CHAPTER 35 #2
I couldn’t help it. He was so handsome. My finger traced the shape of his smiling lips. “You’re more interesting to look at.”
“Yeah?” God, I loved it when he blushed.
I stole a kiss. “Yeah.”
His smile morphed into a grin. He tucked a wayward red strand behind my ear and his thumb and forefinger rubbed my lobe in a manner that practically made me purr like a kitten.
“What are you thinking of?” he mumbled after another quiet moment of me counting his lashes and wondering why it took me so long to notice this beautiful human.
“How I wish I’d met you before,” I said.
“Before Franco. Before all the others…” I could have avoided all that unnecessary heartache.
But then again, without all those trials and tribulations from my past, I wouldn’t be who I was today.
And I did like what I saw in the mirror every day.
The human experience was all about learning from our mistakes and evolving into the best versions of ourselves, right?
“It’s unfair that our story began less than a handful of months ago. ”
“We needed to grow apart into who we were meant to be before we could be where we are today.” Hunter smoothed away my frown with his thumb.
“I’m not bitter that I laid eyes on you more than a year ago, but only got my chance with you now.
Everything happens for a reason. All that matters is that we found our way to each other.
We’re young, Gabby, so don’t worry. We have our entire lives to continue writing our story. ”
When he put it like that, the gloomy sky clouding my thoughts cleared away and gave leeway to a rainbow that brought forth lots of hope.
We did have all the time in the world to write our story and though I had read hundreds of romance novels in my two decades on Earth, I knew without a doubt that ours would always be my favourite love story.
“Just so you know, you’re all my favourite book boyfriends wrapped into one.”
“Coming from you, that is the highest of compliments.” He smiled. “Do I eclipse your vampire lord book boyfriend?”
I smiled as well, all too happy to declare, “By a million percent.”
“Well, that’s good to know. Felt like I was fighting for my life trying to impress you at times,” he jested and kissed me.
I giggled against his lips. “Consider me impressed.”
We barely watched the movie. I yapped about anything and everything under the sun—random subjects and things that were important to me—and Hunter listened patiently, inserting a comment here and there to encourage me and validate my feelings.
When I let out a yawn, he grabbed the remote, turned off the TV, and kissed my forehead. “My bed or yours tonight?”
He stood up with me clinging to his front like a baby koala. I didn’t want to let go of him. Not even for us to cross back to my apartment. Moreover, he had a king-sized bed that was bigger and much comfier than my queen.
“Yours.” I planted sleepy kisses all over his face as he trod down the hallway.
Hunter entered his room and climbed into the bed. “In we go.”
I landed on my back with him on top of me. Immediately, I noticed the glow-in-the-dark stars taped to his ceiling.
In the shape of the constellation Pegasus.
“Hunter, what are these doing here?”
“You said you didn’t like to sleep in the dark,” he explained, getting us under the covers. “I installed them last week. But I can turn on a nightlight for you as well, if you’d like?”
My expression softened. “No, this is perfect.”
Lying on our sides facing each other, we kissed until we grew lethargic and eventually fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
My love for him continued to grow every hour that we spent together. He wormed his way into my heart and now I was never letting him leave. He was stuck with me. Forever.
Sooner than later, I’d be introducing him to the Bellafiore bunch as my boyfriend. Nonna was the first one to hear about Hunter. I called her when I went over to my childhood home, while my parents bickered and set the table for dinner.
“Nonna, I miss you,” I told her as a greeting when she picked up.
Her smoky laugh welcomed me. “Ciao, piccola. I miss you, too. I’m sorry I can’t be there tonight. I already had plans with the book club ladies and Arlene’s on her way to pick me up.”
I perched against the half-moon table in the hallway, twirling the antique rotary phone’s cord around my finger.
“That’s okay. The only thing you’re missing is Mamma and Papà’s argument.
” But she could probably hear it in the background.
They were noisy as hell. “Anyways, what book are you currently reading?”
“Another monster romance.” She pretended to sigh like she was annoyed. In truth, she was growing fonder of the genre, thanks to Arlene. “About an alien and his marriage of convenience bride.”
“Ooh, I’ll have to add it to my to-be-read list.” I laughed. “Sounds like fun.”
“Fun my ass.” She scoffed, but we both knew she didn’t mean it. “Anyways, Gabriela, will I be seeing you soon?”
