Chapter 35
DANNY
“I feellike we’ve kicked off a sex bucket list.”
I pause mid-chew and glance over at Eden. “What is a sex bucket list?” I ask after swallowing.
She sits up on the couch, reaching her chopsticks into my to-go container and grabbing a piece of sweet and sour shrimp. “It’s exactly what it sounds like. A list of fun things you’d like to do, only sex-themed.”
“I can get on board with that.”
She points her chopsticks to the living room floor, where our sex painting is currently drying. “Sex on canvas, covered in paint. Check!”
I laugh when she makes an invisible checkmark with her chopsticks. “What else is on your sex bucket list?”
“Sex in public.”
“Hmm.” I lick my lips as I look at her. “I think that can be arranged.”
“What about you?” she asks.
I think for a second. “See how many orgasms I can give you in one session.”
Her eyes go wide. “Okay, yeah, we’re definitely doing this.”
We chuckle and finish the Chinese food she brought over. I get up to throw away our trash and refill Eden’s glass of water. When I hand the glass to her, she reaches for the towel wrapped around my waist.
I quirk my eyebrow at her. “More?”
There’s a flash behind her eyes. “I always, always want more of you.”
Just then there’s a knock at my door.
“Hold that thought.”
I walk to the front door, peer through my peephole, and see Cruz.
“Shit!” I whisper as I whip around to Eden.
“What’s wrong?”
I press my index finger to my lips and she quiets immediately.
I dart over to her. “Your brother is here,” I whisper.
Her brown eyes go wide. “What?”
She quickly clamps a hand over her mouth. “What is he doing here?” she whispers.
“I don’t know…”
Cruz knocks again. “One second!” I holler as I take in the state of my place: mine and Eden’s clothes strewn all over my living room floor, that massive butcher paper covered in paint.
“I’ll hide in your bedroom,” Eden says as she pulls my shirt over her head.
I nod and wait until she disappears around the corner before I walk back over to the door. I contemplate throwing on some clothes but stop myself. This’ll actually work better if Cruz sees me like this.
When I open the door, I chuckle a “hey.” It comes off shocked and awkward. Good.
Cruz takes in the state of me with wide eyes and a laugh. “Oh, damn. Bad timing?”
I wince and look back into my apartment. “Uh, kind of. What’s up?”
“You just get out of the shower or…”
It’s a second before a look of recognition flashes across his face. “Oh damn, you’ve got company.”
He smirks and I force a chuckle. “You could say that.”
God, I’m a dirt bag. His sister is half-naked a dozen feet from us, and here I am joking with him.
He holds up a hand. “Say no more.” He gestures to the paper bag sitting on the ground next to him. “I’ll get out of your hair, I was just visiting my folks and my mom insisted I drop off some food for you. I texted you earlier to let you know I was on my way.” He claps me on the shoulder. “But you were busy. My bad.”
Despite the churning in my stomach, I smile. “It’s alright. That was really nice of your mom, tell her thanks for me, will you?”
“She’s pumped that you moved back. She remembers how you said her pansit was your favorite food growing up. Sorry for interrupting, man.”
I tell him no problem. He starts to turn to walk off but looks over my shoulder. “Are you painting again?”
A wave of panic hits, but I manage to keep my expression in place. Fuck. Can he see the canvas with Eden on it? As casually as I can, I turn around and spot the paint-splattered butcher paper on the floor.
I let out a quiet breath. “Oh, uh, yeah. Trying out something new.”
“That’s cool.”
What feels like a block of cement settles in the pit of my stomach. God, if Cruz only knew that what I did with his sister on that canvas…
“Hey, if you get back into your groove you could sell your work.”
“Um, yeah. Maybe.” I peer behind me again.
“I’ll catch you later, dude, “Cruz says as he starts to walk off. “Sorry again for interrupting.”
I wave a hand while laughing. “It’s okay. Thanks again for the food.”
“Meet up for a drink this week?” Cruz asks as he leaves.
“Definitely. Just text me.”
He walks down the block. I hold my breath while doing a quick scan of the street. When I don’t see Eden’s car, I exhale. She must have parked farther down the street, which is a relief. If Cruz had recognized her car, he may have put two and two together…
Cruz turns the corner out of sight and I step back inside, shutting the door behind me.
“He’s gone,” I say.
Eden tip-toes out of my bedroom and over to me. She slinks her arms around my waist and I hug her to my chest.
“Close call,” she murmurs.
“Yeah.”
When we break apart, she glances down at the bag of food in my hand. “Mom made pansit, huh?”
“Yeah. She’s really sweet to think of me.”
I pop to the kitchen to put the food away, then join Eden on the couch. She’s glancing at my painting of her.
“Have you thought about selling your art? Like in a gallery?”
I smile at her. “You were eavesdropping?”
“My brother has a loud voice.”
