Page 33 of Room to Spare (The Fixer Upper #2)

With a parting wave, Jules made their way down the street, the familiar path to Shelf Care Central promising a refuge from the storm of thoughts raging through their mind.

The beat of their footsteps matched the racing of their heart, each step drawing them closer to the solace they hoped to find within familiar surroundings.

The bell above the bookstore’s door tinkled softly as Jules stepped inside, the scent of old paper and wood polish immediately enveloping them in a comforting embrace.

The bookstore belonged to Ollie’s family, a quaint haven nestled on a side street that seemed a world apart from the bustling energy of Main Street.

In a time when some said physical bookstores were headed the way of the record store, there was always a handful of people perusing the shelves for their next read.

Ollie looked up from behind the counter, a welcoming smile breaking across their face. “Hey, stranger! What brings you to the lair of books and dust?”

Jules chuckled, the warmth of Ollie’s friendship soothing their frazzled nerves. They were grateful he was working here today instead of at the bakery. It was much more laid-back and peaceful, allowing them to ask Ollie to tell them they were being stupid.

“I needed some quiet,” they admitted, fingers trailing along the spine of a hardcover novel. “And maybe a bit of advice.”

“Ah, I see. The oracle is in,” Ollie teased, gesturing for Jules to join them at a cozy reading nook near the front of the shop.

Jules settled into a well-worn armchair, pulling their knees up to their chest after toeing off their shoes.

The familiar setting wrapped around them like a favorite sweater, providing a sense of safety they desperately needed.

“Keaton took me to see the new apartment building today,” they began, their voice a mix of excitement and trepidation.

Ollie raised an eyebrow, their curiosity piqued. “And? How was it?”

“It’s incredible,” Jules admitted, their gaze drifting to the window where sunlight streamed in, painting the floor with soft golden hues. “The space is amazing, and the way he’s designed it… It feels like he’s thought of everything I’d need.”

“But?” Ollie prompted gently, leaning forward with genuine interest.

“But I guess I’m confused about how excited he was,” Jules confessed, their voice catching on the words.

“We’ve got this great thing going, but once I move in there, I’ll be his tenant, not his roommate.

And I know it’s not normal to basically move in with someone and start dating them all in the same month, but now this feels like a huge step backward.

Like he’ll realize I was more convenience than anything else once I’m not there every night. ”

“First of all, there’s a reason people joke about lesbians going to the U-Haul store on the second date.

It’s not as uncommon as you might think.

” Ollie’s expression softened, their empathy evident in the gentle way they regarded Jules.

“But seriously, I get that change is scary. That doesn’t mean it’s bad.

And you’re fooling yourself if you think he’s only using you as a bed warmer.

If that boy’s not already head over heels for you, he’s sliding down that hill.

The way he looks at you makes me hate you just a little bit. ”

Jules let out a shaky breath, their fingers fidgeting with the fabric of their sleeve. “I’m not so sure about that. Tell me I’m stupid and overthinking this?”

Ollie nodded, tapping their chin thoughtfully. “Oh, you’re absolutely overthinking this, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have your eyes wide open. Have you…? Oh, I don’t know, tried talking to him about what you’re feeling?”

Jules considered Ollie’s words, the anxiety in their chest loosening just a fraction.

“I wanted to talk to you first. He was so excited walking me through the building today. I couldn’t be the bucket of ice water.

And get this… He wants me to paint a mural in the lobby. And he wants to pay me for it.”

“That’s amazing!” Ollie replied with a grin.

“So let me get this straight. You have a man who looks at you like he wants to hang the moon for you every night, he’s building a kick-ass apartment for you, and he’s pushing you to finally do something we’ve been telling you to do for a long time? I’m failing to see the issue here.”

Of course he was. Ollie needed to get his nose out of the romance novels he was addicted to.

He saw the hero in every good-looking guy in town, to the point he loved making up stories for them in his mind.

