Page 76 of Storm Bound
“Well, I don’t know about marriage, but wearemoving in together,” I said to Summer, but I could tell all eyes were on me.
“What?” some people said around the table.
“Oh, that’s amazing,” Marina said.
“Isn’t it a bit soon, guys?” Luke asked.
“Oh, leave them alone. If they want to move in together, why not?” Kyle asked.
“Said the guy I’ve been begging to move in for months,” Andy added in a monotonous voice that said just how fed up he was with the begging.
“Yes, Kyle. When are you moving in with us?” Summer asked cheerfully, spraying food on her dad.
“Uhm, I’m not the guest of honor, am I? We were talking about Adam and Charlie moving in together and how fast that is,” Kyle said in full-on panic mode.
I almost felt sorry for the guy. And I would have if he hadn’t turned the attention back on us.
“What are you talking about? I haven’t slept in my bed since I moved back here. It’s not fast. It… it makes sense,” Charlie explained.
“Still soon, though,” Luke said again.
“Yaya says the sooner they realize they’re meant for each other, the quicker they’ll get married and Uncle Charlie will move back in town,” Summer said.
“I said no such thing,” Marina gasped.
“Yeah, cause I believe that,” Charlie said.
“I mean, itissomething you’d say, Yaya,” Andy added.
“Don’tyoustart with me,” she raised a finger toward Andy.
“Enough,” Paul shouted, and everyone stopped. “Can we please enjoy our dinner instead of arguing with each other?”
“Pfft, you’re asking for a miracle there,” Mel said, tucking into her plate.
Everyone did and soon the conversation took a more casual tone as opposed to the overtly intimate bickering.
“I’m sorry about them,” Charlie said when we were back in the car after a big meal and an even bigger slice of chocolate cake.
I didn’t know if I’d ever need to eat again after such a feast.
“What are you talking about? It was fine,” I said.
“Be serious, Adam. It was not fine. It was a hot mess,” he replied and turned the engine on.
“You think that was a hot mess? You need to join me and my family for dinner. If anything, it felt like… home,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow.
“What? It did. You’ll see when we visit Grand Rapids,” I said.
“If you say so. But until then, we’re not having another family dinner with this bunch,” he said and waved in the general direction of the house as he pulled away and drove us to my house.
Or, our home, as it was soon going to be.
We’d agreed Charlie was going to move his stuff tomorrow since he didn’t have that much with him in the first place, and I couldn’t wait to have him at home full-time. Officially.
I knew it was going to be different to my experience with Justin. It was going to be… normal. Because Charlie had the ability to make me feel both like a normal human being and an extraordinary man. It was his special power. And it was part of what made me love him so much.
