Twisted Deal | A not-so cliche fake dating romance

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jennifer

When we get to Bash's apartment, I'm excited to finally see how it looks. Yes, I crashed here just a few days ago, but I hadn't seen it to its full potential. So as Bash walks around the apartment, looking for the ingredients of the cookies I really want to make, I survey his new living space. As I take a look around, I notice how much smaller this space was than his last. It was smaller than the one he shared with Miles as well; this apartment was one bedroom. It only had a bathroom and a kitchen and living room.

But I would say that the living area was so much bigger than his other place. "A small bedroom," I note out loud to bash as I walk around the kitchen. He hums in answer, moving into the small pantry to pull out a bag of flour. "Yeah, I knew I needed to live on my own for a while."

"Yeah?" I ask him. "How's living alone?"

"Lonely," he supplies, and I laugh. Bash runs a hand through his hair though and says, "Actually, it's getting better. It was only bad when I was still making peace with my breakup. But for the last few weeks, it's been okay."

I nod, taking a look at his kitchen appliances. "And you like living alone?"

"Sure," he answers, and I turn to him. He gives me a shrug. "I mean, maybe it's because I love hanging out with people, but yeah, I feel I'd so much better living with someone else."

I hum, "But you do think living alone is good for you."

"Yeah, I do," he answers.

"But you like having company?" I ask, and he nods. "I've got it," I say with a chipper tone. "I'll just come over to your apartment and stay over often."

"See, I was really thinking about that," Bash says and then looks at me. "Okay, you can go and get settled in. And then meet me back out here?"

"Yes, sir," I say to him with a salute as I walk to his bedroom with my bag on my shoulder.

"Hey, Jen?" Bash calls out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, baby?" I call back casually.

"Keep your kinks to yourself," he throws back, and it instantly takes me back to all the time we spent talking to each other earlier this year. It makes me smile to finally get back the way we used to be.

"I don't know," I muse, heading into the room. "My kinks should be your kinks now."

"Should they?" Bash calls back, and I nod.

"I'll show you in the bedroom later," I say before I start to laugh out loud. He is silent in the kitchen, and I laugh as I head into the bathroom. Then I set myself up in his space, adding my own face products and toothbrush. After I am done, I change into a more comfortable outfit and throw on his sweater over it.

"Hi, I'm back," I say with a grin as I head into the kitchen.

"Hi," he says to me and presses a kiss to my lip. I grab his arm for more, and he obliges before moving away. "Here," he tells me, handing me a measuring cup. "We got work to do."

I shake my head at him but follow him to the counter. There, I take note of what he had gotten out of the recipe I sent over text. He has separate bowels and whisks, and I smile at how much he listened to me. "Wow, baby, you really listened to me."

"Of course," he says to me before he pulls out his phone. "So let's see..." he says, reading off the list in his head. "We need flour and—"

"I love you," I blurt out when I can no longer keep it in. Not when that is all I can think as I look at the way he conceptualized the one thing I asked to do when we came home. Of course my admission of loving him isn't new, but his eyes still widen as though they were. "I really do, Bash," I say to him, feeling myself grow lighter. "You're so good to me."