Page 110 of A is for Aftercare

“Interrupt what?” Lexi asks, staring up at us.

“Work,” Blake says, saving us both. “Hamish works from home.”

“Because he writes books?”

“Yes.”

“Are you still his PA?” Lexi asks me.

“No. I start my new job on Monday.”

I could have started earlier, but Hamish wanted me to stay on and train up my replacement. Hopefully, he’s past breaking his PAs. It’s only been a month since he asked me to move in with him, so I’m lucky to have found a job so soon. I’ll be working for the manager of a wine company, which will be a vastly different experience from working with Hamish. I’m going to miss working with him every day, but again, it was the right and sensible decision to separate our personal and work lives. I can still be his muse outside of work hours.

A knock on the door filters up through the house to us.

“That’ll be the removal van,” I say.

It seems a bit overkill, but as none of us drives, it’s the easiest way to get my things to Hamish’s. Not that I’ve got that much stuff beyond clothes and books. We each pick up a box and walk downstairs. Even Lexi helps, carrying my pillow for me. The driver helps, and in only a few minutes, all my belongings are in the back of his small white van. The plan is for me to go with him.

I take the house key off my keyring and hand it to Corey. “You’ll need to give this back to the letting agent when you leave.”

“You could keep it until then,” Corey suggests.

“It’s only a couple of weeks,” I remind him. “And if I’m coming to visit, one of you will be home.”

Corey takes the key, his eyes shimmering. “You’ve made me tearful,” he mutters roughly.

I pull all three of them into a hug. “We’ll always be the ABC triplets.” We’ll always be close. I know we will. We don’t need to live together to have each other’s backs. “I love you.”

“Yeah, we love you too,” Blake says. “Now go before we all start bawling our eyes out.”

“Hamish is waiting for you,” Corey says.

“Bye, Uncle Archie,” Lexi says. “I’ll miss you.”

As I climb into the cab of the van, it really does feel like I'm about to move to Timbuktu rather than the other side of London. It's odd because as Corey said, I haven't spent much time at home since Hamish and I became a couple. But now I won't have that safety net anymore. It's scary but also exciting. I'm ready to start my new life with Hamish, even though I'm sad that means I won't be living with Blake, Corey, and Lexi anymore.

I've only ever gone to Hamish's on public transport, so it surprises me that it takes so long for us to drive there. I text Hamish when we're almost there so he can open the gates. He's waiting at the bottom of his garden and greets me with a kiss as I jump out of the van's cab.

"Did everything go okay?"

“Yes, Sir.”

The three of us work together to take my belongings inside and up to one of the spare bedrooms. Hamish pays the driver, and then he helps me unpack some things. My books go straight onto one of his bookshelves, my signed copy ofDougie Clarke and the Masked Bandittaking pride of place.

“Happy?” Hamish asks, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind me.

I lean back against his chest. “Very, Sir.”

I’ve been anticipating this day for weeks, and now it’s here, it doesn’t quite feel real. It should. My clothes are all away in Hamish’s bedroom—ourbedroom. There’s a photo of me, Blake, Corey, and Lexi downstairs in the living space. My favourite mug is in the kitchen cupboard, snuggling up next to Hamish’s mug. There’snothingmore ‘couply’ than that.

“This is your home now,” Hamish whispers as though he understands the way I’m feeling.

Let’s face it. He probably does. He knows me better than I know myself, which is what makes him such a good Dom and partner.

“I wanted to ask you something.” He turns me around and cups my face in his hands.

I stare up at him expectantly, holding my breath. I have no clue what he’s going to ask, but my heart has gone into overdrive.