Fuck.
I whirl around to find Robbie’s shut the door and is leaning against it with an unreadable expression on his face.
Out of nowhere, I panic—heart racing and palms sweating worse than during any of the actual life-or-death situations I’ve been in this month.
But thisfeelslife or death.
“Okay, so listen,” I begin. My voice is a little too loud, a little too strident, and I can’t seem to stop it. “I… I know I said things earlier. Tragically stupid things. A-about you, like, seeing other people and doing… whateverthisis.” I gesture around at the candles and the flowers. “Which, frankly, is a littlemuchfor a freaking Tapper hookup, just so you know. I mean, sweet, yes, but?—”
Robbie cocks an eyebrow, his green eyes watching me calmly.
“N-never mind. Irrelevant,” I stammer. “The thing is…”
I swallow and dart another look at him.God, the man’s beautiful. I have wanted him forever. His big shoulders and his quiet strength. The way he knows me and loves me andchoosesme time and again. And now, all I can think is that I want to be the only person who ever gets to see him like this—staring at me in the candlelight—ever again.
“Can it please be me?” I blurt. “Please?”
He blinks, and I realize that Robbie is not actually inside my brain. I might have to connect the dots.
Double fuck.
“I mean, I want to be your only date from now on. Me and only me. I don’t want you to… to… scatter rose petals for anyone else.”
I keep waving my good hand around like that will help make my point, but I’m afraid it’s not working.Try again, Ames.
“I mean, I know I said I wanted you to explore your options, but I don’t want you to have any options.”
Goddamn it. Also not right.Though at least Robbie’s lips have quirked up at the corners now.
“Imeannnnn.” I take a deep breath and admit, “I was afraid. Before. Because I’ve wanted you forsolong, Robbie. And I couldn’t believe I could actually have you. I thought for sure you’d decide there was someone better out there for you.”
I’m pacing now, my feet carrying me back and forth across the floor in front of him.
“But then I realized… you’ve never let me down. Not once. You take care of me when I’m sick. You laugh at my jokes. You’re always ready to hype me up when I’m sad and chill me out when I’m upset. And I do those things for you too. Which means thereisn’tanyone better out there. Not for either of us.” I stop and point at him accusingly. “You love me.”
Robbie’s full-on smiling now, his expression soft and achingly tender… and just the littlest bit teasing too.
“Just to be clear,” he says. “This thing we’re doing right now is…youdeclaringmylove foryou?”
“No! What I’m trying to say is, you’re mine and no one else’s. And I know that because I’myours, and I always have been.” I swallow. “The very idea of you being withanyone but me—of any gender—makes me high-key want to hurl. Literally, Rob,” I add. “I mightvomit.”
“Wow.” Robbie laughs. “Okay.”
“And I see what you’re thinking!” I continue, flinging my arm some more and wishing I had the use of my dominant hand too. “You’re thinking I’m being dramatic. Yes. Duh. Obviously. Iamdramatic. You know this. And you love me anyway. So, really, the takeaway here is that I need you to cancel any and all future dates because…” I take a step toward him. “Because… I love you.”
The words stick in my throat, so I try again because the man needs to hear it, andknow,and never doubt.
“I am in love with you, Robert Wojcik,” I say firmly.
Silence falls. Robbie’s grin widens. And he says…
“Okay.”
I stare at him. “Okay? I gave you all that, and all I get is?—”
Robbie laughs out loud—a deep, genuine sound that fills the whole room—and wraps his two giant arms around me, pulling me against him so that I can feel his heartbeat against my chest.
“Baby…” His breath is warm against my ear. “Did you really think I did allthisfor some guy on Tapper?”
