Page 36 of The Hookup Situation
Nick chuckles, slipping his arm around my waist. “She’s the keeper.”
The drive back to his cabin is comfortable, filled with easy conversation about nothing important. I help him unload the bags and put everything away.
“This place needs some life,” I say, arranging the fruit in a bowl.
“It’s a rental.”
“Still, you’re here for over a month. Might as well try to make it feel like home.”
His smile slightly fades. “I haven’t been anywhere that feels like home since I moved out of my mom’s house when I was eighteen.”
This hurts my heart. “Why?”
He shrugs. “I’m not sure. Maybe because I haven’t been happy in a long time. Nothing has ever felt permanent.”
“Are you happy now?”
“I’m working on it,” he admits.
“Well, if I were staying here, I’d have already hung string lights and bought a stack of fun throw pillows.”
He’s smiling at me in a way that makes me forget everything. “Tomorrow, I made reservations to do sunrise yoga in the square.”
“You’re joking. Iloveyoga.”
“Autumn told me.” Nick licks his lips. “Fake boyfriends love doing yoga with their girlfriends. It’s a very coupley thing to do.”
I laugh. “Fine. But it’s going to be hard. You have to promise not to complain the entire time.”
“Are you kidding me? My stamina … unheard of. I can do planks forhours,” he says.
“I look forward to it,” I tell him as we load into the Range Rover and he drives me home.
After parking on the street, Nick walks me to my condo, and there’s a moment where we both pause. In a real relationship, this would be when he kisses me goodbye. The air between us crackles with that knowledge.
“Thanks for today,” he says instead.
I unlock the door but hesitate. “See you at dawn.”
“It’ll be fun.”
“That’s what you’re saying now. The instructor, Jessie, is a beast.”
He leans forward and gives me a tight hug. I walk inside and look in the peephole, watching him walk away. He’s grinning, and so am I.
I move to my kitchen, needing water because I feel parched.
Autumn
Saw the grocery store pics. You two are ADORABLE.
Blaire
Linda says he called you a keeper!!!
Autumn
WHAT?! Details. Now.
