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“You might not be the kind of perfect that people see in Mason,” she continued. “But I know you, Roman, and you’re a level of perfect that even he couldn’t manage. You’re only yourself with me. There’s no pretence, no lies, no matter how awkward it gets. And, there’s a lot to be said for that.”
“But, a John Cusack level of perfection?” I teased.
She took another step towards me, and I moved the boom box so it didn’t hit her in the shins.
The way she looked up at me, I wondered how I’d ever second-guessed myself for her. How had I pushed her away? Why had I let years of Rocco’s taunting and ridicule tarnish one of the best things that had ever come into my life?
No more.
Piper had been there for me time again. She’d fought for me – for us – over and over. I might not believe much about myself yet, but I’d believe what she said about me. When I was too weak to fight for myself, she’d be there to help me remember I wasn’t the fate Rocco had tried to seal for me. I was my own man, and I could be whatever man I wanted to be. It was never too late.
She lay her hand on my cheek with a soft smile at her lips. “Yes. You, Roman Lombardi, are a John Cusack level of perfection.”
“For God’s sake, kiss the boy!” Hadley screeched from the school building, hanging out the window like someone was holding her legs to stop her falling the whole way out.
“Your best friend’s a bit of a dick,” I told her.
She laughed. “To be fair, so is yours.”
I had to give her that one. “Yeah, true that.”
“Can I kiss you now?” she asked.
I couldn’t have stopped the smile if I’d wanted to. “Yeah, all right, then.”
But just before our lips met, she paused and said, “Lombardi?”
“Barlow?”
“Do you want to be my boyfriend?”
I smirked wryly. “I thought we’d covered this already.”
“Well, you made an awful lot of grand gestures and said a lot of fancy, nancy wanker words. But, I don’t remember you actually asking.”
“Stealing my thunder now, are we?” I teased.
“I always told you I’d ask you out if I ever actually wanted to date you.”
She had and she was. She was all woman and all perfection. We had plenty of flaws between us, but we were still perfect. Together. Even so…
“You’re making this a very unromantic start, there, Barlow.”
“Shut up and kiss me, boyfriend.”
Fuck, I loved her. “With pleasure, girlfriend.”
I finally dropped the fucking boom box and wrapped my arms around her. Her arms slid around my neck, and she held me just as tight. I knew, now that we had each other, we’d fight whatever came at us to never have to let go again.
Our lips met and it was like the first time all over again.
Except, I did it right this time.
I didn’t hesitate. I went straight on in and told her exactly how I felt about it.
A massive cheer ran out from the school building, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t just her classroom. The whole fucking school was probably watching this. We broke apart with a self-conscious smile and she buried her face in my shoulder. It was a habit I could get used to.
“If you bite me again…” I muttered, as I kissed her hair.
