Chapter 68

CHAPTER 68

M arley came by and found me in the back of the shop by the library.

"Got a question for you," he said, looking uncomfortable. "Max thinks I should move into Oz's old apartment while he's gone. I told him I'd have to ask you if that was all right. He's asking your mom, but I thought I'd better ask you."

I froze for a minute. It was so out of the blue. And he looked serious and anxious, something he never looks; he's always laughing and sure.

I put the books I was holding down. "Are you okay with it? Because you don't have to."

He shrugged. "It's closer to my job. I'm on work study now, so it'll save some time, give me a later start in the morning."

Mornings with Marley. "We'll make you breakfast."

"You don't have to," he began, and I shook my head.

"We've only got one kitchen. Even if you're in Ozzie's old apartment, you're sharing a kitchen with us. And I can make breakfast." I didn't mention that mostly I made overnight oats.

"So can I," he said, and I thought about Pike and Coral raising him. He could probably make better breakfasts than I could.

"We could trade off mornings," I said.

He just looked at me.

"Marley, do you want to move in?" I finally said, exasperated. "Don't do this as a favor if you hate it."

"Breakfast sounds good," Marley said. "And I could help you with the shop."

"Do you want ? — "

"Yes," he said. "I want to."

All right then . "Good. I want you to."

He nodded and kept nodding, finally forcing himself to stop. "I, uh, I can bring my stuff whenever is good for you."

"Tomorrow," I said. "I need to clean the place out first, but?—"

"I can help with that. If that's okay."

"That's great."

Big silence, and then I said, "We should tell my mom."

"I think Max is asking her."

"She'll say yes."

It was weird that he was so nervous. And my heart was beating like crazy. Because I was nervous, too. Because this was going to be different. Strange. Weird, but hell, what hadn't been these past couple of months?

"We could tell Coral," he said finally.

"Yes," I said, and we headed for the door like always, except with this new thing now, neither one of us knowing what was going to happen next.

"You're sure," he said before he opened the door to Ecstasy.

"I am sure," I said.

"So am I," he said, and we went inside.