The Bonus
Chapter 20

“You look so beautiful today, do you know that?” Jack smiles over the table. “I love you wearing blue.”

“You said that already.” I give him a lopsided smile. “Thank you, though.”

Jack is the nicest man I know, and, damn it, I really want to like him. He’s fair-haired, blue-eyed and handsome, he’s athletic and has every attribute any woman would want, quite the catch really. We’ve been friends for years and recently started to go out occasionally. I know he likes me in a romantic way…I mean, he doesn’t hide it.

I keep waiting for the zing to hit me, for something to happen that will magically make me see him in a different light.

So far, no such luck.

But I’m not a quitter, I know he would be a great partner, I just have to get my body to catch up with my head. I’m pushing through this until the attraction comes…and surely it has to soon, this is our fifth date.

“What are you having?” I ask as I open the menu.

“Hmm.” He looks over the choices. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

I glance up. “You don’t want to choose your own?”

“I’m happy to do whatever you do.” He smiles dreamily over me as he leans on his hand.

Ugh…don’t.

“Okay, I’m having a salad.” I slam the menu shut. “And a glass of wine.”

“Sounds good.”

We fall into an awkward silence, I’m silent and he’s awkward, but honestly who the hell knows anymore, I’ve lost all sphere of reference as to how I’m supposed to feel on a date anymore.

I look out over the people in the restaurant that are all chatting and laughing, excited to be seeing each other. I feel an overwhelming sense of failure.

What the hell is wrong with me?

For once, can’t I just want someone who is good for me? It’s not all about butterflies and chemistry, and damn it, where is the waitress?

“I planted some beans today.” Jack smiles. “You’re going to love them when they’re ready for picking, it’s a real thrill to get your hands dirty in the garden.”

I smile over at dear old Jack, so sweet and kind although utterly clueless about the kind of thrill I’m looking for. “Do you grow all your own vegetables?” I ask.

“Every last one, you can come garden with me on the weekend if you want? I’ll show you how to weed properly.”

Dear god…

“I’m pretty swamped this weekend, thanks anyway.” I force a smile as I look around the restaurant. Where is the freaking waitress?

Gabriel arrives on Thursday and we’re telling the kids. Nerves swirl in my stomach at just the thought.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

I glance up from my daydream. “I beg your pardon?”

“What are you doing this weekend?”

“I have an old friend visiting.”

“Oh great. I’d love to meet them.”

Gabriel would eat you alive and pick his teeth with your bones.

“Sure.” I fake a smile. “I’ll let you know.”

From the corner of my eye, I see the clock tick over. 2:19 a.m.

I thought my sleepless nights of worrying about Gabriel Ferrara were long over.

And yet, here I am.

Lying in the dark, staring at the ceiling like a zombie, hovering somewhere between heaven and hell.

In the highs of heaven, my children will be reunited with their father, no longer will I carry the burden of guilt of denying them the truth. The hell part isn’t so cut-and-dry, I’m terrified of Gabriel coming back into my life.

Of the power he has over me, of the love I’m not sure I’ll ever shake.

The hurt and destruction to my heart I know he will bring.

It’s weird, like I have this disattachment to all things love, to all the men who have tried to love me over the years and the thought of marriage and a happy ever after.

Like a disease creeping in the dark, waiting to strike. My attachment to the pain he caused grows stronger than ever, and what does that say about me?

I loved him, but more than that, I love to hate him.

It’s easier to blame someone else for things gone wrong.

Sure, the attraction between us is still there, but that’s all it is.

A physical attraction will never win a war or spin the world on its axis.

Only love can do that, and this is as far from that as it gets.

I hope he looks after my babies.

I can think of only one thing worse than him not loving me…

Him not loving them…

Friday afternoon, I grab the four cartons of milk and put them into the fridge. The worst part of grocery shopping is unpacking it when you get home.

My phone dings and I read the text as it comes through, it’s from Gabriel.

Finally here and settled.

I’ll see you tonight.

My address is.

I read the address and frown, ugh, he’s so predictable. Of course he got a house on the most exclusive street in town.

My stomach flips. He’s here.

“Guys,” I call as I act unexcited. “We’re going to have dinner tonight with our friend Gabriel from New York, remember him?”

“Really?” Lucia gushes with excitement.

Dominic looks up from his place on the couch. “Can I stay home?”

