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“It is.” I feel a sense of pride in my little place.
“Okay,” she says, trotting down the stairs and over the front door. “What kind of budget are we on?”
I lift one shoulder. “No budget.”
Her eyes slit. “But no job—right?” she says, reminding me of her worry-wart brother.
“Coco, I inherited seven figures when my aunt Cindy died. I’m not going crazy with it. I’m living pretty modestly. My biggest purchase to date is a bike. So, I’m not worried about saving and budgeting for a couch. I can buy what I need.”
“Huh.“ Her mouth falls open a little, and then she laughs out loud. “Levi’s such a dummy. He was always so worried about you. He was ready to hire you on at the shop to make sure you could afford buying bikes for all your little friends.”
I smirk. I realize I’ve never told Levi how much the inheritance was, just that I had one. “Levi,” I say, more to myself than to Coco. Always the protector.
It would be insanely sweet if I didn’t want so much more than security from him. And I do. It’s not like my feelings have disappeared. If Levi told me today that he loved me, that he wanted me, I’d reciprocate in an instant. I’d work every day with him at that bike shop—not because I needed to, but to see his face every day for the rest of my life.
I know—pathetic. But I haven’t let pathetic stop me from moving forward. I’m not a quitter. And while I can’t force Levi to love me, I won’t stop living because he doesn’t.
Ispend more money in two hours with Coco than I thought possible. The back of her van is full of pots, pans, kitchen supplies, lamps, and other odds and ends Coco assured me I’d thank her for later. I have a couch, a bed, a kitchen table and chairs, all being delivered in a week.
This is it. I am officially on my own. All grown up.
“Thanks for spending the day with me.” On our last excursion of hauling everything into the house, I blow out a tired breath.
“Of course. I’m happy to.”
I shut my eyes and slump against the wall. “I haven’t really seen anyone since… Well, this was good for me.”
Her eyes bore into me—motherly eyes. “You haven’t been out?”
“I just need to get out more and meet people.” I shake my head. “Don’t worry about me.”
“You miss him?”
I swallow and say nothing. Because I do. I miss him so much it hurts.
“He misses you too.” She reaches out for my fingers and squeezes. A light turns on in Coco’s eyes and she pulls in a gasp. “Hey! Jude and I haven’t been out since Lulabelle was born. Let’s go on a date. A double.”
“A date? But I don’t—”
“I have someone in mind.”
Which of course makes me think of Levi. My heart squeezes inside my chest. It hurts and it hopes all at once.
“A friend from work.”
Coco’s friend… that makes more sense.
“He’s a veterinary assistant.” Her eyes narrow and her hand around mine tugs. “Let’s make it a triple. One sec.” She pulls out her phone, not waiting for me to answer. “Owen, hey, can you call Annie? We’re going on a triple date. Me, Jude, Meredith, and James. And I need Annie too.”
“I—“ I start to say, but she’s still on the phone.
Still, a date? Do I want to go on adate? I may be moving on—but my heart still longs for Levi.
“Love you, too,” Coco says to her brother, just before tapping the phone to end the call.
“Sweet! It’s settled,” she says, her eyes back on me. “Well, I mean, I need to call James and Lucy. But Mom will love having the girls again, and James just asked me yesterday if I knew anyone who’d want to go bowling. So, dinner and bowling?”
I swallow. “Uh. Sure.”
