Tentatively, I touched Kaos’s knee with my tentacle under the table.
“I didn’t realize you were hurting because of me. You moved on after your breakup easily, so I thought—Nah, I should have done something yesterday when you were sad.” I released a shuddered breath, analyzing the day before.
“I liked Mira, she was a good friend, and Derek was hot, but I didn’t know what love was until I felt it. And that was with you. I’ve never experienced true heartbreak because I’ve never been in love. This is different, and since I realized that yesterday, it’s been torture, Spiro. And I didn’t know what to do.”
“So you ran away.” I took his hand in mine.
“Yes. I ran away after my breakup and got three weeks with you. Clearly, that strategy was worth repeating.” He chuckled nervously.
“Oh Kitten. It was agony for me as well, if that makes it any better.”
He perked up. “Oh yeah? How?”
“I was psyching myself up to be apart from you and trying to remain calm. But when I saw you were gone this morning, I lost my absolute shit and panicked. I had to see you one last time before you left. So I guess I know how you feel. If this intense ache in my chest at the thought of not seeing you every day is anything to go by.”
“What do we do?” He asked, poking the remnants of the pizza with his fork. “I wanted to go around the States for my blog, but now I’m reconsidering everything.”
“Your dreams will always come first, and I will support you however I can. I’d love for you to come with me, but won’t stop you from pursuing your career no matter how much I’d miss you.” I sighed. “You wouldn’t tolerate my working hours, anyway.”
Kaos gasped indignantly. “I can change my plans. But I was waiting for you to suggest you’d want to take me with you. Youasked for my opinions and consent for three weeks straight but couldn’t ask me if I’d choose to be with you.”
Was that how he saw it? “I couldn’t press you to rearrange your entire life for me.”
He crossed his arms and scrunched his nose in the most adorable way. “Why not? Cause fuck my life without you. I don’t want it.” Tears danced in Kaos’s eyes.
I took his hand. “Let’s talk in the car.”
He nodded and left a large tip on the table.
We sat in the rental car, and I drove us towards the house that had been hours for three weeks.
Kaos was chewing his lip. “What if… I could go to Greece, maybe other countries in Europe too? I could visit restaurants all over and post about them on my blog.”
I analysed what he’d said and mulled it over. “I want to be a chef at my parent’s restaurant during busy periods like summer vacation and winter holidays, but I won’t be able to cook diverse foods if I’m there all year.” I put a hand on Kaos’s knee.
“What are you saying?” He squeezed my fingers.
“Before I took a break for this Chicago vacation, I looked into being a seasonal cook, a traveling one. Many restaurants offer that option if you match their criteria.”
“And of course you do.” Kaos grinned.
“I could prepare food for different people, and try various cuisines while traveling. Would that work for you if we went together?”
“You’re serious. You’re rearranging your strict life plan. I thought you never wanted to do that.”
“Correct. Not for anyone else. But you made me realize this is what I want. All I need is you with me to be happy. And cook for a living. I don’t care where and how.”
“But what about your family?”
“I love them, but I’m not tethered to them. Whatever we decide, I will still visit them and keep in touch. I don’t see that as a problem.”
Kaos pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it. “We have a beginning of an idea then.”
“We can figure out the rest.”
Epilogue
Kaos
