Page 46 of The Fake Date Deal

Eve waved her off, blushing. “I was, what, five?”

“Maybe the first time, but it went on for years.”

“What about you, trying to dress up the dogs?”

“One dog, and I think that was your idea.”

Their laughter washed over me, their smiles and their warmth. I sensed a million more stories, Eve’s life with her family. Their easy closeness made my heart ache, a physical tightening in my throat and my chest. I stood abruptly, before I could think.

“Marco? You okay?”

I smiled down at Eve. “Yeah, be right back.” I nodded in the direction I thought I’d seen the bathroom, and headed that way, but I didn’t go in. Instead, I strode past and out to the terrace, and stood with the cool evening breeze in my face. I wondered what my ma was doing right now, if she had friends over or if she was by herself. A shiver ran through me — I should go visit. It had been weeks now since I last dropped by. Family was important. You couldn’t just?—

“Hey. You all right?”

I spun around, startled. Gabriella had come up behind me on quiet feet, and now she stood watching me, head cocked to one side.

“I’m good,” I said. “Got turned around coming back from the bathroom, and then I got thinking, it’s pretty out here.”

She frowned. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I slapped on my widest, most carefree grin. “I’m loving your stories, you know, about Eve.”

“How about you? Do you have brothers or sisters?”

That pang came again, that painful tightness. The tightness of those hard years when it was just me and Ma. “No, it’s just me, but I have plenty of cousins.”

“Cousins are better sometimes,” said Gabriella. “You can take a break from them when you’re in a fight.”

“Guess the grass is always greener. Should we get back?”

Gabriella fixed me with a searching look, but she didn’t press. I took a deep breath or two to clear my head. Then I followed her back and we took our seats at the table, just in time to order dessert. Conversation resumed, light and sparkling, but I couldn’t shake a strange sense of… loss. Like this night was a memory, fading already. This night and this table, and the people around it. Panic fluttered in my belly, barely suppressed. I’d let Eve so close to me, not seeing the risk. Not letting myself see it, because I didn’t want to. But I couldn’t see that as a mistake.

Tonight, I decided. I had to ask her tonight. I’d tell her straight out, I wanted more for us. Something like her parents had, what they’d built together. They’d started like us, on strange, shaky ground, but this family had come from that, imperfect but loving. I’d tell her, let’s see what we can grow into.

Eve smiled at me across her champagne glass. My chest flooded with warmth, and I smiled back. Our story didn’t have to end in goodbye.

Back in our suite, I felt good. Confident. Eve came out of the shower in her fluffy white robe, and I pulled her to me and stole a sweet kiss.

“You smell good. All fresh-scrubbed.”

“You do too,” she said, and laid her head on my chest. She breathed in deep, as though to inhale me. I ran my hand down her shower-warm back. She tilted her head up and pulled me against her. I took a long moment to bask in her affection, her lingering kisses, the heat of her skin. Then I drew back and led her to the bed.

“Sit with me.”

“Just sit?”

I winked. “For now.”

I patted the blankets and Eve sat beside me, cuddling up close so our knees bumped together. I shifted back just enough to meet her eyes.

“I had a good time tonight,” I said. “Your family is great.”

Eve glowed at that. “I’m so glad you like them. Especially Gabriella. They’re a lot at times, and they get protective, but it went well tonight. They loved you too.”

I cleared my throat, nervous. This was my moment. “I’ve told you about my family, my uncles, my cousins. But my parents?—”

Eve’s phone buzzed. She ignored it. “Sorry. Go on?”

---