Page 69 of All I Want Is Love
“No,” Aspen smiles. “I am glad you feel so relaxed. It’s supposed to be a fun event. I was scared you would take it too seriously.”
“I did,” I admit. “But after spending time with Valentina and Hector, I noticed I am not alone in this.”
“You are never alone,” Aspen promises. “You have me after all, and Robin.“ He frowns. “And I guess you also have Soren.”
“Don’t be like that,” I chuckle. “Isn’t he like your best friend?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbles.
I elbow him. “He really is a good boyfriend. Actually, my first real relationship.”
“As long as he makes you happy,” Aspen says. “On the upside, it means he won’t be asking me to come hiking with him anymore. I hate it.”
It’s funny because Aspen is a strong and bulky man, who loves to work outside and do handiwork, but he has never been one for sportive activities, minus his trips to the fitness studio. As for Robin, he is pretty athletic, but hates to spend too much time outside in nature.
“We are actually planning a three-day hike for spring,” I tell him. “The plan is to reach two summits.”
Aspen smiles. “You like it here, don’t you?”
“Yes, and no need to keep asking me,” I say. I halt, adjusting the box I am carrying. “Thank you, Aspen. You were my lifesaver.”
“Oh boy,” Aspen sighs dramatically. “You have thanked me enough already.”
“I don’t think I have,” I say. “You saved my life. Without you, I’d probably be dead now.”
Saying it out loud makes me realize how true it actually is, and how close I was to…
Aspen puts his box down, then takes mine out of my hands. Before I realize what’s going on, he pulls me into a bear hug. He says something, but I can’t quite hear it. Instead, I cling onto him. “I am so glad I am still here,” I sob.
“Leo,” he says, sounding sad. “I will always make sure to get you and save you. And I‘d bet you would do the same for me.”
I nod.
“And Robin and Soren are watching out for you, too, now. You are not alone.” He pauses. “I should have made sure to get you out of that hell much sooner. While you were still in college and living under our parents’ roof.”
“I don’t think I would have come with you,” I say.
“I still should have tried,” he says.
“I don’t know, Aspen.” I loosen my grip and move back a little, finally feeling a bit lighter. “I don’t think I would have appreciated it back then. I just wasn’t ready. But I am ready now.”
A bit further from us, I can hear a door opening. “Leo, Aspen?” Valentina yells. “Is that you outside? What are you doing? Just get your asses inside. It’s fucking cold.”
Aspen and I both grin, grabbing our boxes again and hurrying towards the open door, and into the warmth of Valentina and Hector’s house.
twenty-five
*LEO*
Robin and I are clad in thick jackets and sip at our hot chocolate. Overnight brought fresh snow, a perfect miracle for the snowball fight as Valentina claimed. I watch her running over the field, targeting a tall, bulky guy with three snowballs at once.
Then my gaze wanders to Aspen, who is currently hovering behind a shield. Several of them are placed all along the playfield so that players can take shelter from snowballs.
I am not sure what I expected when I heard about the snowball fight, but certainly notthis.It’s insanely entertaining to watch. Next to Robin and me, there are a bunch of old ladies, screaming profanities towards the players, and I am not sure if they are insulting our players for not playing well enough or the other team.
It’s a wild mess.
“Hey Robin—" My eyes now wander towards Soren, who is holding a snowball, ready to hit his target. “How again did Aspen and Soren end up participating in the snowball fight?” I ask. “Soren said he'd never join, and I know that Aspen denied them every year.”
