Page 220 of Love Unwritten

When he holds out his hand for me, I grab it with a smile. I want to say the three big words that have been floating around in my head all week, and I want to say them now.

“Rafa?”

He looks up from his phone. “Yeah?”

“I love you.”

His eyes soften right before his brows scrunch. He opens his mouth, only to shut it again.

“You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know.”

He brings our interlaced fingers to his lips and kisses the back of my hand. “When I say it back—and I promise, I will—it’s going to be somewhere without any witnesses.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

He gives my hand a squeeze. “Deal.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

Rafael

Yesterday, Julian called me crazy when I told him I had decided to fly to London after all, but I corrected him and said, “No. I’m in love.”

That seemed to shut him up. While he didn’t hesitate to take care of Nico while I’m gone for a couple of days, he did grumble about bottle-feeding six kittens. Dahlia, on the other hand, can’t get enough of them, flooding our group chat with photos of Julian frowning at the camera while surrounded by Stella, Miller, Sam, Corona, Rubia, and Guinness.

I probably looked the same while Ellie was convincing me to keep the kittens, although inside, I had already said yes as soon as she named the first one and was talking about raising them together.

I had wanted to tell her I loved her there and then, but it didn’t feel right, so I waited. Should’ve known she would beat me to the punch, though. My plan had been to tell her before I took her to bed, but then I got nervous and held off.

It doesn’t matter anymore. If anything, her confession gives me more confidence to say it once a cab drops us off at the hotel. Ellie spent the whole ride with her face pressed against the window as she took in the city, all while I watched her.

By the time we enter our hotel room, I’m dying to touch her.

She makes the first move by wrapping her arms around my neck. “I still can’t believe you came. Why didn’t you mention that you were thinking about it?”

I lock my arms around her waist. “I didn’t know if I was or not.”

“What pushed you to do it?”

“I wasn’t ready to watch you walk away yet.”

Her eyes soften. “Because…”

Here goes nothing. I brush my hands down her arms before locking them around her back.

“I know I’m not the person you probably envisioned yourself falling for…”

“I’m curious. Who do you think I envisioned?”

“Someone you could have kids with, for starters.”

“You can, if you want.”

I frown.

She pats the spot over my heart. “Adoption is always an option.”

“You say that now, but you could change your mind.”

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