“No, baby.” My heart sinks, damn it I hate that Dom saw Gabriel and me fight that first visit, definitely not my finest hour. “Gabriel’s a nice man and you’ll like him if you just give him a chance.”

Dominic curls his lip, unimpressed.

“What will you wear?” I ask him to change the subject.

“Can’t I wear this?” He looks down at himself.

“Why don’t you wear something nice?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, dress up with some nice pants and a shirt or something.”

“Can I wear my new yellow dress?” Lucia butts in.

“Of course you can.”

“Can you braid my hair?”

“Yep.” I smile.

Dom goes back to watching television and I know I have to move him along or else he will sit there procrastinating forever. “Dominic, go upstairs and have a shower and wash your hair, sweetheart,” I tell him.

“Now?”

“Yes, now.” I widen my eyes. “Turn the television off, please.”

He grumbles his way up the stairs and I hear the bathroom door close behind him.

Nerves dance around in my stomach. Tonight is the night. Up until now they’ve never really asked questions about their biological father, they’ve been too young to really understand it all.

Please let this go well.

Lucia takes off up the stairs all excited, and then another thought hits me, what the hell will I wear?

An hour and a half later, we drive up the road as I glance at maps on my phone. “It should be just up here on the left.” I keep driving. “And remember, we are using our best manners here tonight. It was very nice of Gabriel to ask us to dinner.”

I just want tonight to run smoothly without the drama of Dominic’s cheeky shenanigans.

“What will we be eating?” Dominic sighs.

“You will eat whatever he serves up.”

“What if it’s brains?” Dom replies.

“Then you eat the brains.”

“What if it’s caterpillars?” He smiles darkly as Lucia frowns in horror.

“Then you eat the damn caterpillars.”

Turn right.

Google notifies me of the driveway and I peer at the lights disappearing up and over the hill.

Jeez.

The sweeping driveway is huge and grand with big white ball lights on both sides, it looks more like a main road than it does a driveway.

“This is it,” I say as I turn right.

“This is his house?” Lucia gasps. “Is he rich or something?”

“He must be,” Dom agrees. “Only rich people have driveways like this. I bet he has a pool too.”

“Who cares if he’s rich or not?” I snap. “It’s rude to talk about money, guys. Please never do that.”

Oh hell, these kids are going to sound so uncultured and country bumpkinish.

Well…they are.

We continue up the hill for miles and the car is silent as we look around at the beautiful surroundings, okay…this driveway is swish, it’s like the botanical gardens, even I’m in awe.

Ugh…so typically him.

What a wanker.

My palms begin to sweat as I hold the steering wheel, the magnitude of tonight is really beginning to freak me out. “Guys…just please, promise me that tonight you will be nice to Gabriel, okay?”

“Yes, Momma.” Lucia smiles from the backseat.

My eyes flick to Dominic in the rearview mirror for confirmation. “Dom?”

“Yes.” He huffs. “I told you already.”

We come over the top of the hill and my eyes widen at the sight. The house is white and huge, three stories tall and lit up with the same fancy big ball lights. It has a sweeping veranda and beautiful gardens.

“Woooooah,” the children gasp from the back seat.

I swallow the lump of sand in my throat as I park the car. “This is it.”

The front door opens and Gabriel comes into view, he waves and smiles as he walks down to greet us. “Hello.” He opens my car door.

Be nice for the children.

I look up at him and smile awkwardly. “Hello.”

Tall with dark hair and a jaw that could cut glass. He’s wearing blue jeans that fit snug in all the right places and a white T-shirt. I’ve only seen him in casual clothes a handful of times, luckily for me…because he looks damn well delicious.

“Ahem.”

I clear my throat as I try to clear my mind of its pornographic thoughts.

“Lucia.” He smiles as he bends and hugs her. “You look lovely.” He straightens the ruffles on her dress.

Dominic gets out of the car and Gabriel smiles down at him. “Hello, Dominic.”

Dominic fakes a smile but doesn’t offer his hand or a hug or anything. “Hi.”

Fuck’s sake, kid…be nice.

“Please…come inside.” Gabriel gestures to the house and we follow him up the stairs. We walk through the huge double front doors and are instantly hit in the face with opulence.

