Page 6 of Little Hidden Fears

“Why?”

“She’s pushing me to move in together.”

Seemed a little soon to me.

“You two haven’t been dating long,” I said. “Four months, right?”

“Five, and I agree, it hasn’t been long enough. Ask me, any talk about shacking up needs to wait until we hit the year mark.”

“How did you respond when she suggested you two move in together?”

“I said I wasn’t ready, and ... well, it wasn’t the response she wanted, that’s for sure. She flipped out, started ranting about how she couldn’t stay in a relationship with a person who didn’t love her as much as she loved them.”

How passive-aggressive of her.

“It’s not true,” he continued. “I’ve loved that woman from the moment I laid eyes on her. I just don’t see the need to rush things, you know? If we’re meant to be together, we will be. What’s the rush?”

He leaned against his desk, crossed one leg in front of the other, and sighed, and I tried to muster up some words of encouragement.

“Maybe Lana just needs a little time to process the conversation you had last night,” I said.

He shrugged. “Maybe. Doesn’t feel good, though. Hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since our little tiff, and I miss her like crazy.”

“How did the conversation end?”

“She stormed out of my house, slammed the door, and drove off.”

“Have you been in contact since then?”

He swished a hand through the air. “Nah, figured she needs some space to sort through her feelings. I’ll be honest, I’m bummed out. I thought we had something special, something different than the ladies I’ve been with in the past.”

Different was good.

We’d been friends for years, and while he’d dated here and there, he didn’t commit to women often, which led me to believe he’d end up a lifelong bachelor. He’d always been a free spirit, a man who didn’t like being tied to anything for too long ... well tied down to anything other than his surfboard.

“How is Lana different than the other women you’ve dated?” I asked.

“It’s the connection we have—orhad,I guess. Never felt anything like it. She’s the best thing that’s ever come into my life ... aside from you, I mean.”

He offered me a cheeky grin, and we both laughed.

“Have you told Lana how you feel about her?” I asked.

“I’ve said things here and there, sure.”

“Have you told her what you just told me?”

“No, guess I haven’t.”

“Why not?”

“I get a little tongue-tied talking to her about deep stuff. I get nervous around her—butterflies, you know? It’s different, talking to you. We’re buddies. We have history.”

“We do. Lots of good memories over the years.”

“With Lana, we’re still in those early days of getting to know each other. I’ve been a little paranoid about messing up, and for good reason. I just did.”

“Relationships aren’t perfect. She should know that. If she wants to move in, it tells me she’s trying to create a future with you, which isn’t a bad thing, even if the timing isn’t right.”