Page 94 of Hooked On Him
“Okay, before I tell you, please know everything I did was never with the intention to hurt you. I’m just a big dumb idiot who’s madly in love with you and really wanted you to like me back, and I really wanted to spend more time with you. I will never manipulate your feelings or lie to you about anything important. I will never make you feel less than, unwanted, or unloved. I’m nothing like your ex. You are my world, my everything. I worship the ground you walk on, Levi,” I say all of this with a serious tone.
“Okay....” he says slowly, color coming back to his face. “Out with it.”
“I, kind of, maybe, sort of wasn’t actually looking for a roommate.” I wince.
“What?” his brows furrow. “Then why did you put up a flyer?"
“Funny story.” I laugh awkwardly. “When I found out you were looking for a place to stay, I made the flyer. Only one. And put it up at your work, knowing you would see it, or someonewould have shown it to you. I wanted to ask you to move in, but I didn’t want to freak you out by making you uncomfortable or like it was too much. So I kind of made it your choice to move in, but set it up to happen.”
He blinks at me, and blinks at me, and then blinks at me again before he bursts out laughing.
He laughs and laughs so hard there are tears running down his face.
“Ah, are you okay?” I ask because he’s really starting to worry me.
“You’re crazy,” he gasps in breaths, grinning widely. “Like really crazy.”
“I mean, just a little.” I hold up my finger and thumb.
“I should be mad. Weirded out. Running for the hills.” He removes his glasses to wipe at his eyes.
“But you're not?” I ask.
“No. Because I’m clearly just as messed up in the head as you are.”
“You are?” I’m confused. I don’t know what's going on. I really was expecting this to all blow up in my face. But it hasn’t. At least not yet.
“Yes. Because while any normal person would probably be freaked out, I love it.”
“You do?” My head shoots back in shock.
He nods, the smile still on his face as he moves to straddle my lap. “You wanted me so much that you did all these stupid little things to get me. Not because you wanted to control me. Or trick me. But because you wanted me so badly, you wanted me to want you too. And refused to risk the chance I wouldn’t. You never forced me to do anything I didn’t want to. I agreed to fake dating. To friends with benefits. You told me if I wasn’t comfortable living with you, you would have moved out of your own damn place so I had somewhere to stay.”
“Of course. I didn’t want you or Snicklefritz to be living in your parents' garage. The idea had me worried. I wanted you safe.”
He cups my face and leans in to kiss me. “And that, right there, is why I’m not mad. You only ever showed me how much you cared about me. You’ve done so much for me. For my cat. Hell, when you saw how upset I was about Peanut, you went out and brought him home. When you found out about how my ex treated me, you kicked his ass. You’ve been nothing but kind and patient with me. Even though we agreed to have a sexual relationship, you’ve never pushed me. You waited until I came to you. You never once acted like this was fake, and that should have had me clueing in sooner.” He shakes his head. “God, I really am stupid.”
“Don’t call yourself names,” I growl.
“See!” he throws his head back laughing. “That right there is why I’m so fucking in love with you, Austin. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. You changed my life in all the best ways. Showed me how I deserved to be treated. That I was worthy of more than just my body. That my feelings mattered. That I mattered.”
“Of course you matter.” I cup his face. “You matter so fucking much.”
Tears spill down his cheeks, but he’s still smiling. “Austin.”
“Yes?” I ask, eyes flicking between his.
“Will you be my boyfriend? Not my fake boyfriend, but my real boyfriend?”
A smile slips onto my face as pure joy fills me. Fucking fireworks burst inside my chest as I nod like an idiot. “Hell fucking yeah I will!” I kiss him, and he laughs against my lips. I roll us until he’s on his back and pepper kisses all over his face. “I love you.” Kiss. “I'll never lie to you again.” Kiss. “I’m going tospend the rest of my life making sure you know how loved you are.” Kiss, kiss, kiss.
Levi laughs and wraps his arms around my neck. He pulls me in for a kiss on the lips. “I love you too. And I promise to be there for you always. You're my best friend. My lover. Mine.”
“Mine,” I growl.
We make out on the beach for what feels like hours, only leaving when the sun has gone down and the cold has set in. As we drive back to our place, his hand in mine, I can’t help but feel like I’m on top of the world.
This man is mine. And I will do everything in my power to keep it that way.
