Page 104 of Carter

He grins smartly. I wrap my arm around his waist and pull him to me. Our jackets are thick, so I can’t feel much ofhim,but I do feel his lips when they meet mine. They’re cold, but still as soft as usual.

“So, what do we have left to do?” he asks, his breath making puffs of smoke in the air.

“Just the fire pit. Should be easy.”

I open the box and he pulls out the directions and then the pieces. We work well putting it together, and soon enough, we have a brand-new fire pit.

We step back and take a look.

“Good job,” he says, nudging me with his elbow.

“You too.” I put my arm around him and tug him to my side. “Easier than cooking.”

Carter barks a laugh. “Yeah, it really was.”

We stay there for a few moments, looking around at the backyard and our handy work.

“What do you think about a garden?” he asks.

“A garden? What the hell do you think I am?”

He chuckles. “It would look nice in that back corner over there.” He points to the corner opposite the shed where there is a big open space.

“I can’t grow things,” I say.

He looks up at me. “I can.”

I think he’s saying something without saying something. And whatever it is, it’s fine. I want it. If it has to do with him, if it’s something he wants, I’ll do it.

“Okay then. When it gets warmer, we’ll get a garden.”

We go through our normal routine. Make dinner together. Eat together. Find a movie and cuddle on the couch. It’s crazy that we’ve only been doing this for a week because it feels like we’ve been doing it forever and not in a bad way. It’s just so easy.

“I like this,” I say.

Carter looks up at me, seeming shocked. “You do?”

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t be doing it otherwise.”

“Well, I figured, but you don’t usually say stuff like that.”

“Like what?”

He shrugs. “Like… stuff with us.”

“What do you mean?”

He sits up, putting a little space between us but it doesn’t feel bad. It’s just so we can see each other while we talk.

“Well, I always assume you like being with me, having me over, watching movies, all the stuff we do, but you don’t actually say it. It’s not a problem, but sometimes I wonder. I just want to be sure that we’re on the same page.”

“We are.”

“You never, uh… you never initiate anything, so…”

I turn to face him more, lifting my leg up onto the couch so I can face him fully.

“It’s not because I don’t want to, I just don’t want to assume you’re okay with what I want.”