Page 18 of Micah

Shouldering my camera bag, I consider sneaking upstairs and surprising Micah—naked. I don’t see Caden’s Jeep anywhere, so it should be just the two of us?—

The door to the second floor is open, and coming from upstairs is the distinct sound of laughter.Femalelaughter.

I feel like I’ve been gut-punched.

No fucking way.

Micah and I haven’t even talked about a third roommate. I would never have agreed to another woman who wasn’t blood related to him moving in with us. And because I know Micah almost better than I know myself, I know he’s an only child. But maybe the new tenant isn’t up to me. It is Declan’s house, after all.

But why is there no other car in the driveway? Did this woman walk here?

“I can’t thank you enough, Ruby,” I hear Micah say.

“Ruby?” I remember her fromThe Book Cellar. Remember thinking she’s more Micah’s type than I would ever be. My heart sinks as a very bleak future flashes before my eyes. Ruby moves in. Micah loses interest in me and starts dating Ruby. Eventually they get married and kick me to the curb.

I should go.

I quietly slip away to my bedroom, wondering where the hell I’m going to live now. But I’ll be damned if I stay here and watch myself lose Micah to another woman.

When I open my door, I’m surprised to find a pile of golden fur curled in a ball on my bed.

“Henry?”

His tail wags before he manages to lazily lift his head in my direction. Home boy was having a good nap. This makes me smile. In this moment, I don’t care how he ended up here or that I can’t keep him. He’s exactly where I need him to be. He greets me as I sit on the edge of the bed and pull him into a hug.

Meant to be.

The phrase pops so clearly in my mind that there’s no more denying it. Haley’s right. We make time for what’s important.And Henry is very important to me. Too important to let another minute go by before I adopt him as my own. “I’ll figure it out, boy. I promise.”

“Henry, you spoiled the surprise,” Micah says from my doorway, wearing that sexy lopsided grin that got me all those years ago when we first met. For a moment, I almost forget about the woman he had upstairs.

Almost.

“Find a new tenant?” I ask, my tone flat.

“What?”

“Ruby McCray.”

“Are you…jealous?” I hate the smug way he smiles, then laughs.

“What’s so funny?”

“Youare.” Micah comes into the room, risking my death glare shooting laser beams at him. He might think this is funny, but I’ve already seen how this three roommate situation plays out. I will not be made to be a fool.

“I’m moving out.”

“Knock it off, Avery,” Micah says, sitting on the bed and draping an arm around me. Henry inches forward so his head is in both of our laps. “Ruby is not moving in here.”

“She’s not?”

“Of course not. She owns her own place a couple blocks down.”

Not the most reassuring headline.

“Why did you let her see upstairs then?” Am I pouting? Okay, maybe a little. But I’ve been dying to see the progress, and he’s shot down every single time I’ve asked to so much as take a peak.

“Because I needed her signature.”

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