On the Rocks (Mixology #2)(16)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

I rubbed my eyes, trying to get used to the bright sun. “Hey, I didn’t know you were up.”

“I didn’t know you were asleep.” She laughed before leaning back in the chair. “I was thinking about getting the rest of my stuff from my old room today. That way I can surprise Colin and you can get ready to move in whenever you want.”

“That’s a great idea. Want me to come help?” I needed something to do anyway. I couldn’t just laze around the house all day.

“I don’t have much more to get, but I’d appreciate the company.” She stood up. “Do you want to get changed first?”

“Oh, I might just keep this on.” I slipped a beach cover up on over my bikini. “I was thinking about heading down to the ocean later.”

“You know what, I might change too. That sounds like fun.” She headed toward the door. “Oh, and do you want to bring over anything with you? It might save you a trip.”

“Good idea.” I collected my towel and followed her in through the French doors.

I grabbed one of my large suitcases that I still hadn’t opened. I wasn’t exactly sure when I was going to officially move in, but it couldn’t hurt to start moving something over.

I wheeled my suitcase out the front door and down the stairs before resting it on the ground next to Maddy’s car. Her car was blocking mine in, so taking hers was the easiest option. When Maddy didn’t come out right away, I leaned back against her trunk.

“Hey, sorry.” Maddy met me at the car a few minutes later. She looked slightly pale.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just still a little under the weather I guess.” She popped the trunk and I tossed my suitcase in.

“Okay.” I decided not to press further. It wasn’t exactly my place.

She unlocked the doors, and we got in. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

I tried to read between the lines of her words. “Moving in with Colin officially?”

“Yeah. We lived together in Paris, and I’ve spent practically every night at his house, but this feels different.” She pulled out of the driveway.

“A good different?” Please be a good different, I said over and over to myself. I glanced at my phone. The first chance I had I was texting Colin. I needed to know how the visit went.

“A very good different. I just never pictured myself as the girl who moved in with a guy like this before marriage.”

“Really?” Maddy didn’t strike me as the most traditional girl.

“Yeah. I don’t know. It just wasn’t the way I envisioned things.”

“Life’s full of surprises like that.” I tried to keep my cool, but I was dying to talk to Colin. If she was talking that way, it meant she’d want the proposal. She wanted to get married. I was practically bursting at the seam.

She glanced over at me as she slowed to let some pedestrians J-walk. Maddy was too nice that way. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I wasn’t very good at hiding things from people. Colin just needed to propose so everything was out in the open.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Her words seemed like they came out of nowhere, but I appreciated them. It was nice to be wanted somewhere. Before long we pulled into the lot of the condo.

I moved to pull my bag out of the trunk, but Maddy stopped me. “Macon or Brody can get it. Those stairs are steeper when you’re lugging something up with you.”

“Oh. I can handle it.” I was okay making my brother do the lifting for me, but otherwise I wasn’t into guys helping me with everything.

“If you’re sure.” She locked her car and headed toward the stairs. I followed behind. Half a flight up I regretted the decision to lug my suitcase myself. The sweltering heat and the way the wheels managed to get wedged in the gap of each stair made the process feel endless.

“Here, let me help.” Maddy reached for it.

“Nope. It’s my bag.” I stubbornly refused her assistance.

She shrugged and took off up the rest of the stairs. Before I made it three steps more the bag was pulled from my hand.

“Next time just ask me to get it from downstairs.”

“I can handle my own bag, Brody.” I didn’t know Brody well yet, but he seemed like such a nice guy. I couldn’t understand how a guy like that was single. Tall, attractive, sweet, and he could cook? He’d be lots of girls’ dream. He wasn’t the star of my dreams though. That position belonged to Macon as of late. Having those thoughts about your new roommate probably wasn’t a good thing.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll take it from here.” He easily carried the bag up the final flight. I let out a silent sigh of relief. Hopefully I’d regain the feeling in my arm eventually.

Maddy was already in her room, or I guess it was my room now, when we walked in. I didn’t hear Macon, so I assumed he was at work or something.

She emptied out the last drawer and picked up a few odds and ends from around the room. “I think that’s it. I’ve moved the rest over already.”

“This whole trip was for that?” I could have brought her the bag anytime.

“Yeah, I needed to just do it. I feel like I’ve been dragging my feet this whole time.” She sat down on the bed. She’d striped off the sheets already, and both clean sets sat in a neat pile on the dresser. I guess she didn’t need extra twin sheets.

“Can I be nosy for a second?” I sat down next to her. The mattress felt firm which boded well for some good nights of sleep.

“Sure, I already know what you’re going to ask.”

“You do?”

“You want to know why I’ve been so reluctant to move in fully with Colin.”

I folded my hands in my lap. “That pretty much sums it up.”

“I guess I was scared. Sometimes I can’t believe it’s possible to feel as strongly about him as I do.”

“But that’s a good thing, right? I mean isn’t it great to feel that way?” I wouldn’t know. I’d never been in love before. At least not the kind of ‘I want to spend my life with someone’ love.

“It is, but it’s also terrifying. It’s like suddenly my decisions, and the things I want aren’t just mine.” She looked away for a second. “I’m afraid of letting him down.” She whispered the last words.

“Letting him down?” I turned toward her. “How would you do that?”