Bennett (On the Line Book 2)(58)
Three months later
Charlotte
Bennett picked up the last box with “James” scrawled across it in black marker and headed out the apartment door, leaving just James and me in the living room.
“So this is it,” I said.
“This is it.” He smiled and opened his arms for a hug. But my very pregnant belly made it hard to give him more than an awkward side-hug.
“I’m going to miss you,” I said. “Not that I see much of you anymore.”
“I bet we’ll see each other more now that I’m moving in with Brian.”
I gave him a playful eye roll. “I love how you work that into every sentence.”
“It just fits,” he said with a grin. “I made scrambled eggs, I’m moving in with Brian. Let’s watch some Netflix, I’m moving in with Brian. The garbage disposal is broken, I’m moving in with Brian.”
“I’m happy for you guys. But . . . it all happened so fast, don’t you think? I mean, this whole thing has been kind of . . . fast. Are you sure this moving in together thing is right?”
He shrugged. “Maybe that’s why it’s called ‘falling in love’ instead of ‘slowly and carefully stepping into an amorous relationship.’”
I punched his shoulder playfully.
“Hey, now,” he said. “I might rescind my gift if you keep that up.”
“What gift is that?”
“Brian and I want you to choose a color and we’re going to paint my old room for you. Figured we’d give you a jump start on decorating it for the baby.”
“Really? That’s the best gift ever. Thank you.”
Bennett came back through the front door, his gray T-shirt soaked with sweat. He pulled off his backward baseball cap, wiped his forearm across his brow, and put the hat back on.
“Anything else?” he asked James.
“I think that’s it.”
Brian came in and everyone said one more good-bye. I knew it was time for James to go, but there was still something sad about it. Saying good-bye to my roommate and planning a nursery for my son made me feel like I was moving on to the next stage of my life.
James and Brian left and Bennett and I sat down on the couch. James had taken his recliner and end table, so the couch and TV were all I had in the room now.
“You gonna be lonely now?” Bennett asked.
“Not with my unofficial roommate keeping my bed warm,” I said playfully.
“Maybe we should make it official.”
I felt a flutter of panic in my chest. We’d settled into such a happy, blissfully perfect routine. Bennett spent pretty much every night with me when he wasn’t traveling, but there were still occasional nights when he stayed at his apartment.
“You mean move in together?”
His wry smile was a mix of amused and aggravated. “I can see the idea scares you.”
“I’m not scared,” I said with a scoff. “I just don’t see why we need to rush things.”
“We’ve been together six months, babe. The baby’s due in five weeks. I want to be there for you both when he gets here, and it seems like that would be easier if we lived together.”
“Can’t you just keep staying nights here? What we have is working great.”
He sat back on the couch and folded his arms. “Yeah, except I don’t have most of my stuff here.”
“Stuff? Like what stuff?”
“Clothes. Shower stuff that doesn’t smell flowery. My bobblehead collection.”
I narrowed my eyes skeptically. “You don’t have a bobblehead collection.”
“But if I did, you wouldn’t want it over here. That’s too commitment-like for you.”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
“So we should do it, then? You’re not afraid of the huge commitment having my pants and shampoo here would represent?”
I sighed with frustration. “Here’s the thing—when you’re here, I prefer you without pants.”
He took my hand and held it in his own. “I prefer that too, babe. Look, it’s time. You don’t want to marry me—”
“Not after six months, no.”
“What about an engagement?”
After a pause, I said, “Maybe.”
He pulled me a little closer. “Really?”
“Why don’t we talk about it after the baby’s born?”
“And where are you on moving in together?”
I took a deep breath. “Can we talk about that after the baby’s born, too?”
He nodded curtly but I could see the disappointment in his eyes. I hated that I was responsible for it, but I didn’t believe the birth of the baby meant our relationship had to change.
“You know I’m crazy about you, right?” I said. “This isn’t about me being unsure about you.”
“I know. It’s about your mother making you believe commitment is an act of desperation.”
“That is so not true.”
He put a hand on my thigh and leaned his head back on the couch. “So I’ve finally got two off days coming up. Sunday and Monday. Can you take Monday off so we can go see my family?”
“Yes, definitely. I’ve been wanting to meet them for so long.”