It was amusing most of the time, but when it was Jules having a crisis, it was far less entertaining.

“It feels too good to be true,” Jules admitted. “When Mom and Dad said they were selling the farm and moving, I thought everything was falling apart. I don’t want Keaton to think I need him to be some white knight, saving me and showing me that I can have everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”

“Why the hell not?” Ollie scoffed. He leaned forward, taking Jules’s hands in his. “Honey, you deserve this. You’ve kissed the frogs, you’ve tried being Mx. Independent, you’ve even done the whole starving artist thing. Maybe it’s time for you to find your happily ever after.”

“You seriously need to branch out and read something else,” Jules teased. “Maybe a good psychological thriller? Reality isn’t a fairy tale.”

“No, but it could be if you let it.” No one would ever convince Ollie that fairy tales didn’t come true.

That was probably why he was still single.

He was constantly comparing the guys he met to the boys in his books, and none of them stood a chance.

“You can laugh at me if you want, but I’d rather take a chance on something amazing that’s right in front of me than try to find all the flaws that don’t exist. How can you be so free-spirited in almost every aspect of your life, and the second emotions come into the equation, you’re like a scientist dissecting everything? ”

“Natural talent, I guess.” And this was why Jules came to Ollie when their brain was a jumbled mess.

He didn’t pussyfoot around or tell Jules what they wanted to hear.

And maybe he was right. Maybe Jules did need to accept that they deserved someone like Keaton, even with the great apartment, the opportunity to create a mural for his project, and the scorching hot sex they had several nights a week.

They let out a heavy sigh. “But what happens if?—”

“Nope. None of that,” Ollie cut them off.

“Get your ass home to your sexy man and say thank you. If you’re truly freaking out that your relationship is too new to survive you two not living under the same roof, maybe that’s something you could bring up to him.

It sounds to me like moving out is exactly what you need to prove to yourself that this is real. ”

“He’ll think I’m too needy and clingy if I tell him that. Keaton likes his space.”

“Hmmm, and he still opened his home to you when you weren’t having any luck finding a place. Shouldn’t that tell you all you need to know?” Someone walked up to the counter, effectively ending their friend-therapy session. “Go. Talk to him. You can thank me later.”

“We’ll see about that.” Jules didn’t sound convinced, but they did feel slightly better than they had earlier.

They were being silly. Ollie was right. Keaton wasn’t the type of guy who offered things if he wasn’t serious.

And the fact that Keaton wanted them to be a part of his life, including get-togethers with his friends, should tell them all they needed to know.

Jules returned to the apartment much later than planned, their mind still buzzing with Ollie’s words. The living area was softly illuminated, casting a warm, inviting glow over the room. Keaton looked up from his spot on the couch, offering a smile that made Jules’s heart flip-flop in their chest.

“Hey, you,” he greeted, his voice soothing Jules’s earlier anxiety. He held out a hand that Jules eagerly took, allowing him to pull them onto the couch. “How was the bookstore?”

“Exactly what I needed,” Jules replied, kicking off their shoes. They settled against Keaton’s side, leaning into the comfort he offered so effortlessly. “I had a good talk with Ollie.”

Keaton’s arm slipped around Jules’s shoulders, pulling them closer. “That’s good to hear. Everything okay?”

Jules hesitated for a moment, their thoughts still swirling from the roller coaster of emotions they’d ridden all day.

But in the quiet safety of home, it seemed easier to voice the fears that had been clinging like shadows.

“I’ve been thinking about the new apartment,” they admitted, their words tentative yet determined.

Keaton’s hold on them tightened slightly, a silent assurance. “And?” he prompted, his tone gentle and encouraging.

“I guess I’m nervous about what it means for us,” Jules confessed, meeting Keaton’s steady gaze.

“I love what we’re building here, but I worry about how things might change once I move out.

