Page 37 of Play Maker

“Yes, Mac and the others. Would Rob be able to store my furniture and a few things at his place even if I don’t stay there?”

“Of course, honey. It’s my home now too, you know.”

Oh, I knew. She’d never called the apartment home, and the slip hit me harder than I expected. Things really were about to change. Adam pushed away from the wall and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. He didn’t say anything or try to take over, and I was grateful for his support.

“Great.” Now for the part I was dreading. “I’d still like the stipend you set up for me. My expenses are low but not zero.”

“The money is yours, Blue. You more than earned it helping me keep the shop running, but I would have given it to you anyway.”

Emotion clogged my throat. Regret, gratitude, love. I was going to miss her so much. Why couldn’t she have married Archer instead of Rob?

She continued as if she knew I needed a second. “The movers for my apartment will be here tomorrow. We thought we’d set you up with a slightly later date, but now we can just have them take everything at once. Will that be too soon?”

I laughed, blinking away the sheen of tears. “No, it’s fine. Adam will appreciate your quick timeline.”

“Adam?”

“Mac. I’ll explain later. Will you be at the apartment?”

She sighed. “No, honey. I finished packing last night, and Rob set up this dinner thing with some potential investors. I can come back if you need help though.”

Her offer was genuine, but even if I said yes, she’d be late for one reason or another and spend more time reminiscing than packing. She deserved to put the studio first, and I’d be faster without her.

“I’ll be fine. Enjoy your dinner.”

Adam squeezed my shoulder and walked me in a circle between the two apartments, somehow knowing I needed to move.

“You’re going to have so much fun living with those guys.” Her wistful tone didn’t surprise me. Mom loved the atmosphere of a college town—it was why we’d settled here in the first place. Well, that and the dirt-cheap building.

“Okay, I have to go call the movers. Remember to breathe, baby. Change can be scary, but worth it if you embrace the adventure. Love you.”

As I’d expected, she didn’t offer any warnings. Mom’s style had always been to offer unwavering support and let me learn my own lessons.

She hung up as I responded with a muttered, “Love you too.”

Adam bent to meet my eyes. “Well?”

The whole situation had a surreal sleepover quality I’d only experienced once before. I could push everything back a full twelve hours if I wanted to and stay at my place until the very last minute. Considering I’d spent thelasttwelve hours avoiding my apartment, I decided to do as Mom suggested—embrace the adventure. In moderation.

I let my lips tilt up as excitement replaced the trepidation from earlier. “I can move in tonight, as long as Noah is ready.”

“Hell, yeah, roomie.” Adam spun me around once, then set me on my feet to holler at Chloe’s apartment. “You hear that, Noah. Time to get your ass in gear.”

Adam’s phone pinged with a message, and he pulled it out to show me.Faster than your slow ass. Half my stuff is already here. I’ll move the rest before you get back.

My body burned from all the innocent touching, and I was sure my face reflected my inflamed state. Still, I surreptitiously inhaled Adam’s scent when he tucked me against him.

“We’re moving her in tonight. Bring your giant muscles. I’ll get the pizza.” He didn’t wait for a response before he ushered me to his car. “Come on. I’ll drive you home. You have packing to do, and I have to do this study thing. I’ll swing by after to help.”

Help. It seemed Adam was always helping me. His Wonder Woman notebook flashed across my mind, and I realized he hadn’t stopped moving since he got home, probably since he woke up. Adam didn’t have a lot of down time. No wonder he didn’t talk about his music. When did he have time to work on it?

I let him lead me to his Jeep and tried not to think about how quickly my life was changing. Change usually meant I wouldn’t know how to respond or what steps to take or even what direction to orient myself. The sheer weight of those decisions made me freeze up. Without something to ground me, I couldn’t move at all.

The shop, my apartment, Mom, all the things I’d assumed were solid had turned into quicksand, and Adam, despite his fast pace, was giving me the stability to find a new path. I just hoped I could keep up.

14

At the end of the day, my new roommates and across the landing neighbors moved all my stuff into Noah’s room. An entire apartment—a tiny one bedroom, but still—condensed down to a couple of boxes.

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