Chapter 20

Andrew

 

Eric and I both gave the stateroom one last look. I wondered if he was really checking it for things we’d forgotten, or just drinking in the place where we’d gotten a hell of a lot closer than I’d anticipated.

“Well.” He took a deep breath and pushed his shoulders back. “I guess…I guess we should go meet your parents.”

I exhaled. “Yeah. I guess we should.” I met his gaze. “And…if it’s not obvious, I’m gonna miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” He put his hands on my waist. “But you’ve got me on Facebook and you’ve got my email.” He smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We’ll keep in touch.”

It isn’t enough. There’s no way in hell it’s enough.

But I just smiled back and said, “We definitely will.” Then I pulled him closer and kissed him. I wasn’t at all surprised when that kiss went on and on, like something that should’ve had us heading right back to bed, but it was different. Too subdued and tender. Too gentle.

Too fucking final.

I just met you. I’m not ready to miss you.

There was no point in delaying the inevitable, though. My parents and I had a flight to catch. Eric had a hotel to check into.

So, we walked out of the stateroom one last time and joined the thick crowd heading for shore.

My throat was tight as I walked off the ship with Eric and my parents.

Disembarking turned out to be quick and painless, which disappointed me. They didn’t even have the decency to make us clear customs or security or something like I heard they did in some ports. Probably because we’d just come here from an Italian port. But damn it, that cattle line would’ve meant more time. Maybe even another hour or two. I was also regretting not leaving our luggage in the corridor last night for the porters to pick up. Then we’d have to wait for our bags. Or, well, since most of the bags seemed to be ready to collect, at least a minute or two of finding our luggage in the group.

Now we were off the ship, and there was nothing left to do except go get our ride to the airport while Eric took another into Rome. My parents had even booked a van with a few other people, so we didn’t have to stand in line for the taxi stand.

With Eric.

Damn it.

“Well.” Eric stopped, and he took a deep breath as he adjusted the backpack on his shoulder. “I guess…we’ll chat soon?”

“Yeah. Definitely.” I wanted so badly to grab him and share another one of those kisses we’d had in the privacy of his stateroom. We were out in the open now, though, in public and with my folks standing right there, so a long kiss just didn’t seem right. Neither did a long, tight hug, but it was all we could do here, so I gathered him in my arms and let myself whisper, “I’m gonna miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” He held me tighter. “I mean it—stay in touch.”

“I will. I promise.”

We let each other go, and to my surprise, Mom hugged Eric. “It’s been lovely meeting you, sweetheart.”

“You too.”

Dad and Eric shook hands, and then Eric turned to me with a faint smile. “Have a safe trip home, okay?”

I nodded. “Enjoy Rome. And safe travels, too.”

“Thanks.”

We held eye contact for a couple of seconds, but then he turned to head for the taxis while my parents and I headed for the van.

My throat got even tighter. My chest hurt. A little more time. If we’d just had a little more time, this thing could have…fuck, it could’ve ended in disaster, or it could’ve been amazing, or it could’ve fizzled. I had no idea, and I’d never know, and goddamn if that didn’t hurt like hell.

Then my feet stopped moving.

After a couple of steps, my parents halted too. They both turned and met my gaze, eyebrows up as if to say “Well? You coming?”

I looked over my shoulder. Eric was first in line, and some taxis were pulling up. My heart beat faster. Now or never.

Mom put a hand on my shoulder. “Remember what I told you, honey. It’s better to regret something you did than something you didn’t.”

I glanced at her. Then at my dad.

And then I broke into a run.

Up ahead, Eric was just getting into a cab, and I shouted, “Eric, wait!”

He stopped dead and turned around, one foot in the car and his expression mirroring the ones my parents had worn when I’d halted a minute ago.

I jogged up to the car. “Is the offer still open?”

Eric blinked. “What?”

“To stay with you. In Rome. Is the offer still open?”

“It’s…is…” He shook himself. “Are you taking me up on it?”

“Yes.” The word came out so easily. No hesitation. No more second thoughts. Yes, I was taking him up on it. “I’m just… not ready to call time on this.”

Oh God. I am taking him up on it.

Panic surged through me, a million reasons why I shouldn’t do this running through my mind, but then Eric smiled, and all those reasons went quiet.

I swallowed. “Look, I have no idea if we have any kind of a future, or if we can even put up with each other for two more weeks, or…” I flailed a hand. “I don’t know. I just know that nothing has felt as wrong as it does to be walking away from you right now.”

He stared at me, lips apart. “Really?”

I nodded. “It’s way too soon to know if we can be anything more than a couple of guys who are really good together in bed. But I…” Want to kiss you so bad right now I can taste it. “If the offer’s still open, I want to take you up on it.”

Eric blinked a few times, and I thought for a few fleeting seconds that he’d tell me I’d had my chance and the offer had expired.

But then he nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly, and he laughed a little as he added, “Yes, the offer’s still open.”

I hugged him tight and didn’t give a damn who saw us or what they thought as I buried my face against his neck. He had a death grip on me too. I could barely breathe, but who cared?

“Sorry I took so long to—”

“Don’t apologize.” He drew back, and right there in front of God and everyone, pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “I’m just glad you changed your mind.”

“Yeah. Me too.” I gestured toward my parents, who were watching us with my abandoned luggage beside them. “Let me get my things.”

He nodded and leaned in to say something to the driver while I hurried toward my folks and my abandoned luggage. We got some annoyed looks from people in the taxi line, and I thought someone snarled at me in Italian, but at this point, I just didn’t care.

As soon as I was within earshot, my mom smiled broadly. “Enjoy Italy, Andrew.”

“I will.” I hugged her, though not as tightly as I had Eric. “I’ll see you guys in a couple of weeks. And I’ll call the airline, and—”

“I know you’ll handle it.” Dad clapped my shoulder. “Go on. Have a good time.”

I hugged him too and then collected my luggage. After one last goodbye with my parents, I walked away, heading for the taxi where Eric was waiting. As the driver loaded my things into the trunk, I joined Eric in the backseat.

Moments later, the taxi pulled away from the curb and into traffic, and Eric reached across the seat to lace his fingers between mine. “I’m glad you came back.”

“So am I.” My heart was fluttering with nerves and excitement. This was probably the most reckless thing I’d ever done, and it scared the hell out of me.

But looking at Eric as he slid on the sunglasses I’d picked out for him in Gibraltar, I knew it was a risk worth taking. I had no idea where this would go, or what I’d be doing for money when I went back to Des Moines. I had no idea what would happen in Rome or after I went home.

All I knew was that for the next two weeks, I had Eric.

And I was exactly where I needed to be.