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Shelley’s eyebrows fly up, her mouth dropping open. I grab her suitcase, taking it out of the room. She trails after me, mumbling something I can’t hear. I’m too busy grinning to myself in triumph.
Palmer and Lisa smirk at us as we leave. Lisa waves and Shelley shakes her head at her.
“Where’s your car?” I ask when we hit the street, looking around for her fancy fuck off BMW. My neighborhood isn’ttoobad. I think the car would be okay there.
Shelley shrugs. “The same place as my phone, at my parents' house. Mom reminded me I don’t actually own either of them, so I left them behind.”
I bite back a smirk. That makes things a little easier about her car and explains why she wasn’t answering her phone.
“Wait here.”
Shelley watches me leave as I jog into The Pines, leaving her suitcase on the curb with her. I hammer on Bullseye’s door, only waiting half a minute before he answers.
“What’s up, boss?” he asks, leaning against the doorframe.
“Need a lift in the Chevy,” I grunt at him. He nods, ducking back into his apartment to grab his key, following me downstairs.
Bullseye loads the suitcase into the back of the truck while I help Shelley into the backseat, sliding in beside her and throwing my arm around her shoulders.
She is quiet for the drive to my building, smiling and thanking Bullseye when he unloads her suitcase. I grab it, snagging her hand again and leading her inside.
I dump the suitcase on the bed, emptying a drawer and a whole side of the closet. Digging into my pocket, I pull the spare key off my keyring and drop it on the bed beside the suitcase.
Shelley is watching from the doorway with wide eyes. Turning to her, I smirk, gesturing at her stuff on the bed.
“Move in then, kid.”
Blinking, Shelley slowly approaches the bed as I drop onto it, propping myself against the headboard with my arm behind my head, watching with satisfaction coursing through me as she pockets the key and empties her suitcase.
“I’ll get you a new phone tomorrow,” I assure her. Shelley glances up from her unpacking, smiling and nodding.
Slowly, the closet fills up, and a grin tugs at my lips. Another thing with Shelley that feels fucking right.
Chapter 20
SHELLEY
Merch groans, withdrawing and rolling off me, tugging me onto his chest and settling the sheets around us. Resting my head on the hard planes of his chest, I trace circles over the tattoo on his left pec.
“Are you glad you locked me here on purpose?” I ask softly. Merch snorts, grinning down at me, stroking a hair strand off my face, tucking it behind my ear.
“Yes,” he snickers. “It was the best decision I ever made. It seemed like the only way to keep you from running back to Pinedale in a huff.”
Oh, how well he read me. I totally would have run back to Pinedale and my cozy,boringlife in a huff.
“It probably was,” I concede. Merch nods, his eyes on the ceiling as he absently strokes my hair.
“Why did you decide to leave your parents' house?” he asks at last.
Honestly, I’m surprised it took him this long to ask. It’s beenhourssince he moved me into his apartment. For someone so pushy, he’s been remarkably unconcerned about the whole thing.
I sigh. “I was going to be working here in San Remo. It made sense to live here too. Then Mom was so adamant that I was never to see you again, and I don’t like being told what to do, so here I am.”
He snorts, tugging my head back so he can press a scorching kiss to my lips.
“Remind me to send your mother a bottle of whiskey,” Merch murmurs against my mouth. Rolling my eyes, I flip him off, settling my cheek against his chest again, my fingers resuming their circles.
“I’ll start looking for places tomor-.” My words cut off as I’m suddenly lying on my back, pressed into the mattress as Merch rolls on top of me, pinning me down.
