We all grow quiet and stare at her. “Um, what?” I’m the first to speak.
“Not away,” she clarifies. “But, man, thanks to the look on your faces I know I’d be missed if I did. Anyway—” she waves a hand dismissively “—I’m moving into a new apartment. The lease on mine is up and I can’t take the roaches and rat poop anymore so I’m out of there.”
“It was that bad?” Chloe asks, completely appalled.
“Yep.” Hannah lifts her napkin and begins to break it apart. “It sucks.”
“Now I understand why you’ve never invited us over,” I add.
She nods. “The new place is really nice. It’s a studio apartment, so it’s small, but clean. It has exposed brick walls which I thought was cool.”
“Do you need help moving?” Ben asks her.
“God, yes. Would you help?” she begs. “I really don’t want to have to pay someone to help me. My brother already said he’d help, so another set of hands would be great.”
Ben nods. “Sounds good. I’ll let you know what my schedule at the hospital looks like and you can let me know what day works for you.”
We finish eating and chat for a little while longer before heading out.
Ben takes my hand on the way to the car. “Want to go shopping?” he asks me, and I shake my head. “Movies?” Another shake. He laughs. “What do you want to do then?”
“Just go home, I guess.” I shrug. “We can watch a movie there and resume your conversation from earlier.”
“Conversation?” His brows wrinkle in confusion. I wink and it’s all the answer he needs. “I like your idea.” He opens the passenger door and offers me his hand as I get in. He’s a gentleman, for sure. I tell him often that his momma raised him right.
We head home and pick out a movie to watch, getting cozy on the couch. I know I should’ve probably taken him up on his offer to go shopping, but I’d rather be here, in our home, with him.
I lay my head on his lap and he brushes his fingers through my hair. It’s soothing, and I’m tempted to fall asleep, but I don’t. It’s not about missing the movie—it’s this I don’t want to miss. Life itself. I’m scared of blinking my eyes and finding these little moments seldom happening. We’re both bound to get even busier with work, and throw in a baby …
It doesn’t matter, though. None of it. This is where I’m happiest. Right here with Ben and I hope that love and happiness never ever fades.
I lie sated in bed while Ben gets ready to go off to work. I’m not going to lie, we definitely took advantage of last night and today since his shift doesn’t start until eleven PM.
He steps out of the closet in his scrubs with a heavy gray coat over top. “Behave yourself.” He winks at me when he sits down in the chair to lace up his white tennis shoes.
“No promises when I have this big bed all to myself.” I rub my hand over the sheets.
He groans. “I have to go and you’re not helping.”
I smile slowly. “Stay.”
“I wish life worked like that.” He shrugs and stands. “Alas, I must get to work.”
I snort and clutch the sheet tighter to my chest. “Who says alas?”
“Me, I guess.” He grins, and there are those dimples I love. He walks over to me and bends, kissing my forehead and then lips. I hold his smooth cheeks in my hands, drawing out the kiss.
At last, he pulls away. “I’ve gotta go.”
“I know.” I sigh as he heads for the door. “Bye. I love you.”
He pauses and looks back at me. His eyes peruse my body and he dips his head in acknowledgment. “I love you too.”
I listen to the heavy fall of his feet on the steps and close my eyes. It’s late, but I’m not really sleepy.
I hear the front door open and the alarm dings before it can close.
Winnie comes wandering into the bedroom and gives me a scathing look, like I personally sent Ben away.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I mumble at her. She merely swishes her tail and jumps up in the window to watch Ben back out of the driveway.
I unwrap the sheets from my body and pull on my robe, standing by the window with her. Ben happens to look up and sees me. He grins and waves. I wave back, pressing my hand to the window.
When his taillights disappear around the corner I head to the bathroom to take a bubble bath. My muscles need it after the day I’ve had. I add a heaping pile of bubbles and salt then light a few candles and turn on some soft music.
I dim the lights in the bathroom and tie my hair up. Letting the robe fall, I step into the warm water. Almost instantly I begin to feel my muscles loosen. I lean back in the water and rest my head on the back of the bathtub. There are so many bubbles that I can’t see anything, and that’s just the way I like it. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
When the water begins to feel cold I step out of the water and dry my body. I change into a pair of pajamas and climb into bed. I open the drawer to my nightstand to grab the remote, but I smile when instead I find a paper crane.