Page 92 of Loving You

“When do you need me to move my things?”

“Is today too soon?” she asks with nervous laughter.

I shake my head. “Today is perfect. I even think I’ll have time to clean for you.”

“You don't need to do that.”

“I insist,” I tell her and squeeze Miles's arm a little harder. Is he zoning out right now? What’s his deal?

He looks up quickly. “Yes, yes, Quinn will move in with me, and Dad can be in the apartment, right next door to us, where we will be living and where he can see us anytime he wants.”

Ruby laughs at her brother's awkwardness, while I try not to cringe.

So that’s where his mind is.

Freaking out. Got it.

“It’s his first time living with a girl who isn’t me.” Ruby looks at me. “Give him some slack for being dumb right now.”

At that she slugs his shoulder and walks right by him for the back door.

“It was great meeting you, Quinn!” she shouts over her shoulder as she disappears.

I just stand there next to Miles, who has gone mute.

Obviously, the last thing he wants is for me to move in, and I get it.

“I can go back to my brother’s,” I tell him. “Or my grandmother’s.”

His gaze snaps to mine. “And tell them what? That we broke up?”

“Or that we are two mature adults who know this is still new and don't want to rush it.”

He shakes his head. “It’ll still lead to questions, and this is a small town.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“You’ll move in with me.”

“Miles, I?—”

“You’re moving in, Quinn. I already told them it was fine. It’ll look weird if we change that now.”

I cross my arms and glare at him. “You seem to be calling a lot of shots lately. I don’t remember making you the boss of this arrangement.”

“That you started.”

“Oh my god. Are we really going back to this? Back to never getting along because you don’t want to get close to me?”

He sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

“No. We aren’t.”

“Then what are we doing?”

“We are getting through the rest of this summer as a fake couple, just like we planned. That’s it.”

Then he walks out the back to join his family, leaving me alone in the shop.

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