Chapter 21 #2
She shrugs and smiles, not giving much away. “I just want to get an idea of what your life is really like. Thank you for inviting me into your home.”
Rico and I perch together on the sofa while she regards us from the armchair. Klaus moves from lying by her feet to ours, and I appreciate the display of loyalty from him. If Angelica notices being abandoned, she doesn’t show it.
Her ankles are crossed primly, and she’s got both her phone and a notepad in her lap. She clicks a pen in her right hand then overs her left over the phone.
“Are you ready to begin? I’d like to record the conversation if that’s okay?”
“Fire away,” Rico says warmly, like we don’t have a thing to hide.
“Tremendous.” Angelica taps her screen with a flourish. I watch as the timer starts, nerves squirming in my belly. “Like I said,” she continues. “I just want to get a better picture of your lives together. So why don’t we start with an easy question? When did you first meet?”
Ice rinses through me. We didn’t think to cover that, and my mind goes blank.
Rico doesn’t flinch, though.
“I think we could probably answer that a few different ways,” he says easily, rubbing his thumb against the back of my hand that’s still entwined with his. “I’m not sure exactly when we first met. Probably when I visited Adam at his house for the first time.”
“This is Adam Silverman, your school friend,” Angelica clarifies.
Rico nods. “He’s my best friend. I remember being aware that he had a younger brother, but I didn’t think much of it. There was one day, though, the summer I was maybe fourteen? So Jesse would have been about nine. This was before he went off to Hollywood.”
He’s looking at Angelica while he talks, but I watch him, uncertain what he’s about to say.
“We were all hanging at the public pool back in Ash Springs, our home town,” he continues.
“This little boy was running, and he slipped and fell. Before anyone else could reach him, Jesse was already there, holding his hand and telling him he was all right. The little boy stopped crying and then Jesse offered to walk him back to his parents.” Rico turns and looks at me with such affection it steals my breath for a moment.
“It was such a simple act of kindness, but I feel like that was the day I saw who my friend’s little brother really was. ”
I search his eyes, wanting to ask if that’s really true. I don’t even remember that. This whole time, I thought I’d been invisible to him. Yet he noticed me all along.
“How sweet,” Angelica says, sounding genuine rather than sarcastic. “So when did the nature of your relationship change?”
“When my bother asked Rico to come check in on me,” I say confidently, not wanting to leave all the talking to him.
We both look back at Angelica. “Adam lives in Switzerland now and was worried when I wasn’t picking up the phone.
So Rico drove out to LA and came to my apartment.
I was at my lowest, but he never gave up on me. Things sort of developed from there.”
He squeezes my hand, and I feel like I did a good job.
“Okay,” Angelica says. “And when was this?”
I hesitate. This is the part where we have to outright lie.
But Rico jumps in for me. “Last spring,” he says with a nod.
“So about a year ago. I visited Jesse several times after that to see how he was doing and we started becoming friends in our own right. The first time he came to visit me here, that’s when we realized we had romantic feelings for each other. ”
He nudges me with his shoulder, and I look back to see him smiling softly at me.
It’s so odd hearing him talking about our relationship like it’s a plot in a TV show.
I’m still anxious, but there’s also a part of me that’s honored to have such a good man proudly telling a stranger how he fell for me.
How he’s maybe even fallen in love.
“It was scary and unknown,” he continues.
“However, moving beyond friendship was something we both wanted. We just kept it private to begin with because it was a big change. We’d known each other since we were kids, but this was totally different.
We thought we’d make absolutely sure we weren’t rushing into anything before telling anyone else, including Jesse’s brother, Adam. ”
My heart soars. Aside from the date and the bit about the visits, what he just said is all true.
Angelica hums as she scribbles in her notebook. “So you wouldn’t consider getting married ‘rushing’?”
I freeze but Rico chuckles. “Yeah, that was a little crazy.”
Angelica raises her eyebrows at him. “Whose idea was it?”
“Mine,” Rico tells her firmly. “Jesse and I were having fun, but I could see he was struggling. And then the last time I went to LA, I found Jesse…”
He swallows, and I see real pain flash behind his eyes that hurts my heart. It’s not like I did it to him on purpose, and he didn’t feel for me then the way he does now. But I’m still ashamed I got myself in that state.
I’m even more ashamed of how I behaved immediately afterward. But Rico forgave me right away and thanks to all my therapy and group work, I’ve almost forgiven myself as well. So I can’t afford to dwell on that now in front of this lady who’s scrutinizing our every word and movement.
Rico clears his throat, clearly affected by having to discuss this. Without thinking, I lift his hand and kiss the back of it, giving him a look that I hope shows my most heartfelt appreciation.
“You saved me,” I remind him with a hushed voice. I’m sure Angelica can probably still hear me perfectly fine, but these words aren’t for her. “I’m here because of you. It’s okay.”
Rico holds my gaze for a moment before nodding and turning back to face our guest. “I had to break down the door,” he says with more conviction.
“Jesse had almost overdosed. However, without any insurance, he wouldn’t let me take him to the hospital.
So I used my EMT training to assess him, and once I was confident he was no longer in immediate danger, I moved him in with me and I started forming a plan. ”
“To get married so Jesse would now have insurance?” Angelica prompts, her voice and gaze steady.
I try not to flinch.
Rico nods and covers our joined hands with his other one, looking down at them.
“I approached my captain and asked him about a hypothetical situation. I…I was so afraid that without extensive help, I was going to lose Jesse forever, and I couldn’t stand by and let that happen.
