Chapter 6
STANTON
It was Thursday again, and I’d looked forward to seeing Pascal all day. Even though we constantly texted now and sent each other voice messages or little videos, it wasn’t enough. I wanted the real thing.
Pascal and I had agreed not to tell the teens about our…connection yet. Hell, I wasn’t even sure what to call what was happening between us. Connection was the understatement of the century, dating felt too immature, and we weren’t ready for a more serious label yet…like boyfriends. Partners.
But god, I wanted him to be. More than I had ever wanted anyone, which kept surprising me. He was just so damn perfect…and so damn perfect for me.
I showed up early again, but as always, not early enough to beat Pascal. He was already there, arranging chairs in the meeting room. When he saw me, his face lit up with a smile that made my heart skip.
“Hey, you.” I pulled him into my arms, unable to resist stealing a quick kiss. “Need help with those chairs?”
“Mmm.” He melted against me, his hands sliding up my chest. “In a minute. I haven’t properly said hello yet.”
I chuckled and captured his lips again, this time slower, deeper. He tasted like mint and coffee, and his slim body fit perfectly against mine. When we finally broke apart, his cheeks were flushed and his glasses slightly askew.
“Now that’s what I call a proper hello.” I straightened his glasses, loving how he leaned into my touch. “Though I have to say, if we keep this up, we’ll never get these chairs arranged.”
“True.” He stepped back reluctantly. “And the teens would never let us hear the end of it if they caught us making out.”
“They already see enough as it is.” I grabbed a chair. “They’re pretty observant.”
Pascal laughed, that musical sound I’d grown to love. “They’re teenagers. Romance radar is like their superpower.”
“Well, let’s hope we can fool them a little longer because if they know, the whole town will find out in no time. They’re not exactly discreet.”
But fooling them proved impossible. Every time I glanced at Pascal, I caught him looking my way too, and the teens definitely noticed.
When Pascal was talking to Byron, I couldn’t take my eyes off how pretty he looked, how cute he was.
I loved how he gave Byron his undivided attention, and the way he bit his bottom lip in concentration was adorable.
“You guys are totally dating.” Violet’s observation made me drop the brush I’d been holding while Violet and I worked on a collage together.
“What? No, we’re not…” My protest died when she crossed her arms and quirked her eyebrow. Damn, that girl was not messing around.
“Oh my god, you are!” Byron practically bounced in his chair. “I knew it. They keep looking at each other like our dads do, Vi.”
Busted. Denying it seemed silly now, and one look at Pascal confirmed he felt the same way. He gave me a little nod. I cleared my throat. “We are seeing each other, yes.”
The teens erupted in cheers and squeals. Even the usually quiet Gabe joined in with enthusiastic clapping. Pascal’s blush was adorable. I wanted to kiss him right then and there, but that wouldn’t be appropriate.
“Thank god you’re finally admitting it,” Violet said. “We’ve been watching you two make heart eyes at each other for weeks.”
“It’s only been five weeks,” Pascal protested weakly.
“Five weeks too long if you ask me.” Violet grinned. “You guys are perfect for each other.”
I caught Pascal’s eye and smiled. They weren’t wrong about that.
The teens were relentless in their teasing, but their enthusiasm was genuine. “You guys are so cute together,” Cassie said, grinning. “Like, seriously adorable.”
What could I possibly say to that other than, “Thanks.”
I refocused on the collage Violet and I were making while stealing glances at Pascal whenever possible. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, how his hands moved expressively when he talked, the slight tilt of his head when he listened…everything about him drew me in like a magnet.
But as the evening progressed, I noticed Pascal growing quieter. His usual animation dimmed, and his responses became slower. Something was off.
When his phone beeped an alarm, I understood. His blood sugar must be off, and from the looks of it, he was damn close to a hypoglycemic episode.
“Excuse me,” he said, his voice slightly slurred. He fumbled with his phone, frowning at the reading.
I was already moving. “What do you need?”
“Juice. And…” He paused, looking disoriented. “Glucose tablets.”
“I’ve got apple juice!” Violet jumped up, grabbing her backpack.
The teens watched with concern, suddenly quiet. I helped Pascal sit down while Violet retrieved the juice. His hands shook as he tried to open it, so I did it for him, then held the bottle as he drank.
“I found his glucose tablets,” Gabe said. He’d already opened the little tube and handed me two tablets, which I put into Pascal’s mouth. Slowly, his color returned and the hazy look disappeared from his eyes.
“Maybe we should end early tonight,” I suggested. The teens immediately agreed, gathering their things.
“We’ll see you next week,” Gabe said, gently patting Pascal’s shoulder. “Feel better.”
He definitely was a doctor in the making, showing the same warm concern his dad did.
Once they were gone, I crouched next to Pascal’s chair. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, but tired. I’m sorry about this.”
“Don’t apologize.” I squeezed his hand. “Can you walk to the car, or do you need a minute?”
“I can walk. Just…stay close?”
“I’ve got you, honey.”
I helped him up, keeping my arm around his waist as we walked to my truck. He was steady enough, but I wasn’t taking chances.
“I should drive you home,” I said.
He nodded, which told me how badly he was feeling. He would’ve protested otherwise.
The drive was quiet. Pascal closed his eyes, looking exhausted. My heart ached to see him like this. When we arrived at his place, Mr. Dowdell was already at the door.
“Everything okay?” he asked, concerned.
“His blood sugars dropped a little too low,” I explained. “I’ll help him up to his room.”
Mr. Dowdell’s eyes softened. “Take care of your man, son.”
I smiled despite the situation. It had been a long time since anyone had called me “son.” “I wouldn’t dream of letting him deal with this alone.”
“You’re a good man, Stanton.”
I guided Pascal upstairs to his room, a cozy space filled with books. He sank onto his bed with a sigh.
“Do you need anything?” I asked. “More juice? Something to eat?”
“No, I’m okay now. Just tired.”
I helped him out of his shoes and socks, then his cardigan. When I reached for his belt, he gave me a sleepy smile. “Not how I imagined you undressing me tonight. I had hoped for something more sexy.”
“There will be other times.” I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Let’s get you comfortable.”
Once he was down to his boxers, I helped him into bed, pulling the covers up. His phone beeped again, and he checked his glucose levels on the app connected to his monitor. “Much better. One-twenty.”
“Good.” I smoothed down his covers.
He caught my hand. “Just stay with me?”
I couldn’t resist those brown eyes, especially not when they looked at me with such trust. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”
I sat beside him on the bed, and he immediately curled into my side. I wrapped my arm around him, pressing a kiss to his temple.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “For taking care of me.”
“Always.” The word came out before I could stop it, loaded with meaning. Because that’s what I wanted, to always be there for him, to take care of him, to…to love him.
Love. The realization hit me like a thunderbolt. I was falling in love with Pascal Winfield.
I looked down at him as his eyes fluttered closed. His breathing evened out within minutes, but I stayed a little longer, watching him sleep. My heart felt too big for my chest yet too small to contain this big emotion inside of me.
Love.
I’d never felt this way about anyone, ever. Oh, I’d had boyfriends and girlfriends before, had even lived with two of them, but none had made me feel like this.
Did Pascal feel the same?