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My eyes met his, and where I’d expected to see anger, there was only sadness. “I’m sorry,” I murmured quickly.
“You are worth staying for.”
His eyes were full of sincerity. It was a little difficult for me to understand that he would want to stay for me.
“What I meant was that if you stay for me, if you stay behindbecause ofme, and if something were to happen to you, I’d never forgive myself. Never.”
He pulled my chair a little closer. “Then we need to make sure nothing happens to either of us.”
“It’s easy to say that, but Tully, this storm could be bad. And I meanbad.”
He smirked. “I know. I watched your interview.”
I rolled my eyes. “I mean it. I would be worried for you and your family. I’ve never been through a cyclone before. I know theoretically what to expect, but firsthand...” I shook my head.
“My parents have a cyclone-proof cellar, so they’ll be fine. They’ll take everyone in, including the old couple next door. They’ll all be fine,” he said. “I’ll be here with you.”
I stared at him. “No you won’t.” I looked around at the room. “Tully, this place is old, and god knows how it’ll hold up.”
“So why is it safe enough for you but not for me?”
“Because... well...” Damn. “That’s not my point.”
He laughed. “And you’re forgetting one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Storms are my thing. I love them.”
“Yes, storms, Tully. Not cyclones.”
“But I get to be here at ground zero with all the latest techn—” He glanced at the prehistoric radars. “Well, with all of last century’s latest technology.”
“My point exactly. It’s crazy to expect you to be here.”
“But I get to be here with you.” His gaze met mine, all humour gone. “And maybe I am crazy. I know it sounds like it because we’ve known each other for just a few weeks, but, Jeremiah,” he tapped my chest, “you’re my kind of crazy.”
His words made my heart knock against my ribs. His words, the way he looked at me, the way he always had to touch me. It made me shake my head. “I don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?”
“I see you and the way you look at me. I’m not stupid. I know you like me. I can see that.” I ran my hand through my hair, embarrassed.
He snorted. “Yeah, of course. You’re my boyfriend. I’m supposed to like you.”
“But I don’t get why,” I whispered. “I’m waiting for the punchline or something. I don’t know. I’m usually the butt of the jokes, and you’re gorgeous and rich. You could have literally anyone you wanted.”
He frowned at me, and from the hurt in his eyes, I knew I’d offended him. “Tully, I—”
“You know what,” he said. “This is new to me too. This whole being in a relationship thing, having a boyfriend, it’s all new to me. I ain’t ever done this before and I feel so in over my head. I want to spend every second with you. I wanna touch you and kiss you all the fuckin’ time. It gives me butterflies.” He shook his head. “But if you don’t feel the same... if I came on too strong or if you felt pressured because you got lumped here—”
I fisted his shirt, pulled him in, and kissed him, but when we broke apart, he still wouldn’t look at me. God, I was going to have to say this stuff out loud. “You give me butterflies too,” I whispered. “I don’t know what I feel because I’ve never felt this before. The way you look at me, the way you hold me, it scares me because I’ve never...” I put my forehead to his chin. “It’s all new to me too. But if you feel this—” I took his hand and placed it over my heart. “—then I feel the same as you.”
His eyes met mine, an ocean of umber and honey. He leaned in and slowly pressed his lips to mine. “Thank you.” He smiled so serenely. “I needed to hear that. And you think you can’t be all mushy and shit. Look at you just now. Extra mush.”
“I wasn’t kidding about feeling my heart,” I mumbled. “I actually feel lightheaded after saying that.”
He laughed and a loud knock at the door startled us both. “I gave my key back, ya know,” Doreen yelled.
