Page 92 of Suck My Puck

“I have to move out of my aunt’s place.”

“What?” His voice hitches up.

A family with a double stroller walks past us. Maizie starts to sniff at them, but Braden gently pulls on her leash so she moves away. We step aside so we’re not blocking the sidewalk.

I sigh and work my bottom lip between my teeth. I explain that my aunt’s tenants are moving in four months early, so I need to move out.

“Are you serious?” I’m heartened at how sad he looks.

I nod.

“Where are you moving to?” he asks.

I yank at my ponytail. “Probably back in with my parents.”

“Where do they live?”

“In the suburbs, about forty-five minutes away.”

“You don’t sound happy about that.”

“You heard my conversation with my mom just now. My parents and I aren’t really getting along at the moment.” I cross my arms. “I lived with them before I moved into my aunt’s place, and it was a disaster.”

His eyebrows furrow in concern. “Why?”

“Because they constantly lectured me about how stupid I was to move to Toronto to be with Matt. They would tell me all the time that if I had just stayed in Denver and broke up with him, I’d have my savings still. Which I mean, yeah, they’re right. But it doesn’t feel good to be told by your parents what an idiot you are. We argued about it constantly.” I shake my head, annoyed with myself. I sound like a whiny teenager.

“Sorry, I’m sure I sound ridiculous right now,” I say. “They let me stay with them for free. That was really kind of them. And I know they’ll let me stay with them again if I ask.”

“You don’t want to see if you can get a place in your aunt’s building?” Braden asks.

I let out a weak laugh. “You live in a luxury building in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Denver. There’s no way I can afford it. Even with all the extra money I’m making with my coffee roasting business, it wouldn’t be enough.”

He’s quiet for a long moment. Maizie moves between us, her tail wagging. I lean down and scratch her behind the ears, trying to think of a way to convince my parents to letme bring her with me. That’s if Braden is okay with me taking her.

I shake my head, my brain foggy as I try to sort through everything I need to do. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be such a downer,” I say to Braden.

He’s quiet for a moment. And then he looks at me and says, “Move in with me.”

Chapter 33

Braden

Bella looks at me. “Um, what?”

“Move in with me,” I say again.

For a moment, she just stares at me. She furrows her brow, looking serious and concerned all at once.

“Braden, you can’t be serious.”

“I am. I want you to move in with me.”

She laughs again, but this time she sounds surprised. “You want me to move into your apartment?”

“Yeah.”

The thought of Bella moving forty-five minutes away, of not seeing her every day, makes my chest go tight and my stomach churn.

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