“Yeah?”
“JuJu, I—” I stop. Not here. Not now. Not in the middle of her sister’s wedding with everyone watching. “Yeah.”
She knows what I almost said. I can see it in her eyes. But she doesn’t push, just rests her head against my chest and lets me hold her while we sway.
“Your family is pretty great,” I finally say.
“They’re a lot.”
“In the best way. They all seem to really love you.”
“They love the idea of me being happy.” She pauses. “They think you make me happy.”
“Do I?”
She looks up at me again. “You know you do.”
“Say it anyway.”
“You’re fishing for compliments.”
“I’m fishing for confirmation that this is real. That you’re not going to wake up tomorrow and realize I’m some hockey player who got arrested at your sister’s wedding.”
“Detained,” she corrects. “You were detained, not arrested. Can I tell you something?”
“Anything.”
“When the cops showed up and said your name was Romeo, I almost died.”
“We agreed never to discuss that.”
“No, you suggested we never discuss it. I didn’t agree to anything.” She’s grinning now. “Romeo Rodriguez. It’s like the universe is mocking us.”
“Or bringing us together.”
“That’s cheesy.”
The music shifts to something faster. The dance floor fills up around us.
“Want to get some air?” I ask.
“God yes.”
We escape to the balcony overlooking the Toronto skyline. It’s cold but not unbearable. The city lights stretch out below us, and I can hear the muffled sound of music from inside.
“Thank you, for being here.” She tilts her face up to me. “For wearing your heart on your sleeve even when it’s terrifying.”
“It’s only terrifying when you don’t reciprocate.”
“Romeo...”
“I know you’re not ready to say it. I’m not pushing. I just—” I run my hand through my hair. “I look at you and I see everything. Our whole future. And I know that’s too much too fast but I can’t help it.”
“Garrett cheated on me. Lied to me. Made me feel like I wasn’t enough.” She turns to me. “I thought I had trust issues. But with you...” She trails off.
“With me?”
“With you I forget to be scared.” She steps closer. “And that terrifies me more than anything.”
