"It will," I said, surer than I felt.
"Fingers crossed. I just got here. I'd like to be able to stay."
"I'd like that, too," I agreed, kissing her. I could get used to coming home to her. Even if she wasn't there when I did get home, it would be good knowing that she would be soon.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"Do you want to order something in?"
"No," she said smiling. "I cooked."
She was in the kitchen when I joined her ten minutes later. I had been up in the morning to get to the facility before she had gotten up, so I had just eaten a bowl of instant oatmeal standing by the sink before leaving. The dining table I had told Rachel I'd never use was all set up. Two place settings, a bowl full of salad, and dishes I was certain I hadn't seen in my life.
"Do you need help?" I called into the kitchen. She asked me to get the salmon out of the oven. We were eating it with baked potatoes and pasta salad.
"Are these new?" I asked when she walked into the dining room.
"Some of them. You didn't have anything that could go in the oven," she said. "Is this okay?"
"You know you don't have to cook, right?"
"I want to. Especially now before I start classes and might not be able to anymore." With her around, at some point, this place would start feeling like home. I poured us both some water as we sat down. I definitely wasn't complaining if what she wanted to do was cook dinner every night. I liked it. That was a good thing. It would probably save money on restaurant food anyway and her coo
king was good. It would just take getting used to.
This was a change for both of us, even if it was a good change. I didn't want this to feel like work for her, like she was trapped. I had already had some time to get used to this place. Now it was her turn.
"Do you have any idea about your course load this semester?"
"Nope," she shook her head. "I might be looking at some course repeats because there's a chance not everything transfers, but I might be able to ask during the campus visit."
"Don't take too many," I said.
"Why? So I can be here every night before you to cook dinner?" she asked slyly.
"No. Because you're in a new city. Why would you spend all your time studying? I know you've always wanted to be near the water."
"I also want to get all this book learning done off top so I can take some time off," she said.
"You just spent all of the summer in school. You can take it easy this semester."
"We'll see," she said shrugging.
"Are you happy?"
"I'm excited. I never thought I'd be transferring out. Finishing my degree somewhere else."
"I am, too," I said, honestly.
That had to become my new priority. Making sure this was the right move for her, for us. I needed to make sure that whatever was happening, it was what she wanted and there was nowhere else she would have rather been. It was a tall task, but I was up for it. I already knew what it was like to be without her and nothing, nothing would get me to go back.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Veronica
I rolled onto my back and stretched my arms out. I could feel a breeze, like the balcony had been left open. I opened my eyes and squinted around the room. It was still pretty dark, save for the early morning light from the sun rising. My arm stretched across the bed, not even touching Roman. It was a big bed, but I knew he was up already.
I leaned up on my elbows looking around the room. The bedroom was empty, but the light in the closet was on. I could hear rustling and movement in there. He must have opened up the balcony. It wasn't cold. It was sort of nice since it was so warm here anyway, but it had woken me up.