Page 96 of Say It Again

“I have feelings for you.” Aaron lifted his chin. “You and only you. Say the thing.”

“I love you.”

“Say it again.”

“I love you.”

“Again. With my name.”

“I love you, Aaron Silva.”

Aaron huddled their foreheads together and grinned. “You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Chapter Twenty

“HI. I’M trying to reach Mr. Daniel Greene. This is Will McCoy, your personal loan operator with Summit One Loans. I regret to inform you that we were unable to approve your application at this time. Again, Will McCoy. Reach out with any questions.”

It was nine days later, and Daniel had noticed he was gone. It was in the coffee that wasn’t brewed in the morning and the cold side of the bed at night. It was in the lack of sex, because when Aaron was home, he was too tired. No blue ice as the first thing he saw when he woke and last thing he pictured before he fell asleep. Well, that wasn’t true. Aaron was still the last thing he pictured before he fell asleep, but it wasn’t like he could even tell him that. He wasn’t there.

But today, none of that mattered. None of that mattered, because he’d been really good so far about not having a meltdown—everything was fantastic!—not to mention, today they were having the interior design conversation.

Aaron had chosen a restaurant that was white-tableclothed, sterling-wared, and way too swanky for both of them to be sitting on one side of the table, hovering over Daniel’s first-edition laptop. A coffee shop would’ve been better, but at least Aaron was his for the entire night.

If only he weren’t so fucking droopy.

“Hey.” He whacked Aaron in the arm when he yawned for the second time in two minutes. “Are you paying attention?”

“Yes.” Aaron rubbed his eyes and blinked at Daniel’s computer screen, where a breathtaking PowerPoint presentation had been executed. It’d taken him over three hours. He was going with breathtaking as the modifier. “What am I looking at?”

“These are all of the interior design programs in the city. Look.” He pointed to the screen. “The community college even has one”—he jazz fingered for emphasis—“and hello affordability.”

“Where is our waiter?” Aaron leaned back in his chair and scoped the restaurant. “I ordered champagne.”

“What? When did you do that?”

“When you were off fixing your makeup.”

“First of all, it’s not makeup, it’s under-eye highlighter.”

“It looks sexy.” Aaron pressed his face into Daniel’s cheek and grinned. “You’re dazzling.”

“And second of all….” He nudged Aaron away, even though he couldn’t help but smile at that silly dazzling business. “I’m only wearing it because we’re going dancing later. We’re still dancing after this, right?”

“I missed you while you were gone doing your under-eye makeup,” Aaron whispered onto his neck, stretching his arm across Daniel’s chair. “I always miss you—”

“Your champagne, sir,” said a waiter, materializing with a bottle of something that looked French-made and uneconomical.

“Perfect.” For doing what he did, Aaron was usually more reserved in public than this, but it was like his exhaustion had lowered his inhibitions. “We’ll get some appetizers too. What do you want, kid? Oh, just send ’em all. We’ll get every appetizer on the menu.”

“What? No—!” He’d tried, but Aaron covered his mouth with his hand.

“He’s fine.” Aaron grinned at the waiter. “One of each. No big deal.”

The waiter skidded off and Aaron finally uncovered his mouth. To Daniel’s look, he yanked his chair in, scooting him closer. Up close, his eyes were a bit red-rimmed and glassy like he’d been awake forty-eight hours.

“Are you going to look at my presentation?” he asked, picking an eyelash off Aaron’s cheek. “I made a whole damn presentation.”

“Of course I’m going to look at it.” Aaron handed him a glass of champagne and snagged the other, clinking them together. “But does it have to be this second? I just miss you, and I want to enjoy an evening out with my boyfriend where I don’t have to worry about”—he tipped his head toward the computer—“this stuff. Is that too much to ask?”

---