Page 30 of Fools in Love

He nodded. “Right.”

She leaned on his shoulder again. “I’ll be moving into the apartment above Patty’s this weekend.”

“You will?” He thought about all the stairs leading up to the apartment. “Think you can manage all those stairs?”

He felt her chuckle. “I’m not sure, but I’m too excited to be back on my own to wait.”

“Do you need any help moving?”

“No, Nick’s going to help. I only have a couple of boxes.”

He frowned. He’d had more than that when he’d moved from Vegas. He’d sold most of his parents’ things, not wanting to take those memories with him. It had been hard to go through his brother’s things, but he’d done it and had kept a few things that held good memories.

“You said you had your own place in New York. How can you only have a few boxes?” he asked.

“I rented a fully furnished apartment. Putting down roots wasn’t really important to me back then.” She shrugged.

“And now?” he asked, holding his breath.

Chapter Ten

Kate thought about it. Her head was dull thanks to the three shots and two drinks Brook had insisted on buying her, but she knew what Tom was asking her.

Was she sticking around Pride now that she was on the mend? Did she even know the answer herself?

Patty had agreed to rent her the apartment on a month-to-month basis.

At this point, Kate didn’t even have a job. She had plenty of money in her savings, though, as she hadn’t really touched it in the city other than to pay a few bills and for any expenses she had for her career. Pointe shoes were not cheap.

“I… I’m going to take it one day at a time,” she finally said, keeping her head resting against Tom’s shoulder.

She knew that if he looked into her eyes, he would see her indecision. Whatever happened between them, she didn’t want to scare him away. Not when they’d just set their first official date.

In the past month and a half, they had gone out plenty of times. But besides hitting the gym five nights a week and grabbing dinner after, they hadn’t planned an official evening. Until now.

She was both excited and nervous thinking about it.

Tom’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “I told your brother about my past tonight,” he said softly.

She leaned back and looked up into his eyes. He was looking out over the water, as if searching for something on the horizon.

“And?” she said when he didn’t continue.

“And I know he’ll keep it to himself, but I’d like you to know too.” He glanced down at her.

Every part of her body sobered as she sat up straight.

“If you’re willing,” he added.

She nodded.

She could hear the pain in his voice as he told her about his childhood. The hurt. The sorrow for what he’d lost. The anger at the man who had tortured him, his brother, and his mother. When he told her about his father being up for parole tomorrow, she tensed.

“How can that be? What’s it been? Ten years?” she asked. “Shouldn’t he have gotten life?”

Tom had leaned his elbows on his knees as he’d talked, but now he stood up and started pacing in front of her.

“No, he was sentenced to fifteen years and up for parole after ten,” Tom answered.