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“What do you think?” I ask.
He screws up his face and looks at one of the paintings,the Martyrdom of Saint Matthew. But the only thing on his face is confusion. It’s kind of cute. I can tell he’s not an art person, which makes me determined to teach him.
“Look at the interplay of light and shadow,” I explain. “Look at the expressions on their faces. Look at the fear in his eyes. And the exultation in his.”
“Yeah, I was going to say that,” he replies.
I laugh softly and take his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “I’m going to make an art lover out of you yet.”
“I like it. I think it’s cool,” he shrugs. He doesn’t totally sound convinced, but I appreciate that he’s trying his best.
“Art has always filled my heart and soul. It’s always made me think. I see things in these works that always make me reflect on myself and the world around me,” I tell him. “There are always elements in these works that make me think about life and society as a whole.”
Hawk looks at me and smiles but has nothing to say. I can tell he wants to engage with me on this level. Wants to be part of this world with me. But I can see that he’s never been exposed to works like these. He’s never spent time in a gallery or reading about the artists and their inspirations for their pieces. He wants to understand but he doesn’t have the skill set. Not yet anyway. I’m going to work on that.
“I’m sorry. I’m rambling,” I say.
“No, not at all. It’s fascinating,” he tells me with a genuine smile. “I love seeing how passionate you are about it. I love seeing how it lights you up.”
I nod. “It does. It always has.”
“I like that,” he replies. “Maybe I can learn about it too.”
“I’d like that.”
“You’re just going to have to be patient with me,” he says. “But I can see how important it is to you. That makes it important to me too.”
“I’m a very patient teacher. If you really want to learn more, I’d love to show you.”
“I would.”
“Then it’s a date,” I grin, giving him a peck on the cheek. He takes my face in his before I can pull away and plants a deep kiss on me.
God, even in little moments like this, he leaves me breathless.
I take his hand and we stroll through the rest of the museum, looking at the different pieces being housed there. I point certain things out and start to teach him about art. He’s a quick study and is very smart but I can see it doesn’t fire him up the same way it does with me. He’s trying though. And I appreciate him wanting to connect with me about something that means so much to me.
Honestly, I can’t believe life can be like this. The past few weeks have gone by in a blur of fancy dinners and fun days out to amusement parks and other points of interest. He even took me down to the San Diego Zoo. It’s been a whirlwind, but one filled with a joy I’ve never known. A joy I didn’t think I could ever know. And it’s because of this man. He not only saved me physically, he saved me emotionally as well. He quite literally saved my soul.
We finish our tour and part of me wants to go back through and look at everything all over again. But I don’t want to overload Hawk’s senses. Not in the first go. I want him to come to love them the way I do. But I know that will be a slow process. I can’t expect him to love them based on the first outing. We’ll get there though. I’m confident of it.
“How do you feel about sushi tonight?” he asks.
“I’d love it.”
“Great. That’s a date too,” he replies.
I give him a gentle kiss on the cheek as we head out of the museum and climb on his bike—which draws some curious stares, as well as some glares of distaste—and head for downtown LA.
* * *
We get back to the bungalow on the beach and Hawk opens the French doors, letting in the heavy salt scent of the sea along with the musical rhythm of the waves crashing against the shoreline. Hawk is standing on the back patio, looking out at the ocean as I slip behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. He takes my hand and pulls me around in front of him. I lean back as he wraps his arms around me and together, we watch the way the moon sparkles dazzlingly on the water. It’s the perfect end to a perfect day.
I turn to him and take his hands in mine. Hawk lowers his gaze to mine and his eyes glitter in the moonlight. The smile upon his lips takes my breath away and makes my heart race. We have grown closer over these last few weeks and one thing I’ve come to realize is that there seems to be no depth to my feelings for him. Every time I feel myself start to even out, he’ll say or do something that will reveal an entirely new layer of emotion. It’s dizzying and exciting at the same time. And as I look into his eyes, the words form on my lips and pop out before I can stop them.
“I love you,” I say. “I love you more than I can say.”
His smile widens and his grip on my hands tightens. “It’s about time you say it.”