The foyer has a double timber staircase, and the floor is black and white marble tiles laid in a pattern. “Wow…this is….” I grip my handbag with white-knuckle force. “Nice.”

“It’s okay.” He walks us through to the oversized kitchen and living area and my mouth nearly falls open. The kitchen is the size of a restaurant and all white marble, and the living area has oversized white couches and a white rug.

How do they keep all this white stuff clean?

“Woooah,” Lucia gasps as she runs to the back glass concertina doors. “Is that a boat?”

“Holy…” Dom gasps.

I peer out to see an infinity pool overlooking a flawless mountain view, there’s black-and-white striped deck chairs lined up alongside of it and a swim-up bar.

What the hell?

“There is a boat,” Dominic cries.

I look past the pool to see a lake with a floating rowboat tied up to the pier.

My horrified eyes meet Gabriel’s and he winces, knowing exactly what I’m thinking. “The boat on the lake is overkill, I must admit.” He shrugs.

“Can we go look? Can we go look?” Lucia bounces on the spot.

“Can we, Mom?” Dominic chimes in.

“Is it safe out there?” I ask.

“Sure.” Gabriel opens the glass doors and the kids go running out into the back garden.

I look over to the left of the property and see a house, smoke is coming out of the chimney. “Is someone living there?” I ask.

“Mark.”

“Mark Mark?” My eyes widen in surprise. “Your driver from New York Mark?”

Gabriel chuckles. “Yes, Mark Mark.”

“Oh…”

“He was looking forward to getting out of New York and wanted to start over with me.”

“Oh…” I shrug. “I can’t believe…”

“That I moved here?”

The smell of his aftershave wafts around me, and I hold my breath so I don’t know how good he smells, it’s a pity that I already do.

“Part-time,” I say as I walk out to the edge of the stairs to look out over the children down by the lake.

“I’ll be here four days a week, that’s more time here than I’ll be in New York.”

I spin toward him. “Are you sure about this?”

He holds his hand up at our surroundings. “Does this house look uncertain?”

My stomach flips with nerves as we stare at each other.

“I’m going to tell them over dinner,” he says.

“What are you going to say?”

“I’ve gone over the conversation in my head a million times and I keep coming back to one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The truth.”

“The truth?” I frown. “What do you mean, the truth? The truth between us is ugly.”

“I’m going to tell them that we were friends and we kissed and… We had sex.”

What?

“They’re too young for the sex part,” I whisper in a panic.

“Okay…not the sex on the desk part.”

I nod.

“I’ll tell them we did it in a bed.” He gives me a playful wink.

“No sex talk at all,” I stammer. “You can tell them all about the birds and the bees in five years.”

“Deal,” he replies without hesitation.

Five years.

We stare at each other and it’s weird… Something’s different tonight. We aren’t hating each other, or maybe I’m just sick and tired of hating him. Either way…it feels nice to not want to stab him.

“So…what’s for dinner?” I ask.

“Well…” He shrugs. “I was going to cook, but…”

“But you can’t cook?”

“Coming from you, that’s an insulting question,” he fires back. “I’ve ordered pizza to make the night run smoother.”

“Okay.”

“I wasn’t sure what they liked, so I ordered one of everything.”

“How many pizzas did you order?”

“Ten.”

“Ten,” I gasp.

“Nutella pizza for dessert. I got two of them.”

“Good, one for me and one for you.”

“Or both for me and none for you.”

“That too.” I smile at the return of the friendly banter we always shared.

His eyes twinkle with a certain something as we stare at each other.

Stop it.

“I’ve made up the guest rooms for you,” he says.

“What do you mean?”

“I thought you would want to stay too if they are? You know, until they settle in with me.”

“I didn’t plan on them staying. I haven’t packed them an overnight bag or anything.”

His face falls.

“You can’t rush this, Gabriel, let’s just get through tonight first. Who knows how they’re going to react.”

He nods, disheartened.

“They will stay, they’ll stay all the time. Just not tonight,” I tell him.

“Right.”

I can feel his disappointment. “Did you order wine with the pizza?” I ask to change the subject.

“I brought my own from New York. I tasted your local wine last weekend, remember?”

I smile. “Ahh…of course you did. Smart choice.”

“Would you like a glass?”

“Maybe just one.”

His eyes hold mine for an extended beat as if he’s waiting for me to say something, and the air swirls between us. I snap my gaze away.

