Chapter 28
GRIFFIN
When I woke up in the morning, Phoebe wasn’t next to me. I didn’t get up right away. Instead, I rolled over onto her side of the bed, replaying last night in my mind. Smelling her perfume on my sheets filled me with an inexplicable sense of joy.
I got out of bed a few minutes later, putting on boxers before going downstairs. I was about to call out for Phoebe when I noticed her sitting on the floor next to the window, looking outside. She was wearing a robe.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” I said.
She glanced at me over her shoulder. Her eyes were hazy with sleep. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I wake you up making coffee?”
“Yes, but I don’t mind.” I sat next to her, taking a sip from her cup.
“Hey, don’t steal my coffee,” she mumbled.
“You’re adorable in the morning.”
“Hmm… I need the sustenance today after the extensive workout from last night. I didn’t get to sleep too much.”
I laughed. “Same here. Do you want to go to your place later and bring the rest of your stuff?” I asked as I pulled her robe down her shoulder.
“Oh, already?”
“Yes. Why wait?”
“Okay. If you’re still sure.”
I looked up at her. “Phoebe, stop saying that. Of course I’m sure.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize how annoying it is to keep questioning your intent.”
“It’s not annoying, but I would like to understand why you’re doing it.”
She sighed. “I think it’s because I’m just not used to this, what we have.
I was always the one who pushed for things in my past relationship.
And here you are offering to make more space for me in your life.
It’s almost bizarre. And I guess I’m just afraid it won’t last, that you’ll think better of it. ”
“Don’t. I want you here.”
“Okay.” She put the cup of coffee down and climbed onto my lap.
Fuck me, she was commando under the robe. Why didn’t I realize that?
I pushed it farther off her shoulder, then kissed from the top of the fabric up to her neck. She leaned a bit away and looking at me while chewing on the inside of her cheek.
“I’m not sure if we should bring the things today, though. I still have to pack some stuff, and I have a lot of boxes. They won’t fit in your car. I was actually thinking about splurging on a moving company.”
“I can call the one that helped me move here. I paid for a full package and still have some hours left.”
“What? No, no, no. You don’t have to pay for it,” she said. “I can afford it.”
But I knew for a fact that she couldn’t. I wanted to give her the best life possible. But I knew she wouldn’t agree, so I had another idea.
“Or we can use my brothers’ muscles. They all have big cars. If they all join, we can bring everything in one trip.”
She smiled. “They wouldn’t mind?”
“No, they wouldn’t. They’d give me shit, that’s for sure, but they’d be happy to help.”
“That would be terrific. I’ll make a delicious meal for everyone to enjoy afterward.”
Her reaction touched me unexpectedly. Phoebe couldn’t receive anything without giving something back. It was endearing. Cooking after spending the whole day moving sounded exhausting, but I knew it was important to her.
“I’ll text them right away.”
“If they don’t have time, there’s no hurry, really. I just need to be out of the house by Thursday the week after next.” Her shoulders sagged.
“When are you meeting the realtor?”
“On that Wednesday.”
“And Marshall will be there.”
She nodded, and all my muscles tensed up.
“I’ll come with you.”
She looked at me intently for a few seconds, then shook her head.
“No. I’m tempted to say yes because having all these muscles,” she said, tracing my arms and my abs, “and this smile”—she touched my lips—“always fills me with good energy. But I want to do this on my own. Just firmly close the door on that chapter in my life.”
“Phoebe, every time you face that guy, he hurts you.”
“I know. But this will be the last time I ever have to see him. And it’ll be good for closure, you know?”
I actually didn’t. I had no experience with closure or anything even remotely similar.
“All right. I understand,” I said. “Where are you meeting them?”
“Near the Central Library.”
As she told me the exact address of the realtor’s office, it got me thinking.
“Know what? I’m meeting Jude that day.”
“Wow, you do like to schedule stuff in advance.”
I nodded. “It’s absolutely necessary in my line of work. I can have our meeting at a coffee shop nearby. And after you finish, you can come straight over. We’ll wrap everything up quickly, and then I’ll be all yours.”
Her face lit up with a smile. “You’d rearrange your day for me?”
“Oh yes, babe. I’d do a lot more than that for you.”
