Twenty
Arien
Elias snatches the large box from my hand after noticing how much I struggle to lift it off the ground.
“Looks like you needed a little help.”
“Serves me right for using a box half my size.”
“Isn’t that most boxes?” He chuckles, pecking my neck.
“Haha.” I shove him away. “And you give me a hard time for my jokes.”
“What jokes?” he teases, giving my butt a tight squeeze and I jump.
“Woah, woah, woah. Can we keep it behind closed doors? This is a business.” Ian pretends to shield his eyes and I let out a laugh.
“Yeah, one that needs its baristas inside, making drinks for customers.”
“I’m going, I’m going, Mr. Run a Tight Ship, but when Layla comes in for her shift, I’m going to come back out here and watch y’all being all happy and shit so I can pretend it’s my life.”
Elias clicks his tongue. “I don’t see you working.”
Ian lifts his hands. “Yeah, yeah. I heard ya. This is what your future looks like, Arien. I hope you’re ready.”
“Ian,” Elias says between clenched teeth, and I join Ian in laughter as he takes off back inside the shop.
I tilt my head, lowering my brow when feathers stick out from the bottom of his shirt. That’s weird. Shaking away my thoughts, I go back to what I was doing. “If he really does come back, we should put him to work,” I say, grabbing a smaller box and heading to the back stairs with it.
He grunts. “Yeah, I don’t think that will help us much.”
I laugh, pushing open the door and setting the DVDs down on the floor. “Where do you think we should put these?” I stare around with my hands on my hips, mapping out the place.
His face twitches as he frees his own hands, lowering the heavy load to the floor. “I can always build a wall shelf for them next to the TV.”
“You sure about me moving in here? I don’t want to crowd you with all my junk.”
“First of all.” His fingers grip my chin. “I’m one hundred percent sure, and second, I have way more stuff than you.”
“Yes, but this is your place.”
“No, baby.” Leaning down, he pecks my nose. “This is our place, and I’ll move around whatever I have to in order to keep you here. And that’s what I care about doing the most.”
“What is?” I play ignorant, wanting to hear him say it again with those big brown eyes searing mine.
“Getting to keep you here.”
“Then I’ll try to be here in every way I can.”