” His blazing eyes cast upward again, like he’s challenging Angelica.
“I was willing to do anything to save the man I love and that’s a decision I stand by.
It might seem on paper like we got married after only a few months together, but we’ve known each other for most of our lives.
I’m honored that Jesse agreed to become my husband, and I made a commitment to take care of him for the rest of our lives.
” He looks back at me, and my heart swoops in my chest as my eyes dampen. “I love you, baby,” he whispers.
Love? Baby?
Those are big words.
I kind of want him to use them every day forever more.
A sob escapes my throat, and the tears spill down my cheeks. I know we’re not alone, but it doesn’t feel like he’s putting on a show for the interview. Forgetting that Angelica’s even there, I cling to his hand and press our knees together.
“I thought I loved you before,” I rasp. “Back when we were kids. But the reality is so much better.” I chuckle and wipe my face.
“Even if it’s a little messy and unconventional.
I love you, too.” Taking a breath, I turn and face Angelica.
“Is he going to get in trouble for what we did? Because if anyone is going to be punished, it should be me. I’m the one that fucked up. Don’t take it out on Rico, please.”
Angelica sighs. Then she clicks her pen closed and stops her phone recording.
My heart leaps into my mouth. Both mine and Rico’s palms are clammy against each other.
“Okay.” Angelica puffs out her cheeks and scratches the back of her head before fixing us with a firm stare.
“I’m not going to lie. I still think the timing of this marriage was a little convenient and if I made a case, I think the company could claim something fishy went on.
” Nausea rushes through me and my grip spasms on Rico’s hand.
But she lifts a finger and shakes her head, not giving either me or Rico a chance to speak.
“That would be a lot of paperwork for me, though.”
I manage a tiny breath that stops my head from completely spinning.
“Okay?” Rico says tentatively.
Angelica shrugs and starts putting her things back in her purse.
“I’ve done a lot of these reviews, and I pride myself on being able to sniff bullshit from a mile away.
This?” She waves her hand between us. “Is not bullshit. This is actually fucking beautiful.” She slaps her hands against her thighs and stands, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
Rico and I look uncertainly at each other and hastily scramble up as well.
“I wish you luck, gentlemen!” Angelica Carson declares.
“Although after seeing how dedicated you both are to the other’s wellbeing, I don’t think you need luck. ”
She nods once, then turns and heads for the door. Klaus raises his head and lets out a little questioning whine.
I blink, unsure what’s going on. “So…what happens now?”
Angelica pauses with her hand on the doorknob and looks at us over her shoulder.
“Case closed. You won’t be hearing from me again, Mr. Silverman.
” She nods at Rico. “Mr. Flores. You two have a nice life now. I have a feeling you’re going to be just fine.
” She glances back at me. “One day at a time, right?”
“One day at a time,” I repeat back in a daze.
The door clicks shut behind her and for a few moments, Rico and I simply stand there looking at it, our fingers still tangled together.
“That’s it?” I utter in disbelief.
“I guess we didn’t need to go to all that effort of moving you into my room,” Rico says. “Shall we move you back out?”
I turn to look at him, but before I get the chance to feel hurt or confused, he bursts out laughing and throws his arms around my waist, picking me up and spinning me around.
Klaus jumps up and barks as I laugh in relief.
Rico places me back on the floor and moves his hands to cup them either side of my face, gazing into my eyes. “We did it. We’re in the clear.”
“So…you don’t want me to move out of your room?” I ask, still not entirely sure if he was joking or not.
But his eyes smolder and he starts walking me backward. “Baby, if you think I’m letting you leave our room for the rest of the day, you’ve got another thing coming.”
Several emotions fly through me at once. I press my hand to his chest and stop walking for a second. “Say it again,” I whisper. He raises his eyebrows questioningly at me, and I lick my lips before elaborating. “Call me that again.”
“Baby?” Rico murmurs.
My eyes flutter closed and I shiver. “Yes.”
Rico moves one of his hands to card his fingers through my hair. His breath ghosts over my exposed neck before he kisses it. “Baby. My baby.”
The moan that vibrates through me is sinful. I keep my eyes shut as he starts walking me backward again. “Rico,” I gasp.
“I’m right here, baby.”
We stumble into the bedroom, and I pause just before we get to the bed. My heart is hammering in my chest, and my breathing is ragged. My skin feels like it’s on fire and I desperately need Rico to touch me everywhere.
Everywhere.
He leans back and we look into each other’s eyes. “I love you,” I tell him earnestly. I have for a long time, but now more than ever, and he needs to hear it for real when there’s no one else around to convince. “I love you so much.”
His expression softens and his fingers curl against my neck and head. “I love you, too, baby,” he says. “I’m so grateful fate brought us back together. I can’t believe I almost lost…I could have lost…”
He closes his eyes and turns away, anguish flashing over his face. But I mirror him and cup my palm to his cheek. “I’m right here, baby,” I say, repeating his words back to him.
He blinks and looks at me again. It’s obvious that word has affected him as well, and that gives me a thrill which tingles all the way down my spine.
Angelica said that we didn’t need luck. She reckoned we were going to be just fine.
But I am so much more than fine as Rico gently guides me to the bed—our bed—and pulls me down with him.
For so long, it’s been all I could do to just survive. With Rico, I’m not simply surviving. I’m more than fine or okay or hanging in there.
I’m thriving.
And now, I think I’m finally ready to give him everything.