Page 100 of Forbidden Professor

Carter scoops up Valentine, who’s batting at a ribbon. “Hey there, troublemaker.”

“They’re trying to help,” I say as Marmalade weaves between my legs.

“Some help,” Carter replies, setting Valentine down. The kittens dash off to explore another box.

The doorbell rings, and my stomach growls. “Pizza’s here!”

Carter grins. “I’ll get it. You find us a table?”

I spot an unopened box in the center of the room. Clearing some space, I push aside smaller boxes.

Carter returns, filling the room with the smell of melted cheese. “Dinner is served,” he says, bowing.

I laugh as we settle on the floor, pizza box between us. “Bon appétit,” I say, grabbing a slice.

As we eat, I glance around. The room’s a mess, but it’s our mess. My eyes land on the mantle, where two items catch my eye: Margaret’s check and a small ring box.

I swallow, feeling a surge of emotions. Fear, excitement, hope. Those objects represent our past, present, and future.

“Eve?” Carter’s voice pulls me back. “You okay?”

I turn to him, smiling. “Just taking it all in. This is our home.”

Carter’s eyes soften. He reaches for my hand. “Yeah, it is.”

His thumb traces circles on my skin. His deep brown eyes meet mine, intense. “Eve, I may not have my old job, but I have you. And that’s enough.”

My heart swells. “Carter, I?—”

He shakes his head, smiling. “We’re a team. We face it together.”

I blink back tears, feeling lighter. With a mischievous grin, I say, “Care to put our teamwork to the test?”

Carter raises an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

I jump up, pointing at the boxes. “Last one to unpack does dishes for a week!”

Before he can answer, I dive into the nearest box, laughing.

“Oh, it’s on!” Carter exclaims, jumping up.

We race around, ripping open boxes. I can’t stop laughing as Carter wrestles with a tangled string of lights.

“Having trouble?” I tease, stacking books on a shelf.

He tosses a pillow at me. “Just you wait, Moreland.”

As we unpack, I realize how happy I am. This messy, chaotic room is the start of something real.

When we’re done, I step back to admire our progress. The room, filled with our mismatched furniture and Carter’s novelty mugs, looks like home.

“Wow,” I say, feeling proud. “We did it.”

Carter slips an arm around my waist. “It’s starting to feel like home.”

We collapse on the couch with sighs of relief. Valentine and Marmalade curl up on our laps, purring contentedly.

“I think they approve,” I say, scratching Valentine’s ears.

---