Page 126 of Puck Prince

“The living room is the perfect layout for an L-shaped sectional,” Callie rambles on, flipping through the pamphlets the property manager gave us. “Or, wait! A cute loveseat and a chaise lounge. I’ve always wanted a chaise lounge.”

“Yeah?” I try to jump into the conversation. If I had to guess, I look troublingly pensive right now. I don’t need her asking what I’m thinking about.

“Yes. Oh, shit!” She drops the pamphlet.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I need furniture. I don’t have any furniture. In fact, I don’t have anyanything! I need dishes and towels, and, and… and laundry detergent. Oh, and art!” She grins. “I’ve never bought art for my own apartment before.”

Despite the unironed details of… well, everything that is the chaotic shitshow we currently call life, her enthusiasm makes me smile.

“I’ll have to go shopping,” she muses excitedly.

“That sounds exhausting. You and Kennedy have fun with that.”

Callie laughs, rolling her eyes at me.

But if she asked… I’d go with her. I’d buy her every damn thing she wanted.

She’s in a good mood. It looks good on her.

We enter through the double doors of the complex. Callie is practically skipping. I stop at the elevator, but she heads for the stairs.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“I’m taking the stairs, you lazy bones!” she sing-songs.

“Alright, I give up. Who are you and what have you done with my typically snarky, excessively stubborn, and, more often than not, pain-in-the-ass fake girlfriend?”

Callie turns to skewer me with an eye roll. Still, it’s accompanied by the smile she hasn’t dropped since we left the last apartment.“Don’t be a hater. I’m in a good mood. You should try it sometime.”

“All because of an apartment?” I reluctantly follow her up the stairs. The view of her in front of me doesn’t do anything to clear up the mangled will-we-won’t-we thoughts in my head.

“Maybe it’s just an apartment to you, but to me, it’s the next step in moving on. Moving up. I’m figuring my life out and leaving all the negative behind.”

At the landing, I grab her arm and pull her hard against me. “Are you sure that’s the only reason you’re so rejuvenated?”

My mouth is close enough to hers to kiss her.

I want to.

“What other reason would I have?” She smiles, her voice velvety.

I swallow hard, suddenly in desperate need of some rejuvenation myself. Only one of us got off earlier. I might need to find a nearby closet so I can claim my turn.

“Maybe I can refresh your memory…” I tower over her, and she tilts her head back.

Just before my lips touch hers, I pull back, take her by the hand, and yank her towards my door.

“Owen! What are you doing? Where are we going?”

“Where do you think?” I pull my keys out of my pocket, grinning at her, ready to go, loving the tension. But my expression drops when Callie frowns at something over my shoulder.

“What’s that?”

“What’s what?” I ask as she grabs a folded piece of paper taped to my front door.

“This.”

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