“I have a question.” Florian looks nervous, and my stomach does some sort of acrobatic move that is more advisable to do over professionally laid nets. “So…”
I stare at him.
He stares at me.
“I want you to move back to Nashville,” he blurts. His eyes widen, like he’s not sure if he said too much. “If you want to of course,” he hastens to add. “I should have asked you before you left. I do not want to change your life more than I have. I made assumptions that I should not have. And you followed along with me.”
“Florian…”
He shakes his head. “But I do love you. I know I texted you, but I wanted to tell you in person.”
“I like hearing it in person.”
“Then hopefully you will give me the chance to say thewords to you in person often. I want you in my life. You are… you are everything. I just needed you to know that you have that option.”
I stare at this beautiful man telling me all these equally beautiful things.
This is not supposed to happen.
I’m supposed to be here alone. I’m supposed to suggest to Florian, maybe in Puerto Rico, maybe on the phone if I’m feeling brave, that I would be willing, if he wants, to move to Nashville.
His face falls.
I should say something. I should?—
“Mateo?” he asks softly.
My heart is somewhere outside my body, and I’ve forgotten how to breathe, how to speak.
I tremble, and then in the next moment, Florian’s arms are around me.
“Baby,” he says. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say, blinking rapidly.
My eyes burn.
“I am sorry if I said too much,” Florian says.
“You want me to move to Nashville with you? Permanently?”
And though I know this isn’t a fairytale, even though we talked about castles on our very first meeting, and maybe that’s the sort of thing that happens in fairytales, the words “happily ever after” run through my head all the same.
“I do,” Florian says. “I miss you so much.”
“I’ve only been gone a day,” I say.
“Less than that,” Florian says, smiling. “But I miss you all the same. You are everything to me. You are my love. You are my life.” He hesitates. “And maybe your life is here without me. But I wanted you to know that you are welcome in Nashville. I would love you to livethere with me.”
“Really?” I ask.
“So very much.” Florian’s eyes shine.
“Well, that’s…”
He raises an eyebrow.
“That’s convenient, because I-I love you too.” My voice is rough when I say the words, and it’s all I can do to not bury my face in his shirt.
