Page 110 of Love or Leave

"I really fucking hate that I live here right now."

She pulled back and smiled at him, her eyes bright. "I feel the exact opposite," she said.

He knew where she was coming from, but still, he hated that he couldn't hold her, cuddle her, make her breakfast.

The closing date for his new house couldn't come soon enough.

"You can come to my place," she said running her hands along his back.

"Is anyone there?" he asked.

"Everyone is there."

Antonio smiled, picturing them among their friends, out in the open and at ease.

He couldn’t wait.

"Let's go."

thirty-five

Epilogue

Cara smoothed the skirt of her red dress, adjusted her earring, and tried not the check the clock. Again.

Antonio was picking her up.

Not meeting her there. Not asking her to come to his place first so no one would see them together. He was picking her up from her place like an actual boyfriend. Because that's what he was—her actual boyfriend.

The doorbell rang, and her heart twirled in her chest. She pulled the heavy wood door open and found Antonio standing on the porch. He was wearing a crisp button-up shirt under a navy suit, with a thick black overcoat.

His mouth curved into a grin, and her heart flooded with warmth. He stepped forward and kissed her cheek, then he held out a neatly wrapped box toward her.

"I was going to get you flowers, but I think you'll like this more," he said.

Cara’s jaw dropped before her face split into an enormous grin. "You brought me a present?"

Antonio nodded. "Open it."

She ripped into the paper, revealing a yellow and blue box with two characters on the front standing back-to-back. "Seven Wonders Duel."

"It's a board game," he said. “For us to play together.”

Aww, he really got her.

She nodded as tears pricked the back of her eyes. She moved into his arms and hugged him. What a one-eighty from being asked out to a minor league hockey game.

"I love it. I love you," she said, she said, pulling back to look into his eyes.

He leaned in close, slowly, and pressed his lips to hers, right there on the front porch for everyone to see.

No one was home, but still, it felt good to be out in the open with him.

"I love you, too," he said. "The internet said it's a good game for highly competitive couples. I thought that would work for us."

She chuckled and set the game down, then took his hand and closed the door. "We should really get going."

Before they even made it to Antonio's car, both of their phones buzzed. At the same time.

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