Page 7 of What if I Told You

“Damn,” he mumbles, shaking his head. “Guess there goes the getting a cat idea.”

I spring up in my bed, my eyes widening in surprise. “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?”

He shrugs, but I see the tiny smirk on his lips. He knows what he’s doing. “I was just thinking man, it would be cool to have a pet around here. Some rascally cat that makes me laugh but keeps me company. Thought maybe if you moved out here we could get one together.”

I’ve never jumped out of bed faster. “SOLD! OH, MY GOD! I’M MOVING TO ANAHEIM! NO TAKE BACKS, AUGUST!” I point at him with a seriously serious face even though he’s laughing at me right now. “You said cat! And you never say cat! You hated cats when we were younger! You threatened to put my cat in the microwave when we were ten!”

“I didn’t mea?—”

“Do you remember that day?”

“Yes but?—”

“Do you remember how much I cried?”

“How could I for?—”

“Wait!” I narrow my eyes and lower my voice to a low whisper. “Do you have a microwave in that palatial home of yours? Because if you do, it better not be there when I get there or so help me?—”

“ELLA!” August’s guttural laugh is one of the most comforting sounds I could ever hear. He doesn’t laugh like that often but when he does it makes me miss the younger version of ourselves. When we would run free all day through the fields or play in the creek or ride our bikes into town to grab ice cream sandwiches. It never mattered what we were up to in those younger years. As long as we were together.

“What?”

“I promise I won’t put our new cat in the microwave, okay?”

“Will you let me name him?”

“Not a chance.” He shakes his head, his smile fading.

“What? Why?”

“Because if I let you name our cat, he’ll end up with a name like Sunflower Teapot.”

It’s my turn to laugh now. “Don’t be absurd. I would never.”

“You totally would. We would have a little Sunflower Doily Teapot walking around our house and our cat is going to be a manly cat. The manliest cat we can possibly find.”

“Alright, alright. Just promise you won’t name him something weird like Cletus or Dickface or...Greg.”

“How about we pick it out and name it together?”

“Okay that sounds wonderful.” Feeling a little calmer now, I climb back into bed and take a few silent breaths. “Am I really doing this, Auggie?”

“Moving to California to start a new chapter of your life next to your lifelong best friend who loves you and can be here to support you through it? Yes.”

“Wait…we didn’t talk rent. I can pay you. How much do you want? I think I have a good bit in my savings to start.”

He blinks ever so slowly, staring at me like I just said I was walking to California. “You’re not paying me, Ella.”

“But—”

“No.”

“Aug—”

“No.”

“What if?—”

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