“You were five when you said that,” he noted dryly. “Not sixteen. Plenty of children are known to tell adults that. Even their parents.”
“Which brings me to my next point,” I cut in, smiling. He looked amused, but let me go on without interrupting. “You think because you raised me, were my father figure, that people will take notice and be appalled or something. And will some people? Sure. But not all of them. Even if they were, it wouldn’t matter. All that matters is how we feel about it. We’re not related. We’re not doing anything illegal. You and I are two consenting adults who…are fond of each other. We like each other’s company. In a way, we’re getting to know each other in a new light. Not as little Della and the man who raised her. As Adele and Theo.
“And it isn’t like I’m asking to broadcast it or rent a billboard or anything. I’m not asking for much at all, Theo, just that you don’t shut me out. Talk to me. Tell me what’s bothering you so I can try helping. I may be younger, maybe not as wise, but that doesn’t mean you have to struggle through this alone. In fact, you shouldn’t. Having somebody in your life who cares about you, a partner, means that they’re there for you when you need them. And I want that. I want to be there for you and for you to be there for me. Okay? Can you do that? I promise I won’t even try to hold your hand in public or maul you.”
His lips tipped up at the corners as he rested a palm on my leg, his thumb caressing the skin. “You’ve had a lot of time to think about this, haven’t you?”
Sheepishly, I shrugged. “Like I said, I couldn’t sleep last night. All I could think about is what you said yesterday and how you’d give me a hundred excuses as to why we couldn’t continue this. That meant I had to come up with a hundred reasons why we should. I can keep going if you’d like, but I think I made my point.”
His responding sigh was heavy. “For the record, I’d love to hold your hand in public and let you maul me.” My eyes widened. From what I knew, he never even did the PDA thing with his ex. That had to mean something. “And there’s something I need you to know.”
I waited impatiently, squirming in fear of what he’d say.
“I am more than just fond of you, Della. In fact, what I feel for you is stronger than I know what to do with. When I think about the past, it fucks with my head. I don’t want to ruin this, but I don’t want to admit that I won’t sometimes see the long-haired little girl who would step on my shoes and beg me to dance. And I certainly don’t want people to make your life hell more than they already have because I’m a selfish bastard for wanting you.”
My body heated up over those words, specifically the last sentence. I wanted him to be a selfish bastard and I liked—loved—that he wanted me all for himself. “Like I said, we’re here for each other if the time comes.”
He looked at me with those eyes that said, when the time comes.
And I knew he wasn’t wrong, but one of us needed to be optimistic. If he was the realist, which I had no doubt he would be in this situation, then I wanted to be the person who looked on the bright side.
“So, who were you talking to yesterday that made you so angry?” I asked when he went back to stir dinner.
His shoulders drew back. “You know what?” Looking over his shoulder, he smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it tonight. I just want to spend time with you. Is that okay?”
Even though I could tell there was something more on his mind, something to do with why he’d shown up at my building yesterday, I let it go. “You’ll tell me eventually, though?”
His head bobbed once. I accepted it and swung my legs as he grabbed a couple plates and set them on the table. “I found a show I think you’d like. It’s all about King Tut and his rule over Egypt.”
He turned to me with drawn eyebrows. I sighed, relenting. “Okay,