Page 62 of The Fake Date Deal

“What? What’s so funny?”

“I thought the same.” She took a deep breath. “That I wouldn’t be enough for you. That you’d get bored.”

It was my turn to laugh. “You? Not enough?”

“I never have been. Not by myself.” She turned away from me, to watch out the window. “Everyone had their ideas of who I should be — my parents, the public. Rafael. They always seemed happiest when I wasn’t myself. Then with you, I was myself, but we weren’t real. I wanted us to be real, but I didn’t think you did.”

“You didn’t think — what?” I pulled the car over sharply, screeched to a halt. Unhooked my seat belt and twisted to face her. “That’s all I wanted. All I still want.”

She went still, so still I couldn’t tell if she was still breathing. “All you want?”

“Of course. It’s all I’ve wanted since… since, I don’t know. Practically day one. You make me smile, laugh. You make me feel… right. Like the person I am, who I want to be, my plans for the future — like it’s worth something. Like I’m worth something. You make me feel that.”

Eve’s eyes had gone round. She sat frozen, staring.

“I’m not like my dad,” I said. “I want a real future. I want a big family, kids everywhere. Not just ours, I mean, but millions of cousins. Uncles and aunts. I want to come home to you every night, hear how your day was, tell you about mine. I want you at my races, me at your shows. Your movies, your standup, whatever you do. I want my life and your life to become our life, if you’ll forgive me. If?—”

“I love you,” said Eve.

My head spun. “You… what?” I couldn’t believe I’d heard what I’d heard. “Say it again.”

She smiled. “I love you. You see who I am, and you don’t try to change that. You push me to be more myself, never to hide it. So, I’m saying it. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“And I forgive you, with one caveat.”

My stomach plunged. “Caveat?”

She took my chin in her hand, dug her fingers in deep. “If I ever catch you again comparing me to fruit?—”

“No! Never! Never! We’ll banish all fruit. No apples, no strawberries. No wine, because grapes.”

Eve broke out laughing. “We can still eat fruit.”

“Only to get rid of it.”

She pulled me toward her, into her arms. Her kiss was like heaven, like coming home. She’d only been gone a week, but it felt like a lifetime, and now she was back with me, I’d never let go. I plunged my fingers deep into the fall of her hair, memorizing its softness, the heat of her skin. The molten perfection of her lips against mine. Then Eve was pinching me hard on my arm.

“Ow. What’s that for?”

“So you know you’re not dreaming.” She pinched me again. “So you’ll never forget you’re all I want, too. This is real, and you’re good enough.”

“We’ve always been real.” I pinched her back and she laughed. She kissed me again. Fireworks sizzled inside me, excitement, relief. She’d really come back to me, all-in this time.

“Let’s drive,” she said. “Let’s drive somewhere, fast.”

She buckled her seat belt and I buckled mine, and we peeled out heading into our next adventure.

EPILOGUE

ONE YEAR LATER: EVE

My phone buzzed: You here?

I smiled. Tapped away. Didn’t you hear me cheering?

When do you get in? You must be exhausted!!!

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