Page 94 of Stay for Forever

“Maybe because you never asked me.”

He huffs. “How much more obvious do I need to make it? I gave you an entire chest of drawers, a closet, and a key. What else do you need? A personal invitation?”

“A girl likes to be asked.”

He slides off the sofa and kneels before me. “Juniper Berry West, love of my life, most stubborn woman in the world, will you move in with me?”

“One, I’m not the most stubborn woman in the world. Have you met my sister, Ellery?”

He squeezes my hands. “I’m being serious.”

I raise a brow. “Which is why you knelt on the floor to ask me to move in?”

He nods. “Yes.”

I chew on my bottom lip as I contemplate him. “Are you asking me now because you’re afraid I’m going to go apeshit when you accept a part in a movie with Quinn Wilder?”

“You heard me, did you?”

“Yep. And I’m not apologizing for eavesdropping. Your door was open.” I glare down at him daring him to try.

“I’m not asking you to apologize. You live here. You can walk into my office whenever you want. I have nothing to hide from you.”

“Except I do not, in fact, live here.”

“Why not?”

“I told you why not. You never asked me to.”

He sighs before standing and sitting in the chair across from me. “I just asked you. Did you forget already? Are you going senile in your old age?”

I stick my tongue out at him. “Did you forget you’re four years older than me?”

He puffs out his chest. “Men get better with age.”

“And women don’t?”

“We’re getting off track here.”

“Said by every single man in the world when he realizes he’s losing an argument to a woman.”

“June Bug, I love you and I want you to move in. What do you say?”

“I say you only asked me because I overhead you discussing a role in a movie with Quinn Wilder.” I can’t help it. I spit her name out.

“I already refused the role.”

“What?” I shriek. “It’s the role of a lifetime.”

He shrugs. “There will be other roles. Hopefully, without Quinn Wilder in them.”

I jump to my feet and begin pacing the room. What a complete shit show. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. If I tell Mav to accept the roll, jealousy is going to eat at me. If I let him refuse the roll, I’ll be that woman. The one who doesn’t trust her man around other women. Dang it. I don’t want to be her.

I whirl around and face him. “Accept the part.”

He grasps my hands. “If you’re uncomfortable with me working with Quinn Wilder, I don’t want the part.”

“I’m trying to be a better person here. Let me!”

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