“Yes, you will. I’m hoping we can all do dinner next week. I want to introduce you guys to someone.”
“Oh.” She sensed the hint of excitement in my voice. “Who is this someone?”
I barely managed to tame my big grin. “A boy that I really, really like, Nonna.”
“Is he Italian?”
“Nope. But he does have some Irish in him.”
“Bummer. It’s a no from me.”
“Nonna!” I complained good-naturedly, nearly stomping my foot. “You haven’t even met him yet. He’s perfect and so handsome. Like a real-life Prince Charming.”
She laughed at my dreamy tone. Obviously, she was joking and pushing my buttons. Her own husband, my late grandfather, whom she loved dearly, was Irish. When they married, he changed his surname to Bellafiore as a token of love for Nonna, making us all the Bellafiores.
“All right, send me a picture of him through the app you put on my cell phone,” she said. “I’ll be the judge of this so-called Prince Charming.”
“Okay!” I perked up and cradled the handset in the crook of my neck, while plucking my cell phone from my skirt pocket.
I quickly sent her a series of pictures I captured of Hunter while he did mundane things like driving with his sunglasses on, sitting on the sofa watching a movie with my feet in his lap, playing with Luna.
Including a screenshot of that one picture from Josh’s social media, where Hunter stood in the locker room post-game, unaware that he was being photographed with the rest of his teammates, body glistening with sweat, his tattoo and silver nipple piercing on full display.
Nonna would appreciate the last shot.
“Mamma mia! They still make them like that?” she hollered. “Gabriela, he’s stunning!”
I giggled. “Isn’t he? I really, really like him, Nonna.”
“You already said that,” she teased. “And does he ‘really, really like you’ back?”
“Yes. He adores me. Practically kisses the ground I walk on. He’s so good to me.
No one’s ever treated me like him. He picks me up every morning for school, buys me my favourite donuts, brings me flowers, watches horror movies with me, reads my romance books, dotes on Luna and he… He’s my comfort person.”
And I’m so in love with him.
I hadn’t told that tidbit to anyone else yet. Not even my best friends.
I wanted Hunter to be the first person to hear it and I was waiting for the right moment to confess. There were many times that I wanted to and yet, the second I opened my mouth, my words died on the tip of my tongue, nerves getting the best of me.
“Men like that are a rare breed, Gabriela.”
“I know. That’s why I’m holding onto him. He’s never escaping my clutches.”
She laughed, probably thinking I was kidding. “I’m happy that you found your person. You deserved to be loved right.”
“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”
“Arlene’s here, so I got to go, but set up a date so we can meet him soon.”
“Okay,” I said. “I love you, Nonna. Have fun with the book club ladies. Tell them I said hi!”
“Love you, Gabriela, and will do.”
In the upcoming days, Hunter and I fell into a routine.
We went out for walks despite the temperature dropping.
He usually bought me a hot chocolate to keep me warm.
We also went to cat-friendly cafés with Luna so we could study and work on our assignments.
Luna always sat in Hunter’s lap, glancing at him with love, and he snuck her little treats.
And sometimes in the evenings, when we didn’t want to stay cooped up at home, we drove around aimlessly, listening to his playlists, until we found a clearing where we could gaze at the stars.
Hunter even signed me up for driving classes so I could get my license.
He encouraged me to practice on his Jaguar and I did, feeling more confident behind the wheel with every session.
Mere days into our relationship and I was glowing. Not to mention that I felt calm and relaxed, my system at ease from its usual anxiety.
I guessed that’s what happened when you were in a healthy relationship with a man who didn’t drain your cup, but rather filled it and uplifted you into a higher version of yourself.
Hunter was my sanctuary.
I never feared him judging me. He indulged my chatty, clingy self like it was the highest of honours. And I loved him even more for that.
One day, we were hanging out at my place, sitting before the coffee table in my living room with snacks surrounding us as we worked on our respective hobbies.
Hunter had coloured a total of one mandala before Luna came over and demanded her daddy’s attention.
I continued with my diamond painting activity until I got the brilliant idea of using my colourful rhinestones to bedazzle my current romance book’s cover.
In the middle of sticking a golden rhinestone, I hedged, “Hunter?”
“Yes, doll?”
“If you could read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?”