Belle half grinned, half grimaced. “Pipwasthe boss I was talking about.”
A smile spread across his face, that slow, wolfish grin that always made her heart skip a beat. “We’ll talk to her, too. After Viv gets home.”
Pip and Vivian lived in the next neighborhood over. Vivian and Phil had bought the house because they loved the idea of having family so close. Now, it made things convenient, because Belle’s “commute” to work would be very, very quick. She could drive to Viv’s place in five minutes, and if she managed to get her ass out of bed early some mornings, she could even walk there, using the twenty-minute stroll to hit her daily steps. Honestly, on nights when Victor was on the road, she’d probably stay in her old room at Vivian’s, as it would slowly help ease Pip into the new living situation.
Belle felt a flutter of excitement mingled with anxiety. The thought of living with Victor—of combining their worlds—was thrilling, but she didn’t want to rush things. Of course, five years of knowing each other could be considered moving at a snail’s pace. And the idea of waking up next to him every morning felt…right.
Then, Belle thought about the life they’d already started to build this summer. Not just a life of romance and sex but one of practicality, shared routines, divided chores, and support. They worked well as a team, in pretty much all aspects of daily life.
“We should probably come up with a game plan,” Belle said. “Because Pip’s going to have opinions about me moving in with you, and knowing her, they’ll be strong.”
Victor chuckled. “I’m sure they will be. We’ll rope in Viv on the discussion with us. She’ll help us find a way to assure Pip that things won’t change that much. And if we can’t convince her through words, I’ll buy her agreement. Chip in the rest of the money for that damn Disney World trip.”
Belle snorted. “Spoken like a true spoiling uncle. Of course, if you’re buying agreements, I’m thinking I should rescind mydecision to move in here. At least until you throw tickets to Universal and Discovery Cove into the Orlando trip.”
Victor scowled. “Done. And no more jokes about not moving in with me.”
“Done,” she replied, winking. “I think you’re right. Approaching Pip with Viv is a good idea.”
“We’ll handle it together, whatever it takes. I’m not losing you to logistics or fear.” Victor leaned toward her, reaching out for her hand. Only a few feet separated their chairs, so it was an easy thing for him to hold her hand, his thumb brushing the top of it.
“I’m not going anywhere, Victor.”
They stayed that way, simply holding hands, letting the quiet fill in the gaps that words couldn’t reach. There was something comforting in the rhythm of his gentle stroking, in the trust they’d slowly built over the past month, touch by touch. This was the kind of intimacy that didn’t need fireworks or grand gestures. It was quiet, steady, unshakeable.
She picked up her wineglass, taking a sip. Victor followed suit, drinking the beer she’d brought out for him.
“So that’s the living situation sorted. Do you have any other concerns we should discuss?” she asked.
Victor’s gaze softened. “What about hockey season? Will it bother you to be alone so much of the year?”
Belle shook her head. She had pulled her hair free from the ponytail she’d worn all day when she came outside. Now, it fell over her shoulder. “No. Victor, I’m not like Amelia. I’m fine being on my own. I like it, even. And Vivian and Pip only live a few miles away, so it’s not like I’ll becompletelyalone. If I want company, I’ll just go hang out with them.”
“Plus, we can talk every day,” he added, like he was still trying to convince her, even though she’d just assured him she was fine. “It’s not like I haven’t watched enough of myteammates FaceTiming with their girlfriends from the road. Now,I’llbe one of those happy bastards.” Victor’s grin was unapologetically cocky, the kind of smile that made her weak at the knees. It was a good thing she was sitting down.
“A happy bastard, huh? I like the sound of that. Because I have to admit…your smiles are my kryptonite.”
Victor flashed her an even wider grin. “The panty-dropping kind of kryptonite?”
She smacked his arm. “You just have to walk into the room for those to fall. It’s becoming a problem.”
Victor shook his head. “Trust me when I say, that’s not a problem at all.”
Belle ran her finger around the rim of her wineglass. “I’m worried about leaving Viv on her own,” she admitted softly. She’d had plenty of times over the past few weeks to let her anxieties pile up. Now that they’d started the ball rolling on talking, she didn’t want to hold back any of her fears. “She depends on me, and I don’t want her to feel abandoned.”
Victor’s voice was gentle and certain. “Vivian wasn’t ready before. But with this trip…I think she’s realized she’s capable of more than she believes. I can hear it in her voice when she FaceTimes us. She’s strong. I mean, she’s always been strong. I just think she’s ready to truly start moving on. She’ll be okay.”
Belle nodded, but her expression must have proven she wasn’t completely convinced. She was a champion when it came to feeling guilty about shit. She hated the idea of ever letting someone she loved down, and as a result, she fretted more than her fair share over it.
“Sunshine. You’re not abandoning her. You’re just living your life. Besides, it’s not like peacing out and moving across country. Like you said, we’re only a few miles away and we’re going to be there for her. Always.”
“That’s true,” she said, letting his words soothe her. The two of them relaxed back into their chairs, their gazes turning toward the yard and the trees and the starry sky. Belle tilted her head back, thinking of all the worries she’d been carrying around the past month—the future, his feelings, Pip and Viv. They had been fools not to talk about it before; this conversation was going a long way toward smoothing the rough edges.
“You went quiet,” Victor said, after nearly ten minutes had passed. “What are you thinking about?”
“Everything,” she admitted. “I keep imagining what it’ll be like. Us, together, like this…all the time.”
Victor hummed, a contented sound that told her he liked the idea of that. “You’re planning a lifetime in your head,” he mused.