Chasing forever, p.19
Chasing Forever, page 19
She’s curled up on her bed, fast asleep. I shuck my clothes and climb into bed behind her after setting an alarm on my phone.
Dueling alarms blare at the same time. She slams hers to shut it up while I snooze mine on my phone.
“I’ve broken our agreement twice already. I’m sorry.”
“I want to wake up with you. I was worried about school. If you’re confident you can get everything done, I’ll cancel the agreement.”
“I love the sound of that.”
“Me too. Why don’t we stay at your place tonight? I can bring over some of my stuff.”
We’re going to need to adjust our schedules so we can fit our workouts in again. I push through the doors of the precinct right on time this morning. I’m not sure if it was luck or the captain, I have another front desk shift today. My exam is tomorrow, and I’ve prepared well over the last month. I spread my notes on the desk and start another run-through of my outline.
Officers from the precinct, some I know in passing and others I know well, have been wishing me well as they move through the lobby. The day passes quickly with minimal calls, so I’m able to get a lot of studying done. Willa is waiting for me when I get home. There are six meticulously labelled boxes beside her on the porch.
“Hi, gorgeous.” I kiss her deeply, then open the front door. Newman runs inside, and the dogs wait for one of us to let them out. “Why didn’t you use your key?”
“Hi. It felt weird since I never have before, so I waited.” She lifts two boxes and sets them inside the door. I grab the rest while she lets the dogs out back. “Do you have a basement?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I’m going to see if there’s enough room for me to work out while you start studying. When I’m done, I’ll cook.”
“There’s a gym downstairs with a matted floor. Two of those boxes go down there, right?”
“Yes, thanks.” She grabs a water and follows me downstairs. “You have been holding out on me.”
Half of my basement has free weights, an incline bench with a bar, a treadmill, and an elliptical machine. There’s a television mounted to the wall as well. “Not really, we haven’t figured out how to follow our usual routines when we wake up together, but we will.”
“True, very true. I would rather spend extra time with you waking up instead of working out any day.”
“Same, except these abs take work.” Smirking, I lift the hem of my shirt.
“They are one of your finest assets.”
“Really? What’s the best one?” I have no idea how she’ll answer me.
“Your heart.”
“Yours exceeds mine infinitely.”
She’s speechless. She attempts to speak and fails more than once. I kiss her thoroughly before she shoves me upstairs to study. If she didn’t push me, I would have laid her out on the matted floor to savor every curve of her luscious body.
After a break to eat dinner, I return to studying, and Willa curls up in the living room. I follow her to the bedroom after ten. Sleep will help calm these nerves. At least, I hope it will.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Willa
I slip out of bed and downstairs. Luca can sleep in a bit before his exam. My workout this morning is more to ease soreness than anything else. While I stretch, my mind wanders to all the things I need to accomplish. I need to pack the rest of my stuff to bring here and talk to Luca about splitting the bills. Plus, I need to find time to open the box from my father. I’m not in any rush. Truthfully, I’m nervous about the prospect of what the box contains. I have no idea.
I wrap up a short practice and hurry through the rest of my morning routine. Luca is still lightly snoring. It’s endearing and cute. Just in case, I record him with my phone for future proof. Once I’m dressed, solely to avoid any sexy delays in leaving the house, I sit on the edge of the bed and press my lips to his.
“You need to get up, sleepy head. It’s time for me to go to work.”
A frown materializes on his face before his chocolate eyes slowly peek at me. “Can you stay here with me?”
“No, you have an exam to ace, and I have patients to care for.”
“You’re no fun.”
I lean inward and draw my tongue over the shell of his ear. As I crest the top of his ear, he rises to sitting and lowers me to the duvet. “You can’t say things that aren’t true,” I whisper while pinned beneath him.
“Fine, no more untrue statements about your fun-ness.”
Luca pulls us to sitting, lightly kisses my lips, and gently shoves me to my feet. “Get moving or you’ll be late.” He winks at me and steps into the bathroom. “I’ll be right out.”
I hurry into the kitchen, make a lunch and some tea, and set up the coffee. I’m still learning his habits, like whether he drinks coffee before his workout or after. I prefer my tea after.
“Now I can kiss you properly.” Luca draws me into his arms.
“Why couldn’t you before?”
“Hadn’t brushed my teeth yet.”
I laugh. “How sweet of you. Honestly, I don’t care, not even a little bit.”
“Good to know.” Luca kisses me to the brink of my control. Before I would consider finding a way to stay home today. Then his exam draws me back to reality.
“Good luck on your exam. You’ll rock it. I love you.”
“Thanks. Now go. I love you.”
With one more quick kiss, I gather my bag and lunch. I pet Newman and Bogart on my way out the door. It’s warmer than I expected, so I shrug off my cardigan before pulling out of the driveway. I feel my phone vibrate, but I ignore it until I get to the hospital. Today I’m on the surgical recovery floor.
Tabi: Can I stop by after work? I wanted to talk to you about your house.
Me: Sure. I have more packing to do.
Tabi: Great. See you later.
