Page 72 of Learn Your Limits
Sliding off of the kitchen barstool, I move toward the door, but Matt beats me to it, tossing his headphones down onto the couch before yanking open the front door.
“Professor Cervantes,” Matt greets, holding the door open as he steps to the side, gesturing for Milo to come in. “Didn't realize you made house calls.”
“Mr. Richardson,” Milo replies, his lips pursing in what looks like annoyance before he walks in.
A hint of unease pools in my stomach, seeing the way his features scrunch. Should I have told him the full names of my roommates? I didn’t even think about either of them having been students of his in the past.
“Lovely to see you not hungover this early in the morning. You left quite the impression in my class a while back.” Milo is the perfect picture of control, one hand sliding into the front pocket of his dark jeans as he eyes Matt.
“C’mon, I was pledging back then, and I said I was sorry,” Matt rubs at the back of his neck, wincing slightly.
“And I will continue my forgiveness as long as you’re not making jokes at my expense. Deal?” Holding his hand out, Milo looks from Matt to me, offering a secret smile in my direction. I take it as an invitation to move closer to him, the unease vanishing as quickly as it arrived, and I slip around my roommate to stand beside Milo.
“Fine, deal,” Matt sighs dramatically, shaking Milo’s hand before grinning as his eyes flick between us. “I’m happy for you two, really.”
Wes appears behind Matt, clapping his hands on Matt’s shoulders and pulling him back from the doorway. “Then why don’t you move outta the way and let them grab Callahan’s shit.”
Ignoring them, I grab Milo’s hand and pull him into the apartment. As much as I’m going to miss living with these two, I’m eager to get out of here and get settled at Milo’s house.
Ourhouse. Damn, that’s going to take some getting used to.
“I just have to throw my clothes in my bags, and I’ll be ready,” I tell him, leading him to my bedroom.
I glance over my shoulder just in time to catch Milo raising his brow. “We aren’t in such a hurry that you can’t take the time to pack your things properly.”
Rolling my eyes, I scoff before smiling and say, “Okay, okay. I’llfoldmy clothes andthenpack them.”
Butterflies seem to have taken up a permanent residence in my stomach by the time we get home. As much as I want to just toss my bags down in the bedroom and settle onto the couch with Milo, I have to consciously remind myself that I’m now sharing a space with someone. He’s more comfortable with things being in order, whereas I’ve spent the last few years in what I like to call organized chaos.
Despite my wanting to empty my bags out onto the neatly made bed, I take my time with putting my clothes away in the dresser and closet where Milo cleared out space. My art supplies are the only things I’m not sure what to do with. I hate the idea of everything being put away where I can’t easily get to it when inspiration strikes. At the very least, I need somewhere to keep my sketchbooks and the pencil set that he bought for me, but I don’t know how comfortable I can make myself. I don’t want to completely disrupt his life.
Even if he’s basically inviting me to do so by asking me to move in with him.
His strong arms wrap around me from behind, gently pulling me to his chest and startling me from my wandering thoughts. "I know I can be particular, but I'm not unreasonable, Reid. This is your home too, and I'd like you to feel comfortable here.”
My body is rigid against his, tension coiling deep in my stomach. “I’m sorry I’m so nervous,” I murmur, my eyes lockedon the last bag I have to unpack. “This is such a huge step, and I’m worried I’m gonna do something to scare you away.”
“It is a huge step, and quite honestly, I’m sure we’ll have our fair share of small disagreements,” Milo confesses. His arms remain wrapped around me as he continues, “But how fortunate are we to have made it to a place where our biggest concern is an argument over laundry, when a few months ago we were forbidden from being together at all.”
The gentle tone of his voice eases the tension radiating through my body and chases away the doubt plaguing my mind. My shoulders slump as a heavy sigh expels from my chest, my body melting back against his.
He probably thinks I’m being ridiculous for worrying over something so small after everything we’ve been through. It wasn’t that long ago that I thought I had fucked up so badly, I didn’t think he would forgive me. And even before the gala, we had plenty of obstacles standing in our way. We managed to make it through months of uncertainty, guided only by our love for one another.
“You’re right,” I say, settling my arms over his where they’re wrapped around my midsection. My fingers trail over his forearms, my pulse returning to a steady beat. Turning in his arms, I cup the side of his face in my palm, my thumb swiping over his cheek as I meet his gaze. “You somehow always manage to calm me down.” It never seems to matter how badly I’m spiraling or what thoughts are flying through my mind, Milo has this way of calming me and making me feel safe no matter what the circumstance.
A soft smile spreads across Milo’s lips, and he takes my hand in his. “Can I show you something that might ease your mind?” he asks.
“Lead the way.”
He leads me through the house to the sunroom, an area I’ve seen a handful of times but never gave much attention to. When I’ve been here in the past, it felt like we were working with stolen moments, and each one was spent tangled up in each other, either in the bedroom or the living room. I’m definitely paying attention now, though. Milo has cleared out the room with the exception of two chairs sitting side by side and a small coffee table, but it’s the new additions to the room that have my heart warming in my chest and a smile spreading across my face.
There’s a desk and an easel set up on one end of the room.
“I hope inspiration will find you here,” he says, squeezing my hand in his.
With one simple gesture, he’s managed to turn his home intoours, giving me a space that feels like mine. That he knew that I would need this… somewhere in the house that feels like mine, when everything else here is his, it means the world to me.
“Milo,” I rasp, my voice catching in my throat as words vacate my mind. I can’t begin to explain how much this means to me. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
