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“No. There are no wrong answers when talking about your feelings. How you feel is how you feel.”
“Then why the heavy breathing?”
“Every time I pitch one right over the plate for you to take a solid swing at, you bunt.”
“Okay, now I’m completely lost. Are you talking about a sport?”
“It’s a metaphor, darling.” He grinned. “When I start a conversation that would be the perfect opportunity for you to open up a little, you breadcrumb me with two-word answers.”
I saw the point after he explained and truly felt like that was my blond moment allotment for the week. So I tried to explain. “I’m very new to all this open sharing. I haven’t been in a long-term relationship.”
“Ever?”
“Never. It was never something that appealed to me.”
“And now? But see, this is what I’m talking about. I feel like I have to drag every sentence out of you.”
“Like I said, this is new to me. Hopefully you won’t run out of patience before I’m a sharing shaman like you are.” I smiled and poked a finger into his abdomen.
That one made him laugh, at least. And I realized that was a pretty typical way for me to handle serious feelings. I made jokes instead to distract my partner.
But Carmen deserved more from me. I already knew losing him would be a major fuck-up. It would be hard and lonely and filled with regrets.
I couldn’t meet his eyes when I said, “I feel the same.” If he heard me at all, it would be a shocker. My voice was normally strong and resonant, but that admission sounded like a whisper.
He studied me for a long time until I began to fidget. Finally he said, “And how is that? What is the same?”
I met his handsome brown stare and gave him the best pleading look I could. “You know. What you said.”
“Say it to me, Agatha. Say it out loud. Baby steps,” he encouraged with that boyish smile that melted me every time.
“I—” I studied my sock-covered feet until his entered my line of sight too. He hooked his index finger under my chin and lifted my face to him.
“I’m—” Fuck! Why is this so hard?
Because I didn’t want to set myself up to be hurt. It was that simple. But it would hurt worse without him, and if I couldn’t trust him with my feelings, how did I think I could build a life with the man?
“I’m falling in love with you too.” I choked on the emotion balled in my throat.
The moment I saw the joy on his face, I felt better. He beamed like the proud new owner of a fancy car, and my smile unconsciously matched his.
“Thank you,” he said after giving me a tender kiss. “I won’t betray you. Okay? I promise.”
“Okay,” I said in a shaky voice and stepped closer to him, hoping he would wrap me in the safety of his arms.
He knew exactly what I needed, and we stood embraced in the middle of the kitchen for many minutes.
“We have something really good here, Storm. If we vow to be honest and open with each other, I know we can make this work.”
“And patient. Carmen, you have to be more patient with me.”
He gave me that sexy, mischievous smile then and pulled me even closer and kissed the top of my head.
“Yes, wife.”
