Page 11 of A Very Grumpy New Year

“Oh my gosh! What a small world,” I say with a grin as we both dive into our food.

“What about you?” He asks me.

“I’d like to maybe find a new job or another one. Make some more money, grow my savings,” I list.

“What else?” He asks as he finishes his food.

“I’d like to pick up a new hobby. Lose some weight and start working out more, even if it’s just going for a walk.”

“Hm,” he says, and I quirk a brow.

“Got something to say?”

“You don’t need to lose weight,” he grumbles.

“I’dliketo,” I stress.

He grumbles some more as I pop the last bite of omelet into my mouth.

“I’ll do the dishes,” I say as I push to my feet and carry my plate over to the sink.

“I can get them.”

“You did most of the cooking. I’ll clean.”

Huxley joins me at the sink as I load the dishwasher. He washes off his plate and passes it to me to put in the dishwasher.

“Did you come up with any other resolutions?” I ask him as I close the dishwasher.

“Yeah,” he says softly as he washes and rinses the pan, leaving it in the rack to dry.

“What is it?”

He takes a deep breath and looks down at me. He looks so thoughtful, and the energy between us shifts, growing more serious.

“I want to be braver,” he whispers, and I lick my lips.

“Braver? You were in the military. You were a Marine. I thought that there was no one braver.”

“There’s not.”

“Then what do you need to be braver about?”

“There’s just something that I haven’t been able to say…until now.”

I stare at him, and he takes a step closer to me until our toes are touching.

“Cora, I… I want you. Badly. I have for a while.”

My heart is racing like a runaway train, and I take a shaky breath. I’m not sure what to say, and my mind races as I try to process this new information.

Huxley likes me, really likes me, and as way more than just a roommate. He wants me, but what do I do with that information? Do I act on my feelings? Or try to forget about them?

Maybe it’s time that I start to be brave, too, and admit something to Huxley and myself.

“I want you too,” I whisper, and he lets out a rough exhale.

“Say it again,” he commands, and I swallow hard.

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