I shake my head, amusement tugging the sides of my mouth up. “You two. I swear.”
Will chuckles. “This all now makes sense, as Dad reports Kellan’s laundry area and storage closet are equally barren, save a few cardboard boxes. I’m to take it this means neither of you will be too heartbroken to give the space up?”
Jonah’s eyes lose focus for a moment as he stares into the distance. “We’re both fine with the location as long as Chloe is feeling okay enough to try.”
“It’s spooky how they do that,” Will murmurs to me once Jonah’s attention fades back to whatever his brother is saying to him in his mind.
“Actually,” I mock whisper, which isn’t too hard considering I won’t be winning any screaming matches anytime soon, “it is. Annoying, too.”
Jonah’s unbothered by this. “You love us anyway.” And he’s smiling—genuinely smiling, dimple and all and not in the way he had in the past, when the corners of his mouth tilted upward but hid so much hurt and pain. This is a real smile, one that makes my heart so very contented to see.
We can do this, he and I. We can find a way to make this all okay.
“Dad has some photos he brought along of staircases you guys may want to peruse,” Will is saying. I reluctantly tear my eyes away from Jonah to refocus on the man I’ve been living with for over half a year now. “Since, you know, you won’t be getting your grand staircase to sweep down on and all. I’ll go get him. Do you want to wait until Kellan comes to pick one?”
“He’s fine with whatever we pick.” Jonah’s hand curves around my waist. “Design and architecture are of very little interest to him.”
Will scoffs. “I would have thought him quite keen on design, considering his flat looks like it’s from some fancy magazine.”
“That’s all Callie,” I say slyly. “She likes doing that kind of stuff, so he let her when he moved in. Speaking of, where is she right now?”
“I haven’t the slightest,” Will says coolly. “Most likely torturing some poor soul in a shop somewhere.”
“Or,” Jonah says, “downstairs with your father and Astrid, wondering why you haven’t checked in yet.”
I resist the urge to chortle. “How do you know that? Can you feel her all the way down there?”
Oh man, that dimple is taunting me. I want to kiss it so badly right now. “Actually, I can, but Kellan told me. He got there about five minutes ago.”
Will’s sigh is that of a long-suffering man. But then, a familiar ringtone sounds from his phone. Becca’s calling.
A two thousand ton elephant enters the room with us. All of the teasing and laughter we’d built up goes flying away and all that’s left is gross discomfort and sadness.
I reach forward and squeeze his shoulder before Jonah and I leave him to take the call in private. I can’t help but worry, wonder why she’s calling and how he’s doing with all of these changes. The girl he fell in love with as a child is healed now, thanks to Cora. She’s healthy and in possession of all her memories of their rich history together and all the mistakes she made.
I may tease him about whatever it is he and Callie are or aren’t feeling toward each other, but it isn’t fair—not until he resolves whatever it is that lingers behind with the girl he lost his heart to at such a young age, only to have her cheat on him with his best friend and get pregnant. And now, Grant’s dead and so is the baby, and for years Becca was confined to a wheelchair and a breathing machine with only snatches of memories and a stranglehold built on obligations and history that refused to let Will move on.
She wants him back. And he doesn’t know how he feels about it. It’s a tough thing, watching someone you love struggle so much with their demons and emotions and know there’s nothing you can do to help them but simply just be there for them.
Unfortunately, I’m forced to watch these things happen way too often, so I know this feeling well.
“Think the renovators will be upset that I’ll be finishing their work for them?”
We’re in the living room, surveying our options as we wait for Will. From behind, Jonah winds his arms around me, his chin settling on my shoulder. “They’ll get paid no matter what, so I’m thinking no.” A lingering kiss presses against my cheek; tiny, happy wings beat against my heart at this sweet touch. “You don’t have to do everything right now, you know. No big decisions need to be made.”
“Are you really okay with Will and Cameron moving in?”
“Yes,” he tells me. “But just to let you know, Kellan offered to have them live with him downstairs. I think Cameron is leaning toward that.”