Chapter 11
AUbrEY
Islung my tote bag over my shoulder as I walked out of the lecture hall. Class had run a little long today, and I was already tired from nannying all afternoon before class. It’d been a long day.
“Aubrey, wait up!”
Mia, one of my classmates, jogged to catch up with me. She fell into step beside me, grinning. “You’ve been smiling all through lecture again. That’s the third time this week. It’s gotta be a guy.”
I felt my cheeks warm but couldn’t help laughing softly. “Yeah, there might be a guy.”
“Might be?” Mia bumped my shoulder playfully. “Girl, the way you daydream about him? I’m jealous. Most of us are stressing about finals, and you’re over here looking all in love.”
I adjusted my bag, unsure of how much I wanted to share. Mia was nice, but we didn’t know each other that well, and what I was building with Canyon felt too special to talk about with just anyone. “Hey, I’m worried about finals too.”
“Sure you are,” she murmured, splitting off from me with a wave to head toward her car.
I waved back, still smiling as I climbed into mine.
When I pushed open the door to my apartment, it was later than usual. My arms were full with my overstuffed backpack, purse, a couple of extra textbooks, and a drink I’d bought right before class and forgotten about. I kicked the door shut behind me and let out a tired sigh.
But after only a few steps into the living room, my steps slowed. Maybe it was because I was exhausted, but the apartment felt off. I set my things down on the small kitchen table and glanced around, trying to figure out why the space suddenly felt so empty.
My favorite soft blanket wasn’t draped over the back of the sofa anymore. My laptop charger wasn’t tangled beside the couch where I usually left it. Even the small stack of books I kept telling myself I’d finish soon had disappeared from the side table.
I walked into the kitchen and noticed my favorite coffee mug wasn’t in the sink or on the counter, as it usually was.
Frowning, I headed to my bedroom and opened the closet.
At least half of my favorite clothes were missing, the comfortable ones I reached for after a long day.
I stepped into the bathroom next. My everyday makeup bag wasn’t on the counter.
Each missing item carried a little memory of him. The way he’d smiled and told me to just leave my toothbrush because I spent more nights at his place anyway. How he’d casually picked up my laptop charger and extra clothes, loading them into his SUV like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The more I looked, the more I realized so much of my daily life wasn’t here anymore.
Piece by piece, without me fully noticing, Canyon had been pulling me into his world. The things I actually used every single day were at his beach house now.
As I stood in the middle of my quiet apartment, looking around at everything that was missing, I realized this place didn’t feel like home anymore. Canyon’s house did.
A soft laugh bubbled out of me as I shook my head. The sneaky guy had been moving me in one overnight bag at a time. He’d done it so smoothly that I hadn’t even realized how much of my life had already shifted to his house.
The little thrill I felt stayed with me until a small flicker of doubt crept in.
Canyon spoke about our future like there was no version of his life that didn’t include me.
But every once in a while, I caught these fleeting moments of tension in him.
A tightness in his jaw, or a distant look in his bright blue eyes that disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared.
Like he was carrying something heavy he didn’t want me to see.
I wrapped my arms around myself, and a tiny voice in the back of my mind whispered and made me wonder if there was something he wasn’t telling me.
I quickly shook my head, pushing the thought away because it wasn’t fair. Canyon had been nothing but all-in since the moment we met. Men who secretly regretted their relationships didn’t make space in their home the way he had for me.
I was being silly. Overthinking things because everything felt almost too good to be true.
The doubt faded as quickly as it had appeared, replaced once again by amusement. A soft smile tugged at my lips as I looked around my half-empty apartment one more time before heading back out.
The whole drive, I looked forward to how I was going to tease him. When I pulled up to the house, the lights were on, and I could see movement through the big windows. I parked, grabbed my bag, and headed inside, still smiling to myself.
When I stepped through the door, the delicious smell of something cooking hit me. Canyon stood at the stove in the kitchen, sleeves of his black Henley pushed up to his elbows. He looked unfairly gorgeous, and my heart gave a familiar squeeze at the sight of him.
He glanced over his shoulder when he heard me come in, his brow furrowing when he saw my expression.
I dropped my bag by the door, folded my arms across my chest, and tried to keep a straight face. “My apartment is practically empty.”
Canyon turned fully toward me, wiping his hands on a dish towel. For a second, he just studied me, that little furrow still between his brows. I could see him trying to figure out how much trouble he was in.
“You’re very sneaky, Canyon Madsen. I didn’t even notice it was happening until tonight.” I tilted my head, fighting the smile that wanted to break free. “But if you were gonna steal all my stuff anyway, you could’ve at least gotten my favorite reading chair.”
He stared at me, apparently stunned by my easygoing reaction. Setting my stuff on one of the stools, I shook my head with a soft laugh. “One bag at a time. Are you going to admit you’ve been moving me in without telling me, or are we going to pretend this was all an accident?”
With that, I winked and gave him a playful smile, then started walking toward the bedroom, hoping he’d follow.
Him secretly moving me in made me feel cherished. Like I truly belonged with him. And right now, I really wanted to show him just how much I liked that idea.