“I need to show you something, then ask you a very important question. Okay?”
She blinks, nodding in a daze. “Okay. Do you … maybe want to come in?”
Shaking his head, he hands her a small envelope. She tries to mask her disappointment at his refusal.
What did you think would happen?
“Open it,” he says, his voice low. “Please.”
With trembling fingers, she slides her finger under the flap, lifting out pictures. She looks down, blinking at him, then at the collection of photographs. She brings the first one closer to her face.
“They're pictures … from Thanksgiving,” she says, slowly meeting his eyes for confirmation. He nods and she gently slides through them. Danica and Gwen. Gwen and Lucy. Gwen and Roman. Roman and Jahlani.
“What’s that one?” he asks, his voice gravelly.
“It’s a picture of you and me.”
He nods. “That’s right. Can you describe it to me?”
She clears her throat. “Your hand is on my waist and you’re looking at the camera.”
“And where are you looking, Jahlani?” he murmurs.
“I’m looking at you,” she says, her pulse soaring.
God, please let this be what she thinks it is.
“And how would you describe that look, Jahlani?” he whispers, standing to his full height. She inhales slowly, looking over her features in the picture again.
“It’s content.”
“Hmm.”
“Grateful.”
“What else?”
“Caring.”
He inhales deeply. “I think those are all fairly accurate, but I still think you’re missing one. Can you tell me what it is?”
“Loving,” she whispers, the photo slipping from her fingers. “It’s a loving look.”
“How do you know?” he asks, stepping closer until their chests brush.
“My eyes.”
“If you say so, Jahlani.”
“I say so, Roman,” she says, reaching for the neck of his shirt. “If you’ll still have me,” she whispers. His hand snakes to her jaw and he tilts her head.
“I told you, I’m stuck.”
As she closes the space between them, she thinks about how she lied to Donny not even forty minutes ago.
Becausethis.This is happy.
She pulls back, looking up at him. “I’m sorry about everything, about hurting you” she says, tugging him all the way in as he tries to deepen the kiss.
