Page 162 of Cost of Courting

“I know.”

I smile and reach for a pizza box. “Shall we go eat?”

“You know, I think we’re going to get along really well.”

He leads me to his office and puts on a rerun of some show I haven’t seen yet. I open the box, and we just sit there eating and laughing until my pack come in with thunderous faces.

Andy holds out a beer. I clink mine with his and grin.

Yeah, this is going to work out fine.

Chapter forty-two

Selene

“That’s it. My houseis empty. I don’t live here any longer. This is so weird.”

Kingston wraps his arms around me from behind. “Are you really sad?”

“No, I’m relieved. It just feels weird putting Luna’s stuff in storage. It’s like I’m abandoning her.”

“Jo sent the email. You read it.”

My scowl returns. Jo’s email had given little information, just that Luna needed to heal, mentally as well as physically. He will not tell us where they are, as per her request, and she’s not sure when or if she’s coming home.

“I can’t help but feel like I failed her in so many ways.”

“You didn’t,” Kingston says. “We failed you. You did the best you could here, raising her alone. Unfortunately, you can’t control the rest of the world.”

He takes my hand, swinging it as we walk up the street. I lift my free hand and wave to Mr Match sitting on his porch. The damage inflicted by Hammer has not gone away. He’s struggling these days, and it’s like all his years have caught up with him, but he’s got everyone. And there is a lot of everyone in the neighborhood.

Even as I watch, Mercedes jogs up the steps to sit beside him. He’s been teaching her history and helping her with her schoolwork. Though I think Mercedes might be heading into aged care as a career path when she’s old enough. She’s got the heart for it.

Two blocks. It feels like a different planet, but it’s just two blocks.

We arrive at the old home. The repair men finished a week ago. It’s been cleaned out and painted and rooms assembled. The biggest surprise was when the four of them brought home four giant motorcycles. I totallyforgot about them.

I've been fidgeting and unhappy about the cleaning of the house because I knew they needed to do my nest, but I haven’t been in there yet to look.

I don’t want to be disappointed and accidentally let them see how devastated I might be.

But I’m going to have to go and look.

This is home now. Mael contacted his mother, and she gave him the house.

He surprised me with it two weeks ago, and we’ve been packing since then. Which has been a small nightmare, but it feels like a new page.

I walk up the steps and inside, stopping to take in the changes. There are a lot. The dark and cozy house has been stripped back and painted in a modern and cool way that leaves the house feeling so much larger.

I go inside and stop when I see the brand new couch. It all feels a bit much.

Rip the bandaid off.

I turn quickly, ducking away from Kingston, and trot down the stairs as quickly as I can.

I hold my breath until I see it.

It’s different. That’s my first thought. The space has been transformed. The space has been enlarged, and now there’s a row of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stuffed with pillows, blankets, candles and…sex toys.

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