I’m not sure I believe him. I want to trust him, but fuck, I had never been so scared in my life. Stepping closer, I run my fingers over his cheeks, his chest, and down his arms, where his fingers link with mine.
He squeezes them tight and holds on.
“You’re okay,” I say aloud.
He laughs and nods. “I’m okay.”
I read the words off his lips perfectly, then detach one hand from his and trace his mouth before dipping in to kiss him. He tastes like ash and toothpaste.
After a beat, he eases me back. ‘Did Thom call?’
‘Thom, Robbie,’ I say. ‘Sent FaceTime and text. I was with my dad, and my notifications were off. I’m so sorry.’
He cups my chin with his hand and kisses me once more. ‘Better that you took your time. It was chaos for a while until they got the fire out.’
That’s when I realize the billowing smoke is clearing. Glancing to the left, it looks like only the right side of the gym was caught up in the fire. It was where the fitness classrooms were.
‘What happened?’ I demand.
Dex shrugs. ‘No idea. The alarms started going off right in the middle of my class, so I got everyone out, but then I realized one of the doors in the free-weight room was jammed shut, and there were people inside. We got it open, and everyone got out, but that’s when a beam fell and pinned my shoelaces. I lost my shoes.’
I don’t even want to think about what might have happened if the beam had fallen on anything other than his damn shoelaces. I want to bend down and kiss his feet.
‘Anyone hurt?’ I finally ask.
He shakes his head. ‘No. But this is going to cost me a fortune to repair. We have to close until we figure out how much damage.’ His eyes go a little watery, and I realize how bad this could be for him.
Tugging him close, I let him sag against my chest, and I rock back and forth until his muscles start to unclench. I think I might have been humming. My throat feels a little buzzy from it.
When he pulls back, he swipes his hand down his face. ‘I’m sorry for getting upset.’
‘No. Don’t.’ Biting my lip, I look over my shoulder at the crowd. It’s smaller now, though the trucks have blocked most of the patrons from being able to leave. ‘Want to go home soon?’
Dex heaves a sigh. ‘Yes. I want a long shower. No. Bath. Long bath.’
‘Yes.’
‘And comfort food.’
I nod.
He meets my gaze, and his lips move with his signs, ‘And you?’
‘I’m yours,’ I promise him. ‘Now?’
He looks crushed. ‘I have to talk to the firefighters and find out the next steps. It could be a while.’
‘I’ll wait for you,’ I tell him.
He takes my hands and kisses both palms, then both wrists. ‘Go back to the condo,’ he tells me when he lets go. ‘Check on Dennis. Order some good food and wait for me.’
I don’t want to leave him, but I realize I can do more—do something better—if I listen to him. Leaning in, I snag one more fierce, furious kiss before pressing my forehead against his and nodding. “I’ll make it good for you. So good,” I tell him aloud.
He sighs against me, and his lips move, but he doesn’t sign what he’s saying, and for now, I don’t ask. Whatever it is can wait. We have the rest of our lives, and tonight, I plan to make him forget all about this.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ROME
