Page 164 of No Rings Attached
“I did.”
I stared at Drew. “You already bought all of her supplies?”
His cheeks reddened ever so slightly. “Yeah. I might have gotten more than she needed, but I wanted the two of you to have choices. I’d wanted to pick her up last night, but then with everything that happened …”
The tears spilled over, streaming down my face. He’d prepared for her. Bought supplies, made space, assumed I’d say yes to her even if I said no to living with him.
“Let’s go home,” I said.
Drew’s expression froze. As if he was afraid to hope for something that wasn’t happening. “Home?”
“Yeah, your place.” I adjusted Stormy’s weight in my arms.“Ourplace. Let’s go home.”
His eyes widened, “Ellie?—”
“I know you were giving me time to make a decision. And yes, this is fast and we should probably take more time, be practical, and consider the logistics. But I don’t want to. I’m practically living with you anyway, but now I want to stay not because I have to, but because Iwantto.” I paused, emotion clogging my voice. “Because you feel like home. Because last night you restructured your entire career to make room for me, and this morning you’re giving me this perfect gift with no strings attached, and I?—”
Stormy meowed loudly, as if to say‘get on with it.’
“I want to move in with you,” I finished. “Not because it’s convenient or because I’m already there. But because I choose you. I choose us. I choose her. I choosethis.”
Drew pulled me close—carefully, mindful of Stormy between us—and kissed me. Soft and sweet and tasting like a promise to love me forever.
“Okay,” he whispered. “Okay.”
Behind us, the staff and volunteers erupted in cheers. Stormy hissed at the cacophony, and I laughed through my tears, burying my face in her fur.
“We should probably leave before she goes rogue and decides she’s done with humans,” I said.
“Good plan.” Drew’s hand found the small of my back and guided me towards the exit.
The drive home—because that’s what it was now,home—passed in a blur of tears, laughter, and Stormy’s meowing from her cat carrier as though I betrayed her by putting her in there.
“You’ll need to go back to Maryland eventually,” Drew said as we pulled into his driveway. “For your stuff and to pack your apartment.”
“I know.” I hadn’t let myself think that far ahead. “My lease isn’t up until the end of next month. I can coordinate most of it from here, maybe go back on weekends to pack.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“I want to.” He parked and turned to face me. “If you’re doing this—really doing this—then we can do it together.”
Drew came around to open my door, then retrieved the cat carrier from the backseat. Together, we walked into the house. Inside, the living room looked the same as when we’d left this morning, but somehow different. Knowing I was—really staying—changed everything.
I took Stormy out of the carrier and held her tight.
“Close your eyes,” Drew said.
“What? Why?”
“Just do it. Trust me.”
I closed my eyes and cuddled Stormy to me. I heard Drew moving around and after a few minutes heard the soft sounds of things being placed around me.
“Okay. Open,” Drew said.
I opened my eyes.
