The weekend blurs until I can no longer remember everything I’ve done, as if we’re attempting to make up for lost time in the few days we’re together by taking part in too much. Everything from a rapid tour of Sydney’s famous tourist spots, to bowling re-matches and restaurants. We spend every second together, and I never want to let him go. By the end of our time together my head’s spinning with exhaustion and confusion.

We’ve not addressed one question: what happens next? Do we continue this back and forth, jump in and out of each other’s lives as we swing between Thor and Sin, Evie and Aaron? Can we be both? Occasionally, I catch him looking at me in an odd way, and he averts his eyes immediately, hiding again. I wish I understood the meaning behind his expression, as unfathomable as when I stared at his avatar onscreen before we met.

We talk about the game, but less so than when we first met. Awkward silences don’t exist, a surprise considering how many gaps there are between what we do and don’t know about each other. I love and hate this situation in equal measures; the connection to him stronger than any I’ve felt before. How can I be away from him and not ache, as the link between us stretches thousands of kilometres and pulls at my heart, tearing it out of my chest?

I wake early, lost in my usual dreams where I’m in his arms and we’re together. Apart from this time in reality we’re together. Immediately the thoughts rush in, an immediate time check and calculation of how many hours we have together before I leave.

I shift against his naked body, where my arm lays across his chest, his beneath my waist holding me close. My head fits perfectly into the spot beneath his chin and I place my lips against his skin, inhaling his scent, sending my thoughts spiralling back to last night.

Aaron doesn’t move, too asleep to notice my movement. I place another kiss on his cheek, but Aaron remains still as I creep out of bed and pull on my clothes.

There’s a strangeness to being in somebody else’s house, not knowing what I can and can’t touch, but even that passed as he genuinely doesn’t care what I do. Finding juice in the fridge, I pour some into a glass and open the doors to the small balcony. Away from the main road, and on a Sunday, the traffic’s quieter than I expected. I’ve looked from this balcony often while staying here, absorbing the view and committing it to memory. I took a picture of the pair of us one evening, the sun setting in the background. Aaron’s face was happy and open, the sadness hovering around in the past erased with his secrets.

I sip as I look out at a different world, at the sun rising above the bay, and with it my spirits do too. I don’t know how, but for the first time I don’t expect things to end soon.

Aaron winds his arms around my waist and I jump in surprise, almost spilling my juice. He rests his chin on my shoulder. “You’re always staring at this view.”

“It’s new.” I turn and place a hand on his chest before softly kissing him. “A lot is new.”

He sweeps hair from my ear and I snuggle beneath his arm, our bodies together, clicking like magnets now facing the right way and no longer polarised.

“We need to talk,” he whispers and takes my glass, setting it onto the small round table. “Before you leave.”

My mouth dries. I don’t want to talk about leaving yet, to shatter my illusion this could be a permanent part of my world, however infrequently.

“To plan the next catch-up?” I suggest hopefully.

Aaron turns me to face him, arms around my waist. He doesn’t hide the expression he’s attempted to hide all weekend, and his intense gaze ramps up my heartbeat.

This is the moment. We’ve spoken about seeing each other again, in an abstract way, no dates mentioned. I loosen my fingers, aware I’m hanging onto his arms the way I hold on to hope. The longer he stares without a word, the harder my heart pounds in fear.

“I’m happy you’re moving on with your life, you have so much potential, Evie.” My stomach clenches. “You’re still intending to study, I hope?”

I nod, unable to speak.

Aaron touches my face, eyes searching mine again. He opens his mouth to speak and then stops. “What?” I whisper.

“Have you ever thought about Sydney?”

“What do I think about Sydney? I like Sydney, somebody special lives here.”

His mouth curls into a smile shining into his eyes. “I mean, have you ever thought about choosing to study in Sydney?”

“Not really, the course I applied for is in Perth and...” I trail off as brain catches up with mouth. The view from the balcony fades as blood rushes from my head, heart picking up into a pumping rhythm. “What are you saying?”

His mouth tugs at a corner. “Why not study in Sydney?”

“But I don’t know anybody here!” I protest.

Aaron shakes his head. “I don’t know whether to be upset or amused by that comment.”

“No, I mean apart from you.”

“You’ll meet other people too.”

“And I have nowhere to live.”

“Evie? Seriously?”

“But you only have one bedroom and we don’t really know each other and we might not—” Aaron hits my lips with his, silencing my protest, as his arms tighten around my waist. I gasp and pull my mouth away, meeting his eyes.

“I told you, I want to be around you. I want to be able to see you every day—or more than once every couple of months at least,” he says.

I can’t speak, agreeing but terrified by what he’s asking. “You could move to Perth?” I suggest then scrunch my face up. “Um. Sorry.”

“I have a job here.” He trails his fingers across my lips, and the shaking prompted by his question and kiss intensifies. “I understand if you don’t want to, I just had to tell you how I feel. Sorry, I should’ve spoken about this sooner and not dropped it on you at the last minute.”

“This is a lot to think about. Big.”

“I know. I don’t expect you to drop everything and move here. Maybe stay for longer next time you visit, see how we go? The new semester doesn’t start for a few months and you have choices. If you chose Sydney, you could stay. If things don’t work out...” He pauses. “I guess you’ll make other friends.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him close, feeling his heart bump against mine as I look back into the raw emotion on his face.

“I want to see you more than once every few months too.”

“Then one of us would need to move.”

He slides his arms along my back, holding me closer to him. “I know.”

“I have to think about this more carefully.”

“Of course.”

The relief in his face that I haven’t given him an outright ‘no’ is clear. “Things only just moved on from a lot of confusion and lack of honesty.”

He takes both my hands in his and squeezes. “And I honestly want to live life around you.” Warmth spreads across my chest at his words and the sincerity behind them. He rests his head on mine. “I fell in love with you, crazy unicorn girl. You opened my eyes to a lot and I want to move on and do more. With you.”

I dig my fingers into the back of his hair. “Okay, you win. I have to tell you the truth too.”

“Oh? I didn’t realise you were keeping secrets?”

“I love you.”

Aaron’s smile borders on smug, but as always I’m charmed. “I know.”

I slap him in the chest. “Ha ha, Han Solo.”

“I wasn’t quoting Star Wars! I’ve seen it in your eyes. And in the way you came to Sydney to be with me and are considering staying.”

“No, that was to retrieve my hat.”

He makes a ‘humph’ noise. “Sure, Evie...”

“One other question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Will there be room for my computer?” I whisper.

He slaps my ass and I laugh at him before he sighs and hugs me again. “Evie Taylor, Sorcerer Sinestre, you are one unique girl and I want you to be mine.”

“Aaron Fletcher, jumped-up Paladin Thorsday, I sure as bloody hell don’t want to share you.”

Words unspoken for months were told over the weeks, through touches and kisses we couldn’t share when we’re apart. I have unfathomable amounts I need to learn about this man, and much he needs to accept about himself, but he’s right. Something grew between us that also caused each other to travel forward.