“You’re very intense,” she says finally.
“I’ve been told.”
“This is how you do things.”
“Yeah.”
“All or nothing.”
“Yeah.”
Another pause.
Then—
“You said this was the last chance,” I remind her.
“It is.”
“Good.”
Her brows knit slightly. “Good?”
“I don’t need more than one,” I say. “I just need you to let me prove it.”
Silence.
But this time it’s not heavy.
Not uncertain.
Just… full.
“I hope you keep adding to it,” I add, nodding toward the list. “Because I’m not done.”
Her breath catches again.
“I’m not even close,” I continue. “And if you let me, I’m planning on having a long time to figure out new ways to show up.”
Her lips part. “You’re saying that very casually for something that sounds a lot like?—”
“Like I’m falling for you?” I finish.
She goes still.
“Yeah,” I say. “That’s what it sounds like, because it’s what I’m saying.”
A beat.
“You’re not subtle,” she says.
“No.”
“Not even a little.”
“Not with you.”
That does it. The last bit of resistance softens. It’s not gone, but it’s no longer calling the shots.
