Today has been pretty awesome. Hunter surprised you and ordered breakfast, which was brought to your room, you did some shopping, and Hunter took you sightseeing.
He's been pretty happy today, but it seems like something is bothering him, though he tries not to show it.
After taking a few pictures of the Trevi Fountain, you sit down next to Hunter and rest your head on his shoulder.
Your company doesn't seem to distract him from whatever is going on in his head, and you wonder what he's thinking about. He takes a few deep breaths, and finally looks down at you.
"Are you okay?" You ask.
"Yeah," he sighs. "I just have something on my mind."
"What's wrong? You know you can talk to me about anything..." you say, concern in your voice.
"I just...I don't know Payden. I've been thinking about quitting my job for a while," he says.
You don't ask him why because you already know what the answer is: He wants to chase his dreams and become a musician. You support that one hundred percent, but you will miss Hunter if he leaves.
"How long have you been wanting to leave?" You ask.
"I've wanted to leave for a while now. Even before we met, I was thinking about quitting. But when I saw you and I found out that you were going to be working with me, I didn't want to leave because I always enjoyed being with you. You made work more enjoyable, and even when I'm in a crappy mood, you find a way to make me smile. I was miserable before you came along..." he replies.
You just stare at him, your mouth agape. You feel bad because you feel like you held him back from quitting his job and chasing his dreams. You feel like this is your fault.
"Hunter, I'm so sorry," you say, tears filling your eyes.
"Why are you apologizing?" He asks, clearly shocked by your reaction.
"I held you back from chasing your dreams. If I wouldn't have gotten the job, you would've quit and became a musician. I wasted your time..." you say.
"Hey," he says softly.
He places his finger under your chin and makes you look at him, then he grabs your hands.
"You did not waste my time. If anything, you gave me the best time of my life, and there isn't anywhere else I would rather be than here in Italy with you. Me staying is completely my fault, not yours. But I don't regret it at all..." he says.
The look in his eyes and the way he delivers those words lets you know that he's being sincere.
"I want you to go," you say.
"But Payden, I--" he starts, but you cut him off. You want him to know how much you love and support him.
"Hunter, no. I really want you to leave. You've given me so much happiness, and I want to return the favor. Will you please chase your dreams?" You say.
"Only if you chase yours..." he says.
"Hunter, I can't. I don't have enough money to take care of everything and I need this job. I don't even know if I'll be successful as a musician," you say.
"You will be successful as a musician. I know it." He lets go of your hands and wraps his arms around you. "And if you ever need anything, I'm always here for you."
Your cheeks turn slightly red, and a few tears manage to slip out of your eyes but Hunter's wipes them away.
You look at him and think about how much you love him and all that he's done for you. He stayed behind just to be with you, he's always telling you that you're beautiful, even when you look crappy, and he supports you.
You're about to let out the three words that change everything, but he seems to take them right out of your mouth.
"I love you," he says.
Without hesitation, you lean forward and press your lips to his.
"I love you too Hunter," you whisper.
