Does he know what I’m trying to tell him? Maybe this wasn’t the right moment. It definitely isn’t—we’re in the middle of a livestream!
“I love you, Raya, and I promise to love you for the rest of my life.” He uses his free hand to tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Even if there are days that you wish I didn’t.”
I let out a laugh and melt into his palm, resting my head slightly. “There will never be a day that I wish for that—oranything.”
After we’re done the stream, I turn to him, sliding my legs across his lap and bringing our chairs close. He leans over, planting a kiss on my cheek, then softly on my lips.
“Did I do okay?” He lets out a deep breath, looking at me through wide eyes, his lips curled up only a tiny bit.
I let out a giggle, which makes his small smile completely disappear. Wait, is hereallyworried about how he did?
“Babe.” I put a hand on his leg, rubbing softly. “You didamazing.”
He lets out a sigh, smiling as he tips his head back. “Thank the Gods.”
“I hope that wasn’t too overwhelming,” I say, but it’s really a question.
He shakes his head, grabbing one of my hands and holding it. “It wasn’t—it just took me some time to relax into it.”
Nodding, I agree. “It does. Even though streaming was something I wanted to do, it took me some getting used to. I think I was awkward for like the first month, ormore.”
There’s a twinkle in his eyes, one that I’ve seen there a lot recently. “What made you want to get into streaming?”
“Honestly, I was a really shy kid…” I chew on my bottom lip, debating how many details to share. “So, I played video games. I liked the social aspect they brought, all from the comfort of your home.”
He nods eagerly, resting his free hand beneath his chin and propping his elbow on the armrest.
“Eventually, I heard about streaming, and wondered if it would be possible for me. To like, build a community of friends.” My cheeks warm.
Gods, this is embarrassing. Telling him I basically had no real friends when I was younger.
He moves his hand from mine, sliding it up my arm until he reaches my face, cupping my cheek. “What you’ve worked so hard to create is amazing. Everyone was so pleasant, and you remember so many details about each one of them.”
My cheeks burn, but I lean into his touch. “Well, I care about them, and they care about me.”
“And I care about you, too.” He guides my face forward, our lips softly grazing.
The kiss deepens, and I slip my tongue past his lips. When I take it back, his follows, and he slips out of his chair.
He leans over me, now cupping both sides of my face and kissing me passionately. My head is pushed against my headrest, and my hands travel over his shirt.
Breaking the kiss, he pulls away, gazing intently at me as he catches his breath.
After a few seconds, he says, “I do really love you.”
Letting out a little laugh, I tell him, “I do really love you, too.”
He kisses me once more, deeply, before swiftly sliding his arms under me. He lifts me out of the chair as if I weigh nothing—and I don’t even get caught on the armrests.
“Where are we going?” I ask, letting out an excited squeal.
Glancing down at me, he wriggles his eyebrows. “To the bedroom.”
Playing dumb, I ask, “Why?”
He looks back down at me, but this time, something has changed. His eyes have almost darkened, and I can see the fire catching within them.
“So I can show youjusthow much I love you.” His tone is serious, as if it’s a promise.