Tabi’s text has me curious. My curiosity will have to wait until tonight. I stow my bag and prepare for my four morning patients. Three should be fairly easy: appendectomy of a thirty-year-old male, ACL repair for a middle-aged man, and finally a pin removal from a nine-year-old boy. The fourth is a triple bypass. He may not be out until after lunch.
Before ten, Joel was moved to recovery without his appendix. “Good to see you. How is your pain level?”
“Are you single? You’re beautiful.” Joel’s eyes are barely open, and his words are measured but shaky. He’s probably still woozy.
“Thank you. Let’s focus on you. How is your pain?”
“My pain isn’t too bad. You didn’t answer my question.” His eyes completely open, and he’s becoming more alert.
“No, I’m not single.” That feels amazing, sharing those words to someone other than Luca or Tabi. “If you need anything, push the call button.” I make my escape as quickly as possible because my second patient of the day is headed my way.
Max fell off his bike about eight weeks ago and had a Colles’ fracture in his wrist. Normally, they would remove the pins without anesthesia, but Max is autistic, so they opted to sedate him to be safe.
“Hey there, Max.” I hand him a stuffed dog. “Mom, how are you holding up?”
Gina replies, “I’m much better now. He’s mostly awake, and the pins are removed.”
“Nurse Willa, my wrist better now. The doggie is cute.”
“Yes, it is Max. Does anything hurt?”
He shakes his head tightly. “Only tingly.”
“It’s normal. It’ll go away soon. Let me know if you need anything.” I leave the room and make some notes before heading outside. The sun is shining, and it’s crazy warm today. As the doors slide open, I see Luca is sitting on my bench.
“Hi, gorgeous. How was the morning?”
I join him on the bench before kissing him lightly. “Hi. Not too bad. How was the exam?”
“It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t over-the-top hard either. I’m fairly confident I did well.”
I lean into him. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you. Do you have any plans after work?” He steals a grape from my baggie.
“Tabi texted. She wants to stop by and ask something about my house. I have no idea what though. I need to pack some more as well. Why?”
“I need to share my news with my family. I was considering waiting until Sunday after work, but I don’t think it’s the best plan. I’m going to head over there after your lunch.”
“That’s fine. I can’t sneak out of here to join you though.”
“I know. I’ll drive by your house when I’m done and carry boxes for you.”
“I can do it myself.”
“Your independence is one of your best qualities and worst qualities. You won’t do anything on your own you don’t have to. We’re a team.”
His words make me believe we could have it all together. “Thanks.” I wrap up my lunch and hustle back inside.
Three of my patients from today are discharged by the end of shift. As expected however, not the triple bypass. It turned into a quadruple bypass, and I briefed the night shift on his status before leaving.
When I arrive at my house, Tabi is already inside. “Tabi,” I call out as I step inside.
“In the kitchen,” she replies.
“Hey girl! What’s up?” I hug her.
“I have so many updates. I’m taking the promotion.”
I grasp her hands, and we literally jump for joy. “I’m so happy for you. What else? Is it Davis? Did you know he applied for the same job as Luca?”
“Luca—”
“Sorry, Luca applied for a job with the state police a few months ago. He was offered the job on Saturday.”
“It explains Davis’s mood on Monday night.”
“We’ve moved from Friday booty calls to Saturday nights in a hotel and Monday evenings too?”
Tabi glares at me. “He’s growing on me. I could see starting a relationship with him since I’m staying. However, I don’t want to destroy what we have right now. It’s easy, breezy with no strings, no expectations. If he calls and I’m free, we hang out and vice versa. There’s no drama if I have to work late, hang with you, or whatever.”
“Good for you, Tabi. You’ll have to approach the subject sooner or later.”
“I know, but for now, I’m leaving things as is. Are you selling your house?” Tabi pours herself a glass of wine in a paper cup.
I hear the doorbell sound. As I walk toward Luca, I answer Tabi. “I haven’t decided yet. Why?”
Luca greets me with a kiss that promises so much more later when we’re alone.
“How did it go?” I can’t imagine it went poorly, although I never considered what his parents’ opinion of his career choice was.
“Overall, good. They are excited for the new opportunity and that I earned my degree. However, they aren’t happy I didn’t share about my application earlier. When I explained I wanted to make sure I got the job first, they told me in failure comes growth. I suppose my concerns about their reaction to leaving YPD was unfounded. Mama is overjoyed I’ll be even the slightest bit safer in my new position. They both said hello.” We walk hand in hand into the kitchen. “Hi, Tabi.”
“Hi, Luca. Congrats on the new job.”
“Thanks. What can I do, sweetheart?” Luca offers to move along my packing.
“There are packed boxes set to go in my bedroom. I need to pack the movies and books in the living room. There are empty boxes already nearby.”
“I’ll move the boxes upstairs first.” With a quick kiss, he bounds up the stairs.
“Damn, girl!”
“I know.”
“Kicking yourself for turning him down so many times yet?” Tabi knows my reasons, and they were solid. I didn’t think I could get over them. Abby made me realize his career was only a small part of my fears.
Maybe a little. I won’t admit it to Tabi though. “Not exactly. I wasn’t ready for him when he first asked two years ago. Now is a different story. You were asking about the house.”
