Page 87 of Summer Fling
"Do you want me to?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "Of course not. I mean, I don't want to influence you one way or the other."
I shook my head slightly to clear it. "I don't understand."
"Let's go inside." Dalton moved past me into the house.
I closed the door and followed him to our spot on the patio.
He sat down, his elbows resting on his thighs. "If you don't want to attend the mediation as my fiancée, I'm okay with that."
"Okay." I wasn't asking for his permission.
He sighed. "But I'd like you to be there for me."
My heart skipped a beat. "You want me to be there to support you as your?—"
"As my girlfriend." He cradled my hand in his. "I want you to be my real girlfriend, and I want you to go to school…or not. I want you to do whatever it is that you want to do."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I wasn't sure how you felt."
"I'm screwing this up. I even practiced in the truck on the way over here, and I didn't get it right. What I want to tell you is that I'm in love with you."
Hope surged through my body.
"I didn't want to influence your decision to go back to school. I'd never forgive myself if you gave up something so important for me."
"I came here to figure out what I wanted to do."
"And your decision shouldn't have anything to do with me."
"I don't know about that. When you're in a relationship with someone, you should consider how your partner feels."
"I selfishly want you to stay, but if you want to go to school, I'll support you. We'll come visit and cheer you on."
"You'd do that? You'd have a long-distance relationship and bring Lilliana to see me?"
"I don't want to be apart from you, so I'd want to see you as much as possible. And Lilliana's going to miss you too."
I pulled my hand from his. "I appreciate that you're willing to do all of that for me, but I don't think it's necessary."
His forehead wrinkled. "Why is that?"
"I know what I want to do. I want to stay here and see if I can get this business off the ground. I can go back to school at any time, but I have a feeling this is my next step. I want to share my art with the world and live here with you and Lilliana. I love you too."
He drew me into his chest. "I'm so sorry that I pushed you away. I thought it was selfish to ask you to stay."
My eyes filled with tears. "I wanted you to ask. I wanted a sign that this was the right thing to do."
He pulled me back so that he could see my face. "I want to be wherever you are. We'll make this work."
"I want to be with you too."
"We have to deal with mediation, but right now, I want to show you how I feel." He lifted me into his arms, and I threw mine around his neck. "What about Lilliana?"
"My parents have her for a few hours, and I know just how to fill them."
He set me on the bed and covered me with his body. There was nowhere else I'd rather be than here with him.
