Page 32 of You Found Me in the Dark
My lips parted on a silent breath.
I tucked the phone against my chest, and my eyes fell shut. Maybe this was the start of something. Something good. Something mine. My phone was still clutched to my chest, his last message echoing louder than the quiet around me.
There’s gonna be a next time.
I bit my lip and sat up, cross-legged under the covers, typing slowly and carefully now.
Me
Can I ask you something without it getting… weird?
He was already typing before I could even put the phone back down.
R
Sweetheart, you can ask me anything.
God, will this man ever not make me blush? I didn’t let myself overthink. I just typed.
Me
What changed? Like… what made you feel this way? How long have you felt it?
Three dots. A pause. Then nothing. Then the dots came back.
R
Honestly? I think it started creeping in months after our kiss. It was in the little things. You’d laugh at something dumb I said. Or rant about a book. Or fuck, watching you work on the painting of Sawyers Cove for your first big commission at the golf course was amazing. I loved watching you in your element.
My breath caught.
R
But I thought it was just a little crush, I didn’t know what it was until that day in the kitchen. When you looked at me and didn’t pull away. When I realized I didn’t want to just protect you. I wanted you in every way.
My hand covered my mouth. Oh my God.
Me
I wish you had said something sooner. You’re helping me get through something I never thought I would be able to get through. You saved my life. I meant it when I called you my heroearlier.
I sent the first message but kept typing. I hated sending novel-sized texts. I always felt like information got missed.
Me
I forgot about that commission. That was the first painting I did after the breakup. I cannot believe it’s been five years since then. If you like watching me so much, that’s motivation enough to start painting again.
Shit, I really should go buy painting supplies. It’s time to make art again.
Me
I did start sketching again for the first time since that commission… I started the night after you found me on the bleachers. And shit, I thought maybe I was just imagining those feelings. Figured it was one-sided.
R
Fuck, really? I am so proud of you. I always loved your art when we were younger. I cannot wait to see what you make.
I swear he is the sweetest guy I have ever met. And so fucking genuine. I cannot stop smiling.