Maybe I shouldn’t drink at all tonight.

Gabriel carries the pizzas into the dining room. “We’ll eat in here; I’ve set the table.”

I look into the formal dining room, the sixteen-seat antique table is perfectly set with fancy silverware and linen napkins, there are fresh flowers in the middle of the table and it looks like something out of a movie set or something.

“Maybe we should eat in the kitchen around the kitchen counter,” I suggest.

“Why?”

“It’s less formal and more relaxed, it will lighten the mood.”

He thinks for a moment as he looks around the table. “Maybe you’re right.” He runs his hands through his hair as if in a complete panic.

“You’re nervous?”

“I’m not nervous,” he snaps. “I’m freaking out.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

“How do you know? Dominic hates me.”

I puff air into my cheeks. “Well, we just have to work on it. Rome wasn’t built in a day. He’ll come around, he’s a lot like you.”

“That doesn’t help me, I know how I think.”

I stare up at him, this is the first time since I’ve known Gabriel that he has openly discussed a weakness. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“What are you going to say again?” I whisper as I follow him into the kitchen.

“The truth.” He puts the ten pizza boxes on the counter.

The truth sucks. “Maybe I should tell them?”

“No. I want to do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sit down,” he snaps, he fills our glasses of wine, passes me one and tips his head back and drains it. He immediately refills his glass and gestures to mine. “Keep up.”

I roll my lips to hide my smile. “Kids,” I call. “Dinner is here.”

They come barreling in from the other room and climb up onto the stools.

“Oh my god,” Lucia gasps. “Why are there so many?”

“Because we’re hungry, that’s why,” Dominic replies as he opens the first box. “Eww, onion.” He scrunches his nose up in disgust.

“This one over here, pepperoni, your favorite.” I pass them both a slice. I didn’t have the heart to tell Gabriel that they will only eat one of his ten pizzas.

“Thank you,” Dom says as he takes a big bite.

“Yum.” Lucia smiles, all excited. I glance over to Gabriel and he’s white as a ghost.

“So, guys, we have something to tell you,” I say.

They keep eating, totally engrossed in their pizza.

“Gabriel…” I widen my eyes at him. “Now,” I mouth.

“Well.” Gabriel pauses as if articulating his words. “Your mom and I have just recently found out some very exciting information.”

They keep eating, totally uninterested.

“As you know, your mom and I have been friends for a long time…” He takes a huge gulp of his wine.

“Are you guys listening to Gabriel?” I ask.

They nod as they eat, they are so not listening.

“Anyway,” he continues. “Your mom and I worked together and we were once in love.”

What?

They both stop eating to look at him.

“I mean, I didn’t realize it at the time, and…” He swallows the lump in his throat. “Anyway, one day when your mom was leaving New York to move here to Greenville, we shared a very special kiss goodbye.”

My heart twists as I remember that night.

Dominic frowns, his eyes flick to me for confirmation and I nervously smile and take his hand under the table.

“And your mom moved here and I stayed in New York and I was very sad for a very long time.”

Huh…

What the fuck is he doing?

“Then one day your mom found out that she was pregnant, and she was so excited to have two little babies in her stomach.” He smiles softly over at me.

I begin to hear my heartbeat in my ears.

“You know when the doctors came over to your house and they had those swabs that you put into your mouth and they cut a little piece of your hair?”

Lucia nods in an overdramatic way.

“Well, that test told us that…” He looks around at us all again as if searching for divine guidance. “I’m your father.”

Dominic stares at him, emotionless.

“What did you say?” Lucia frowns.

“I’m your father.” He gives a lopsided smile. “I’m very excited about it and I hope you are too.”

Lucia’s eyes widen. “Father…like a dad?” she gasps.

“Yes.” He smiles. “Like a dad.”

Dominic drops his pizza onto his plate.

“Yay.” I smile awkwardly as my eyes flick around to everyone at the table. “Isn’t this exciting?”

“Yes.” Lucia jumps up and bounces over to Gabriel and he gives her a hug.

“I thought you were my dad,” she lies.

Gabriel chuckles as he pushes the hair back from her face. “Did you, now?”

My heart melts at the sight of the two of them, and then I glance over to see Dominic glaring at me. “What have you got to say, baby?”

“I don’t want a father,” he says flatly. “Can we go home now? I’m tired.”

