up a few trade shows for the fall and made some great headway with independent pet stores.
Hudson and I only grew closer, even if I hadn’t believed that was possible. And for the most part, we followed the rules and slept at our own houses when Jack was around. But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t snuck in once or twice on the weekends when he was asleep.
Although none of it was as I’d planned, my life was turning into one I was proud of and at the very center of it all was love.
The Chevelle rumbled as we rolled into the parking lot of the storage unit facility.
“Why do we have to stop now?” Lex complained. “I’m starving and you promised me pizza. That was false advertising.”
“Well, if someone had remembered to get the cover for my Chevelle like I’ve been asking for the last, oh, month, you’d be two slices in by now.”
“It lives in your garage, Hudson. Trust me, I’m all about taking care of my Chevelle, but this seems like overkill, especially when I’m hangry and a damn car raincoat is standing between me and a supreme pizza.”
“Then I suggest we hurry.”
She let out a loud groan and swung the door open. I climbed out at the same time and met her at the trunk. Hangry as she was, when I puckered my lips, she lifted onto her toes and pressed a kiss to my mouth.
Being with Lex was nothing short of incredible. She’d been a fixture in my life since I was fifteen but the last few months were different—a different I couldn’t get enough of.
Earlier that week, she’d gone with Jack and me to pick up the new puppy. After listening to over an hour of him groaning about getting a girl dog, she’d tickled him into submission. Together, they’d named the poor pup Jesse. Lex had been sneaking into my place every night that week to endure the torture of three-a.m. puppy potty training with me while Jack slept right through the incessant whining—mine, not the dog. With Jack back at Lauren’s, we’d decided to try to introduce Jesse to Beep and Boop for a few nights. Boop thoroughly traumatized Jesse, but much to our surprise, Beep was a nurturer. At least that’s what Lex told me a million times as she followed them around the house while I sat on her couch and drank a beer.
Regardless of who was sleeping where and how many pets were swirling around beneath our feet, Lex and I were together every night. Finding her in my house when I got home from a long day’s work was a high I was seriously getting used to.
“Cover for the Chevelle then pizza,” I mumbled against her mouth. “But just a heads-up, we are getting it to go and you are eating it naked.”
She smiled. “I didn’t know I was allowed to eat with clothes on when we have the house to ourselves.”
God, I loved her. Not that I’d told her yet. Well, I mean, I had, but never when she was conscious since we’d made things official. But fuck, if I didn’t think it would freak her out, I’d be saying it every day until my lungs ran out of air.
Intertwining our fingers, I gave her a tug toward her storage unit.
Her phone rang and she dug it out of her pocket. “Oh, crap. This is Mom. She’s already in panic mode planning Vanessa’s baby shower. I told her we should probably wait until she’s more than twelve seconds pregnant, but you know Mom when someone says the word baby.” She extended a set of keys in my direction. “Go ahead and grab the cover. I’ll talk her off the ledge of pink and blue streamers.” She shooed me away and then answered the call, saying, “Talk to me, Judy.”
Chuckling, I sifted through the keys on the ring and walked to her unit. I hadn’t been there often, but I’d come with her to put the Chevelle away a time or two. She was pacing and informing her mother that a gender reveal was radically different than a sex party when I put the key into the lock. I twisted, but it didn’t budge. I tried again to no avail. Leaning back, I checked the number on the unit. I could have sworn that she had 107. Though maybe it had been 106. I moved one to the left and tried the key in that lock.