I startled, shooting my eyes open when Enoch pried my fingers away from the stool. He laced his fingers through mine, squeezing tightly.
“You’re right, baby,” he held my gaze. I was going to throw up. My eyes burned and I blinked, trying to keep the tears at bay. I could withstand this too. “I hate that I can’t share how fucking happy I am, how fucking in love, how fucking complete I feel. That I can’t marry you right now and tell every single person I know. That you can’t let my family support you, rally around you right now when you need it the most. But I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat, because I choose you.” I swallowed, brow furrowed. “I. Choose. You. Every day for the rest of our lives. We make our own family. Right here, right now. It’s me and you and Jae against the world. If we’re the only three people in the world to know the truth, then that’s enough for me. As long as you’re here. As long as you’re living. As long as you’re happy. Then I’m happy too.”
My eyes stung and Enoch released one of my hands to grab a napkin from the counter. He began fanning my face with a small smile.
“I’m not scared of this, baby. I’m not scared of your past, of your messy pieces, of your scars, your nightmares, your memories. I’m not scared, baby.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.I took a deep breath, desperate to keep myself from crying, but it’d been a rollercoaster of emotions since he’d gotten home.
“How?” I asked, voice taught with all the emotions I was trying to hold back like a tidal wave.
“Faith. I’ve got faith, baby. And I’ve got enough for the both of us. We’re meant to be. Our existence might be temporary on Earth, but you better believe I’m following your soul into the next life.”
Enoch dropped the napkin to hold my face. His thumb brushed beneath my eye, catching a tear. My vision blurred and I blinked, more tears cascading down my cheeks.
Enoch caught each one, leaning in close until our noses were almost touching.
“You want me?” he asked. “You want us?”
My heart raced.Fuck. More than anything.
I nodded, my chest too tight to get any words out.
“Then I’m not going anywhere, baby. It’s us against the world. Forever.”
Enoch leaned in, his lips sealing against mine.
My chest felt like it was going to explode. My whole body was shaking, as my hands gripped his shirt, holding him close.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
I couldn’t get the words out, but I told him just the same as I cried and kissed him back. Maybe one day I’d have the courage to say them out loud.
“Cheese and rice,” Jae said from beside us. I released Enoch from my grasp, pushing him back, but he barely budged an inch, his lips just a breath away. Jae sniffled and I peered over Enoch’s shoulder to see Jae wiping tears from his face. “I think I just fell a little bit in love with my own fucking brother.”
Enoch burst into laughter, finally pulling away just enough to look over his shoulder at Jae.
“What?!”
Jae shrugged, “What, what? Sheesh. You can’t say anything these days.”
I laughed through my tears, my heart still pounding from Enoch’s confession.
Forever. Enoch wanted forever. Enoch wantedmeforever.
I grabbed the napkin Enoch had dropped and threw it at Jae’s blurry figure. “Freak.”
Jae laughed and stood. “Shut up. I’ll get you some ice.”
My shoulders sagged. “Tonight was supposed to be about you guys. I was trying to thank you.”
“For what?” Enoch asked with genuine confusion.
“What do you mean ‘for what’? For-for everything. For letting me stay here, for putting up with my crazy, for forgiving me, for…loving me.”
Enoch kissed me again and I could feel the smile on his lips. “I definitely appreciate the gesture; the food was delicious. But don’t feel like you owe me, owe us. We’re family. Alright?” He kissed me again, pulling back and I flinched when he gently pressed a bag of ice to my eyes. “Family doesn’t keep score. We’re a unit, we do things because we love each other.”
“Family?”
