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94 To Pack or Not to Pack?

"Maybe this is aI never did with Vic I’d never lived with anyone, save thosea red Starbucks cup, her elbow knocking Benta’s arether, what … three months?"

"Two and a half, exclusively" I corrected "But we’ve dated since…" I scrunched up my face and tried to think "July"

"Carlos moved in with me after three months," Benta unhelpfully supplied

"Exactly And we all remember hoell that social experiment turned out" Benta and Carlos lasted three weeks after hefor them to come to the conclusion that they, in fact, hated each other

"You knohat the issue was?" Caernail in Benta’s direction I waited for this gee with all the excitement of a root canal "Carlos irl uy Otherwise, you feel like he’s a freeloader"

"Didn’t you guys split the rent?" I looked at Benta, who nodded through a mouthful of--damn her--my cookie

"It doesn’t matter," Cammie said "Call it tradition, patriarchy, whatever A woman wants a provider, and you don’t feel that way if he’s suddenly taking over half your closet" This co frouys won’t have that proble in with him And plus…" she popped a peppermint into her mouth, "you’ll save on rent!" She beamed, like she had ever once worried over a rent payment

But … she did have a point Now that Nicole was back home and settled, the plan was for me to quit on Monday I’d offer to work a final teeks, but Nicole would most likely kick me out the door Unemployed just in time for the holidays JOY It would help the situation if I didn’t have to worry about rent But was that really a reason to uy? I voiced the question

"What you need to think about," Benta reasoned, "is if you would move in with him if your rent stayed the saood to go"

It was kind of a stupid hypothetical because I couldn’t even decide if I shouldthe same, but I understood her point

"It’s the next step," Cammie said "Either you and Carter are serious about each other or you aren’t If you are, then you need to know if you can live together" She blinked at me as if it was so obvious, and I eyed her eyelashes suspiciously The girl got extensions She had to She wasn’t that lash-blessed before I sed the observation and tried to focus on her advice She was right It was the next step Did I want a future with him? It was a question that took a minute to answer, a decision that I wanted to be absolutely sure about And the answer, after three long sips ofout the as yes

I loved hi And I wanted a future with hi to risk his entire financial future on me … I could certainly risk the next step with him

I wanted to try I wanted ether, then I wanted to take that step I sed hard and looked away fro to do it"

I didn’t knohy they squealed, cohtly But the celebration hat I needed Validation that gaining a relationship didn’t jeopardize this friendship "I’ainstat Cammie one more time before I decided to risk her wrath "Nohat the hell did you do to your lashes?"