Page 80 of Before This Ends (Before)

“In the bathroom while you get ready, or are you coming out?”

“I’ll come out.”

In one smooth move, he gets out of bed, and then I watch him put on a shirt. “I was thinking about going to see my sister next weekend in Florida. It’s a seven-hour drive to where she lives.” He focuses on me, and I rub my lips together, then ask, “Do you and Winter want to come with me, maybe Friday to Monday?”

His answer is immediate. “Yeah, I’ll request the days off and let Win’s school know.”

“Okay,” I say, and he rests a fist on the bed close to me and leans over to touch his mouth to mine.

“Come have some coffee when you’re ready.” He stands, then leaves the room. I lie there for a long time, feeling content just listening to him moving around the kitchen and then the sound of Winter’s voice when she joins him.

When my stomach grumbles from the smell of bacon and coffee, I finally get out of bed. It’s early, way earlier than we’re normally up even on a school day, so the three off us sit at the table and eat without hurry.

When Winter is done, she goes back to her room to finish getting ready, while I go to Miles’s room and get dressed for the day. He joins me after taking Dolly out, then Winter comes in to hang with us as I do my makeup and her dad gets dressed.

“Are you picking me up today?” she asks, sitting on the counter next to me.

I pause with my mascara an inch from my eye and look over at her. “I think Karen is picking you up.” I glance at Miles when he walks into the bathroom.

“Karen is getting you today,” he confirms, coming to stand behind me as he buttons his shirt.

“Ugh,” she groans. “Why?”

“You love Miss Karen,” I remind her, and she rolls her eyes.

“I know, but I love you more.”

Darn.

“I’ll try to be home early.”

“Okay.” She sighs, hopping off the counter. “I’m going to find Dolly.”

“Make sure your books and your computer are in your bag,” Miles tells her, and her reply is a groan as she leaves.

“I can see if April can meet me at the apartment earlier, and I can pick her up,” I tell him quietly, and he presses his front to my back, grasping my hips.

“Karen can get her today. Tomorrow, you can pick her up, if you can swing it.”

“All right.” I leave out that she kind of just told me that she loves me, and now I want to give her everything she wants.

“I want to talk to you about something.”

“What?” I ask because his expression is a mixture of seriousness and unease.

“Maybe I should wait to talk to you about it tonight.”

“So you want me to spend the entire day worried about what you want to talk to me about?” I question, and he turns me around to face him.

“No.” His hands wrap around the sides of my neck, then his fingers slide back and into my hair that is down. “It’s nothing bad. I just…. I’d like you to wait on signing a lease for an apartment.”

“Miles.” My heart begins to gallop.

“I’m not asking you to move in. We don’t have to take that step right now. You can wait until Miranda’s lease is up and see how you feel about moving in with us then.”

“That’s only a few months away.”

“Yeah.”

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