The real question was what I wouldn’t do for this woman. I wanted her to be happy and content. I was feeling on top of the world because she was moving in with me.
“All right. Let me text my brothers.”
I wrote to all five of them, expecting them to respond over the course of the day. To my astonishment, they all answered before I even had time to make coffee for myself.
“That’s weird,” I said as I poured beans into the grinder.
“What is weird?” Phoebe asked.
“They’re all willing to help us today.”
She frowned. “So? You said they’d be happy to help.”
“Yeah… but they all answered quickly. Almost as if they spoke with one another.”
I bit back a laugh, absolutely sure that I was right.
“When do we want to go?” I asked Phoebe.
“It’s up to them, really.”
“Knowing my brothers, they probably cleared their schedules and are ready to pounce. I’ll tell them to meet us at your house in an hour.”
“Perfect,” Phoebe said and then widened her eyes. “Let me just check your fridge.”
She dashed to open it, then perused the contents. She rose on her toes, inspecting the top shelf as well.
“Okay, this looks good. I have everything I need to throw lunch together. By the time we get back from the house, it’s going to be lunchtime for sure. Then they’ll have the rest of the afternoon off. I’m excited.”
“Chase asked if you’re taking any furniture.”
She shook her head. “No. The new owner said he’s got plans for it. I only packed the smaller stuff, like glasses and plates and…” She paused, looking around at the kitchen. “You don’t actually need any of that.”
“We’ll figure out later what we’ll do with them.”
I was so damn ecstatic that this woman was going to live with me, I couldn’t even explain it. Nothing had ever given me so much joy. Not even sealing a business deal.
While I drank my coffee, Phoebe went upstairs to get dressed. Mom called as I finished making myself a second cup, and I answered right away.
“Good morning, darling,” she greeted.
“Hey, Mom. How are you doing?”
“Fantastic. How’s your Saturday?”
“It’s going great. Do you need help with anything?”
“Oh no. That’s not why I called. I was wondering if you have plans for dinner.”
“Why?”
“Oh, well… I spoke to Jeremy today, and I couldn’t help but overhear…”
I started laughing before she even finished her sentence.
“Don’t laugh at me, young man.”
I cleared my throat. “Sorry. Please continue, Mom. What is it that you couldn’t help but eavesdrop on?”
She gasped. “I didn’t eavesdrop! Oh my. I can’t believe my own son would accuse me of something like that.”
“Mom!” I urged.
“Well, he was saying that Duncan is going to help move some boxes from Phoebe’s house to yours.”
“Exactly. All my brothers are coming.”
Mom didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”
“Yep” was all I said, because I was too busy fighting a smile to form sentences.
“Do you have anything to share with the family, son?”
“What do you think, Mom?”
“I think Phoebe is moving in with you.”
“You’re correct.” Now I did burst out laughing.
“Oh, stop that! I wouldn’t have to go around eavesdropping—”
“Thanks for owning up to it.”
“—if you’d share things with me, honey. Oh, I’m so proud of you. This is a very important milestone.”
“We only just decided it, Mom, and it’s temporary,” I replied, keeping it vague. I couldn’t possibly give her details about when and how I’d popped the question, so to speak.
“Well, no matter how it came to be, I’m very happy for you.”
“So, why did you ask about this evening?”
“Oh, no reason.”
Now I was suspicious and earnest. “Mom.”
“Nothing is set in stone, but you’ll receive news over the course of the day.”
I’ll receive news. That sounded ominous somehow.
When I heard Phoebe come down the stairs, I quickly added, “Mom, I’ve got to go. Have a great day.”
“And you too.”
“I’m ready!” Phoebe called. Then she stopped in her tracks, looking at me. “And you’re still in your boxers.”
“Yeah. Mom hijacked my time.”
“Everything all right?”
“She’s up to something, but I’m not sure what. She was ecstatic that you’re moving in.”
Phoebe jerked her head back. “You told her?”
“I didn’t have time to. But news in my family travels in mysterious ways.”
I walked up to her, kissing her forehead. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
“So, what exactly did your mother say?”
“That I’ll receive news over the course of the day. Those were her exact words.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Your family’s something else.”
“Yeah, you can say that again.”