“You could have just ordered something else.”
“I couldn’t see anything that was written on the menu. The font didn’t agree with my poor vision, so I could not place the words. It made it difficult to read, and I did not bring my glasses.”
Something softened in my chest.
“So why didn’t you ask for help?”
He looked down at the food, using the spoon to push away the prawn closest to it. “We were not talking.”
Jesus, this man.
I was convinced he was doing this shit on purpose. There was no fucking way. No fucking way he was making me feel like this by just being so fucking… ugh, adorable. Like a big baby.My big baby…I really did hit the jackpot with this one, didn’t I?
One minute he’s like the manliest man ever to exist, and the next, he’s—such a kid.
A spoiled kid.
I shook my head, dropping my spoon and getting to my feet.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a clueless frown as I rounded the table and came to his side of the booth.
“Scoot over,” I said.
His frown remained while he shifted, and I took the space beside him. I picked up my plate from the other side of the table and brought it over before pouring my food onto his plate, dropping the empty plate beside the overfilled one, and moving the prawns onto the empty one.
“We’ll eat from the same plate, no prawns, no excuses,” I said, knowing his eyes were on me, a piercing stare that made my stomach jump, one that made my heart thump, and compelled my eyes to meet his.
His stare held an emotion I couldn’t even begin to understand if I tried.
I smiled. “Wha—”
He leaned in, pressed his lips to mine, and gave my existence a two-second glitch.
Soft and familiar lips lingered on mine, made me melt a little, made me weak, and drove me to a place where all the little issues we’d had since we left the cruise meant nothing.
He lingered a bit and then pulled away. I opened my eyes as he pulled his open.
“You want to know something?” he asked.
I nodded.
Elio worried his bottom lip with his teeth, his eyes flickering between my eyes and my lips. “I think… I think Ireallylike you, Zahra.”
This wasn’t the first time he’d said it, but—this time, it felt like he meant it more than the last time he said it.
I smiled. “I think I really like you, too, Elio.”
He returned my smile, his voice low. “Repeating my words?”
“You kissed mine out of me; your fault.”
He placed his hand underneath my chin and raised my head. “I am sorry if I offended you today by leaving the tattoo shop. And also with our conversation in the car about the tattoo. I really do think it’s a beautiful tattoo, and I’m flattered.”
I didn’t know it was possible for someone’s heart to swell. But it felt like mine was swelling; I loved his compliments. Though I liked to pretend I didn’t, I actually sought them out. It was why I’d taken extra care with my outfit today, applied a little bit of eyeliner and lip gloss, found my favorite sweater, and fussed about what to do with my hair.
It was why I was doing things that I would typically not do.
“It’s okay. I’m not mad. I should be the one apologizing for Julio and—”
