“A lot, too much,” I confessed. “But at this very moment it’s the fact I just noticed Mr. Happy is gone, and I miss him.”
For a second, he looked stunned, even startled, so much, his entire body twitched with it.
And then he busted out laughing.
Full on. Full throated. Deep. Rich. Uninhibited.
Spectacular.
I’d known him now for some time, and I’d never seen him laugh like that.
I watched, and it was now me who was shocked, even startled, and feeling a whole lot more.
And we could just say that whole lot was a whole lot, and it was all good.
I’d rounded him with both arms but was only stroking his spine with the fingers on one hand (though, I was considering engaging the other one) by the time he was done.
“Keep doin’ that, cupcake, he’ll come back,” he teased.
Teased!
You know, no one ever thinks the dreamers know what they’re talking about, Dreamer mused astutely in my head. But then they dare to dream, and they find out we were right all along.
Nobody likes a know-it-all, I retorted.
Whatever, was Dreamer’s lame comeback.
“You wanna cook something here?” I said out loud to Gabe. “Go out and get brunch? Or hit a donut place and come back?”
His expression shifted to something so beautiful, it was difficult to witness.
But no way in hell did I turn away.
Nope, I memorized that look in a way I knew I’d never forget it.
You so totally belong to him, sister, Dreamer said.
Don’t make me bring Pessimism back, I warned.
Dreamer shut her trap.
Through my conversation with one of my personalities, Gabe said, “Brunch,” just as there was a harried knock on my front door.
No, not a knock, exactly. More like someone was slapping it quickly and constantly.
And whoever was doing it was going to get the sharp edge of my tongue, because Gabe’s head swiveled in that direction and that beloved look on his face disappeared.
He then angled out of bed, ordering, “Stay here.”
He went to his jeans.
I pushed up in bed.
He put on his jeans, and still buttoning them, shirtless, he stalked down the hall.
I got out of bed and walked to the doorway to watch him move (and, obviously, find out who was at the door).
For your information, it was an awesome show.
