Page 74 of Tinder Embrace
On Sunday, Jo's amused expression as I pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured myself a cup of coffee prompted me to consider bringing it up. She'd already fixed herself a cup and was dressed for the day, no doubt headed out to check her tanks when she finished her coffee.
"Good morning. Is this what passes for a walk of shame these days?" She gestured to me, still dressed in yesterday's clothes.
"Nah, we're not doing that anymore. This is my trek of triumph."
Jo winced. "I don't need details. You're still my brother."
"Yeah. About that…"
"You want to know if you can bring Sophie back here?" Jo guessed, watching me as she sipped.
I nodded, scratching my head.
"We're friends. You know I'm fine with you and Sophie dating," she said.
"We're very…loud," I warned.
Jo snickered. "You? Loud?"
"When Sophie and I are together? Yeah."
For the first time, Jo looked taken aback. "I guess I can make myself scarce…"
I shook my head. "It's your home too. I'm not trying to kick you out."
"You're just worried it'll be awkward."
"Yeah."
She shrugged. "I guess there's always music to cover. Noise canceling headphones, maybe?"
I scrubbed my face with my hands. "None of that seems sustainable."
For the first time, I’d truly shocked Jo. She sat, mouth open, and blinked.
"Oh. You're thinkinglong-term." She paused, considering.
The smile that broke over her face, true pleasure in my happiness, helped ease some of the guilt that was cresting inside me. I didn't want to abandon Jo. We were partners and family. We understood each other in a way no one else on earth could. Our shared history and shared lives made it difficult to imagine a time where we weren't close.
"I'm happy for you, Davis. I love Sophie, and I love you. I know we haven't talked about it, but I didn't expect that we'd live together forever. Maybe it's time to talk about moving out."
"But Dad deeded the house to both of us," I protested, unsure why I was objecting, but at the same time uncomfortable taking advantage of Jo's generosity.
"That doesn't mean one of us can't buy the other out."
Moving seemed like a big fucking deal. Maybe not something we were ready for. Would Sophie even stick around long-term? The shadow of fear stilled me. I hadn't told her I loved her. She hadn't broached it either. Rushing into a commitment when I didn’t know her true feelings scared me. And the last person I wanted to hurt if things between Sophie and me went south was Jo. She’d already lived through both our parents’ divorce and my last fuck-up. She deserved better.
"I don't want to force you out," I lamented.
Jo snorted. "Who says it's going to bemewho leaves?"
"I just thought…"
"What, that I wanted to move out of the only home I've known?" She shook her head. "Good thing for you, it's true. I've been thinking for a while now about a fresh start. Maybe this is my sign that it's time."
"Let's not do anything hasty," I cautioned. "I haven't even asked Sophie to spend the night yet, let alonelive with me."
Jo arched her brows. "But the fact that we're even talking about this tells me a lot. Old Davis would not have even broached the subject."
