Moving In

 Lily leaned against the counter in Jake's apartment, a glass of wine in her hand, as she watched him move around the kitchen. His movements were confident yet casual, his sleeves rolled up, revealing strong forearms that she'd teased him about more than once. The smell of garlic and rosemary filled the small space, and her heart warmed at how easily she fit into this scene. 

It had been three months since they'd met at the cafeteria, when she'd accidentally spilled a cup of coffee on his shirt and he had act all calm and nice about it. Three months of endless conversations, late-night drives, and an electricity she hadn't felt in years. 

Jake turned to her, a playful smirk on his face.

 "You know, I was thinking…" 

 "That's dangerous," she teased, sipping her wine. 

 "Ha ha," he said, rolling his eyes.

 "But seriously. I was thinking… you should move in." 

Lily froze, her glass hovering midair.

 "What?" 

 "I mean, it makes sense, right?" he continued, leaning against the counter across from her.

 "We're already spending most of our time together. You're here five nights a week. It'd save you the commute, and honestly, I hate it when you're not here." 

Her heart raced, a mix of excitement and panic coursing through her. Moving in? Already? They hadn't even talked about long-term plans or their expectations for the future. 

 "That's… a big step, Jake," she said carefully. 

 "I know," he said, his tone softening.

 "But I've never felt this sure about someone before. You make everything better, Lil. I don't want to waste time pretending I don't know how much I want this." 

 "That's so sweet of you. Alright fine, I'll think about it" she simply said as much as she really wanted to say yes, she didn't want to rush herself into it for any reason whatsoever

 That night, Lily lay in her own bed, staring at the ceiling. Jake's words played on a loop in her mind. It wasn't that she didn't love being with him—she did. But three months? Her friends would think she was crazy. 

The next morning, she met Claire and Maya for coffee. They listened intently as she explained Jake's suggestion, their reactions almost identical: wide-eyed and skeptical. 

 "Lily, that's insane," Claire said, setting her cup down with a thud.

 "You've known him for three months. What if he's secretly a slob? Or worse, a morning person?" 

 "Or what if he snores?" Maya added, her eyes narrowing. 

Lily laughed despite herself.

 "I already know he snores. It's not that bad." 

Claire shook her head.

 "Seriously, though. You're still in the honeymoon phase. You don't know what he's like in the day-to-day grind." 

 "Maybe," Lily admitted.

 "But it feels… right. Like I've known him forever." 

 "That's just the infatuation talking," Maya said gently.

 "We just don't want you to get hurt." Lily understood her friends' worries and this made her worried as well.

 Jake could tell something was on her mind that evening as they sat on his couch, a movie playing in the background. He muted the TV and turned to her. 

"Talk to me," he said. 

Lily hesitated, searching for the right words.

 "It's just… moving in together is a big deal. My friends think we're rushing it." 

Jake nodded, taking her hand.

 "I get that. And if you're not ready, I'll wait. But I meant what I said—I don't want to waste time. Life's too short to hold back when you know what you want." 

His sincerity was undeniable, and it struck a chord deep within her. She realized she had been looking for reasons to doubt, to slow things down, because she was scared of getting hurt again. But Jake wasn't the kind of man who would leave her to pick up the pieces. 

She went back home later that evening, Lily sat in her small room, the glow of the city lights filtering through the window. Her mind replayed the conversation with her friends, their words mingling with her own doubts. 

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was a message from Jake: 

**Thinking about you. Can't wait to build our life together.** She blushed even though she just left his place an hour ago.

A smile tugged at her lips. She picked up the phone and typed back: 

 **Me too. Let's do this.** 

A week later, Lily stood in her room, surrounded by half-packed boxes. Claire and Maya were helping her pack, though their disapproval was still palpable. Even her parents still couldn't believe that she was moving in with but the didn't have problem with that as they already liked Jake.

 "You're really doing this, huh?" Claire asked, folding a stack of Lily's sweaters. 

 "I am," Lily said with a small smile.

 "I know it's fast, but I also know it's right. Sometimes you just have to take a leap." 

Maya sighed dramatically.

 "Well, if he breaks your heart, we're egging his car." 

Lily laughed, feeling a surge of gratitude for her friends despite their reservations. She bid her parents goodbye for the mean time before leaving the house.

 The first few weeks of living together were blissful. They picked out furniture together, argued playfully over paint colors, and laughed as they navigated each other's quirks, had sex everywhere and anytime. Jake did, in fact, squeeze the toothpaste from the middle, but Lily found it endearing rather than annoying. 

But as the days turned into weeks, small cracks began to appear. Jake's habit of leaving dishes in the sink grated on Lily's nerves, and her tendency to spend hours on her phone annoyed him. They argued over bills, over chores, over how to spend their weekends. 

One night, after a particularly heated argument about whose turn it was to take out the trash, Lily sat on the couch, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Jake sat across from her, his expression weary. 

 "Do you regret moving in?" he asked quietly. 

Lily looked at him, her heart aching at the vulnerability in his voice.

 "No," she said honestly. "But I think we're still figuring this out." 

He nodded, leaning forward to take her hand.

 "I don't regret it either. I love you, Lily. I want this to work. I know we've hit some bumps, but I believe in us." 

Tears pricked her eyes as she squeezed his hand.

 "I love you too. And I believe in us too." 

 Lily stared at the blank canvas propped up on her easel, sunlight streaming through the wide windows of Jake's apartment—no, *their* apartment. The space still felt new, the smell of fresh paint and the hint of Jake's cologne lingering in the air. Boxes had been unpacked weeks ago, and now the apartment was a perfect blend of their styles: his clean, modern lines softened by her vibrant throw pillows and quirky knickknacks. 

It had been three months since she'd taken the leap and moved in with him, and everything had changed. 

For years, Lily had juggled her dream of being a painter with her coffee shop job, working long shifts to pay her bills while squeezing in time to create. But Jake had been her biggest cheerleader since the day they met, and when he suggested she quit her job to focus on her art, she'd been hesitant. 

 "You're too talented to waste your energy on something you don't love," he'd said one night as they sat on the couch, her sketchbook balanced on her knees. 

 "But I can't just… not work," she'd replied, her practical side warring with her creative dreams. 

 "Then work on what you love," Jake said simply.

 "I've got us covered for now. You just focus on painting. You deserve that." 

It had taken weeks of convincing, but eventually, Lily agreed.