8. Chapter 8 Zoe
Three months. It had been three months since Caleb and I stepped off that cruise ship, hand in hand. Now, as I stood in my Chicago apartment surrounded by moving boxes, it felt both like no time had passed at all and as if my entire life had changed.
Which, I suppose, it had.
Except for one thing. I still hadn’t told my brother I was moving. I was nervous about being away from my twin for the first time in my life.
I taped up another box, labeling it "Kitchen Stuff" in my messy scrawl and stashed it away in the spare room. The sound of the front door opening made me look up, a smile already forming on my face.
"Honey, I'm home!" Caleb's voice rang out, followed by the thud of his duffel bag hitting the floor.
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't keep the grin off my face. "In here, you dork!"
He appeared in the doorway, looking unfairly handsome in jeans and a t-shirt that hugged his arms in all the right ways. Even after three months, the sight of him still made my heart do a little flip.
"How's the packing going, shortcake?" he asked, crossing the room to plant a kiss on my forehead.
I wrinkled my nose at the nickname. "It's going. How was your flight?"
"Long," he sighed, flopping onto the couch. "But worth it. I missed you."
I settled next to him, curling into his side. "I missed you too. These weekend visits are getting harder and harder."
Caleb's arm tightened around me. "Well, lucky for us, this is the last one. In two weeks, we'll be living together in our swanky New York apartment. No more saying goodbye at airports."
The thought sent a thrill through me, equal parts excitement and nerves. It was a big step, moving in together. Especially considering we'd only been officially dating for three months. But when you know, you know, right? I was the one who wanted to move in the end. I made the decision to start my own graphic design company, so wanted a fresh start away from Chicago to do it, and New York was the perfect location with the perfect man.
Caleb's lips brushed against my ear, his voice dropping to a low rumble that never failed to send shivers down my spine. "Want to take a break from packing? I can think of a few ways to pass the time before Jake gets here."
I pretended to consider it. "I don't know. I still have a lot of boxes to pack."
His hand slid under my shirt, tracing patterns on my lower back. "Come on, shortcake. All work and no play makes Zoe a dull girl."
I turned to face him, draping my arms around his neck. "Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I could be persuaded."
Caleb's grin was triumphant as he stood, scooping me up in his arms. I let out a surprised squeal, wrapping my legs around his waist.
"Have I mentioned how much I love that you can do that?" I asked as he carried me towards the bedroom.
He waggled his eyebrows. "Once or twice. But feel free to keep mentioning it."
As we tumbled onto the bed, a stack of clothing I'd been meaning to pack toppled to the floor. I started to reach for them, but Caleb caught my hand, pulling me back.
"Leave it," he murmured against my neck. "We can clean up later."
All thoughts of packing flew out of my head as Caleb's lips found that spot just below my ear that never failed to turn me to putty. His hands roamed my body with familiar ease, knowing exactly where to touch to drive me wild.
"God, I missed you," I gasped as he trailed kisses down my collarbone.
Caleb hummed in agreement, his fingers working at the button of my jeans. "Show me how much."
I didn't need to be told twice.
Much, much later, as we lay tangled in the sheets catching our breath, I couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?" Caleb asked, propping himself up on an elbow to look at me.
I gestured to the chaos around us, clothes strewn everywhere. "So much for productive packing."
He grinned, unrepentant. "I'd say that was very productive. Just not in the way you originally intended."
I swatted at him playfully. "You're incorrigible."
"You love it," he shot back, pressing a kiss to my shoulder.
And the thing was, I did. I loved everything about this man. His humor, his kindness, the way he could make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world with just a look.
The sound of the buzzer jolted us out of our post-coital haze.
"Shit," I muttered, glancing at the clock. "That's probably Jake."
Caleb groaned, burying his face in the pillow. "Already? What happened to taking our time?"
I laughed, rolling out of bed and searching for my clothes. "Time flies when you're having fun, babe. Come on, up and at 'em."
Fifteen minutes and a lot of frantic tidying later, we were presentable enough to answer the door. Jake stood there, a six-pack in one hand and a pizza box in the other.
