Choking on a laugh, I end the call and move more quickly to the front of the house than I have in a long time. “Hi,” I say as I yank the door open.
“Hola, dulce. Look what I have.” He presses the cold key to the little skin revealed above the top of my shirt and my breaths stutter.
“You . . . you got the spare.”
“I did, but you don’t seem to be surprised by that,” he says, stepping around me, his shoulder lightly brushing mine.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d succeeded, but I was holding onto hope that you had after my ex rage texted me.”
“Rage texting, huh?” His tone shifts.
“Yeah.” I turn around and the door shuts behind me. “He kept asking who you were and saying I shouldn’t trust you.”
“Of course he did. Someone’s sounding jealous.”
“I doubt it,” I mutter. “I think he was just hoping I’d be here sulking over him while he was living it up with his new boyfriend.”
“They were fighting when I left, so I doubt they’re living anything up.”
“They were fighting?”
“Yeah. The new guy didn’t take too fondly to Travis caring so much about who you give your spare key to.”
“He doesn’t care. He’s just being Travis. It doesn’t mean anything. We aren’t even together anymore and he’s still trying to find a reason to blame me for his unhappiness.” And I’m sure he’ll eventually tell me about how all this is causing a rift in his other relationship, when all he was doing was trying to be charitable because he views me as so fucking helpless. He didn’t want to be there for me anymore, but according to him no one else should be either.
“Do you want him to?” There’s a tightness in Raf’s voice. I don’t like it there. I don’t like that while he’s asking me this question and waiting with bated breath for the answer because he’s worried I’ll say the wrong thing.
“No.” I grab onto his hand as he pulls it away from me. “No, I want nothing from him anymore.”
“You sure?”
I squeeze his fingers. “I’m sure. What I want is this, right here. Every day. The way I feel when I’m around you is probably only something an unhinged person should.”
“Then at least we’re on the same page. And if there was another man who you were giving your key to so they could get your mail, I’d definitely care.”
“I guess you better hold onto it then, to make sure I never can.”
“I think you’re onto something.” His hand tugs away from mine and seconds later is resting against my cheek as he pulls me closer to him.
“I know it’s probably too soon, but I think . . .” I suck my teeth. “I think I could fall in love with you before the new year.”
The heavy breath he releases has my throat tightening, and his fingers trail down to my chin, his warm breath heating my quivering lips. “I’ve been falling for you this whole time, Honey, and if you’re not going to hold on to anything to keep you from falling faster, then I won’t either.”
I smile, brushing my lips over his, forgetting all my earlier problems. They don’t matter. He doesn’t have to worry about me caring about anything other than taking him to the bedroom where I plan for us to fall and fly together.
Twenty-eight
Rafael
Henry runs his hands over each package, trying to guess what each one has in it and if it’s a gift or something he ordered.
“Ready to see how many times you’ve been right?”
He nods enthusiastically, stretching his legs out on the bed as he hands me the last one I sat on his lap. He said it was probably a sweater from his mom, and when I tear the top open, I laugh after tugging out the tissue.
“How?” I say, holding the striped sweater up between us. “How the hell did you get that right?”
Laughing, he reaches his hand forward, stopping once his fingers land on the knitted material. “Because I remember the sound. I’ve gotten one every year since I turned twelve and my mom picked up her newly found hobby. I was a typical kid, shaking wrapped presents trying to guess what each one was.”
