done with his shower, but I can still hear the water running. “Sorry, he’s busy at the moment. Can I take a message? Or should I just get him to call you back?”
“You can just tell him that Sandra called. We’ve accepted his application for the appartment on Dean street and he can call me to work through the specifics. I’m sure he and his partner will be very happy there.”
“Um, okay, thanks. I’ll pass that on and get him to call you.”
I end the call, but my breakdast is completey forgotten as I just stand there staring dumbfounded at the screen of Connor’s cellphone. He’s been looking for a new place? And, what, he was just expecting me to move with him without discussing it first?
“Hey, you okay? You have a weird look on your face.”
I startle at the sound of Connor’s concerned voice. I hadn’t even heard the bathroom door opening. Glancing around, I see Connor’s clearly done with his shower. His hair and beard are still damp and all he’s wearing is an old pair of sweats. Damn it. He looks so fucking lickable right now I can barely even think.
“A woman named Sandra just called,” I say hesitantly. “She said you got the apartment?”
“Oh, awesome.” He starts to smile, but it falters as he sees what is undoubtedly a disconcerted expression on my face. “Look, I know I didn’t tell you but—”
I throw my hands in the air. “But? What kind of but is there? I mean, it’s not like I haven’t thought about our future, but we’ve only just started dating and you’ve got so much else going on right now. I love you, I really do. But I don’t want us to just rush into anything and I especially don’t want this kind of stuff decided for me.”
He stares at me in what looks like bafflement. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The woman—she said something about you and your partner being very happy there. At the apartment. The one you didn’t tell me about.”
Connor casts me a smile full of wry amusement. “Are you done? Can I talk now?”
I nod. “Yeah, that was pretty much it.”
He takes me by the hand and leads me over to the sofa, pulling me down to sit next to him. “Okay, I’m sorry about the confusion with the realtor—she clearly got the wrong end of things when Laura and I went to view the apartment the other day.”
My brows shoot up. “You and…Laura?”
“Yeah.” He lets out a soft sigh, his features arranged into a slight frowm. “I wanted to talk to you about this before but it was one of those things where I had to just decide what was best for Chase and not let anything else influence me, y’know?”
Oh god. He wants to try to make things work with Laura…
“Yeah, I guess…” I manage to say, my voice completely devoid of any enthusiasm.
“And Laura and I both decided the best thing for Chase would be for us to be together.”
Okay, I’m starting to feel sick. I manage to untwine my hand from Connor’s and start to rise from the couch. “Okay, I think I get it. You don’t need to say anything else. I’m going to go…”
“What? No. Jesus, no, that’s not what I meant,” Connor says, a hint of desperation in his tone. “Sit the fuck back down.”
He grabs my hand again and tugs me down hard so I end up sprawled on the sofa. He helps me to sit up and then I feel his large hands wrapped around my face as his beautiful eyes bore into mine.
“Whatever you’re thinking, just stop. Please. I promise there’s nothing like that going on with Laura.”
“You said you decided to be together,” I point out, furious at the way my voice trembles.
“I meant together in the same location, not together romantically. I’m sorry, I should have clarified that.”
“That would have been helpful, yeah.”
The corner of Connor’s mouth tilts up, and then he leans forward to touch his lips to mine. “The only person I want to do anything with romantically is you, I promise. I love you, baby. You know that.”
I let him kiss me again, basking in the relief that’s now flooding me. “I’m still a little confused,” I admit after we break apart again.
Connor slides his hands away from my face, taking hold of my hands instead. “Laura and I are going to live together as roommates…and co-parents.”
“Wow, that’s…unconventional,” I say, finally stumbling upon