He’s still here.
He drops his cell away from his ear and the frown lines smooth out, “I wasn’t sure you were coming back.”
I tilt my head, “I live here.”
“Well, yes,” He bites the corner of his lip. Is he nervous?
“What’s wrong?” I ask. Shit, are we going to have a talk? Is this where he tells me it was all a mistake again?
“I,” He hesitates, “Just come with me.”
There’s food cooking, I can smell it as I follow himthrough my apartment and when I glance at the stove there’s something bubbling away there. But he doesn’t stop until we get to the bedroom. “I’ll help you change it if you don’t like it.”
My eyes widen when he opens the bedroom door to see what he’s been doing all day. He’s completely rearranged it. My bed now faces the windows that give me a complete view of the city skyline, all the way to the ocean. My dresser is pushed against the far wall and a new chaise lounge now sits just in front of the windows. There’s a small bookshelf behind it and there’s new art on the walls, art I remember seeing at a gallery a few weeks ago while the two of us got coffee. He remembered.
“The art,” I breathe.
“I actually bought that the next day,” He says, “I was just saving it for your birthday.”
I blink rapidly as I take in the new cushions on the bed and the greenery he’s purchased and placed around the room. There are fairy lights strung up that cast a warm golden light over the walls.
“You did this today?”
He shrugs, “Well I had time.”
“Why?”
“Because you wouldn’t have done it,” He shoves his hands into his pockets, “And this room was so bare. It wasn’t you.”
That is true. When I moved in, I had all these big plans that I never actually got round to doing, but he’s done them for me.
It’s scary to think how much this man knows me, even after a few short months of friendship.
“Dinner is almost done too.”
“You cooked me dinner?”
“Too much?” He asks uncertainly, “I have never done this before.”
“Done what?” I blink.
“I realized a lot today, things I’ve known for a long time but refused to acknowledge.”
“What?” I whisper.
“There’s a reason I don’t date, Willow.” He says quietly, flicking his eyes to the skyline now bathed in the pink and orange glow of the sunset, “Some reasons I won’t go into, but a big reason is because I’ve never found anyone Iwantto date.”
Oh shit.
“And I pretended that I didn’t want you even though I did because I valued you far more than I was willing to risk losing you for.”
“Bast…” I warn.
“But I’m fucking tired of pretending I don’t want totry with you, Willow.”
“Don’t say shit you don’t mean, Sebastian.”
“You think I don’t mean it?” He laughs but it isn’t in amusement, “Fuck me, I haven’t even been able to look at another woman since I met you, Willow.”
