“I love you.”
“What?” Shit, did I say that out loud? Oh my God. Dayyan looks at me, confused and incredulous. As if I were the one with the concussion.
“I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
Dayyan nods.
“There are probably more romantic places than here in front of a hospital, but somehow I just realized that. You don’t have to say it back. It’s okay.” Even though it would hurt like hell, I was so sure.
Dayyan cups my face with both hands. “What did you say?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, sunshine. So much.” Then he pulls me in and kisses me until I lose all sense of space and time. It certainly wasn’t the perfect “I love you,” but it was ours, and that’s more than enough.
Chapter 40
Dayyan
“Dayyan? What do you need two hundred tea lights for?”
My mother yells across the house and I want to sink into the ground. I ordered something else and I sincerely hope that it wasn’t in the same package.
“Wait, there’s something else in there.” Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Then I get up and race downstairs.
“Since when do you open my mail, Mom?” My mother is embarrassed, but if you ask me, not nearly enough.
“I’m also expecting something and it would’ve fit in terms of size. I didn’t look at the name, I’m sorry, sweetie. So, what do you need them for?”
“You’re in Frankfurt for the weekend... Jannis is coming over later.”
“Ah, I see, you’re planning a romantic night. How lovely. But what is this? Is it for a plant? For watering?” My mother turns a blue anal douche in her hands, with a lot more interest than I can handle.
“Yes, exactly for that, Mom.” Oh my God.
“But you don’t have any plants in your room?”
“Not yet. Thank you.” Before she gets any more ideas, I take my packages from her and flee to my room.
As soon as my family leaves the house, I place some of the candles on a large metal plate in the dining area and the rest on small coasters in my room. With an hour to spare, I go to the bathroom.
Jannis and I have been talking about sex a lot lately. That sounds super unromantic and unspontaneous, but he’s a virgin, I have no experience with men, and I think we both needed to talk it through. We googled and read together. Some of it was weird, some of it was funny, most of it was informative.
It quickly became clear Jannis would prefer to top, which is fine by me. I like it when Jannis plays with my ass, and even though it makes me nervous, I can’t wait to feel him inside me.
I didn’t realize beforehand how much preparation was necessary though. It’s probably much faster when you have some practice, but I manage to be clean and showered when Jannis rings the doorbell.
“Hey. Nice to see you, sunshine.”
“Hey. You look good. I like it when you wear sweatpants. And only sweatpants.”
I may have turned up the heat and taken my T-shirt off. Not that I have the body for it, but Jannis likes it. He runs a finger from my collarbone to my nipple, and a shiver runs through my body. Fuck, it’s so hot when he stands in front of me like that. He’s so tall it feels more like he’s towering over me.
“Are you hungry?”
“For you?” His gaze is innocent, but when I look closer, I see the hungry flicker in his eyes.
“That can be arranged. However, I’d have to serve upstairs, in my room.”
