“And soulmates?”
A slow smile lifted on my lips. “I think our souls have many different counterparts for many different reasons, and maybe a different one for each part of our life. They make your life a little more complete. For instance, I think Lana is one of mine. We were definitely meant to find each other.”
Gavin stared at me for a long enough moment that I had to shift in my seat. I squinted at the look on his face. “What?” I asked.
“You didn’t say your fiancé,” he said.
I took a long sip of my beer, never losing his gaze, and I considered it. I’d never really thought of Tyler as a soulmate. He wasn’t a craving that I missed when we were apart. My soul—if that’s what it was—didn’t ache in his absence or reach out for his touch when he was there. Whether it was his touch on my body or my mind, I didn’t…
I gulped back the last of my drink and cleared my throat. “I should be getting home,” I said, avoiding his gaze.
“What’s there to do at home?” Gavin asked.
“Laundry. Work. Ice cream,” I answered. I gathered my things and stood. I heard Gavin chuckle, and I finally looked at him again.
The bastard was smiling.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Did you write your suggestions down?” he asked.
“I did. You’ll know which it is. I also drew a dick.”
Gavin’s smile widened. “Hopefully, a very large one—“
“Veins and everything,” I said, chuckling softly. “A nest of curls.”
He laughed under his breath. “I can’t wait to see it.” He looked me over in silence then, that soft smile lingering on his lips. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
Nerves filled my stomach and rushed through my extremities as Gavin shook hands and said his goodbyes while walking to the exit. A few people I’d talked to during the game hugged me, and the people… the people felt like an extended family. There was a contagious energy in the room, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
And Gavin didn’t stop smiling at me.
The way he looked at me was the same stare I’d woken up to the night we'd spent together so long ago. Wonderment. Joy. Desire. I didn’t understand that look. No one else stared at me that way, which confused me.
I regarded him as we strode down the sidewalk to the parking garage where his car was.
“Why do you look at me like that?” I asked him.
Hands in his pockets, he shrugged and glanced forward. “Why shouldn’t I?”
“No, I mean thewayyou look at me,” I said. “It’s…” I tried to put it into words, but the only ones that entered my mind sounded ridiculous.
“You don’t like how I look at you?” he asked.
“No, I do. I—“ I paused and shook my head. I loved how he looked at me. Even if I didn’t understand it, it didn’t stop me from wanting to be seen like that every day. “I do like it. I just don’t understand it,” I said.
His smile softened, and he chuckled under his breath. “When is your fiancé home?” he asked.
“Ah… He'll be away two more weeks this time,” I answered. “He was gone all of last week, too. Probably the longest he’s been gone for a year or more.”
“Business?”
“Tokyo.”
“What’s in Tokyo?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted as we reached his car. Gavin opened the door, and I hopped inside. I waited for him to get in and start the engine before continuing. “I rarely ask about his ventures. They all seem complicated.”
