Page 67 of Hate That Blooms

I smile sadly, taking her hand back and gently caressing the side of her palm with my thumb. Raising it to my lips and placing a tender kiss on her inner wrist. “This is how it’ll be from here on out.”

She nods, and through soft kisses, she tells me to keep going. With every thrust, I know that I’m so fucking painfully in love with her. I feel her tightening around me, and I pick up the pace, wanting to come with her. “That’s it,Reina. Fuck, you’re so beautiful. Come for me again.”

I collapse onto her, whimpering in her ear, telling her she’s my everything, my entire world, and that she’ll never be alone again now that I’m here. She lets out a soft cry, shattering around me, and I kiss her, swallowing every noise she makes as I come deep inside her.

* * *

The quiet between us lingers, comfortable but charged with something unspoken, something that we’ve both felt but never quite had the words for until now. Gabriela’s fingers still trace the back of my neck, and one of my hands rests gently on her waist, my thumb brushing her bare skin. I can feel the warmth radiating off her, the steady rise and fall of her chest beneath my other palm. It’s like everything else in the world has faded away, and it’s just the two of us here.

I look down at her, and there’s something in the way her eyes lock onto mine that tells me she’s waiting for me to say it, just as much as I’m waiting for her. She knows me better than I know myself. The way she holds me in her gaze makes me feel like I could say anything, and she’d understand it without question.

I swallow hard, and my throat suddenly dries. I don’t know why it feels harder now than ever before, but it does. Saying the words feels like stepping into a new world, one where everything is different, and I’m afraid I won’t know how to handle it.

But I can’t keep holding back. Not when she’s here, not when she’s made me feel like I’m worthy of more than I ever thought I deserved.

“Gabriela,” I say her name softly, almost as a question.

“Hmm,” her fingers stop moving on my neck, and she tilts her head slightly, watching me with those eyes that have always been my undoing. She doesn’t rush me. She waits.

I take a breath and then let it out slowly, my chest tightening with everything I’ve been holding inside. “I know it’s been a mess. It’s been complicated, and I’ve messed up more times than I can ever apologize for. But through all of that... through all the pain and all the bullshit, I realize one thing.”

Gabriela’s lips part, her eyes softening, and I can feel the anticipation in her, the same tension I’m feeling.

“I love you,Reina." I say it finally, and the weight that lifts off my chest is almost overwhelming. It’s like a dam breaking, like everything inside me I’ve held back for so long is rushing to the surface all at once. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the third grade, even when I didn’t know what love really was. Even when I thought I didn’t deserve you. But I do, I love you so fucking much. More than anything.”

I hold my breath, afraid that maybe I’ve said too much too soon, that I’ve scared her off, but when she looks at me, her eyes are full of something else. Something softer. Her lips curve up into a smile that melts the last of the tension in me, and I can’t help but smile back, the ache in my chest easing with every second she stays there, holding my gaze.

“I love you, too,” she says, her voice barely a whisper but steady, like she’s been holding this inside too. “I’ve loved you for so long, Joaquín. Even when you didn’t see it, I did. Even when it hurt, I loved you.”

My heart stutters in my chest, and I feel the truth of her words settle deep inside me. She’s loved me. Even when I didn’t deserve it. Even when I was hurting her. It makes me feel like I’m standing on solid ground for the first time in years. The uncertainty of who I am and who I was doesn’t seem as scary anymore.

I can’t keep the smile off my face. I shift to my side so I can pull her closer, my hands framing her face, and kiss her again, this time deeper, more urgent. She responds immediately, her lips parting beneath mine, and I taste the sweetness of her kiss and the promise in it. There’s no rush, no hurry. Just the realization that we’ve finally said it—that we’ve admitted what’s been there all along. The love we’ve both been hiding from, hiding in plain sight, is finally out in the open.

When we pull apart again, we’re both breathless, and I rest my forehead against hers, my hands still tangled in her hair. “I never want to be without you,” I confess, my voice rough, the emotion overwhelming me again. “I don’t know how to go back to what it was before. I don’t want to.”

Gabriela smiles softly, her hand resting on my chest over my heart. “You don’t have to. I’m not going anywhere, Joaquín. We can be together now.”

Chapter42

Joaquín

Iwake up slowly, feeling the weight of the blanket pressing over my body and the cool air from the open window brushing against my skin. Gabriela’s warm breath is steady beside me. Her body curled into a small ball, one hand resting on the pillow where my head had been just a few minutes ago. I can’t remember exactly when I fell asleep, only that it wasn’t long ago. The entire night had been a blur of heat and motion, of skin against skin, and the way she whispered my name in the dark.

I shift carefully, trying not to wake her. She’s a heavy sleeper, but I’m still careful. I don’t know if it’s going to be a habit now or if I’m just afraid of the mornings that will come after nights like this. After the mess we make of ourselves, tangled in sheets and tangled in each other. Will she regret it when she wakes up?

Will she regret telling me she loves me?

I slide out of bed, the carpet cold against the soles of my feet. Gabriela doesn’t stir, and I exhale quietly, thankful for the silence. I rub my face with my hands and make my way to the foot of the bed, pulling my underwear and jeans back on. I let myself out of the room, my eyes still adjusting to the dim morning light.

The house is quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. I move through the hallway, stopping briefly at the bathroom to splash some water on my face. It’s not so much that I need it, but I want to be awake and alert.

I want to be good to her, to Mireya, and tothis. I want to do this right, even if I have no idea what “right” even means.

Mireya’s room is just down the hall. I pause by the door, listening for any sign that she’s up. According to Gabriela, she’s usually up early, but today... it’s too quiet. Maybe she’s still sleeping. Or maybe she’s in one of her quiet moods. I'm still learning how to read her, but I’ve gotten better at picking up on the small cues when I’m around her. She’s only ever really loud when upset or overstimulated.

I move into the kitchen and start the coffee machine first. The scent fills the air almost immediately. I’m sure it will rouse Gabriela from her sleep soon. Their kitchen is small—barely enough room for the three of us to move around without bumping into each other—but it’s cozy. Warm. It smells like cinnamon, coffee, and spices. I like it.

I take a moment to think as I stare at the coffeemaker. It’s strange. A few months ago, I had no idea I’d even end up here—waking up next to her, telling her I love her. This isn’t what I planned. I never planned for any of this. Not that I didn’t want it. It was everything I wanted.

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