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“I love it,” I said.
“Liar.”
“I don’t lie, Hazel. Mushrooms on pizza. I like it. I was surprised when you blurted it out.”
“Cravings,” she said. “They’re wild. I don’t even like mushrooms. But this is heaven.”
“Pizza, the beach, and me,” I said. “What more do you need?”
Hazel laughed. “Okay,Mr. Romantic.”
I reached for her face and wiped the corner of her mouth. “You have sauce all over your face, love.”
“Don’t make fun of me. I can’t help how I have to eat.”
“I’m not making fun of you, love. I’m amazed by you.”
“Amazed?”
“Listen, I have to say something. You probably don’t know what’s been on my mind. I heard everything you said to me, Hazel. It hits my heart when you talk. From the first time we had that… argument… over what I said.”
“When you basically said you would abandon me?”
“That’s not what I said, but sure,” I said. “And then you talking about it the other morning. Before we went ice skating.”
“Before you distracted me.”
I took her left hand. “Hazel, I’m not going anywhere. Ever. I’ll be anywhere you need me to be. You want to sell your grandmother’s house? Go for it. You want to keep it? Keep it. You want to live in it? Live in it.”
“I can’t ask you to live in that house, Atlas. It needs work. It’s not what I want for our daughter.”
“Fine. Keep the house. We’ll get our own place together. No need to sell it right away then.”
“Atlas…”
“I’m being serious, Hazel.”
“How are you going to be happy?”
“With you? With our daughter? That’s happiness.”
“Don’t say that,” she groaned. “That’s the romantic thing to say. You can’t think with your heart right now, Atlas.”
“I’m not thinking with my heart. Just believe in it. Believe in me. Believe in us. Believe in our family, love. This is what we are now. We’re family. I’m not asking you to run off and marry me, promise me we’re together forever and that we’re in love. I’m telling you what my intentions are. I’ll sign a deal right now with theSola Empireto stay. I don’t mind it here. I like the guys. They’re becoming like friends to me.”
“Aw, you have friends now,” she teased.
“Hazel.”
“Okay, I get it. I’m listening. It’s just a lot to take in for me, at the moment. Okay? I don’t know how to respond to it all. I’ve never had someone like you, Atlas. I’ve never been pregnant. I’ve… I…”
I touched her face again. “Hazel. I’m in love with you.”
“Oh, fuck, I love you too,” she cried out.
We kissed.
She pushed the delicious mushroom-covered pizza box out of the way so she could grab for me.
