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Pia jumps off of Penny, landing with her arms overhead and a wide smile on her face. I stand, cheering for her along with the rest of the crowd. Her eyes find mine again and something has changed.
She’s ready to talk. I can see it in her eyes, and relief fills me.
Penny and my girl turn to leave the tent, and I slip past the rest of the crowd and head outside too. The fairgrounds are packed tonight, and I make my way through the crowd and over to the animal tent. Pia is with Penny right outside of the flaps, and I make a beeline right for her.
“Hey,” I say once I’m closer.
Her eyes meet mine, her cheeks flushing my favorite color of pink. “Hey.”
“Can I take you out to dinner?” I blurt out.
She frowns, and I want to kick myself for coming on too strong.
“Why?”
I run my hand through my hair, rubbing the back of my neck as I think of a way to recover. “I thought you might be hungry after your performance.”
She stares at me for a few moments, tilting her head to the side. “Why are you doing this?” she finally whispers.
“Doing what?” I ask in confusion.
“Why are you still here? I mean… you stayed for both shows,” she says softly. “And you want to take me out to dinner?”
I nod.
“Even after I sent you away?”
“I told you, baby girl. I’m not going anywhere.”
“But… you have a life to get back to,” she reminds me, scrambling for an excuse.
I give her a rueful smile, not having any of that shit. “Youare my life, Pia.”
She shakes her head, looking over to Penny. I can’t stay away any longer, and I reach out to touch her arm. Pia shivers, leaning closer. I take that as a good sign.
“I’m the boss. I can do whatever I want,” I tell her easily. “For example, I can rework my entire schedule for the next year so that I don’t have to go into the office.”
“Why would you do that?” she gasps, her eyes guarded. Still, I can see a spark of hope in their depths. I can work with that.
“Well, I’ll be a little far away,” I answer. “See, I bought tickets for every single circus show for the rest of the year.”
Her mouth drops open and tears start to shimmer in her eyes as she stares at me.
“What?” she whispers.
I take a step closer, tugging on her arm until she’s pressed against me.
“I’m yours, little girl, and you’re mine.” I cradle her precious face in my hands, needing her to hear me, to really listen to my words. “I’ll follow you around for as long as it takes for you to understand my devotion to you. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, princess. If you need more time, then that’s fine. I’ll wait for you, but I’m going to prove to you that this is real. That we’re meant to be.”
“I don’t need more time,” she says through her sniffles. I wipe her tears away with my thumbs, pressing my lips to her forehead.
“What are you telling me?” I whisper.
“I know it, too.”
“What do you know? Say it,” I demand, my heart roaring in my ears. “Tell me, sweet girl.”
“I’m meant to be yours, and you’re meant to be mine,” she chokes out.