Gabriel’s face falls.

Little shit.

“No, we’re staying here and having pizza like we planned. Gabriel has moved here all the way from New York to get to know you, and you will be polite.”

There’s no treading lightly with Dominic, I have to be blunt with him about this from the get-go.

He pushes his plate forward in protest. “I’m not hungry anymore and I want to go home.”

Gabriel’s unimpressed eyes flick over to him and I know I have to defuse the situation before it turns into a full-blown argument.

“No, Dominic, you will not spoil this moment,” I say sternly. “If you can’t be nice, go and wait in the living room and watch the television. You do not get to dictate how this night goes. This is very exciting news for you and Lucia.”

He’s as stubborn as a mule and Lucia deserves better than for him to ruin this. He stomps off out of the room, Gabriel’s hurt eyes follow him and then come to meet mine.

“That’s why we both have black hair.” Lucia smiles up at Gabriel, totally unfazed. She reaches up and touches his hair.

“Yes.”

“And we both have brown eyes.”

“We do.” He smirks down at her.

I glance into the living room to see Dom pointing the remote at the television.

Damn it, why did he have to react the way he did, perhaps I should have told him in private before we came.

Lucia bounces back over, sits down and begins to eat her pizza while Gabriel and I sit in silence, every now and then his eyes roam into the living room back to Dominic.

The mood is heavy, and I have no idea what’s going through Gabriel’s head, but I can’t even begin to imagine how he’d feel.

Hearing his only son say that he doesn’t want a father… Ouch.

What a mess.

This is my fault; it was too much too soon. We should have told them at our house, where Dominic felt comfortable and safe in his own environment.

Ugh, you idiot.

Gabriel chews his pizza, and disgust flashes across his face.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I don’t know what kind of pizza this is, but good god, it’s bad.” He curls his lip and drops it back onto his plate.

Poor bastard can’t even get a decent pizza in this place. I think of all the things I’ve served him up to eat over the last few weeks and I can’t hide my smile.

“What’s so funny?” he asks dryly.

“You are a food snob.”

“I…” his eyebrows flick up as he searches for a comeback, “…openly admit that I prefer edible food.”

I get the giggles.

“Glad you replace this amusing.” He opens another pizza box and peers in, he narrows his eyes as he focuses on something. “Is that pineapple?” He picks a piece off and flicks it onto the plate. “What the…”

“Just eat it.”

He takes a bite and winces as he chews in slow motion.

“Well?”

“This one is a little better…I guess.” He shrugs.

“I’ve finished,” Lucia announces. “May I be excused from the table?”

“You may,” I tell her. She bounces off into the living room to sit with her brother.

“Pay no attention to Dominic, this is my fault,” I whisper.

He raises an eyebrow as if agreeing with me.

“I just meant that we should have told him at my house.”

“What’s not to like about this house?” he whispers angrily.

“I’m just saying… Maybe we should hang at our house for a while until he comes around.”

“So you’re going home just like that? I’ve been looking forward to this night all fucking week.”

“Then come with us,” I whisper.

“I’m not kicking you out of your bed for one more night.”

“Then you can sleep on the couch.”

“There are seven bedrooms here,” he gasps.

“Not yet,” I whisper. “This is a lot to take on for a little boy, put yourself in his shoes for a minute.”

He exhales heavily.

“Let’s finish dinner and then go back to my place.”

A trace of a smile crosses his face.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He twists his lips. “I just like the sound of you saying that.”

“Gabriel…”

“Yes, Gracie?” He smiles sweetly.

“Stop playing games, I’m telling you right now that this is for their sake only, I have no interest in you whatsoever and you are sleeping on the couch.”

“Of course I am.” He smirks as if knowing a secret.

Damn it, playful Gabriel Ferrara is very attractive.

“I mean it.” I widen my eyes to accentuate my point.

“You’re the boss, Gracie.” He holds his two hands up in surrender.

Gracie.

“Let’s go back to our house,” I call out to the kids.

“Oh no,” Lucia calls.

“I’m coming too,” Gabriel calls back. “We’re bringing the Nutella pizzas for dessert.”

“Yay,” Lucia calls back.

No reply from Dom.

“How long are we going to pander to King Dominic?” He curls his lip, unimpressed.

“Until you get him to like you.”

“And if that day never comes?”