I laugh, then glance at the canvas, then the butcher paper on the floor. Just the thought of showing my artwork to the public and selling it has my stomach in a knot.
“Honestly? Yeah. But it would take a lot for me to get to that point.”
I mention having to produce multiple pieces of artwork, enough to fill an exhibit.
“Plus, drumming up enough buzz so that people will actually show up and buy stuff,” I say. “And the cost can be a lot too. I’d have to split a percentage of any sale with the gallery owner.”
I observe how Eden’s excited expression hasn’t changed despite my laundry list of reasons why I currently can’t show at a gallery.
“Those all sound very doable.” She winks at me, and that stress knot in my stomach melts.
I down some water and feel her take her hand in mine. “Seriously though, I don’t mean to come off as pushy. I just think that you’re such a talented artist. I hope that you keep painting. Your work deserves to be in a gallery.”
There’s a burst in the center of my chest. This is what it feels like to be with someone who truly supports you, who believes in you.
“I’m going to do it,” I say. “I’m going to show my work in an art gallery.” Saying it feels weird, but good. Kind of like speaking this goal out loud is the first step. I just have to take the rest step by step.
Eden beams at me and cuddles into my chest. “You’re gonna be a quadruple threat.”
“A quadruple threat?”
“Yup. A brilliant artist, professor, Dream Guy, and super hot boyfriend.”
I laugh, hugging her tight against me. “What are your dreams, Eden?”
Peering down at her, I observe her expression turn thoughtful. I run my fingers along the length of her spine, relishing how relaxed she is in my embrace.
“Take the Dream Guy app to the next level,” she says.
“What’s the next level?”
“Going global,” she says without hesitation. “It would be amazing to see people all over the world use my app. And honestly, I think there’s a decent shot at that happening, especially after what happened when Buzzfeed did that article on us.”
In the weeks since then, users have been flocking to Dream Guy. Eden put out a call for more applicants on the East Coast to meet the expansion.
“Then maybe I could travel and develop the company worldwide. That would be my ultimate dream—to travel and get to do this job.”
My hand goes still at her words. A sinking feeling hits. “That would be great.” I clear my throat when I realize how squeaky my voice sounds.
Eden sits up. “What’s wrong?”
Her eyes are bright with concern and that makes me feel like the biggest jerk in the world. Here she is opening up about her dreams and I’m getting scared at the thought that she’ll leave me behind.
“It’s nothing.” I try to smile, but she doesn’t buy it.
“Was it something I said?” she asks, her tone hesitant.
Enough of me pushing this aside. She’s being honest with me. I need to be honest with her.
“It’s not that. I’m so freaking proud of you, Eden. Your app is taking off, and you deserve all the success it could ever have. I just…” I rub the back of my neck. “Cruz said something a while ago when we met for drinks. About how your first love is travel and how surprising it is that you’re settling down here in Portland.”
She blinks, her gaze curious and bright.
“And, well.” I sigh. “Look, this is probably gonna come off as off-putting considering we’ve only been seeing each other for not even two months, but the thought of you someday leaving guts me. I love being with you.”
Her mouth makes a perfect tiny circle. “Oh.”
When she doesn’t say anything, I start to turn away. Welp. I definitely freaked her out with my whole “I like you so much please don’t ever leave me” speech.
“No, wait.” She grabs my wrist. When I look at her, she’s smiling. “Hearing you say that you love being with me and that you want me to stay is amazing.”
“But?” I say, waiting for what else she’s going to say.
“There is no ‘but.’ I love being with you too, Danny. And I don’t have plans to leave anytime soon.”
“Eden, as happy as it makes me to hear you say that, I don’t want to be the reason you stay in a place when you’d be happier elsewhere.”
“I’m happy, Danny. So, so happy.” She moves to straddle my lap. “Yeah, I love traveling. And yeah, I’m definitely planning to travel a lot in my life, and maybe even move someplace else someday. There a ton of places I still want to see. But when I do all that, I’m bringing you with me.”
I grab her face and kiss her. That sinking feeling disappears, replaced by a swelling in my chest.
“Where are we going?” I ask her.
She beams. “To Iceland so we can see the Northern Lights. And then hiking at Banff. Then the Ankorian temples in Cambodia. And I wanna visit my family in the Philippines. I haven’t been there since high school. And Portugal. Definitely Portugal.”
Each sentence ends with her kissing me.
“Why Portugal?” I ask.
“They have legendary surfing there. And gorgeous architecture. And pastel de nata, my favorite.”
I smile against her mouth. “Yum.”
Things turn hot and heavy quickly. I stand up, holding Eden in my arms, and walk her to my bedroom.
“No paint this time?” she teases between kisses.
“Nope. Just you and me naked in my bed.”
She hums as I kiss the side of her neck. “I’m good with that.”