“Do we have to?” he asks, as his stomach growls. Mine follows a second later, and we both laugh.
“Should we grab some food?” he asks. “The Brewhouse is open. Or I could run by Drip.”
Both of those sound good, but I need to be practical. I have a busy week ahead and an empty fridge. “I was thinking I’d take a trip to the store. There’s a Shop n’ Stop right off the highway. Sound good?”
Will’s stomach growls again. “That sounds really good.”
* * *
Our tripto the store doesn’t take long and soon we’re back at my place unpacking the bags. Our future is on my mind. I know what my heart wants. And what my head thinks is best. I just can’t get them to agree.
As if sensing my hesitation, Will puts the OJ down and turns to me. “It was a good weekend, right?”
I nod.
“We can have this, Mel—all the time. Will distance eventually be an annoyance? Yeah. But I’m not giving up because we might have to live apart in a year or so.”
“There’s no might about it,” I argue.“One of us is definitely moving in the next few years, if not sooner. I’m probably going to D.C. in a couple months.”
.
“That’s not even two hours away, Mel. Ian makes the trip all the time, and don’t tell me you won’t hitch a ride with your best friend. And Booker and I will visit as often as we can.”
“Ok, maybe, but you’ll probably go pro, and that would possibly put you on the West Coast.”
“I don’t want to worry about what might happen,” he says, reaching for my hands. “Let’s live in the now.”
“I want to, Will. I really do.” I take a deep breath and look into his eyes, so blue and clear. “When we started this, I knew it was safe because we had nothing in common, and I was graduating in a few short months. But now, here we are, closer than I’ve ever been to anyone. It’s crazy, you know? I thought I was done with relationships. Dating was the last thing on my mind. When this semester started, I made a promise to myself not to get serious with anyone, not to get caught up in the drama a relationship brings. My plan was to finish school and move on to the next chapter of my life.”
He squeezes my hands tight, almost bracing himself for bad news while also deepening our connection.
“You weren’t part of the plan, Will Franconetti. Here I am, telling myself to be cautious and careful, telling myself it might not work. But that’s just fear talking. And why is fear so fucking loud? The truth is, I’m already in love with you, whether or not I want to face it.”
“You love me?” he asks, his eyes a little shiny.
“So much,” I say as he wraps me in his arms and kisses me. Our lips taste one another, our tongues tease, and I’m about to drag him into my bedroom when his phone buzzes, reminding us that he has practice.
Will ignores it, and pulls me closer, but his phone buzzes again, so he pulls back and reaches for it. “You think there’s any chance this is Booker telling me practice is canceled?” he asks before glancing at his phone.
Except it’s not his phone—it’s mine.
And Chaz is texting.
Dammit. I seriously thought the universe had answered my prayers and he went away for good. No such luck.
“Here,” he says, handing my phone back like it’s a burning hot poker. “I didn’t mean to look, but—is he still bothering you?”
“He’s trying,” I say. “The man is nothing if not persistent. But I’ve got it covered.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I am,” I say.
“Got it. It just bugs me that he’s still messing with you.”
“Well, if you trust me, let me handle it.”
“I trust you completely. And I love you too,” he says,pressing a kiss to my forehead before grabbing his keys and phone, heading out.
