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No sooner do I think it than I hear the familiarthump-de-thumpof heavy feet coming down the stairs.
Way to go, Gemma. Have you not learned your lesson? The universe lies waiting to fuck with you at any moment.
Shoes appear in my line of sight first. White Nikes with a thin strip of brown leather above the sole and a matte black Swoosh.
Custom Nikes.
As the shoes come farther down the steps, the next thing I see is a pair of black jeans. Jeans that leave nothing to the imagination.
He smiles when he sees me.
And suddenly, I know. We are the same here. The universe could make us live a thousand different lifetimes, and we’ll always find a way to be there for each other.
“You came.”
He doesn’t get the chance to answer because the moment he sits down next to me, my lips are upon his. Screw my feelings onPDA. This is an emergency. I kiss him, long and hard, until I’m out of breath and need to break for air.
“I managed to sort things out.” He plants a slow, soft kiss on my lips.
“You got someone to cover the store?”
He swallows. “Nah. I closed up shop. You were right. One day won’t make much of a difference.”
He glances at my extra coffee. Before I can explain why I have two cups, it hits me.
This coffee wasn’t meant for me.
Aunt Livi, sometimes I wonder about you.
“Need some caffeine?” I hand him the untouched cup. “I have a strong suspicion this is dark roast.”
Dax raises an eyebrow but doesn’t argue as he takes it from my hand.
“This is going to be so much fun. We haven’t been to Toronto together in ages.”
Dax takes a long sip of coffee, then closes his eyes and lets out a satisfied exhale. “Pretty sure we’ve never been to Toronto together. Must be thinking of your other boyfriend.”
My heart bangs so hard that I worry there’s damage. I can’t even focus on my screw-up because unless my ears have temporarily malfunctioned, Dax just dropped theb-word.
“Yup. I just did that,” Dax says as if reading my mind. “Didn’t exactly plan on calling it out this early, but now that it’s out there, I have zero regrets. I like you, Gemma. I have no intention or desire to date anyone else, and I hope you also think we’re headed in that direction, or this might be a long and awkward train ride.”
I know Dax well enough to know that the bout of humor at the end is my out. My chance to dodge the question, make a joke of my own, and put an end to this impromptu relationship talk.
“I am all in, Daxon B. I have been for a while.”
He lets go of a breath, the relief suddenly easy to see on his face. His jaw drops open as if he wants to say something more, but instead, he shakes his head and lifts his eyebrows.
“A while, eh? It was the night we went curling, all the lunging. It totally won you over.”
I shrug. “Something like that.”
The rest of the train ride passes in one big happy blur. I almost forget about Priya and the meeting until we pull into Exhibition Station, and it dawns on me that today is about securing my future in more ways than one.
My heart kicks up a notch with every step we take into Liberty Village, following the little blue dots on my Google Maps app until we reach the converted lumber-factory-turned-day-spa. It’s a large, red-brick building with four huge front windows with painted black grills. Simple yet chic, the exterior lives up to theToronto Lifeaccolades naming it the best chill-out spot in the city.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” Dax nods at the two massive black doors.
“Yes. But I suspect it might be frowned upon to show up for a business meeting with my boyfriend.”
