ease him into the news.”
Bernard reached for my hand and squeezed. “Good.”
“He adores you, by the way,” I added with a smile. “Ron doesn’t get used to people easily, but he asks about you when you’re not there.”
Bernard’s entire face lit up. “He’s a great kid, Rach. You did such a good job with him.”
I used my free hand to tuck my hair behind my ears. “Thanks.”
Bernard inched closer and touched his lips to mine. I sighed and linked my fingers over his neck. He reached behind me and pressed a button, bringing the partition up between Jonathan and us. I smiled into the kiss, the swarm of butterflies in my stomach erupting. He wrenched his lips away from my mouth and pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses down the side of my neck.
Shivers raced up and down my spine.
I climbed onto his lap and threw my head back. “We shouldn’t be doing this here.”
“I know.” Bernard buried his face in the crook of my neck and exhaled. He groaned. “I just miss you.”
“I miss you too.” I exhaled and squeezed my eyes shut. “It’s always hard to leave you, Bernie.”
“So don’t.”
I stirred and drew back to look at him. My heart jumped into my throat as I stared at the unfamiliar gleam in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Move in with me.” Bernard kept one hand on my waist, and the other stroked my back. “You and Ron already spend a lot of time there, and we don’t have to share a room. At least not right away. Once Ron is used to the idea, we can decide then.”
My ears were ringing as I looked at him. “It’s too soon, Bernie.”
And I didn’t want to ruin things by moving too fast.
We were in a good place, all of us, and the last thing I wanted was to jeopardize that by getting ahead of ourselves. Being with Bernard over the past few weeks had been amazing, but it didn’t mean we were ready to move in together.
And it didn’t mean Ron was ready for us to be a family.
“It’s not soon enough,” Bernard disagreed, his blue eyes turning molten. “I want the two of you with me. I want us to be a family.”
“We are a family.”
Bernard shook his head. “I want us to be a family that lives together.”
I blew out a breath. “Can I think about it?”
“Of course.”
“We’re here, sir.” Jonathan’s voice sliced through the air and brought us back to the present. Slowly, I climbed off of Bernard and adjusted the folds of my dress. I ran a hand over my face and gave him a smile as he stepped out of the car. He gave me a bright smile before slamming the door shut behind me.
I spent the ride back to his apartment with one hand on my lips and the other on my stomach. The morning was spent in a daze, cleaning and doing laundry, until Jonathan came to pick me up at noon. In the car, I turned Bernard’s words over and over in my head, struggling to come to terms with them.
Once we arrived at the school, Ron made a beeline for Bernard, and I knew I wasn’t being fair. I spent the show sneaking glances at Bernard, who was getting along with everyone and taking pictures and making videos of Ron. By the end of the show, I was beaming and filled with pride. After a quick chat with Taylor and her parents, Bernard had Jonathan drive us to an ice cream parlor nearby. There, Ron played in a corner with the kids while I sat at the table with Bernard. After a few moments, I twisted to face him and took both of his hands in mine.
“I’m not ready for the two of us to move in with you, but the apartment next door to you is available to rent.”
“I’ll contact the owners and set it up,” Bernard told me with a grin. “I can’t wait to have you and Ron next door.”
In spite of my feelings for him, and my hesitance to move forward, I knew this was the best option for Ron. He deserved to have both of his parents nearby, and until we figured out where we were going, this was the best option.
For everyone involved.
I just prayed I wasn’t making the wrong decision.
