Three months later
The keys jangled in Aubrey’s hand, making this a reality.
She strode up the walkway with Selina, hand in hand. The place before them was a beautiful two-story town house right near Renegades with red trim and white paneling. There was enough space inside for a workout room for Aubrey, a guest bedroom, and the one they’d be sharing.
Move in day had arrived.
Selina squeezed Aubrey’s hand. “I’m glad we’re taking this step.”
“Well, I’m petrified,” Aubrey muttered. “I haven’t lived with anyone since Lila, and we all saw how spectacularly that went.”
Selina nudged her in the side. “What about me makes you think I’m a vanishing in the night type? This girl wants roots, remember?”
“So they all say, until the hairdresser calls them out on their faux ombre,” Aubrey shot back, trying to deflect her nerves. The past three months had been a total dream. She and Selina spent every night together, at one place or the other, and beyond the insane chemistry and extraordinary amount of time fucking, Aubrey just enjoyed coming home to someone. Selina’s admission from back at the shore had lingered, and it was true how having someone to return home to, someone to brew coffee for in the morning made a difference.
So when her lease came up around the same time as Selina’s, she hadn’t hesitated in offering that they go in on a place together. Seemed like a great idea at the time, but the closer they got to the move-in date, the more those jitters amplified.
What if Mom got sick and Selina bailed? What if she failed at being a decent girlfriend? What if Selina’s three cats hated living with her and devoured her in her sleep?
The last one was the only one she’d admitted on a regular basis, even though Selina managed to pry the other two worries from her. Each time, they’d talk it out until she landed on stable ground again. She’d never in her life met someone who grounded her like Selina did.
Aubrey stopped in front of the door, lifting her key hand. “Guess this is it.”
“You realize we’re entering our new place, not a funeral, right?” Selina responded, her tone dry in a way Aubrey always adored. An amused smirk hovered on her lips.
Aubrey shot her a look. “What if everything breaks on the first day and—”
Selina placed a finger over her mouth. “Turn the key, and let’s step inside. Worries can take a back seat right now.”
Aubrey huffed a breath against Selina’s finger, the weight of their decision making her shiver. She lifted her brows. “Or we could just make out here on the doorstep for a while.”
“In, sunshine,” Selina commanded, pointing to the door.
“Right,” Aubrey said, slipping the key into the slot. She opened the door, and the world didn’t burst into flames. She took the first steps into their town house and didn’t collapse into a wreck on the floor. In fact, with each step into the tan-carpeted open living room, those worries dripped to the floor like hot wax. The sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled beams onto the pale carpets, tiny dust motes floating through like fairies.
Selina slipped her hand in Aubrey’s, standing beside her. “Hey,” she said, her voice soft and filled with emotion as she nudged her in the side again. “This place is ours, babe.”
Aubrey swallowed thickly as she surveyed the place before her. Even though they hadn’t filled it with their things yet, she could already imagine lazy Monday nights on the couch cuddled up with Selina, fucking her against every wall in this house, and spending time in the kitchen making meals together. The more she envisioned a future here, in this place, the less terrifying it seemed.
A grin broke out on her lips, elation bubbling inside her as she squeezed Selina’s hand tight.
“We’re home.”
Looking for more F/F romances? Check out the final book in the Rehoboth Pact series, Restrained Desires. Not yet read book one? Pick up Confined Desires today! Plus check out Katherine’s M/M romance Midnight Heist.