Evan catches me looking, and he tilts his head. “What?”
I open my mouth to speak, but I don’t find the words.
“You ogling me, Caleb?”
My lips remain open as I stare. “You look so good and healthy, and it makes me so happy to see you like this.”
“You want to know the secret?” He flexes an eyebrow at me before perching on the bed and resting against the headboard.
“Do tell,” I say as I start to shed my own clothes.
“Yoga and core exercises.”
A sharp breath of air escapes my nose.
“Don’t laugh,” he says as I lie beside him.
“I’m not laughing. I’m impressed. Do you enjoy it?”
Evan nods. “Yeah, I didn’t realise how much of it is about breathwork and body flow. It helps a lot when I feel anxious, as it helps me to breathe and allow my mind to shut off and my body to take over.”
“That’s incredible,” I say honestly. “You found something you love.”
“Taught me a lot of discipline, too. I know it’s very different from our kind of training, but it builds strength and involves a lot of balance.”
My smile almost hurts my face. “I don’t doubt it. Look at you and all these muscles. You’re gonna be bigger than me soon.”
Evan scoffs. “Don’t be so stupid. I’m barely big.”
“Strong and fit,” I state. “You’re perfect. Then, now, always.”
Evan laughs hesitantly, cheeks heating at my comment. “Shut up,” he mumbles before pushing my shoulder.
“Are you still taking your medication?”
He hums briefly. “Yeah, I am. They wanted me to adjust to the outside before I came off them—ifI come off them. But I can already feel a difference from the dose I’ve lowered. I see a lot clearer now. I think my previous ones were too high, making me feel all over the place.”
“Nothing needs to be rushed,” I say as I press my arm against his.
“Of course,” he chirps. “I’m ready to start living, to build a life that I’ve always wanted, a future with you.”
My eyes flick over his face as I lean down to press a kiss to his forehead.
“A future with you is all I want,” I say simply.
“What do you see in our future?”
“That one day, you’ll be my husband.”
Evan blinks. “You want to marry me?”
“Oh, pups, I want to marry the fuck out of you.”
A laugh bursts from him. “I’m only twenty-one.”
My eyebrow arches at him playfully. “You think you’re going to find someone else?”
“No!” he exclaims, still laughing. “There’s no one else for me. I just…I guess I feel young.”
