Page 52 of Last Love

They’re laid back.

Their fun is on the cheaper side.

Katherine and Carter are a little more high-class.

Activities with them are definitely on the more expensive side.

And the one thing we fight about more than “who changed the laundry over last” is money.

He loves the idea I have it yet loathes the fact he doesn’t have enough.

I don’t know many times or how many ways I can express to him I don’t need him to have money.

I just need him.

Katherine’s hands fold very clinically in her lap. “Did you let him go patio furniture shopping with you yesterday when you got off of work?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“It would’ve been a total waste of gas for him!”

“Shouldn’t he at least have the option to decide if it’s a waste or not?”

My mouth twitches to argue when seeing Merrick and Jovi waving at me in the distance stops it.

“And why isn’t he here today?”

The second they resume whatever they were on their way to do I meet her stare again.

“His roommate is.”

A sudden craving for something soft to sink my teeth into arises.

“His friend is.”

“You know that’s the same effing person,” I harshly snip.

“But what I don’t know is why he’s not here supporting his girlfriend.”

“He has to work every Saturday by default unless he requests off.”

“Did you present him with the opportunity to request off?”

Guilt grows in my gaze as the need for something to crunch on increases.

“You cannot have a sustainable relationship with only one of you being open, darling.”

I sink into my seat.

Myself.

“I’m not saying being the woman you were when you were with Xander. Fuck that.”

“Tiny. Ears.”

“Say tiny ears to me again, and I’m gonna make sure the next word Angel learns has four letters but starts with a c.”

Her teasing threat, thankfully, relaxes my tensing body.

“Darling, I just want you to hear me, okay?”

Our stares meet once more.

“You can keep your independence and share your life with someone. You just have to be willing to let them in, not only when it’s convenient for you or you think it’s convenient for them, but at other times when perhaps it’s not easy yet they really need you. Or maybe it’s crazy, yet you really need them.” She offers me a small smile. “Learning to compromise isn’t the art of losing oneself, darling. It’s the foundation for coexistence.”

An exasperated sigh receives me a pat to my white jean pants covered leg.

God, I knew being in this relationship was going to be hard, but I didn’t think it’d be this hard, especially in the beginning.

I always thought the start of something new was supposed to be filled with sex and romance and more sex. And while we are having enough of the latter to have me silently praying my period arrives on time each month rather than a baby that we’re not ready for as well as plenty of romance – he left me a stuffed zebra toy with a card on my car one morning for me to find on my way to work – we’re also arguing.

And getting frustrated.

And becoming so obsessed with making the couple hours we can carve out for one another so incredible that we don’t acknowledge some of the shit we both know we need to.

Coupling is ridiculously hard…even when you’ve already done it once with the person before.

---