Page 29 of The Last Love Story
Her voice is still high-pitched and choppy, and my confidence wanes slightly. When I came up with it, I thought I was brilliant. Then I thought about it and toned it down a smidge, but I still thought it was smart. It’s a big deal, sure, but watching Jade’s face right now, I’m realizing maybe the idea is a little more unhinged than I thought.
“I’m a romance narrator and you’re a romance author. We both know people have gotten married in books for a lot dumber reasons than this.”
“Thoseare… books.”
“Right.”
“Fiction!” she yells, turning on her heel and pacing like a caged animal.
It’s a good thing we’re having this conversation in private.
Still, she hasn’t outright refused me, so I’m not giving up hope.
“Married!” she yells.
“Yes. Didn’t we already cover that part?”
She stops and spins to face me, eyes wide. “No. We did notcover that part.How would that even work? We live states away from each other. Call me crazy, but I think most healthy marriages involve being in the same state, preferably the same town, and usually the same house!”
My lips pull flat. I forgot I didn’t tell herwhereI was planning on moving yesterday. The conversation quickly turned to other things, and I was so focused on finding a solution to her insurance problem that I never even thought to look up how far Ida is from… what did she say? Woods Junction?
I hold my hands up as I approach her, well aware anything I say right now might spook her, and that’s the last thing I want.
Fuck, I’m offering to do this to help her, but Iwantto do this. It won’t just be a bruise to my ego if she says no. Another part of me will feel it too.
I rub one hand over my chest.
Why is this so important to me?
“We didn’t get to talk about this yet, but I mentioned yesterday that I was planning to move.”
Her brow scrunches. “You mentioned that. But you didn’t mention you meant moving in with me.”
Oh, I like sassy Jade.
“I was planning to move to Ida. One of my friends lives there and loves it.”
“Ida? Ida, New York? As in twenty-two minutes from me?”
“Well, I didn’t know that until right now, so I’ll have to takeyour word for it, but yes. And if you don’t want to do this, then that’s still my plan.”
She stares at me for a long moment.
“I don’t even have two bedrooms,” she says, like she’s just realizing that for the first time. “Well, I do. But one is tiny and mostly just storage for all my books.”
My stupid ass takes her lack of rebuttal as a win, and I lean into our playfulness again.
“Only one bed. One of my favorite tropes.”
“I have a couch,” she says flatly.
“And yet the two people almost always end up sharing a bed for some reason or another.”
“Justin!” She throws her hands up in exasperation.
Dick, do not get hard right now. Do you hear me?
“I like when you say my name like that.”
