Page 83 of A Follow-Through in Faking
“You two aren’t faking it anymore,” she says quietly as soon as we’re somewhat alone, and I feel my heart skip a beat.
“What?” It’s a stupid thing to ask. I heard her perfectly fine, and she’s a hundred percent right, but asking it buys me some time to collect my thoughts.
Ori inspects me, then looks at Santiago, studying how close he’s standing beside me now that I’ve approached them. I doubt he even noticed he came so close. Santi has this way of being drawn to me. If we were openly really dating, I think he’d constantly be touching me, but we haven’t told anyone we’re not faking it anymore.
At least it doesn’t feel fake anymore.
Not after what happened earlier.
After I came harder than ever before while Santi worshipped my body. After he told me I’m his favorite person. After I realized I’m in love with him.
“You two fucked.” I almost choke on my own spit.
“How in the world would you know that?” I ask, but my sister’s brown eyes drift to Santi.
“He told me,” she replies, and I spin on my heels to swat Santiago’s bicep. He lets me do it even though he probably sees it coming.
“Why are you telling my sister we had sex?” Santi’s mouth falls open, but before he gets the chance to respond, my sister speaks again.
“He didn’t. You just did.” The color drains from my face, but Santi simply starts chuckling as I cover my face with my hands.
“I hate it when you do that,” I mumble because it isn’t the first time in my life my older sister has tricked me. I think it’s part of the eldest sibling’s job to trick her younger sister.
“I know. Now, tell me, how the fuck did this happen? I thought you two hated each other?” she asks, but she looks more amused now than anything.
“You know how it goes. A dry spell makes you do stupid things,” I reply to take the tension out of the question, but Santilets the joke roll off his back as he takes my hand and steps toward Ori.
“It happened because I stopped being an idiot and because Cata’s heart is big enough to give me a second chance.”
Santi’s words have my shoulders dropping as the tension leaves them, and I look up at him to see he’s already staring down at me.
It’s entirely irritating that the man who still has my legs shaking from fucking me so well earlier can also make my heart turn to putty with a few simple words.
“Santi,” I start, but he kisses my forehead before I can come up with a response. He turns his head to look at Ori, offering her a nervous smile.
“I think the better question you should ask is why didn’t it happen sooner? Or why did it take me so long to realize what I thought I felt for Cata was the very opposite of what I actually feel?”
My heart shrieks in fear at his words. Not because I don’t think they’re some of the most wonderful words I’ve ever heard. No. It’s because I love him so much, too, and I’m scared we’re going to have another fall-out that will make us stop speaking to each other for years.
“Aww, that’s gross,” Ori says, but her smile is telling. My sister always pretends she hates romance, but I know it’s because she’s never had anyone love her the proper way.
I don’t think anyone’s ever loved me the proper way.
Until Santi.
Which is a bold assumption to make, thinking he’s in love with me, but I’ve always believed actions speak louder than words, and Santiago’s actions have been screaming one very specific thing at me: I love you.
I lean into his side as soon as the thought enters my head, and Ori scrunches her nose at us before forcing another smile. Butno matter how much I don’t want to be at times, I’m a romantic through and through.
I melt at the little things.
I giggle internally when Santi looks at me, even when someone else is speaking.
I blush when he tells me how beautiful I am every single day.
Romance, to me, isn’t the big gestures. They’re part of it, sure, but I love to be loved quietly, too. In the little things. In the way I am looked at. In the way I’m admired for who I am.
Deep inside, I want the person who loves me to be able to make a list of a thousand reasons why they love me, not superficially but deeply. I want them to see my soul and think it’s the most precious thing in the world.
