Page 107 of Nothing to Do

“You keep saying you can’t, I don’t understand why that’s your position.”

“I’m due at work on Monday morning. Leaving here on Sunday is already cutting it close. My boss won’t be impressed—”

“Zairn will call her.”

“I made all kinds of promises about this project and how thorough I’d be. And instead I’ve spent the last month…”

“Being all kinds of thorough with Dyce.” Roxie bounced a fist on her knee. “Oh, phooey, as Merci would say. You don’twant to get fired, I get it. I was like this with Zairn, trying to figure out how to be with him and still maintain my own life.”

“How did that go?”

“Oh, you know, I gave up absolutely everything and trailed around the world with him for the rest of my life.”

A pause, then a laugh. “I will miss you, Roxie.”

“There are worse ways to spend your life, you know, than spending it with him. I thought I’d give up my life and lose myself. It wasn’t like that. We moved in together, my life changed, but so did his. It’s what love does to you, it gives you a new perspective. Don’t hesitate to rely on him, to trust him. He’ll need you as much as you need him. It shouldn’t embarrass you, it should lighten you.”

“It does. He does. And my life here with him has been incredible. I can’t wait to come back and do it all again.”

“So what’s stopping you?”

“I have to see through my commitments. This project isn’t just my job, it ensures others have theirs too. Even if I quit, then what? I have bills, I have—”

“He’ll take care of everything.”

“And we’ll talk about that.” Another snicker escaped. “We have time. You’re as bad as him. This doesn’t have to be overnight.” Like the words meant something, Roxie’s head tilted. “What?”

“We just don’t have to make all the decisions right this minute…” she whispered on a wistful something.

“No, we don’t.”

Accepting it, Roxie filled her chest. “Okay. This is your relationship and it’s not my place to fix it.”

Not that she’d thought it was broken. Is that what Roxie and Zairn thought? That her relationship with Zane was broken?

“I don’t want to hurry things. Nothing about us has been pressured, that shouldn’t change now. And I came here forAlessia, to look after her. That’s still my responsibility, she’s my priority.”

“And you want to get her home safely. I can understand that.” Her friend raised a pointed finger. “There is one thing you should know. Like you said, no pressure, but I think you’d be an amazing addition to the Huddle Hope team. Roux is smart, she’s dedicated, and this will be her legacy. Huddle Hope is more than a job or a company, it’s her reason, her gift to the world. They don’t plan to have kids, so she’s on this train for life.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact Zane and Rourke share a complex, would it?”

“That working for Huddle Hope would be a convenient choice for employment if you wanted to be with Zane permanently?” Though she rolled her head, she didn’t confirm or deny. “They have employee apartments. Roux used to live in one, she probably still has it for nights Rourke pisses her off. No, actually, hmm, second thoughts, he’ll have given it to someone else, otherwise he’d sleep there every night.”

“He?” She laughed. “She’d kick him out of his own house?”

“Without a second’s hesitation. And he’d go too. Or they’d die staring each other out. Really, any of those outcomes are plausible.” On her knees, Roxie ascended the bed to hug her. “I’m going to miss you.”

“All of you are acting as if we’ll never see each other again.”

“No, it’s not that, we’re just used to you now. We like you in the pack.”

“Zane asked me to be his plus one. If my boss isn’t a bitch about it, I’ll see you next weekend.”

Roxie gasped and hugged her tighter. “For the wedding? Oh my God, you’ll meet everyone!”

And that concept was probably the most terrifying she’d faced for a while. She’d take Anika’s wrath every day for a month if it meant avoiding being the only stranger in the room. Still,Zane would be with her, and her role on the day would be supporting him… Things wouldn’t be weird between them in the real world after a week apart… would they?

No going back. They were together. Real world or fantasy, they were each other’s other.

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