Today is the day, and to say I’m nervous is a massive understatement. It’s not like I’ve never lived with another guy before. I mean, my roommate for the past six months has been Eric. The fact I made it that long is a miracle.
He’s only a friend, though. It’s not like I planned on staying there forever. I knew Devin and I would eventually move in together. I just didn’t think it’d be this soon.
Not that I’m mad, or upset, about it. I could have told him I wasn’t ready. But I am. He’s my everything, and I’m grateful I came back to Asheville. These people are my family. I don’t know how I’d do life without them…especially Devin.
All my stuff is packed away and in boxes sitting on the front porch. All that’s left is my bed and the few dressers I bought after I moved in. A part of me thinks I should leave them for whoever rents the room. But the house we’ll be staying in has two guest bedrooms. One will be for his music and the other for the intended purpose. Devin didn’t pull out any stops finding the place he wanted.
“What else do you have to load up?” Devin opens the door to the trailer the band bought. “We have plenty of room.”
“She has two dressers inside.” Eric calls as he carries a few boxes to the trailer. “I know she’s trying to leave them, but take them. I’m going to make that my game room.”
“You’re such a child.” I shake my head and pick up some boxes. “But do as you please. I was just trying to help you out.”
“No help needed,” he laughs. “I don’t plan on getting another roommate any time soon. So we’re good.”
“If you say so.” I pick up another set of boxes and bring them to the trailer. Both Devin and Eric are much faster at this than I am. They’ve already taken twice as much as I have.
I still don’t have a ton of belongings, even though I’ve been here a while. It doesn’t take long for us to finish loading up the trailer and in less than an hour, the trailer is loaded and we’re pulling out of the driveway.
“Are you ready to do this?” Devin grabs my hand, and squeezes it tightly.
I’m freaking out inside. This is even more permanent than when I was renting the room from Eric. “I think it’s a little late for that.”
“You don’t have to move in with me.” He glances at me before focusing on the road again.
“I know that.” Pulling our clasped hands to my lips, I kiss the back of his. “If I didn’t want to move in, I wouldn’t have said yes. Besides, this is an adventure for both of us.”
“You’re not wrong there.” He grins as he continues the drive across town.
The house isn’t quite as far out as Stella’s house, but it is on the outskirts of town. A new subdivision is being built across the street, and I’m not sure how I feel about this small town growing. It’ll be good in the long run, but it’s still scary. Thought, not nearly as terrifying as moving in with the person you plan on spending forever with.
We pull onto a long driveway. The house is set far back on the property, and massive trees surround it on all sides. The gray brick is a stark contrast to all the green.
“When are the guys coming to help unload?” As rambunctious as they can be, I’m grateful for their help. I can’t imagine having to lift a lot of this stuff. I mean, I think I’m pretty strong, but I’m not trying to hurt myself.
“In a couple of hours.” He puts the truck in park and pulls me closer to him. One of the benefits of having a bench seat. “Why?”
“Just wondering how much of this stuff I’ll have to help unload before they get here.” Please don’t let it be a lot. I don’t even know if Devin’s already brought his stuff. Our schedules have been bananas and aside from today, we haven’t been able to hang out much leading up to the move.
“None of it.” He opens the door and slides out before pulling me toward him. Once I’m at the edge of the seat, he slips one arm under my knees and the other behind my back.
I don’t have time to object before he has me out of the truck. He bumps the door closed and carries me toward the front door.
“What are you doing? And why don’t I have to help?”
He laughs and acts like he’s going to drop me and instinctively I wrap my arms around his neck. “Because there’s no reason for you to unload anything. Between all of us, all you’ll have to do is unpack the boxes.”
“Fair enough.” That means I’ll be able to put things up in a way that makes sense to me. “But why are you carrying me like this? I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” He moves his arm from my back trusting I’ll keep my hold on him. He pulls out a key and u locks the door, pushing it open. “I’m carrying you across the threshold of our home.”
“I, uh, thought that’s only when you get married.” I do not need him proposing right now. That would be too much change too fast.
“I’ll do it again when that day comes.” He walks through the door. I think he’s going to set me down, but no. He closes the door with his foot and carries me to the kitchen, setting me on the island countertop. This is probably one of my favorite things about this kitchen. It’s large enough for our friends to stand around and have drinks, or put out food for a potluck.
I push myself to the edge and begin sliding off the counter but Devin puts his hands on my legs, stopping me. He holds up a hand and rushes to the fridge. He pulls out a bottle of champagne and grabs two flutes from the counter beside the fridge. I didn’t even see them.
After pouring the glasses, he hands one to me. “What are we toasting to?”
“Us.” He lifts his glass in the air, waiting for me to clink mine against his. Both of us drink what’s in our glasses and set them down. He steps between my legs and pulls me flush against him. “Now, let’s take advantage of if the time we have before everyone gets here.”
His lips crash into mine and I throw my arms around his neck. This is turning into the best adventure I could go on.