Page 139 of Echoes of Us

Ezra sighed, leaning back on the couch, while Colin bit his lip.

“How about this, Att…let’s not talk about Noah this time. Just about you,” Colin suggested.

“Okay. What about me?”

“We want you to move in with us,” Ezra said.

I tilted my head. “But you have a roommate,” I pointed out.

“He was planning on moving in with his girlfriend next term, and we asked him about it. He’s cool with doing it earlier,” Ezra explained.

“I can’t move in with you. The school provides housing, and I can’t afford rent. You know that,” I reminded Ezra.

He glanced at Colin, something unspoken moving between them.

“We’ll cover your share between us. It’s not much more for us to pay,” Colin assured me.

“I can’t let you do that,” I insisted.

“We’re asking you to let us do it, Att,” Colin said firmly.

“You know we’re worried about you, and we know you’re not going to break up with him. So, this is the next best thing,” Ezra added.

I scowled. “Of course I’m not going to break up with him. Why would you even go there?”

Ezra’s lips pursed, and Colin placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You need space. You told me you needed to slow things down, and living with Noah is not going to help. You need your own room, spending nights apart, doing things without him. That’s how relationships normally work, Att. People aretogether, but they still have their own lives too,” Colin explained patiently.

“I can’t.”

“You can do it. It’s not irrational for you to ask for space, Att. You’re eighteen. I know it’s difficult, because Noah’s life doesn’t have boundaries, but you have to put them in place. You asked me to help you with this, and this is my help. Think about it and let us know,” Colin said, his tone firm.

I nodded. I stayed with them for a couple of hours before heading back to the apartment.

As soon as I went inside, Noah was on me, pulling my clothes off and leading me to bed.

“Thanks,” Noah said with a smile as I handed him a cold sandwich. He was still in his boxers, his hair a mess from my hands and rubbing against the sheets. His face was flushed, and his lips were red. He looked amazing.

I smiled back and took a bite of my sandwich.

“So, what did you talk about?” he asked, shrugging casually.

I felt guilty talking to Colin and Ezra. I took a deep breath and braced for the consequences. “They asked me to move in with them.” I swallowed before looking up at him.

His shoulders tensed. “Like, next term?”

I sighed. “They wanted me to move in now.”

“What did you say?”

“That I’d think about it.”

He took another bite, placing the sandwich carefully on a napkin and staring down at it. He swallowed and glanced at me before frowning. “I don’t get it.”

I knew this was going to be hard.

“They just want me to have my own space,” I explained.

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