“Phew,” I say, taking a sip. “Er, this is my place.” I gesture vaguely.
He sighs happily. “It’s so intensely you.”
“Thank you?”
“It’s definitely a compliment.”
I take a deep breath, trying to ground myself again. “Can I get you a drink?”
“No,” he says. He looks like he has so much to say but doesn’t know where to begin. “Thank you. But no. I won’t stay long, I know it’s late.”
A wave of disappointment rolls through me. “Ok.”
He opens his mouth then closes it again, placing the box of chocolates on the coffee table. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
“No, please, I’m the one who should be sorry. I let my sisters whip me up into a frenzy and then ambushed you.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re like that. They get all excited about things…”
“No. I meant. Why wereyouin a frenzy?”
I swallow, feeling a knot form in my stomach. “They got it in their heads that I stood a chance with you.”
“Did they?” he asks, not giving anything away.
“Yes. But I realise now that it was a stupid thing to do. You had hundreds of people queuing to meet you today. And then I just crashed your event. I’m nobody. I had no right—”
“Stop it, Sara,” he says, shaking his head. “You’re not nobody. You’re very much somebody. You’re the beautiful blonde everybody keeps pestering me about. You’re the one who rescued me not just in Croatia, but from myself. You helped me escape it all, and you gave me the best gift of all.” His eyes hold mine, so intense, so clear. “You let me be myself. Sara, I haven’t stopped thinking about you since Barcelona. I don’t think even a minute passes where I’m not thinking about you.”
“Well, imagine how it’s been for me,” I say, finding his statement funny. “You’reeverywhere! I couldn’t escape you even if I tried. I haven’t been able to go anywhere without hearing your music or seeing you on TV.”
“I’m not sorry. In fact, I’m glad,” he says. “I was so worried you’d moved on, that you’d just put aside our time together. It was killing me.”
“Me too,” I whisper. “I worried about that too.”
“Sara,” he says, taking a step towards me. “Where does this leave us?”
“Do you have a car waiting for you round the corner?”
He nods, chewing his lip. “I do.”
“What if…” my voice trails off.
“What if what?”
“What if… I want you to stay? What if I’m not ready to give you up?”
“Then I can stay,” he says. He watches me, holding his phone in his palm. “Should I do that?”
I groan, spinning away. “I want you to stay. I do. I’m just so scared, Gus. I don’t want to lead you on. I might not be able to handle this. What if I can’t?”
He releases a long breath, nodding as if he’s figured meout. “I get it. You’re worried I’m going to fall too hard. That I’m going to hold you to this relationship and blame you if it all falls apart. Am I right?”
“Maybe not evenyou. Maybe other people will do that. Maybe I will.”
He smiles. “And you’re way ahead of yourself. All those things you’re thinking, those are future things. Be here now, in the moment, right now.”
