Page 207 of Paradox
"Do you know how stupid that sounds?"
"Eden, please. It doesn't feel right to bring it back to the apartment. It was made here, and this is where it belongs."
Eden sighs, and shakes his head. "And what about all the other books? Won't this one get lonely?"
"All the ones I'm keeping are in my duffle. If you promise not to throw me in the truck and drive away, I'll get them while you get the bookshelf."
"And what about all the new ones I know you'll get? They need somewhere to live."
I stand on my tiptoes to get as close to Eden as I can. "Then you'll just have to make me a new one. With a new quote, and everything."
"But I like my boy being nasty."
I reach for Eden's neck and bring him down to meet me. "I don't care ifnastyis the only word on it. But I want a new one, for our new life. And this one will stay here, and every time we come back it will remind us of all the shit we went through to get where we are. But the crying, the hitting, how scared I was in the shed all alone. I don't wanna bring that home with us."
Eden takes the book, tosses it inside the cabin, and lifts me up.
"Okay," he says before kissing me. And that's all he says because it's all he needs to say.
It'll be hard, but we'll be okay.
Christmas may never be the same, but we'll be okay.
People will look, and talk, but we'll be okay.
As long as I have Eden and he has me, wewillbe okay.
The building is familiar, but not overly impressive. Just a typical modern apartment block. Grey and white with chrome awnings, and a small garden out the front. It's the largest one in Broadrock, though that's not saying much, it's only got thirty apartments over six floors.
But it's my new home.
It's our home.
With my backpack over one shoulder and my duffle over the other, I wait at the front of the truck for Eden. With his own bag on his back, he lugs the giant sack of dirty linens behind him.
When we reach the front door to the building he stops and holds out his hand for me. "You ready?"
I slap mine into his, and nod.
Eden squeezes it with a light smile, then looks away to scan his keys on the security lock.
I hear the system buzz and the lock release, and when Eden pushes the door open, a mixture of generic cologne and new carpet smell hits me in the face.
Inside, I look down the corridor to my left, only to get tugged to my right.
The elevator is clean and still looks brand new. And it doesn't smell nearly as bad as the one in my college dorm.
Eden catches me smiling in the reflection of the shiny metallic doors. "What are you so happy about?"
"Lots of things." I press my lips together before realizing how stupid I'm being. I'm allowed to be happy. I'm supposed to be happy. "It's really nice, I—I didn't expect it to still look so new."
"It should still look new for another fifty years, with how much I paid for it."
"Do you have good neighbors?"
He hums. "They're alright. They keep to themselves, which is perfect."
"Did you ever get any noise complaints?"
