“No, but ...” My mind goes blank. All I can do is glance back at the dresser.
Gideon touches my chin, gently turning me to face him again.
“That drawer is just the beginning, love. I’d like it if you—and Archie, of course—would move in with me.”
“Oh.” The trembling is back. “That’s ... a lot more than a spare toothbrush.”
“I know.” He rubs the back of his neck and looks almost embarrassed. “Initially, that’s all I was going to ask because I didn’t think I deserved more, and even that would’ve made me happier than you could possibly imagine. But I want you to know where I stand, Valencia. Twelve days with you isn’t enough. Honestly, I’m not sure forever will be enough. Maybe that’s over the top, but ...” He shrugs, his lips curving in a sheepish smile. “That’s me.”
A week ago, I would’ve laughed and called him a drama queen. But I know he’s serious. And too much has happened for me to hide behind humor, the way I did at Rolf’s.
Even as my heart begs me to accept what he’s saying, that old fear of being a burden rises up, and I need to know that this is not because he thinks I’m a victim.
I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Is this because of what happened today?”
He looks so taken aback, I already know it’s not. “You think I’m asking you to move in with me out of—what? Pity? Obligation?”
Anguish squeezes my voice. “Yes.”
“Valencia, I unpacked your bag yesterday after I got home.”
I quickly review the timeline. “After our argument? Weren’t you angry?”
He waves that away. “‘Go to France’ is hardly the worst thing you’ve ever said to me. I just want you to see that I’m serious about you. Aboutus.”
“But what about when the holidays are over? I’ve enjoyed every second we’ve spent together, but things won’t be the same once I go back to work.”
His lips quirk in amusement. “Valencia, I already know that you’re mission driven and hardworking. Besides, those aren’tbadqualities.”
I swallow. “It’s been a problem. Before.”
His expression darkens, but all he says is, “It’s not a problem tome.”
And with that, something becomes startlingly clear. All year, I’ve believed that my commitment to my job would hinder a new relationship. That even though Everett cheated, I was also partly to blame.
But Everett never understood this fundamental part of me. He just wanted me to be the perfect WAG and make him look good.
Gideon might have teased me when we were kids, but since we’ve reunited, he’s respected me and my decisions. It couldn’t have been easy for him to stand back while I spoke with Everett, but Gideon didn’t try to stop me. Instead, he supported my choice and comforted me afterward. And even when I didn’t want him to, he putmefirst, rather than letting me suffer through a painful situation alone.
That’slove. Standing by my side while I do hard things, being a safe space to share my thoughts and feelings, and enthusiastically participating in a silly, sexy Christmas list, just to make me happy.
I think of the sealed red envelope I hid in his stocking. Maybe we really are on the same page.
“I’m scared,” I confess, because even that’s easy to say to him. “This is going really fast.”
“It scares me a little, too.” His smile is tender. “But that just means we care about doing this right. And besides, we have a secret weapon.”
“We do?”
His grin widens. “Open communication.”
He’s right. Maybe it’s only been twelve days, but we’ve created a solid foundation. I don’t know if I’d be brave enough to build upon it myself, but Gideon has already shown he’s along for the ride, no matter how ridiculous my ideas might be, and he’s willing to put his heart on the line.
How can I do anything less?
I tilt my face to his. “Say it again?”
Warmth suffuses his features. He knows exactly what I mean.
