He pulls me up into his embrace. And we stand there, in the seemingly endless heat. The water cascading over our bodies. He positions us so that I’m directly under the spray, leaving his back exposed to the cold air. But he doesn’t seem to mind, doesn’t complain.
When he turns off the water and wraps me up in a fluffy towel, I’m still floating on cloud nine. He dries my hair with gentle hands and then grabs one for himself, wrapping it tightly around his waist.
“Come on, Trouble. Let’s get you dressed.”
In his room, he retrieves a large, long-sleeve tee. He pulls it over my head and the smell of him surrounds me. I want to bury myself in it. He tosses on black sweats, leaving his chest bare.
“Want pizza? I can order delivery.”
“Yes! Sounds absolutely perfect.” I grin.
“What toppings do you like?”
“Pepperoni and jalapeno. Though I’ll eat just about anything except sardines or pineapple.”
He gasps, an expression of mock outrage on his face. “Pineapple and sardine pizza is my favorite.”
“It is not!” I say, bursting into laughter.
But he keeps a straight face, shaking his head solemnly. “It is. Truly. A delicacy.”
My laughter dies in my throat. “Wait… is it really?”
Finally, he cracks a smile, his dimple appearing in his cheek. “Hell no, that sounds disgusting. But I couldn’t resist.”
I grab a throw pillow from the bed and chuck it at him. He catches it effortlessly and tosses it back. It smacks me square in the face. Quick reflexes are something I do not possess.
“Oh shit! I’m so sorry!” His expression is pained, suddenly serious.
I wave him off. “It’s okay, I promise. It weighs, like, half a pound.”
I smile, letting him know it’s truly okay.
He nods before grabbing his phone, pulling up a food delivery app. I watch his fingers as they tap over the screen, ordering us a large pizza, some boneless wings, and a bottle of Coke at my request. At the last moment, he adds two slices of New York cheesecake, and I squeal with excitement.
“Those are my faves!”
“Mine too.” He smiles. “Twinning. Isn’t that what the cool kids say?”
“Oh my god. Stop. You’re such a dork!” I say, shaking my head and smiling so wide my cheeks ache.
You’d never know it when out in public with him, all dark and broody. But here, with me, he’s letting his inner self shine through. And I love every bit of it.
We head downstairs, inviting my new favorite pup to join us as we resume our positions on the couch. I hit play on the nextepisode of our show, and we eat and laugh and exist in this little bubble of paradise we’ve made.
I spend the night again, wrapped up in his arms, curled up together in his bed. He doesn’t make any further moves, and our clothes stay on our bodies. We just enjoy the time together, and if it wasn’t for Sal, I’d quickly be calling him my best friend.
Every moment with him is easy, fun, intimate. And this weekend has been the definition of bliss. Here in his house, we get to escape the weight of reality outside of the walls. Here, we are free to be together. Here, we can beus.
Sunday morning comes too quickly, though, and I know I have to return home. I’ve been gone all weekend.
We eat breakfast together, Theo having made piles of pancakes with whip cream and fresh berries. My black coffee sits ready for me when I come down the stairs. His cooking is incredible, I could fall for him for that alone.
And… I may be. Falling for him, that is. But I don’t dare say those words aloud.
He insists on driving me to my car, even though I’d offered to walk. He opens the door and checks the street. When he sees it’s clear, he kisses me. Soft and quick, yet still heart-stopping.
“Goodbye, Trouble. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
