Page 22 of Forever and Always
Town gossip, again.
I nod, my eyes still distant, lost in thought. “He has, Mike. He’s… he’s the first person who’s ever really seen me, you know? Who’s ever really understood me.”
Mike puts a hand on my shoulder. “That’s what love does, Darke. It sees past the surface level and gets to the heart of who we are.”
I take a deep breath, vulnerability within me. “I’m scared, Mike. I’m scared of losing him, of not being enough for him…”
Mike squeezes my shoulder. “You’re enough, Darke. You’re more than enough. And Bobby loves you for who you are, not for who you think you should be.”
I nod, feeling gratitude towards my partner. “Thanks, Mike. Just talking to you helps.”
“You’re welcome. Now the that’s taken care of, get back to work,” he says, walking away smiling.
I chuckle and shake my head, a sense of normalcy returns to the moment. “Yes, sir!” I call out, grinning.
I refocus on my work, but my mind still wanders back to Bobby and our conversation earlier. As I dive back into the case files, my phone buzzes with a text from Bobby.
BOBBY: Hey, beast. Just wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you.
I smile, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. I quickly type out a response.
ME: Thinking about you too, little prince. Couldn’t concentrate, because of you. Dinner at your lofttonight?
BOBBY: Dinner at my place? I don’t have much of food, but I can whip something up for the two of us! Is 6 PM fine for you?
ME: Of course! See you then, my little prince. ??
I put my phone away, a sense of excitement over me for the night ahead. I know that with Bobby by my side, anything is possible.
As my shift is over at the station, I head to my car.
As I walk to my car, I couldn’t wait to have my lips on Bobby. I’m looking forward to seeing and spending the evening with him. I get in my car and start the engine.
As I drive, I think about Bobby and how much he’s changed my life. I feel grateful for his presence in my life and excited for what the future holds.
When I arrive at Bobby’s loft, I see that he’s already home from work. I can hear music playing inside, and I smile, knowing that he’s waiting for me.
I get out of my car and walk to the door, feeling nervous and excited. I take a deep breath, calm myself down, and knock on the door.
The door opens, and Bobby stands before me, smiling. “Hey, beast,” he says, his eyes sparkling with love.
21
BOBBY
“Hey little prince,” he says, towering over me. He enters my loft, and then leans in to give me a kiss.
Suddenly, I hear his strong stomach rumble. “What that’s your cooking,” he ask, a hand on his stomach in embarrassment.
I burst out laughing at the unexpected sound, and Darke’s embarrassed expression makes me giggle even more. “No, it’s not my cooking, I promise! Actually, I just got home 15 minutes ago. You must be smelling the desert I picked up at the local grocery store,” I say, holding my sides.
Darke chuckles and shakes his head, “I guess I’m just hungry. Sorry about that.”
I grin mischievously, “Well, I think I can help with that. I was thinking of ordering some dinner instead. What do you say?”
Darke’s eyes light up, “That sounds amazing. What were you thinking of getting?”
I pull out my phone and start scrolling through food delivery options, “How about Chinese? I know this great place that delivers.”
