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He drops the fork in his hand, and it clatters against his plate.
“What?”
“You heard me. I’m in love with you. Do you love me?”
His eyes are wide, as if he doesn’t know what to do with this information. Henri and I have already said we love each other, but I need Luca to know. To see if he feels the same for me.
“I… I—” His phone rings and he glances at the screen. “Fuck. I need to take this.”
Grabbing it, he leaves the dining room. My eyes water and Henri reaches for my hand.
“He needed to hear it, Dove.”
“Maybe it was too soon.”
Maurice asks, “Too soon for what?”
I meet his gaze. “I love each of you and I need you to know so we can start building our lives together.”
He, too, is speechless. Fuck. I’m making a mess out of things.
I don’t have time to explain myself further because Luca comes back, a serious look on his face.
“Brute, there’s been an attack. We need to go. Brain, stay with Dove. We’ll be in contact as soon as we know something.”
Right before my eyes, they each go into fighting more. These are the men their grandfather raised them to be, which means something terrible has happened.
“Please be safe,” I say.
But neither Luca nor Henri answer. They leave a moment later and I can’t stop the sense of dread that settles over me.
Maurice says, “Come on, birdie. Let’s go to your room and play a card game.”
I’ve learned over the last few weeks that Maurice likes to play cards. Nodding, I follow him to my room.
“Where do you think they went?”
Maurice shuffles the cards and answers, “I’m not sure. They didn’t say, but that just means they don’t need my brains for this one.”
We play several rounds of cards, all while I wait for them to return. When the sun settles into the west, I stand, needing to move. Maurice stands, too.
“Do you want to know a secret, birdie?”
“Yes.”
“I was with Luca the first time he saw you. You were on your way to work at the diner and rushed right past us.”
“Really? I did not know.”
“You were wearing a yellow shirt, the same yellow that my parakeet was. I knew it was a sign. When we found out your name, I knew it was meant to be.”
Somehow, I believe the same thing. Nothing in this world happens by chance.
“If it’s meant to be, then why won’t you let me get close to you?”
He looks at the distance between us as we stand. “We’re close now, birdie.”
“That’s not what I mean. I want to kiss you.”
