Page 178 of Lovers Like Us
“I’m asking you to,” Isay.
He instinctively shakes his head. “I can’t…once we cross that line, there’s no going back. Your life is foreverfucked—”
“Or it’s better.” My fingers almost brush hiselbow.
He sets a hand on the back of his neck. “Or it’snot.”
My heart rate is at an all-timehigh.
Maximoff looks resolute. “I can’t knowingly do this to you.” He’ll keep returning to this point. No matter what, and I understand. He was upfront with me at the jumpstart—about not ever wanting a public relationship, not wanting to subject his significant other to the media—and he’s too stubborn to change hismind.
It’s my fault for falling this hard forhim.
“Okay.” My stomach sinks. “It’sokay.”
Maximoff crumples a napkin and eyes me more intensely than I’m eyeing him. “By your expression, I feel like I fucked upsomewhere.”
My brows ratchet up. “What’s myexpression?”
“You’reupset.”
“I’m not upset,” I say indifferently. I run my tongue over the inside of my lip piercing, and just nod slowly. Okay, I may benervous. But I’m notupset.
What do I say:Maximoff, you know how you were the one nervous about this being your first relationship? Yeah, well, now I’m the nervous one.Cheers.
I don’t saythat.
I don’t even say that I’m disappointed. He’d feel guilty, and I don’t want to guilt him into going public. It has to be hischoice.
Instead, I land on this, “I promise I’ll be happy with how things are now. All I want is you, wolf scout, and in this scenario, I haveyou.”
It’s thetruth.
Before he can reply, waitresses start singing loudly, “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!” And the whole dinerjoins.
I crane my neck over my shoulder. With five waitresses in tow, Ava carries my bagel sandwich, lit candles stuck in thebread.
My chest swells because I know…Maximoff didthat.
With the napkinnote.
I fucking love breakfast more than cake. And this gesture crashes into my body. Hard. Shit, I’m really,reallyinlove.
I turn back tohim.
Maximoff finishes singing the song with the diner, and his eyes just melt against mine. How no one else can see the affection, I don’t know. It seems overpoweringly clear tome.
I’m choked up for a second. After all that we’ve been through on tour, coming back to Philly and having my boyfriend do this ispriceless.
Ava sets the birthday candle bagel in front ofme.
Maximoff leans forward. Almost like he could go in for a kiss. I smile, even though he stops. And my smile stretches as he tells me, “Make awish.”
At the moment, I only wish for two things: a public relationship and the stalker to befound.
Between the two, it’s an easy choice which to pick. There’s no real contest. No hesitation. I blow out thecandles.
Hoping to catch this motherfucker. Once and forall.
