His chair scrapes against the floor, and I barely hold myself back from asking him to stay. Rafael will say things now—lots of things. Goddamn it, me and my big mouth.
I hear Rafael’s chair being moved, then his steps. Sliding an arm around my waist, he comes to stand behind me. His breath is hot against my ear as he murmurs, “Flip it before it burns.”
“Huh?” Oh, the pancake. I flip it around as his fingers pull up my shirt an inch and rub over my hip.
He kisses the side of my head. “Come to eat?”
“You can start. I’ll just—”
“I’ll eat when mygirlfriendsits at the table and not one minute before that.”
Eyes wide, I turn to him. For a second, I really fooled myself into believing he’d let it go, but of course he won’t. He’s Rafael. “I’m not—we’re not…”
His eyes soften. “Would it be so bad?”
“No,” I rush out. “Of course not. But it’s not just me I have to think of. You see how Ethan looks up to you. If things between us didn’t work out—”
His nose brushes against mine. “What if they did?”
If they did… I wouldn’t have to deal with any of this alone. I’d have him to count on, for better or worse. My bed would never be empty, and I’d get to see his arrogant smile every day. See the twinkle in his eyes every time he teased me. We’d fix up the house, maybe. At some point, get another cat. I’d like to have a kid one day, and based on the power imbalance I just experienced with Rafael and Ethan, I’d want it to be a girl. We’d travel, grow old together, live a simple, normal life.
What’s better than normal?
He gently tucks my hair behind my ear. “Yeah,” he says, as if he’s read every single one of my thoughts. “It’d be just like that.”
But what if it isn’t?the same sneaky voice insists. What if Ethan is here for only a few weeks before we lose the custody case? What if Rafael gets sick and dies? What if he stops wanting to be here?
“Okay, how does this sound?” he begins. “I forget you said anything, and we eat breakfast. Then I make you late for work—just ten minutes, enough to make out with you on the couch.” His gaze lasciviously drips down my body. “And then I make you a littlemore late.” Looking back up into my eyes, he adds, “No labels whatsoever.”
I nod, relief and self-deprecation holding me on a weird edge. “For now.”
“Yes, for now.”
“Okay.” I accept the kiss he offers as he leans forward. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” His lips twist as if the word has no meaning. “I’ve waited half a decade to be with you, Scarlett. Frankly, whether you call me your boyfriend or anything else doesn’t really matter to me, as long as I’m the one you call.”
Lips parted, I watch him sit back down, as if he hasn’t just said the most swoon-worthy thing I’ve ever heard. As if he didn’t just commit to me again.
I’m still starstruck when Ethan knocks on the doorframe. “All good?”
“Yep,” Rafael says, watching me.
“Cool. I’m going.”
He waves and walks away, and then I hear the door closing. Finally, setting the last pancake on the stack, I join Rafael at the table. He cuts into his pancakes, and my gaze drifts to the window. Ethan didn’t look worried about going to school, and I guess Hunter won’t be a problem anymore. He won’t, right?
“He’ll be okay, Scarlett.” He squeezes my hand over the table. “Come on, eat.”
He’s right. There’s nothing I can do right now anyway. But if Hunter messes with him again, I swear I’ll stomp on his head. He’llwishit was still the good old times when Rafael was trashing his car. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Have you ever been with a man?”
He swallows. “Once.”
“Really?” My voice pitches up in surprise.
