After pulling a blanket over Henry, Sergio walks back out to the apartment’s living room and hangs his own coat on the hook by the door. From there, he takes a seat on the small sofa and watches Jeremy pour two cups of tea and walk to him.
“Ginger lemon, as predicted,” Jeremy says as he hands a steaming mug to Sergio before he takes a seat on the other side of the sofa.
“Thank you,” Sergio says, feeling a calm wash over him with the warm mug held between his palms. The now familiar scent of lemon and ginger will forever be associated with quiet afternoons spent at Jeremy’s, even if Jeremy won’t feel the same.
“So …” Jeremy stares at him with curiosity. “This time loop you're in. Is it working?”
A surge of hope courses through Sergio. “Are you saying you believe me?”
“I’m saying you’ve piqued my interest.”
“I’ll take it.” Sergio smiles at him. “And yes. I do believe that it’s working.”
“How?” Jeremy takes a sip of his tea. “Explain it to me.”
Sergio relaxes deeper into the cushions of the sofa and breathes in a curl of steam wafting from his mug. “I think it’s making me become a better person.”
Jeremy mimics him and relaxes more deeply as well, bringing his feet up onto the sofa and resting his mug in his hands on his bent knees. “But you’re still stuck in the loop, so you’re obviously not getting it right.”
Sergio lifts one shoulder in a half shrug. “There’s a bit of a steep learning curve.”
“I bet.” Jeremy laughs. “What do you think triggered it?”
“Honestly,” Sergio says, feeling himself shrink. “You.”
“Me?” Jeremy points at himself. “Oh no. You do not get to blame me.”
“I … I’m … I’m not.” Sergio reaches across the sofa and grabs Jeremy’s hand. He lets out a breath between his lips when Jeremy doesn’t yank it away from him. “I think fate wants me to make things right with you.”
“Ooh, that’s a smooth line, Sergio Durand. A little too smooth,” he says, but still doesn’t remove his hand.
“It’s not a line,” Sergio says, softening his gaze. “There’s something about you that makes me want to be a better person.”
Jeremy releases his hand to tug on his left eye, then, to Sergio’s relief, immediately laces his fingers back together with Sergio’s. “You’re not a bad guy,” he says. “You just need to grow up.”
“And if I grew up, would you consider me?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who’s experienced this day before. What are the results?”
Sergio lets out a laugh with a weak nod of his head and an even weaker smile. He looks away from Jeremy, taking his gaze to the shelves of plants and books surrounding Jeremy’s wall-mounted television. “Well, let’s see. There’s a one-hundred percent chance Henry wakes me up with a kick in the balls each morning.”
Jeremy laughs out loud, then stops himself quickly when Sergio looks at him. He bites his lip, looking guilty.
“No. Please do laugh,” Sergio says. “It’s the only way that makes my wake-up call easy to deal with.” He squeezes Jeremy’s hand. “After that, my day has varying degrees of success. Fifty percent chance you kiss me while we’re downstairs on the ice. Fifty percent chance I fall flat on my face or ass, depending on which direction I’m facing when Henry interrupts us. One-hundred percent chance I get lectured by Rose for pursuing you.”
“That sounds about right. Is that all that happens?”
“No. Adrien will quit on me every day on the slopes. Though lately, I’ve been firing him instead. It’s easier that way. And Holden will continually praise the lodge's turkey burger.”
“It’s a good burger.”
“Not after you’ve eaten one every day for months.”
“Try the Cobb salad next time.”
“Yeah, that’s been my alternative.”
“That’s it then? Nothing else I need to know?”
