I will never be the same without you...

Chapter 48

Oscar Dunbar, "Spring Rain"

Oh dear! I watched him babble excitedly until he turned into the best impression of a deer caught in headlights that I'd ever seen. His mouth and his heart had bypassed his brain entirely, and it dismayed him; I could tell that much. Although the hilarity was evident to me, I fought hard to stay composed, so he wouldn't think I was mocking him. I just waited, giving him some time to defrost.

I always thought I'd get a rush of excitement hearing someone say they loved me, but I was surprised to discover that first, I felt an overwhelming sense of certainty and calm. The coil of loneliness that had bound my heart finally snapped and a swelling wave of tenderness for this goofball nearly knocked me off my feet. Exhilaration coursed through my veins; I was electrified.

Holding back, I gently called his name. "Sai, are you alright?" I saw him shrug off. "Hmmm, yeah." I walked slowly around the kitchen island, careful not to spook him.

"Are you sure? You just said..." He interrupted me. "I know what I said... I..."

"Did you mean it?"

My question seemed to surprise him. He whipped around to look at me, keys still in hand.

"Of course, I did." His tone was determined, with a hint of indignation.

"Well, that's good... because I love you too."

He looked straight at me as if in disbelief, searching for confirmation. Confident, I tilted my head and smiled. He blinked a few times before an enormous grin spread over his face.

"I'm so happy to hear that."

Finally, not able to restrain myself, I ran to him and jumped into his arms. He hugged me so hard, I could barely breathe.

"My Zon. My love."

"Yes, and don't you forget it!"

I kissed his face in a frenzy, unsure whose tears I was tasting. My arms tightened about his neck, needing less space between us. In response, he lifted me up, allowing me to wrap myself around him. We murmured sweet nothings, kissed and nuzzled, completely lost in each other, incapable of letting go.

With an exaggerated sigh, he pulled away and rubbed his nose against mine.

"Zon, I should stop feeding you so well. You either need to come down, or I'll take you to the bedroom so I can sit before I fall over."

The wannabe comedian winked at me. Normally, I would have swatted at him and complained, but right now, I didn't care. I closed my eyes and went back to nibbling on his neck, happy to be rewarded by a sharp breath intake and a low growl.

"Hmmm... bedroom it is then, Mr. Zon..."

We started giggling. However, before he had a chance to move, we heard the key in the lock, and the door opened.

"Zon, I know you're here moping around, I haven't seen you in forever, and I'm worried... get up Mom and Dad are waiting for us for lunch and we're going to... EEEEWWW!!!!"

I looked at Saifah and mouthed a quiet "I'm sorry" before scrambling down to the ground.

"Zol what are you doing here? This is my place remember, where I'm free to do whatever I want and you're currently NOT invited."

I was growing more irritated as she invited herself in. She was likely curious about who was here. She hadn't been able to take a good look since Saifah's back had been to the door when she arrived. Urrrrghhh!! I took Saifah's hand and squeezed it before walking over to my nosy sister.

"Zon, why don't you introduce me to your date since I'm here? Wait!!! SAIFAH!!!!!"

She turned back to look at me.

"What is he doing here and how long has this been going on? Zon what are you..."

I felt a flash annoyance, letting out an exasperated "Zol, I swear...!" thankfully stopping her mid sentence. Hoping she'd get the hint, I continued "Now can you please..."

Instead she just spoke faster as I felt like resting my forehead on my palm, praying to a higher powers to give me patience.

"I'm sorry Zon. I haven't talked to you in a while and you keep blowing Zen off, so mom and I decided to have a family lunch today at their place. They're waiting for us, and I said I'd pick you up on the way because Zen is out of town. You know as well as I do that it'll be the end of us if we don't show.

Barely slowing down or even breathing, she looked at him.

"Saifah, you should come too. See you both there."

And with that she made her escape, leaving a trail of bewilderment in her wake. I would understand if Saifah decided that this was more than he had bargained for and left me to my dramatic family. Lost in thought, I hadn't realized he'd moved until a pair of arms came around me, and a chin rested on my head.

"It's ok baby, it was bound to happen at some point. I have to say your sister's timing is as brilliant now as it was back then. At least this time, I had time to confess to you."

Unsure if I should laugh or cry, I cuddled into his chest, grateful for the comfort it provided.

"You don't have to come. I can deal with them on my own. I knew it was a bad idea to stay here last night. We should have gone to your place like we usually do on Fridays."

I exhaled heavily, and his arms tightened around me. He bent down to place a kiss on my temple.

"It would have been silly. Zon, it's ok. I'll go with you. We might as well get it over with and clear the air."

"Are you sure? I can go alone this time to explain everything."

His body tensed around mine. He was getting annoyed and I wasn't sure what to do anymore. I wanted to spare him this mess but instead I offended him. I sighed.

"Zon, if you don't want me to come just tell me. Otherwise, since I'm involved, I'm not going to cower at home while you deal with it."

Feeling a mixture of relief and guilt, I turned around to hug him back. Everything disappeared as I nestled against him, enveloped by his scent and listening to his heart.

"I just want to make it easier for you, but to be completely honest, I would much rather take you with me. "

"There you are. My best Zon."

His usual endearment lifted my spirit. With a big sigh, I stepped out of his arms to start getting ready.