I made my way to the hallway and waited for her, and she joined me before walking down the hall to the door. I opened it for her, and she slipped through, and I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander down her body as she walked past me. The smell of her perfume hit me strong, and I felt my stomach tighten. I had to get ahold of myself. She was most likely there to tell me how we could never see each other again, and how it had all been a mistake. I needed to mentally prepare myself for that.
Following her outside, I took a sip of the ice water I’d poured just before the break and had brought with me. Not only was I tired and thirsty, but just being around her made my throat dry up. Never had I been so nervous to talk to a woman in all my life. I took a deep breath as I sat down beside her on the top step, hoping she would talk first. It was a relief when she finally did.
“So, my parents invited me over for dinner the other day,” she said.
“That must have been a blast,” I said.
“Yeah,” she laughed. “Nick was there. Have you spoken to him since he stormed out of your place?”
“No,” I said.
“That’s what he said, too,” she said. “I honestly didn’t know if he was covering his ass for maybe calling and harassing you or something.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “No calls. No texts.”
“Yeah,” she said again, and there was a short pause. “They kind of staged an intervention about me dating anyone.”
“Really?”
“They seemed to be under the impression that I was dating you.” She turned to me. Our eyes met, and she smiled. “Nick specifically was adamant that I was rushing into things.”
“Nick should keep his mouth shut,” I said without thinking. “Sorry.”
“No sorry needed,” she said. “Look, I’m sorry if I ruined your friendship.”
“Stop right there,” I said, holding my palm out to her. “You did not ruin our friendship. If anyone did, it was him. He is the one who stomped into my house and threw a fit instead of talking to me like an adult; he’s the one who accused me of being some kind of predator. He’s the one who caused a rift between you and me.” I paused and looked deep in her eyes. “I just wish you would understand that.”
Her eyes searched mine, and I could feel that connection begin again. It was white-hot and electric. No matter how much I had doubted that feeling in the last few weeks, there it was, right there and undeniable. I wanted to reach out and grab her, to hold her and kiss her. It was almost overwhelming. I broke the eye contact for fear of acting on that impulse. What was there, and it most certainly was there, might need a more deft hand than just me grabbing her on the back stoop of the bar and tearing each other’s clothes off in public. Not that it wouldn’t be hot.
I took a sip of my water and tried to focus on the cold sensation going down my throat. Anything to quell the heat so I could focus. Then I stared down at my shoes for a moment, wondering what I could say next.
“You’re right,” she said quietly. I glanced over at her and saw she too had moved her gaze away, but only slightly. She was still turned toward me, expectantly. “He asked…” She paused, as if the words were difficult to form. “He asked me if I loved you.”
I could feel the color drain from my face.
“What did you say?” I asked.
Her face twisted up in emotion and traces of fear. She was clearly battling with answering the question, but not because the answer was ambiguous. She was afraid of how I would respond if she was honest. She didn’t need to be. I knew how I felt, and in that moment, I was a thousand percent sure of it. No matter what, no matter the obstacle or the conflict with Nick. I looked into her eyes, and I could see it there. Suddenly, I pulled her forward and leaned in, pressing my lips to hers.
We stayed there for a long moment, the world around us fading away. Her lips were soft and familiar and intoxicating. It was a kiss I thought I would never experience again, and my heart leapt at it. I pulled her away and rested my forehead against hers. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and I wiped them away with my thumb.
“I love you, too,” I said.
She began to shake as tears poured. They were welling up in the corners of my eyes as well, but the smile was too large to let them fall. She returned the smile, and we kissed again, this time with elation and laughter bubbling up between us.