“My lease is up in two months. Can I move in here? I’ll pay you a fair rent.”
It would be perfect. It saves me the time and energy for finding a realtor or a good tenant. “Of course. You can move in as soon as you want. I’ll be moved out by Friday. I won’t charge you rent. How about you cover the taxes and insurance? I’m not going to make a profit off you. It’s already paid for. Let me know what you want me to move out. I plan to move my bedroom set somewhere. Luca and I have to discuss my furniture.”
“You’re the best friend a girl could have.”
“I could say the same about you, Tabi. I wouldn’t have made it through without you or Abby, but I paid her, so it doesn’t really count.”
We laugh. Tabi and I fill the boxes in the living room and tape them for Luca to add to his trunk.
“All set for today?” Luca asks.
I nod. “Let me know what you want me to move, and I’ll do it as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Wil. Love you. I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye, Luca.”
“You’re welcome, Tabi. Love you.” Tabi hops down the steps and takes off for her apartment.
“Everything good with Tabi?” Luca rechecks the slider before rejoining me near the front door.
“Yeah. She took the promotion and wants to move in here.”
“Oh, good for her. Knowing your tenant is your bestie will make it easier. Plus, the rent will cover your mortgage,” Luca adds.
“I don’t have a mortgage. I’ll have her cover the taxes and insurance.”
“Good for you.”
“Luca, I don’t think you understand. I’m well off. You may not know this, but there was a lawsuit filed by the department, and they have a fund for line-of-duty deaths. Also, my father had an obscene amount of life insurance.”
“Willa, I don’t care about your wealth. If you didn’t tell me, I would have never even thought it was the case. You work hard, but you don’t have any material vices, at least ones I can see unless your lingerie is pricey.” He flashes me a huge grin.
“It isn’t over-the-top pricey, but it isn’t inexpensive. What I’m getting at is I want to contribute to our combined household bills.”
“We can figure something out. Is there anything else?” This man. He’s perfect for me.
“I want to move my bedroom set. Do you have an empty bedroom, can I store it in your basement, or I don’t know?”
“There are two empty bedrooms. We can make one a guest room with your bedroom set if you want.”
“Thank you.” My response is hesitant.
“What are you afraid of?”
How well he reads me still shocks me but also makes me believe we can truly make it a lifetime. “Afraid is the wrong word. This is all new for me. I’ve never shared my space with anyone, not even in college. I’m—”
“Anxious?” Luca suggests and draws me closer.
I tilt my head in agreement. “How well we fit is scary and fantastic at the same time. Does that make sense?”
“More than you know. Let’s go home, gorgeous.” He kisses my forehead and leads me out the door.
I follow Luca to the house and unpack a few boxes while he verifies his papers for submission.
“Ready, sweetheart?” Luca pulls me out of my unpacking DVDs in the living room.
I nod and follow him to our bedroom. Tomorrow we’ll see if we can pull off our morning workouts while living together.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Luca
Our first official morning living together was mostly successful as far as working out and getting out the door on time. Having the correct breakfast cereal, not so much. Our tastes apparently differ significantly. Arguably, I’m a grown man. However, my taste in breakfast cereal is akin to a kid in a convenience store before a road trip with no budget.
“Seriously, Luca. Are all your cereals colorful and sugary? How do you eat sugary stuff and stay looking like that?”
I hear the concern for my health and losing my cut abs all at the same time.
“No, I don’t. Don’t you worry, gorgeous. I don’t go overboard with the cereal. I have a bunch of options for Emilia and Antonio. Although the Count Chocula is solely for me. After our shifts, we can move the rest of your clothes as well as any food we can use. Then we can add to my grocery delivery tomorrow, including popcorn for movie night.”
“Deal. I need to go. I’ll meet you at my house after work. Love you.”
I tug her against me. She isn’t leaving without a proper kiss to last the entire day. “I love you. Have a good day.”
I change my focus to how riding with Davis will go today. I’m not sure if it’s good or bad we haven’t ridden together since my announcement. Today, I’ll find out. I can understand he’s upset I didn’t share my application with him earlier. I can even understand he’s angry I’m leaving YPD. He knew I was interested in crisis negotiation. I park in the lot and stroll into the precinct.
“Morning, Washington. How is the little one?”
“Hey, Cappelli. Corrinne is great. Getting bigger each day.”
I may be leaving YPD, but these guys are my friends. I’ll see them around town and maybe even on some calls. Falling into my chair, I stash my lunch and wait for Davis. As the time ticks by, I wonder where he is and hope everything is okay.
Captain sticks his head out of his office and waves me over.
“Morning.”
“Davis isn’t coming in today. You’re covering the high school alone.” Captain’s voice sounds strained and angry. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that tone before, not from him anyway.
“Is this my fault?”
“Not sure. He didn’t give a reason on the voice mail.”
“Do you have an issue with me stopping by his place before I check in at the high school?”
“No, but don’t be late for your assignment.”
“Thanks.” I hustle back to my desk and out to the motor pool. I have a little over an hour before I need to be at the school. Davis’s place isn’t far from the precinct.
