Looking toward Cole, I mouth, “Finally?”
Barbara continues, not picking up on my confusion. “I just showed your fiancée the house, so I’ll let you two wander around for a bit.”
“Fiancée?”I mouth again, and Cole gives me a playful eyeroll.
“As a heads up, it needs a bit of work, but Colette didn’t seem to think that would be a problem. It’s four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and sits on just under two acres of land.” Barbara smiles warmly. “Let me know if you have any questions!”
“Thanks, Barbara,” Cole replies, opening the front door for me.
Barbara wasn’t lying, the home needs some work. We walk into a large entryway with peeling floral wallpaper. A dining room is to our left and a hallway is to the right.
“That leads to the primary,” Cole explains, gesturing to the hallway but walking toward the dining room. “I don’t know how you feel about a house that needs work or even being this far out of town, but it’s got this amazing solarium off the kitchen and I think I would like a goat. For the yard. And Ernest.”
She hurries ahead of me pointing out different things she loves or parts she would change. “And it’s a great price because it’s been on the market for a while, and I guess no one wants to put in the work but look! The details? You can’t find these things in a new build.”
Cole rushes into a round room that is fully windows with a view of almost the entire property. Windows and beams meet in a point right in the center of the room. Currently a dated light fixture hangs down but I can already see the vision as Cole holds her arms out, turning around the room.
“We could change the light but I love the stained glass details and I think it would be a perfect plant room but I’d need you to be in charge of the plants because I cannot keep them alive and oh my God, I just realized you aren’t saying anything…” She looks worried as she faces back toward me, her arms falling at her side. “Do you hate it?”
Instead of answering, I prowl toward her, a man on a mission. My arm wraps around her waist, tugging her body flush with mine. She falls into me, soft and compliant. Something about it releases the pent up nerves I’ve been holding on to for the last few weeks. Like I’m taking my very first breath after surfacing from below the water.
Life giving.
Refreshing.
Overwhelming.
All of the things Cole does to me… for me.
My finger comes under her chin, tilting it up toward me. “Colette Russell. Do you want to buy a house with me?”
She nods, her eyes imploring as she tells me, “I want to do everything with you.”
Our kiss is slow, gentle, familiar.
It makes me realize that even if this isn’t the house we end up in, my home will always be with her.
Cole pulls away first, biting back her smile. “I can’t remember the last time I told anyone this, but I love you, Benoit Bardot. I love how steady you are. I love the stupid way your hair flops onto your forehead. I love how you push me out of my comfort zone, push me to be the best version of myself. I love the slutty little glasses you wear. I love that you’ve loved me in all the quietandloud ways over most of my life, without me even realizing it. I love you and I don’t need to go on any more dates to figure that out. I don’t want to give you this ring back. I want to keep it on my finger and I want you to have one too. I want to do all of the things in the complete wrong order with you for the rest of my life.”
She finishes and her breathing is heavy. Her chest rises and falls, meeting mine with every breath.
“Is it my turn now?” I tease, eliciting a pretty red blush. “It’s no secret now that I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember. What has surprised me, however, is how much joy I take in learning the best ways to loveyou, specifically. When I was young it was love, yes, but more of an infatuation. A desire to learn everything I could about you and to push your buttons just so I could have a moment of your attention. Now, I’m learning how to love the woman you’ve become. Strong, confident, kinky.” I wink. “You’re brilliant and I’m perfectlycontent to be in your orbit. I’m the moon and you’re my sun—my light comes from you, Colette. I know you think you are difficult or cold or closed off, but for me? Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I want my two more dates plus a million more. I want it all.”
“Fuck, you’re good at that.” Her laugh is gurgled as tears fill her eyes, and I kiss her cheeks where the tears fall.
“So,” I start, tilting her head back so it’s angled toward me. “Do you forgive me for hiding things from you?”
She smirks up at me, wiping away any remaining tears. “Would I be here if I didn’t?”
“No, Red. You would not.”
Cole laces her fingers through mine, squeezing once. “Come on, Benjamin. Let’s go look at the rest of the house.”
I follow her lead, just like I always have.
Just like I always will.
Four Months Later