It’s easy to spend time together when we live under the same roof, but once I’m on the other side of town, I worry we’ll both get busy with life and this won’t last.”

Keaton was silent for a moment, processing Jules’s admission with a thoughtfulness that was so quintessentially him.

“I get it,” he said finally, his voice steady and sincere.

“Change is scary. But the way I see it, this is just another step forward for us. I don’t want us to lose what we have.

I want us to keep growing. That said, you’re not the only person who’s scared. ”

“You? Seriously?” Jules had suspected Keaton worked hard to make it appear as if he was unflappable. Hearing this vulnerability from him was reassuring.

Keaton shifted on the couch, moving Jules so they were half-lying down with their head on his chest. It seemed both of them realized this conversation would be easier without looking at the other.

“Absolutely. Like you said, what we’re doing has been easy so far.

The biggest thing that always held me back from going out on dates and such was time.

I’ve been so busy trying to keep the business as successful as when my dad ran it that I ignored anything social other than dinner with Luke on Thursdays, but that doesn’t count because he’s the type of asshole who has no issue dragging me out if I try canceling on him. ”

Jules chuckled because they’d seen just how persistent Luke could be. Before he continued, Keaton pressed a tender kiss to Jules’s forehead.

“But then you came along, and you were just…here. And the more I watched you, the more I realized I don’t mind sharing my space with you.

” That wasn’t a swoon-worthy declaration of love, but Jules understood what he meant.

“God, you were a distraction. Every time I looked at you, I wanted to kiss you. When you sat at the other end of the couch, I wanted to drag you over here so we could lie just like this. And finally, I couldn’t resist you any longer. ”

Okay, so maybe the swoon just needed time to warm up a bit.

“And from there, everything felt natural,” Keaton continued. He took a deep breath. “But what happens once you have space of your own? I worry you’ll realize how amazing you are and you’ll find someone better. Someone you don’t have to worry about hyper-fixating on work.”

“Not going to happen,” Jules assured him. It was funny how certain they were about this when they’d been conjuring up every possible worst-case scenario all day.

“It sounds like maybe the best thing for both of us then is to let the other know when something’s bothering us so we can work through it.”

That was such a simple solution. But was it too easy? Just like everything else had been between them?

“You’ll keep your key to this place so you can push me away from the table and climb into my lap if I’m paying attention to work in the evenings instead of you, and since I’ll have the master key to your place, I’ll be sure to use it.

I want you, Jules, and where you live isn’t going to change that.

I want us to have a long, happy future together.

But I have to believe it’ll be better if we both know we’re together because it’s what we want, not simply a matter of convenience and comfort. ”

Jules’s heart gave a little leap at Keaton’s words, the sincerity in his eyes dispelling some of the fear that had lingered. “I want that too,” they murmured, feeling the weight of their insecurities begin to lift. “I just needed to hear you say it.”

Keaton smiled, his expression warm and reassuring. “Well, I’m saying it. And I’m all in, Jules. Whatever happens next, we’ll figure it out together.”

The simplicity of his promise was like a balm, soothing Jules’s fears and replacing them with a renewed sense of hope. They leaned into Keaton’s embrace, their heart full with the knowledge that they weren’t alone in this journey.

“You know,” Jules said after a moment, their voice light with playful mischief, “I might have to hold you to that mural offer. Ollie says I should start charging for my art, and who am I to argue when two of the people I trust most are telling me the same thing?”

Keaton chuckled, the sound a comforting rumble beneath Jules’s cheek. “You’re going to do amazing things with that space, Jules. I can’t wait to see it. And just so you know, when the time comes for us to live together because we choose to, I have plans for that too.”

“Of course you do,” Jules teased. Keaton had a plan for just about everything. He wasn’t a go-with-the-flow type of guy.

The evening settled around them, the air infused with the promise of possibility and shared dreams. They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other’s presence, content to let the world outside continue its ceaseless rush while they remained anchored in the tranquility they’d found together.