Loved.
Even though neither of us has said we love each other, I don’t know how to explain it, but he makes me feel loved. And his parents have been so welcoming that I can’t help but feel part of something momentous.
Gabe’s footsteps behind us startle his mother. “Oh, honey. Don’t sneak up on us like that.”
“Maybe if you didn’t steal my boyfriend from me for so long, I wouldn’t have had to come looking for you,” he says to her, hugging me from behind, causing my body to hum with contentment. His lips skate across my ear as he whispers, “Are you having fun, or do I need to save you?”
His mother quickly glances at us and then back to the current artwork she was telling me about.
“Don’t tease your mother like that, Gabe. She’s lovely.” She smiles at my compliment. “You’re lucky I don’t ask her to adopt me and become your brother.”
The room fills with laughter—my own somehow feeling more genuine than I’ve ever felt before.
As she walks us to the front door, meeting Noah with his curious eyes, Layla says something I was not prepared for. “Ender, you are a really special person. Allowing me to monopolize your time with myout-of-control hobbywas very kind of you.” She leans in and whispers, “Their words, not mine. I just appease them sometimes.” She winks as she pulls back from me.
Special.
Before Layla, I’ve never heard someone call mespecial, and for the first time in my life, I almost believe it.
On our way home, Gabe makes small talk—laughing about his mother’s artwork obsession and his father’s “weird” sense of humor. I mostly listen, giving him a smile and nodding when necessary. All the while, my mind is spinning with all thefirstsI had today. It’s like the clouds are parting, and the sun is finally appearing above me. I love my friends—they mean everything to me—but this just feels different.
The pressure on my hand grabs my attention, Gabe’s questioning stare making me catch my breath, stopping me from spewing all the thoughts running through my mind.
“You okay, Bean?”
“Yeah, Blue. I’m good.”
That award-winning smile graces me with its presence, making my chest swell until it hurts to breathe. I quickly turn away and look out the window so Gabe can’t see the tears welling in my eyes. He doesn’t need me to fall apart on him while he’s driving. I bite the tip of my tongue, forcing myself to concentrate on something other than the emotions trying to break free.
Chapter Nineteen
I'm Shoved Into Reality
Gabe
“What the hell has you humming like your dad?” Luke appears suddenly in the doorway of the office. “You’ve never done that before. You used to hate it.”
“I didn’t realize I was humming.” I play dumb, not even looking up from the computer.
“Sure, you didn’t.” I fight the smile that’s trying to form on my face, but he knows me too well to let me get away with it. “I’m assuming this has to do with Ender meeting Mom and Dad?”
Since I didn’t call him when I got home from my parents’ house last night, he sits on the edge of my desk and frames his assumption as a question.
Ender was quiet for most of the ride home, and I couldn’t get enough of how clingy he was once we got inside my house. After a PG-rated shower, I fell asleep watching some reality show with him stuck to my side. It felt nice—domestic—and I didn’t hate it. Not even a little bit.
“Yep. Mom and Dad loved him. I think he liked them too. We didn’t talk much about it afterward, but he laughed a lot at Dad’s jokes. So, I guess that’s a good sign, right?”
“Ender laughed?” he asks with slight disbelief in his voice.
“Yeah. Don’t sound so shocked. Ender isn’t as broody as everyone thinks he is. You just have to give him something to be happy about.”
While I continue working, Luke quietly watches over me for longer than I’m comfortable with.
“Dude, stop being creepy. I’m trying to work here.”
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
My fingers freeze on the keyboard, and the pitter-pattering in my chest makes it hard to breathe.
