Finn and Noah launch into the story of how they eloped in Vegas, and when Florian’s plate is empty, and we exchange a glance, I am soon making excuses.
Florian and I escape to the massage room. This time he does not go inside.
“I’ll, uh, go back to the gym,” Florian says.
“That’s a lot of training for your first day,” I say. “I have massage appointments all afternoon. You could go back to your apartment.”
“Oh.” He looks down. “I suppose I could.”
“Do you want me to come back to your place tonight? Before the dinner with your family?”
“You do not need to come,” he says.
“Oh.” I step back. “Are you sure?”
“People generally do not like to meet with in-laws,” he says, his voice formal. He frowns. “Not that my family are your in-laws… I mean, I know I never thought we were married.”
“I know what you mean,” I assure him. “At least you didn’t think we married, like Noah and Finn did. That would have been?—”
He stares at me.
“More dramatic,” I say, even though getting amnesia then announcing that you’re gay and you are dating a team staff member definitely counts as dramatic.
Florian hesitates, then gives another one of his short, militaryesque nods.
“I don’t mind seeing them,” I say.
“It is your free evening after a long day of massage. You do not need to spend your free time with me.”
“Oh.” My heart feels like it’s shattering, which is ridiculous, because Florian and I were never together. This is not a breakup. No.
“But we’re still together?” I blurt out. I inhale. “Officially, I mean.”
“If that works for you…”
“It does,” I say. “Definitely.”
He nods and my not-real-boyfriend looks a fraction less distressed.
I always knew that Florian would remember, or at least, always hoped he would recover his memory. Iwant to shake away his distress, to have it disappear in the same way that people come to me with aches and pains and have them vanish.
I want it so badly.
But instead, the door shuts, and I am alone.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Florian
I am already regretting not having Mateo join me, when I meet my family outside my apartment.
“Hi, Florian! How was your first day back at work?” Papa asks.
“It wasn’t really work. I just exercised. And watched the others practice.”
My family members exchange glances. They probably knew all that already.
