“Me too.” He took in a deep breath. “I didn’t like my life growing up, so I hid it. I got the right job, the right clothes, leased the right apartment, dated a certain type of girl. I hid behind all of it. Nobody ever got to see the real me. Until you. When I’m with you, I never feel like I’m hiding. You see me. You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to open up to. I’m always going to be honest with you. I’m always going to love you.”

His words were like sparkling fireworks setting off inside me. “And you understand that I have a lot of baggage.”

“Good thing I work out,” he said. He paused a beat before adding, “Because I’m strong and I can carry it—”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” I grinned at his stupid joke and was excited to think about the fact that I was going to spend a long time grinning at dumb things he said.

“I’m going to have to get a cheaper apartment when the lease is up,” he said. “Which is good, because we’re only going to need one room.”

“Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“What I want is for you to marry me. But we can talk about it when you’re ready.”

I loved him so, so, so much. I’d marry him today if he wanted. “You don’t talk about it. You ask.”

“I will. But for now, come here.” His voice was low and rough, like he was having the same onslaught of loving feelings that I was.

He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest, and I nestled against his shoulder. I breathed the smell of him in.

I sighed. “Orb weavers.”

“Did you just say orb weavers?” he repeated, laughter peppering his voice.

“They put out this pheromone that makes moths fly to their deaths, and Delia asked us what that scent would be for us. This, you, you’re that scent. You smell like freedom. Possibilities.”

“Funny,” he said. “I was just thinking that you smelled like all of my tomorrows. My future. My wife.”

“That’s closer. Next time, make it a question.”

The next time, he did.