Chasing Stars ✔️

35.

"We have calcium in our bones, iron in our veins, carbon in our souls, and nitrogen in our brains. 93 percent stardust, with souls made of flames, we are all just stars that have people names." ― Nikita Gill

She

I was snatched out of my path in a rapid movement; the force of a muscular arm snaking around my waist made me collide against a solid chest. His other arm encircled me from the opposite side, securing me in a firm grip. I let out a yelp in surprise, relaxing almost immediately when he laughed at my reaction, just before dropping his head to the side of my neck.

"So, just to confirm it. It's a yes."

"You are making such a big deal out of this that I might regret it. Should I be nervous?"

He laughed again, planting a kiss on the curve where my neck met my shoulder. "About meeting my family?" he released me, making me spun around to face him. His dimpled smile was on full display as Matt shook his head lightly. "I feel you already know them, considering the amount of time I spent talking about them. I should be the one nervous, actually. After almost three months of speaking of this girl I was dating, but no one ever met, I think they were doubting my sanity."

"Well, I am very real."

"Don't I know it..." he held my face in both his hands, kissing me sweetly.

I escaped from his arms to collect the remains of breakfast from the coffee table, carrying them to the kitchen. Matt helped to collect the two mugs that had been full of hot tea twenty minutes ago.

"For real, though. If it's a Christmas dinner, is it like... a formal thing? Do you exchange presents...?"

"Don't worry, this is just a family dinner. We simply do it a couple of days before Christmas because some of my siblings travel every other year to spend it with the in-laws. This is a way to have everyone at the table this time of the year, but it's not that different from any other family get-together. It's just mom is crazy about the holidays. She hasn't wrapped her head around not having all of us around to celebrate..."

I nodded, drying my hands, and offering him a small smile. "Don't they think it's strange though... I mean we talked about..."

"Going slow, I'm aware." He completed the sentence I started. "I didn't put any labels on us, Alexa. If you were just my friend, I was going to invite you either way. But, as I said, I talk about you. I can't help it," he shrugged with a half-smile, "they know we have been going out together and that I like you, that's all the information they have. Is that ok?"

I bit into my lower lip. "Yeah, I guess that's fine. But when you say that's all the information they have, what do you know about my family?"

"You can tell them whatever you want, sweetheart. Or I can hint my mom about not asking anything. It's your call. They are going to love you either way."

"Not if you keep coming knocking at my door early in the morning to bring me breakfast," I collected the now empty box from a nearby bakery; their chocolate croissants weren't as good as Annie's, but they were pretty damn close. "You, detective, are going to make me gain some extra weight." He was lightning fast, picking me up from the ground. Before I could even protest, I was sitting on the cold countertop, with my legs firmly held against Matt's waist. "And you would still be perfect," he breathed out before kissing me again; much more fire in his lips and his straying hands.

I poked at his chest with a finger. "Now, now, mister. Don't you have bad guys to catch today?"

He shrugged, still dropping small kisses in any part of my face and neck we could come in contact with. "I'll say I had an emergency. Had to make sure the law that states I should kiss my girl senseless before she gets out to college is fulfilled. Can't have you forgetting about me during the day." He added, his eyes finding mine.