Page 44 of Entirely Yours
“No, but that’s a very common assumption,” Ben replies.
“It’s not an assumption, that’s what Cole calls you.”
Ben’s head immediately snaps to me at that. “Cole talks about me?” He sounds like a puppy who is finally getting attention from his owner.
All of us stop and stare at him. He seems to realize what he just said and backtracks with, “I mean, ha! Yeah, that Cole. She always calls me the wrong name. Silly really…”
Even Chloe can see through Ben’s bullshit. She tilts her head, inspecting him before she says, “You kind of look like Kristoff when he realizes Anna went on an adventure without him.”
“Enough of that, Princess Chloe!” Ben picks her up and carries her over to the apartment building entrance. “Let’s get your things, shall we? I heard you get to stay at JuJu’s house.” He looks over his shoulder and winks at me.
“News travels fast around here.” I scowl.
“Yes, it does, dear.” Elaine pats me on the arm. “We can talk about any other news at Sunday dinner tonight.”
Great.
I underestimated how chaotic it would be to live with a four-year-old. I also underestimated how much I would love it. People assume I like the quiet becauseIam quiet. But really I much prefer to be around people, as long as they understand that I’ll likely be an observer to the goings-on.
That, and this house needed living in. That’s partially why I haven’t looked too hard for Mayor Cattington’s owners. The vet said he wasn’t chipped and was probably a stray. After Chloe’s reaction to him, he’s no longer a stray.
It didn’t take long for the seven of us to pack up Thea’s apartment, even with Chloe’s lack of help and everyone scolding Thea every time she tried to lift something. I could tell she was frustrated because she kept mumbling, “I’m pregnant, not dead.”
Most everything was salvageable, except for a few pieces of furniture and most of the stuff in the bathroom, but the apartment was definitely a sopping mess. I couldsee some of the water stains on the walls and parts of the ceiling beginning to bubble. I’m glad we got them out before something worse happened.
Chloe was a bit sad when she realized she wouldn’t be across the hall from Ben for the time being, but he promised to visit often. Plus, I think all thoughts of Ben left her mind when Cat greeted us upon our return.
Thea laid down for a nap as soon as we got back. She emerges now, sleepy-eyed and glowing—I guess it’s true what they say about pregnancy. Or maybe I’m just in way too deep already.
“Your mom said something about Sunday dinner?” she asks, plopping down beside me on the couch.
I hum. “It’s kind of a recurring thing we do.”
“Y’all eat dinner together every Sunday night?”
“Mhmm.”
“That’s adorable. I don’t want to intrude though, we can make something here. I’ll just need to run to the grocery store,” she rambles.
I laugh because having the Roses at Sunday dinner would be the furthest thing from an intrusion. It’s always beenthe more the merrierat the Bardot house. I think that’s why I crave a little more chaos in my own home. “You’ll come to Sunday dinner, Thea. No need to cook anything here.”
“Bossy,” she mutters.
“I can be…” I let the innuendo linger.
She hesitates. “Tempting, but I think that’s how we got into this situation in the first place.” She rubs her belly, which is not even showing yet, and it does something…primalto me.
“What time is dinner? We typically eat early because toddler bedtime is a delicate dance. But I can get Chlo a snack to hold her over.”
The aforementioned toddler is currently drawing her twelfth picture of Cat using all of my printer paper and a sharpie because I don’t own any washable markers. She hearsthe word snack and abandons her pursuits. “Mama, I amstarving.”
Thea raises her eyebrow at me as if to say,the drama!
“Have you ever had ants on a log?”
Chloe scrunches up her nose. “Gross! I would never eat ants or logs, JuJu!”
Smiling, I say, “Come with me.”
