Pretenders (Firsts and Forever 3)

I ran back to the couch and kissed his cheek before saying, “You’re the best, Jas.”

He smiled at me. “I know. Now quit stalling.”

“I’m going!”

I hurried to the door and threw it open, then drew in a sharp breath. Wes was standing there with his luggage, his hand poised to knock. He exclaimed, “Oh, hey! One of your neighbors let me in. They were leaving just as I came back.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“This.”

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me with raw passion. I felt every part of me come alive as I grabbed at his lapels and pulled him closer.

Then he rested his forehead against mine and said, “I love you, Ash. I wanted to tell you last night, but I overthought it. I was worried you’d think it was too soon, and that it would make things awkward between us. But you’re absolutely everything to me, and I need you to know that.”

“I love you, too, Wes.”

“You do?”

I nodded, and he took my face between his palms and searched my eyes with a look of pure wonder. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was worried, too. I thought maybe it was too soon to admit my feelings, and I was afraid of messing this up.” He kissed me again, and I wound my fingers into his hair and savored every minute of it. When we finally broke apart, I asked, “Will you spend the night with me?”

“Of course.”

I grinned at him and led him into the apartment. Then I went back for his luggage. As I moved it inside the door, Jasper came over to us and told Wes, “I’m glad you two figured it out. Ash was just on his way to tell you exactly what you told him.”

Wes turned to look at me. “You were?”

I nodded, and Jasper took a step toward his room, and said, “You two have a lot to talk about, so I’ll leave you to it.”

“Wait, don’t go,” I said. “Is anyone besides me ravenous? I haven’t eaten since this morning, and I could demolish a pizza.”

Jasper and Wes both said they were hungry, so we all took a seat in the living room. I pulled out my phone and put together an order, and Wes said, “Don’t forget the root beer.”

That made Jasper chuckle. He curled up on one of our upholstered chairs and said, “Ash has obviously left his mark on you.”

Wes grinned at that. “You have no idea.”

The three of us lingered over dinner, and I was happy to see Jasper and Wes bond over their mutual love of art. Wes shyly showed him the sketchbook he’d filled in Bora Bora, and Jasper just as shyly retrieved his newest diorama from his room and let us take a look at it.

He’d built a small wooden box with glass panels, and inside it was a tiny, perfect world. This one was an incredibly detailed San Francisco street with five Victorians, each lit from within. Their windows gave us glimpses of their tiny residents. Wes gushed over it, and I could tell Jasper was flattered. I’d been a little unsure if the two of them would get along, but by the end of the evening it was obvious they would become friends.

Once we finally said good night, Wes and I went to my room and got ready for bed. Then he unpacked one of his last clean outfits—the beautiful, gray suit and blue shirt he’d reserved for the wedding—and hung it up so he could wear it to work the next day.

After we climbed into bed and wrapped ourselves up in each other, I asked, “Will you spend tomorrow night here, too?”

“Of course.”

“What about the one after that?”

“Sure.”

“And the one after that?”

He grinned at me and asked, “What are you trying to say?”

“I want you to move in with me, Wes. I know that might seem impulsive, and I totally get it if you think it’s too soon. But I had to ask because I want you with me, always.”

“I absolutely want to live with you, Ash. No question.”

I asked, “Did we really make a huge, life-altering decision, just like that?”

“Yes, we did.”

“Well, yay us!” He chuckled at that, but then I grew serious and said, “It would actually make more sense to move into your apartment. We’d have a lot more room, and it’s much closer to your work. Plus, there’s a pool for your morning workout.”

“But neither of us like it there, and you’re not ready to leave Jasper on his own.”

“You’re right. I worry about him.”

“So, for now we’ll live here. And when we decide we’re ready to buy a house, we’ll look for one with an apartment for Jasper.”

“You’d really do that?”

“Of course. He’s your family.” He said that matter-of-factly, and it meant so much to me.