25
Atlanta
May 14, 2016
My fingers slid along the spines of my books artfully arranged on Cole’s bookshelf. Three years ago, I’d been too afraid to move in with Ash when he’d asked. I refused to make the same mistake again with Cole now that we had our chance. So, when he’d asked, I’d responded with a resounding yes. And then promptly commandeered his bookshelf for my own. He’d rolled his eyes as I’d emptied my boxes of books onto the beautiful mahogany hardwood shelves.
I heard a camera flash behind me and whipped around to find Cole pointing his DSLR at me.
“What are you taking pictures of?”
“I want to remember this day forever.”
“Oh?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.
He grinned. “The day we moved into our first house together.”
I reached onto my tiptoes and kissed him. “Can I see?”
“Let me take some more first.”
“Fine.” Then I went back to organizing.
“Are you still obsessing about the bookshelves?” Cole asked.
“Define obsessing.”
He laughed and then snapped another picture of me. And another. And another.
“How many are you going to take?” I asked.
But he’d let the camera drop from the strap around his neck and lifted me up over his shoulder. I squealed as he carried me away from the bookshelves and effortlessly tossed me down on our couch. Our couch. I still wasn’t used to that.
Sunny popped her head up from her bed in the corner and then hopped over to squeeze her way in between us. I petted her, and Cole dropped a kiss on her head.
“Good puppy,” he cooed. “You, however,” he said, tugging my hair loose from its messy bun and brushing his fingers through it. “You need to take a break. Be more like Sunny.”
“I can’t be that lazy.”
“True, but people will be here soon. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
“I know.”
“You know, but it does need to be perfect?”
“No! I just don’t want there to be visible boxes for our first official housewarming party.”
“Literally no one is going to care but you.”
“So?”
He kissed all over my face. “I love when you’re irrational and stubborn. It’s my favorite combo.”
“Hey!”
“I’m serious. It’s the best. Can I help move some boxes, so no one can see them?”
“Yes, please.”
He lifted me back to my feet, putting his camera on the bar, and then let me direct him to clean up in the last half hour before all of our friends burst into our new house. Well, Cole’s house. He’d put down the down payment, and it was in his name. It was hard to believe that we’d been dating for over a year already. Moving in together was a big step for me. I’d never lived with anyone I was dating.
We tucked away the last remaining box right before the doorbell rang. I dashed to answer it, and Marley entered with Josie on her heels.
“The party has arrived,” Josie said, dumping a giant box into Cole’s arms and drawing me into a hug. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
We squeezed even tighter, moving back and forth like it’d been a decade since we’d seen each other instead of a few months. We used to go the whole year without each other, but then we used to get the entire summer together too. And now, I never got enough Josie time. She was too busy, being famous.
Sunny ran around barking at us until Josie picked her up and loved on her.
“Mars,” I said in welcome.
She handed me a square present. “I hope Cole likes it.”
I laughed. “Oh boy.”
She grinned wickedly. “Anyway, who else is coming to this thing?”
“Mostly work friends.”
“Boring,” she joked.
I was so fucking glad that Marley had gotten a job as a professor at Emory. She had her own genetics research lab and was generally saving the world. But I was mostly glad we were both in Atlanta. As much as I liked my work friends, no one else was Marley.
More people trickled in. Kristen brought a present to rival Josie’s, and the rest of the guys brought cards and nodded at us.
“So, wait,” Kristen said once she had a drink in hand, “you’re Josephine Reynolds?”
Josie nodded and held her hand out. “You can call me Josie.”
“Holy shit!” She smacked me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were friends with Josephine Reynolds?”
“Uh … I didn’t know that you were an Academy fan?”
“Who isn’t an Academy fan?” Kristen asked.
Matthew, who was also in the training room with us, raised his hands. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Josie said. “It’s not for everyone.”
“You’re winning, like, fucking Emmys,” Kristen gushed.
Josie was the best with fans though. She’d always been that way, even before she became a famous TV star. People had trailed her for who she was long before then. “Thanks, babe. Should we selfie?”
“Fuck yes, we should.”
Marley rolled her eyes at the display. “You’d think this was unusual.”