Page 100 of Just Friends Forever
I give her a grateful hug. Over these past few months, Maggie has not only become a regular weekend volunteer at Silverbrook but my closest friend.
I take Troy’s hand and pull him along with me into the house, then turn toward everyone. “Welcome to my humble abode, everyone,” I say, putting out my hands to display the entry way. It opens up on one side to a living room and on the other to a dining area. Up ahead is the kitchen.
“Who wants a tour?” Troy asks.
Everyone raises their hands.
“Follow me,” I say.
I do a quick showing of the front rooms, then lead the way to the kitchen area, taking all I’ve learned from months of showings to point out the main features, while Troy smiles at me proudly. After that, it’s the bedrooms and backyard before we head back to the kitchen.
“It’s beautiful, Stevie,” Siena says. Jack’s got his arm around her shoulders, and hers is wrapped around his waist. They just got back from their honeymoon and are enveloped in a haze of newlywed bliss. It’s the cutest thing.
“I think you forgot an essential feature in the living room,” Maggie says from down the hallway.
I frown and turn around. “Really?”
“Definitely,” Troy says next to me.
The living room is not a complicated part of the house, especially since it’s not furnished yet, but I head back that direction anyway. I stop short on the threshold.
Austin is there, looking at me with a smile, and standing by his side, tongue hanging out of her panting mouth, is Mochi.
Troy grabs my hand, and I look up at him.
“I’ve seen the way you look at her,” he says teasingly. “Consider her my housewarming gift.”
I throw my arms around him as Austin lets go of the leash. Mochi darts over to me, dancing around our legs with impatient delight. I let her do her thing for a few seconds, feeling overwhelmed with appreciation for Troy and how in-tune he is with me. It was cute how I thought he wouldn’t know my plan for Mochi.
I pull away and crouch down to receive her sniffs and licks while Troy asks the others to grab the food and drinks he has in his trunk.
“You guys pulled this off together?” I ask Troy and Austin.
“Yeah, but I was worried the surprise would be ruined when you showed me the guinea pig. I thought you might notice Mochi was gone.”
“It’s pure luck I didn’t,” I say. “I didn’t even know you were in town, Austin.” His schedule seems to get busier and busier, which is the only reason I was able to stay in his apartment the last few months.
“I’ll be in town for a while, actually,” he replies, coming over to pet Mochi.
“Really?” Troy asks, a hint of concern in his voice. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, actually better than okay.”
Troy and I look at him, waiting for him to expound. He doesn’t.
“Really?” Troy says. “You’re going to leave us hanging like that? Did you find Miss Right or something?”
Austin snorts. “Like I need that sort of distraction right now. I have bigger fish to fry.” There’s a quick pause. “If you tell anybody this, I’ll have to kill you, okay?”
We both nod, and even Mochi stops her panting for a moment.
“My label is open to me headlining my own tour next year.”
“What?” Troy and I say at the same time.
“That’s incredible, Austin!” I say while Troy wraps him in a huge hug.
“Enough of that, though,” Austin says as the front door opens and everyone marches in with bags of food and drinks. “Let’s go celebrate your house, Stevie!”
