Page 90 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘We’ve been together off and on for ten years. We were barely adults when we broke up. Now we’re actual grown-ups in our mid-twenties and we can do anything we want. Fuck what anyone else things. My parents included. The only people we need to make happy are us. Let’s do this, Berx. Let’s live the life we planned so long ago.’

‘You’d be moving in as my boyfriend?’

As her boyfriend. Final-fucking-ly. Part of me never thought this would happen. I could give her the ring right now, ask her to be my wife as opposed to my girlfriend and it’d probably go over exactly as I’d hoped. But she deserves more than a last-minute proposal in her bedroom with my family in the next room.

‘Tonight, we’re going on a date. Maybe we can make the boyfriend/girlfriend thing official then?’

She searches my eyes, like she’s attempting to see into my soul to ensure I’m being serious. ‘OK… so we’re moving in together. For real? Romantically? Like, this isfinallyhappening?’

‘Exactly the way we’d always planned.’

She scrunches her face. ‘Maybe not exactly. And you’resuresure that this is whatyouwant?’

The way she’s covering all her bases to make sure she’s asked the question in every possible way is adorable.

I touch her chin. ‘I’ve never been surer of anything.’ I press my lips to hers gently.

‘Wow!’ she says timidly. ‘I sort of never thought we’d get here.’

God, she’s gorgeous. We’re moving in together. Holy hell. There’s nothing left to stand between us, and I’m not even scared. I feel like I did when my parents announced we were going to Disneyland when I was ten. I couldn’t sleep the entire night before out of sheer excitement. I feel that right now.

Suddenly her bedroom door slams against my spine, making me groan.

‘My eyes are closed so just get dressed and stop boning,’ Mike says.

‘We’re not boning, you freak.’

‘Word of advice,’ Berkley says, stepping between Mike and me. ‘I’m pushing my luck even having your brand of moron in my apartment. You’re definitely not stepping foot in my room, so learn to knock.’

Before she can leave, I grab her hand, causing her to look back at me. ‘We will celebrate this later, alright?’

She flashes me anI can’t waitsmile, the two of us exiting her room, hand in hand as we head back to her living room.

‘Where were we?’ I ask, standing opposite the kitchen island from my parents.

‘Ourhome,’ Dad says, his sausage patty on his fork as he inspects it closely. ‘I don’t think this is real sausage.’

Mom nods, agreeing with him.

‘Right,’ I say. ‘Ourhome – she didn’t misspeak. We designed this apartment a long time ago, and recently we bought the building, so we’ve decided to move ahead with our prior plans.’

Dad drops the fork and sausage patty onto his Styrofoam plate, taking a moment to breathe over the fact that I’m moving in with the love of my life and the enemy of theirs. Insanity. Who could hate this woman? I’m beginning to wonder if the man needs to be institutionalized over his narcissism. It can’t be healthy. I’m nearly twenty-six years old. I will choose who I love, and he will have absolutely zero say in that.

‘Youbought the store?’ he asks curiously, crossing his arms over his chest.

‘We,’ I correct him. ‘Webought the store.’

He shakes his head. ‘Berkley doesn’t have three million dollars, son.’

‘Neither do you,’ I remind him with a chuckle.

He rolls his eyes. ‘You’ve got money.’ His mouth might not say it, but his eyes are screaminggive it to me. Greed is scary. I know what people say about my father. He’s an arrogant, narcissistic, egotistical, greedy asshole. I see it right now more than I ever have. ‘Enough of this nonsense,’ he snaps. ‘Just loan us some money.’

Berkley suddenly drops her fork and goes from visibly excited about our new plans to pissed. Her eyes are on my father.

‘Why would he help you with anything? MyGod, you are a selfish prick. For the entire time I’ve known Will, not once have you treated him as a father should – yet here you are, demanding he loan you money after you fucked yourselves over by being the corrupt queen and king of Portland.’

‘Well, technically, I’m still the king,’ Mike says under his breath from across the room.

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