Sweet Little Nothing

I narrow my eyes at him and he smirks.

"Fine." I kick off the covers and force myself out of his warm, cozy bed. "I'll be back."

"You know," he starts, following behind me, "you could just move in with me and then you wouldn't have to run next door all the time. You're practically here every night anyway."

"Not until Stella finds a roommate," I say, instantly slapping my hand over my mouth.

"Wait, what was that?"

"Um." I dart my eyes from side to side. "Nothing."

"No. I definitely heard something. It sounded a lot like you considering moving in."

I planned on surprising him once Stella found someone to cover my share of the rent. Though, with Sterling as our landlord, I'm not sure it really matters. But she's proud and refuses to take a handout from him.

But, I guess the cat's out of the bag now.

"Fine. I planned on packing my stuff and bringing it over once Stell found a roomie."

"Baby, let's put an ad on Craigslist."

"Shut up."

"You act like I'm bluffing. I'll take out a damn billboard if it gets your clothes in my closet, your smelly-good shit in my shower, and your fine-ass self in my bed every night."

"You're too much."

"Sometimes I worry I'm not enough," he says, letting his guard all the way down. "Sometimes I worry you'll realize you're too good for me and tell me to kick rocks."

"Never. You hear me? Not ever."

"Go shower before I toss you back down onto the bed and never let you leave."

I steal a quick kiss and dart out the door.

"Stell?" I call out as I enter our place.

"Babe!" she hollers back, rushing into the foyer to greet me. "Are you stoked for today?"

"Y'all are making such a big deal!"

"Um, because it is a big deal, sweets," Gabe says, scaring the hell out of me.

"Where did you come from?"

"My mother." He wobbles his head from side to side. "Or maybe my father. Depends on how you look at it. The chicken or the egg, am I right?"

"I—what?"

"Ignore him," Zach says, joining our weird little impromptu entryway party. "You here to get ready?"

"Yep, and y'all are here why?"

"To support you!" Gabe says, like it should be obvious.

"And by that he means we came for coffee."

"I am always down for coffee."

The four of us catch up over steaming hot mugs, laughing and cutting up, until I have to hop in the shower. "Thanks for coming," I say, getting misty eyed.

"Wouldn't be anywhere else," Zach says, hugging me before passing me over to his boyfriend, who redefines the term bear hug.

"Good luck today, sweets. You're going to kick all of the ass."

"Thanks, guys."

Stella sees them out while I hop in the shower. I soap up and rinse off in under five, tossing my wet hair into a braid before tugging on a pair of jeans and the hoodie Sterling bought me when I was in the hospital.

I like to think of it as my lucky hoodie and wear it pretty much all the time.

Stella's waiting for me in the kitchen when I finish getting ready. "I have something to tell you."

A million different scenarios bombard me. Deep breaths, I remind myself, you can only control what you can control.

"What's up?" I ask, pleased when my voice comes out smooth and even.

"I found someone to take over your portion of the rent."

"Really?" The worry that tried to trip me up morphs into excitement.

"Yeah. A girl named Frankie. She's in my art class. Oh, wait. Sterling won't mind a kid staying here, right?"

"She has a kid?"

Stella nods. "Yeah. She's a single mom and is trying to make a life for her and her son."

"He totally won't mind."

"I'll let her know today." She smiles. "Now, go forth and kick ass, babe."

Quick as lightning, I wrap my arms around her and hug her tight. "I'm so glad you're in my life. I'd be lost without you, Stell."

"Back at you, Emmy." She breaks our embrace. "Now, go get a good luck kiss from that man of yours."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

I grab my bag and dart back to Sterling's place, the smell of bacon greeting me.

"Made you some breakfast." He holds a piece of bacon out toward me, and I snatch it from him. "Most important meal of the day, you know?"

"False. That's coffee."

"You're an addict."

"Truth."

"You want me to drive you or..."

"I'll drive myself. Gotta assert my independence over the universe and whatnot."

"Okay, little mouse. I'm proud of you."

"I love you." I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his face down to mine, sealing our lips together in a toe-curling kiss.

"I love you, too."

"Oh, and before I forget," I say as I head for the door, "Stella found a roommate."

"Does that mean what I think it does?"

I nod.

"You're not fucking with me?" He steps closer, his face full of hope. "You're moving in?"