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“Did he make sure to tell you that a dishwasher is a requirement?”
I stick my tongue in my cheek as I roll my eyes. And as Ramona walks through the door, I put my arm around Laiken’s waist and tickle her side.
Leave it to her to keep me humbled.
TURNS OUT HOUSE SHOPPINGis even harder than bar shopping. The first one we saw was way too big. It was pretty, don’t get me wrong, but the moment Laiken mentioned that someone could sneak in and live on the other side of the house and I’d probably never know about it, I ruled it out.
At the second, I didn’t even want to go inside. There was no yard, front or back, and the house was placed way too close to the busy road we were parked on. I would never be able to sleep if I had to listen to cars whizzing by all night.
With each house we see, I take a mental note of Laiken’s reaction. The look on her face when we pull up, and again when we walk through the front door. Every single thing she says gets tucked away like there’s going to be a test on it later.
The third house shows promise. It’s located in a nice neighborhood, and it’s within walking distance to a few bars and restaurants. We step inside as Ramona opens the door, and the inside is probably the nicest we’ve seen. The living room has a fireplace, and the kitchen is right off it.
“This would make theperfectbachelor pad,” Ramona tells me.
The moment the words leave her mouth, I know I’m going to get shit for them. Sure enough, Laiken spins around and raises her brows at me.
“Do youneeda bachelor pad?”
I chuckle at the jealousy in her tone. “Oh, definitely. With a stripper pole and everything.”
I’m expecting her to flip me off or roll her eyes, but nothing prepares me for the way she purses her lips as if that’s actually not a bad idea.
Such a fucking temptress.
THE FOURTH HOUSE TAKESthe cake for the worst of it. Hands down. From the moment we walked in, something felt strange. The walls were painted black, and the carpet was all ripped up, leaving the subflooring exposed. But we looked around anyway for the fuck of it. And that’s when we foundthe door.
You know in horror movies, when they’re walking around the abandoned house, and they see something that looks like it could be a door but it’s not supposed to be? Yeah, it was one of those. Maybe we should have considered the fact that Ramona decided to stay in the living room while we looked around, but the moment a cold chill ran over us both as we stared at the door, we booked it out of there.
I PULL UP TOthe final house of the day, and Laiken gasps as she sees it. The large porch is similar to the one she has at home, and the cedar shakes give it that homey look. I can already tell this is going to be her favorite.
“This one is a little higher than the price range you sent me, but it’s too beautiful not to show,” Ramona says.
The moment we walk through the door, I feel at home. It’s two stories, with the living room being right inside the front door. There’s a fireplace with a mantel that Laiken falls in love with, rubbing her fingers along it as she admires its beauty. The kitchen is a good size and features a large island in the center.
“Look!” Laiken says. “It has one of those racks to hang your pots and pans.”
I smile at her excitement. “There’s just one problem. You can’t reach that.”
Her eyes narrow as she glares at me, only to hoist herself onto the island and touch it just for the sake of proving me wrong.
There’s a bathroom downstairs, along with one of the bedrooms, but the main suite and two more bedrooms are upstairs. Laiken looks around, talking about how much potential this place has and all the things I could do with it, while I stare out the window at the large yard.
I’m not sure this house has any flaws, other than the price. It’s close enough to everything and big enough for us to have a family in one day. We may not be buying this house together, but that doesn’t mean we can’t end up spending our lives here. Besides, if she’s going to be over all the time, she needs to like it.
But thebachelor padis also still an option, and it’s within the price range that I wanted to pay. I’m sure if Ramona hadn’t made that comment, Laiken would have loved it. She seemed interested when we first walked in, anyway.
All I know is I have a lot to consider.
AFTER A DAY FULLof looking at house after house, we’re famished. There’s a place that Laiken has wanted to try but hasn’t because it’s a little off the grid, but we’re only twenty minutes away from there so we decide to go. And I won’t lie; the food is great, but that’s not what has my attention.
As I sit across from Laiken, listening to her talk and getting lost in the sound of her voice, I can’t help but think about our relationship. We’ve come so far in such a short amount of time. From games of cat and mouse, to sneaking around, to hitting rock bottom. It was all worth it because it got us here—where I can reach across the table and hold her hand just for the fuck of it.
There’s a glint in her eyes as she tells me about the song she’s been working on. That’s one of the things I love about her. She’s so passionate about the things she cares about. The kind of person where if you’re lucky enough to have her attention, you hold onto it with everything you’ve got. I’m just glad that I realized the mistake I was making before it was too late.
I’d never be able to forgive myself if I lost her forever.
I’ve always heard that age-old saying, the one that sayswhen you know, you know. Honestly, I used to think it was just bullshit that people said to buy into the whole idea of love. But sitting here, looking at her now, I realize they’re right. You just fucking know.
