Page 69 of Back To You

Her eyes narrow, but she doesn’t let go of me. “You’re lucky you’re cute. And that I’m too tired to think of anything brattier.”

“Lucky foryou, I’m going to ignore that—except for the part where you called me cute—and still give you your surprise.”

She bites her bottom lip to hold back her smile. “Surprise?” she asks, taking a step back from me and instantly seeming more awake than she was ten seconds ago.

“To clarify, I got this for youbeforewe got back together, so just imagine how much I’ll spoil younow.”

She puts her hands on her hips. “Just because you’re my boyfriend doesn’t mean you can spoil me.”

Boyfriend.

She called me her boyfriend.

The word makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, even though the term doesn’t feel like enough. Not after everything we’ve been through.

I clear my throat, trying to hide the emotion clogging it. “We can save that conversation for another time because . . . Surprise!” I move out of the way and her eyes widen as her hands go to her mouth. The red stand mixer is bright against the dark counter tops, and it fits just right in the space under the cabinets. “Now, you can do all the stress-baking you want.”

“Luke, this is—” she pauses, walking over to the counter, “this is too much.”

“You deserve it, Annie girl. Plus, don’t forget all the desserts you promised me.”

This makes her laugh. “How could I? Only cookies and cupcakes between now and October 15th, remember?” Her smile is wide, exactly how it should be, and it makes her brown eyes sparkle.

It doesn’t take much to make me happy, but seeing Annie smile reminds me that she isn’t as outward with her own happiness. Seeing Annie smile makes me feel like I’ve won a prize, like my hard work paid off, like I’m deserving of something special that she doesn’t just give out to anyone.

And I finally got her back.

Fuck starting slow or not picking up where we left off.

We have so much lost time to make up for.

“Or forever.” The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them, but I would’ve said them even if I took the time to think about them. “Move in with me.” I don’t even have to hear her answer to know that I will be letting the complex know first thing tomorrow that I know longer need the hold on the unit down the hall.

“I already live here, dummy.”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m asking.”

She turns from the stand mixer to me, leaning against the counter. I can read what she’s feeling on her face, even as she tries to will any emotion away.

She’s surprised, so she’ll pretend she wasn’t.

She’s scared, so she’ll fight me.

She’s hopeful, so she’ll tell herself this is too good to be true.

“I’m going to shower,” she says before walking as fast as she can to the bathroom, always doing the exact opposite of what I want or expect her to do.

I can’t help but smile at the way she rushes out the words, trying to hide all those feelings to no avail. I resist the urge to tease her about it and instead pick up all her stuff she dropped on the floor a few minutes ago and just walked past. “And I'll heat up the rest of the leftovers from last night for dinner.” I set her backpack down at the chair on the other side of the kitchen counter and lay her lab coat and stethoscope on top.

I don’t even care if I spend the rest of my life cleaning up after her. As long as it’s inourapartment,ourhouse,ourhome.

I hear the shower start running through the cracked bathroom door as I pull out the to-go containers from last night and heat us up the leftover lasagna.

I know this will be the first of late dinners over the next twelve months of Annie’s rotations, but I want tobe at her side every step of the way—supporting her, praising her, cheering her on.

After warming up the food and cleaning up the kitchen a little, I hear the shower turn off. A few minutes later, Annie comes out wearing her stupid little cherry pajama set that I haven’t seen since she wore it to the hospital the night Lennon was born.

“Don’t you think that’s moving a little fast?” she asks, warily. “We just got back together.” Her voice is a notch quieter and more serious than it was before she showered, but she didn’t say, ‘No, Luke. I’m not moving in with you’.

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