"Hey, lovebirds," he greeted us. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
I felt heat rush to my cheeks, painfully aware of how disheveled we must look. "Nope, not interrupting at all. We were just, uh..."
"Talking about moving," Caleb supplied quickly. Maybe a little too quickly.
Jake's eyebrows shot up. "Uh-huh. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"
I groaned, stepping aside to let him in. "Can we please change the subject?"
Jake laughed, heading for the kitchen. "Fine, fine. But just remember, I am your brother. There are some things I really don't need to hear."
As we settled around the coffee table with pizza and beer, I caught Caleb's eye. He gave me a small nod, and I took a deep breath. It was now or never.
"So, Jake," I started, trying to keep my voice casual. "There's something Caleb and I wanted to talk to you about."
Jake paused mid-bite, his eyes narrowing. "Oh god. You're not pregnant, are you?"
I choked on my beer. "What? No!"
"Oh thank god," Jake sighed dramatically. "I'm way too young and handsome to be an uncle."
Caleb snorted. "Keep telling yourself that, buddy."
I shot him a look. So much for moral support. "Anyway," I continued, "it's not that. It's just, well, I’ve decided to move to New York."
Jake's pizza stopped halfway to his mouth. "Oh," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "That's unexpected. Caleb was moving here." Jake looked around the room. "I thought you were just cleaning up to make room for him, not packing to move."
I nodded, feeling a knot form in my stomach. "I know but I want to start my own business and need a fresh start. New York will give me that and -"
"And I will move us both back in a heartbeat if she wants that too," Caleb finished, reaching over to squeeze my hand.
Jake set down his pizza, his expression unreadable. For a long moment, no one spoke. I held my breath, waiting for the explosion.
Finally, Jake sighed. "Look, I'm not going to pretend I'm thrilled about my little sister shacking up with my best friend away from me."
I winced, but before I could protest, he held up a hand.
"But," he continued, "I've seen how happy you two make each other. And if this is what you want, then I'm happy for you."
Relief washed over me. "Really?"
Jake nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Really. But I swear to god, Caleb, if you hurt her.”
"You'll throw me overboard?" Caleb finished, grinning. "I remember, buddy."
Jake's smile widened. "Good. Now, can we please get back to eating? This mushy stuff is ruining my appetite."
As we fell back into easy conversation, I felt the last of my tension melt away. This was good. This was right. Later that night, after Jake had left and Caleb and I were curled up on the couch, I couldn't stop smiling.
"What's got you so happy?" Caleb asked, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
I snuggled closer to him. "Just this. Us. Everything."
He chuckled. "Very specific, shortcake."
I poked him in the ribs. "You know what I mean. Three months ago, I never would have imagined we'd be here. Moving in together, starting a life together."
Caleb's arms tightened around me. "Having mind-blowing sex on every available surface?"
I laughed, feeling my cheeks heat up. "That too."
He was quiet for a moment, his fingers tracing patterns on my arm. "You know," he said softly, "I've been thinking."
"Dangerous pastime," I teased.
He tickled my side in retaliation. "Hush, you. I'm trying to be serious here."
I settled down, turning to face him. "Okay, I'm listening."
Caleb took a deep breath. "I know we're already taking a big step with moving in together. But I want you to know, I'm in this for the long haul, Zo. You're it for me."
My heart skipped a beat. "Yeah?"
He nodded, his eyes serious. "Yeah. So, I was thinking. Maybe once we're settled in New York, we could start talking about, you know. The future. A more permanent arrangement."
It took me a second to catch his meaning. When I did, my eyes widened. "Caleb, are you pre-proposing to me?"
He grinned, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. "Maybe? Is that okay?"
I pretended to consider it. "I don't know. I suppose I could pencil you in. For life."
Caleb's laugh was full of relief and joy. He pulled me close, capturing my lips in a kiss that left me breathless.
As we lay there, tangled together on my soon-to-be-ex couch, I grinned at how much could change in just three months. From friends to lovers to, well, whatever came next.
All because of a ten-day cruise.