at our side.
“Are we doing the right thing?” Whether it was the fact that it was Christmas Eve and I was feeling more emotional than usual, I wasn’t sure, but curled up together like we were, asking Jasper to move out seemed like the worst idea I’d ever had.
“Yeah, we are,” he said softly, reaching for my hand and twining our fingers. “I love being with you like this, Finn. But we need time and the space to get to know each other properly.” He pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “So that when we live together again, it’s because we’re ready and we want to. Not because circumstances dictated it.”
I smiled at the way he said when and not if. The thought of Jasper moving in to live with me, and not as my lodger, was a little scary still, I had to admit, which is why I knew he was right.
But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t send a thrill through me too.
I stroked Angus, making him stretch out and purr, and thought of the three of us living here together.
Yeah.
I had every faith we’d get there.
My phone beeped with a text message, and I glanced down to see it had just gone midnight.
“Hey.” I nudged him gently and showed him my phone. “Look.”
Jasper tilted his head back and smiled up at me, a hint of something in his eyes that I couldn’t wait to see more of. “Merry Christmas.”
I kissed him softly on the lips, lingering for a moment as I imagined getting to do this all the time at some point in our future.
But for now, this was enough.
“Merry Christmas.”
Epilogue
Five months later . . .
Finn
“Christ, you jammy fucker.” I looked around what used to be my mum and dad’s double garage and shook my head.
Cole grinned. “I know, right?” He was so excited, he almost bounced on the spot.
Instead of letting Cole move into some shitty shared house—because that’s all he could afford at the minute—my parents had converted their garage into a liveable space for him, complete with a small en suite and a tiny kitchen area. That way he could save for a deposit on something nicer eventually. House prices had jumped since I’d bought mine. His inheritance from Aunt Meg needed a little adding to.
“I know it’s not the same as if I had my own place with Mum and Dad being right next door.”
“Are you kidding?” I gestured around the main room where we stood. It was more like a bedsit-type space, with his bed at one end but with room for a small sofa, coffee table, and a TV. “You get all this, and you also have Mum and Dad next door. So that means no dragging all your washing down to the laundrette.” I listed things on my fingers. “No shitty landlord to chase when anything goes wrong, and I’m pretty sure Mum will want to feed you at least twice a week.”
Cole laughed. “She said I’m welcome whenever for food, but I need to do my own laundry.” He shrugged. “Which I can’t complain at.”
“No, you bloody can’t.” I pointed at the best bit of all. “And you have your own front door, so you can come and go as you please. And have people over when you like.”
Cole’s grin widened. “Yeah. Mum said she’d text before coming round.” He rolled his eyes and laughed. “Like I’m miles away. But yeah, she promised neither her nor Dad would come in without asking if it was okay first.”
I slung an arm around his shoulders and turned serious for a moment. “You happy with this? I know you had your heart set on moving out.”
He sighed, but it was more of a happy sigh. “I did, but that was because I just wanted some privacy mainly. But some of the places I looked at . . .” He shuddered. “I didn’t realise how expensive it was to rent somewhere. This way I get privacy and it’s cheap enough that I can still save for a deposit.”
“Good.” I gave his shoulders a squeeze before letting go. “I bet Mum wanted to let you live here rent-free, right?”
“Yeah.” He laughed softly. “I had to force her to accept anything. But they’re hoping that Nan might move in here eventually if she decides she can’t manage on her own, so I told her to put my rent towards any changes they’d need to make for her.”
I nodded and was