“It better.” I stand and start packing up the pizza. “He’s not like Lucia, he won’t just like you. You started off on the wrong foot when you upset me, that’s all. He will come around when he sees me and you getting on.”

“Define getting on.”

“Not getting on, you idiot,” I whisper. “Getting along.”

“Together?”

“Oh my god,” I whisper. “Get in the car before I run you over.”

Fifteen minutes later, we pull into my driveway, Gabriel in his car behind me.

“The ducks are out,” Lucia gasps. “Can we go see them?”

“Yes, okay.”

They both jump out of the car and disappear around the side of the house.

We walk up onto the porch and go to open the front door. Gabriel comes up behind me and stands way too close, I feel his breath on my neck and every cell in my body stands to attention.

“Do you mind standing back a little?” I ask him.

He takes an overexaggerated two steps back.

“You know, you’re getting a little too comfortable with me,” I warn him.

“You said we could be friends.”

“Yes but…”

“But what, Gracie? This is me being friendly.”

Am I being overdramatic? “Okay, but…just so you know.”

“Trust me, I know.” He rolls his eyes as he stuffs his hands in his pockets. “You’re like Mother fucking Teresa now.”

“No shit.”

You have no idea.

I open the door and we walk inside and I look around our home, it seems so tiny and insignificant now that I’ve seen his new place.

“Home sweet home,” Gabriel sighs sarcastically.

“He feels comfortable here.”

Dominic walks in the back door with a basket of kindling and goes to the fireplace, he bends down and begins to scrunch up the paper.

Gabriel watches him. “Do you light the fire all by yourself?”

Dominic nods as he keeps loading the kindling in.

“Dominic is the fire man of our house,” I say proudly.

“Impressive.” Gabriel nods. “I’m not sure I could light a fire all by myself, you’ll have to teach me one day.”

Dominic doesn’t acknowledge him and keeps doing what he’s doing.

“Dominic…” Gabriel says. “I know that you’re angry that I haven’t been around for you and your sister…but I want you to know that…I’m angry too.”

Dominic glances up at him and then catches himself and acts uninterested, he goes back to his task.

“I feel cheated that I’ve missed out on so much of your life so far,” Gabriel continues.

Guilt runs through me like a freight train.

“But I want you to know that I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.”

Dominic gets the lighter and lights the paper up, the orange flames flicker.

“And just because we got off to a bad start, it doesn’t mean we won’t have a wonderful relationship going forward.”

Dominic pauses as he stokes the fire and I know he’s listening.

“I’m going to make this up to you and Lucia…and your mom.”

All those nights I lay in bed and cried myself to sleep because I wanted my children to have a father, and now, hearing this, it’s…

I get a lump in my throat as I watch on.

“Dom,” Lucia calls from the back deck. “The brown duck is back. Quick.”

Dominic glances up at me for approval to leave. “You can go out if you want,” I tell him.

He runs out through the back door and Gabriel slumps to sit on the arm of the couch. Empathy fills me, and I put my hand on his shoulder. “He’s going to come around.”

Gabriel puts his hand on top of mine. “I wish I were so sure.”

The warm, strong muscles under my hand suddenly come into focus and I remove my hand only to have Gabriel hold it in his. “I wasn’t lying, Gracie. I’m not going anywhere. I promise you.”

“This has nothing to do with me, Gabriel, the only thing that matters is your relationship with the twins. Leave me out of it.”

We stare at each other as emotion wells between us, memories of a horrible past that my heart won’t let me forgive.

His face flickers with red and golden shadows of the fire. “I’m just asking you to leave the door open for us.”

“That door has been closed for many years, Gabriel.”

He runs his hand up my leg as he stares up at me, and I know that look, once upon a time I dreamed of it every night. “I’m not the boy I was back then.”

“Then who are you?” I ask.

“I’m the man who wants to right his wrongs.” His hand slides around to my behind. “A man who knows what he wants.”

“We are never having sex. Get it out of your head right now.”

“I’m not after sex, I’m after a connection.” His eyes search mine. “I want to feel your heartbeat from the inside, I want to show you mine.”

Oh…

He stands, bringing us millimeters apart, and he takes my face in his hands. I stare up at him as my heart completely stops.

“Put me out of my misery.” He bends and his lips softly brush against mine. “Tell me there’s a chance for us.”