Chapter 32

PAT’s POV:

After the kiss…

Neither of us knew what to do.

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Which was honestly funny.

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Because I had spent ten years imagining this moment.

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And somehow…

I still wasn’t prepared.

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Kat was sitting on the edge of her bed.

I was sitting beside her.

Not too close.

Not too far.

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Just enough space for both of us to be painfully aware of each other.

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The room was quiet.

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Very quiet.

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Too quiet.

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Until Kat suddenly laughed.

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I looked at her.

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“What?”

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She covered her face.

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“I don’t know.”

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I laughed too.

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Because honestly?

Same.

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Ten years.

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Ten years of loving each other.

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And now neither of us could form a complete sentence.

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“This is awkward.”

Kat admitted.

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“A little.”

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“A little?”

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I smiled.

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“A lot.”

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That made her laugh again.

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And somehow…

The sound immediately calmed me down.

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Because no matter what changed tonight…

She was still Kat.

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My Kat.

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The realization made my chest warm.

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For a while, we simply sat there.

Talking about random things.

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The hospital.

Basketball.

San Juan.

College.

The years we spent apart.

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All the things we never had the courage to say before.

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Then eventually I looked at the clock.

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Almost midnight.

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Neither of us seemed interested in sleeping.

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An idea suddenly appeared in my head.

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A stupid one.

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A dangerous one.

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But before I could stop myself—

I spoke.

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“Kat?”

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“Hm?”

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“Do you…”

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I immediately lost confidence.

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She smiled.

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“What?”

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I rubbed the back of my neck.

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Embarrassed.

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“Do you want to watch a movie?”

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Kat blinked.

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Then smiled.

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“Now?”

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“Yeah.”

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She laughed.

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“Sure.”

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Relief immediately flooded my body.

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Then another thought appeared.

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And somehow it was even more terrifying.

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“Can we…”

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I stopped.

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Kat tilted her head.

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“Can we what?”

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My heart was racing again.

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“Can we watch it here?”

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She nodded.

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“Of course.”

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I swallowed.

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Then continued.

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“In your room.”

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Another nod.

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“Okay.”

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My confidence immediately disappeared.

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But somehow…

I still forced myself to finish.

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“On your bed.”

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Kat stared.

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I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.

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Immediately.

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Right now.

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Before I died from embarrassment.

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“It’s just…”

I started rambling.

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“My iPad is bigger than my phone.”

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Brilliant explanation.

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Absolutely incredible.

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“Pat.”

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I stopped talking.

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“Yes?”

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Kat was trying very hard not to laugh.

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And failing.

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“You can just say you don’t want to leave yet.”

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My entire brain stopped working.

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Because unfortunately…

She was right.

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I didn’t want to leave.

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Not tonight.

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Not after waiting ten years.

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Not after finally having her.

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“I don’t.”

I admitted quietly.

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The teasing immediately disappeared from Kat’s expression.

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Replaced by something softer.

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Warmer.

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The look she only gave me.

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“I don’t want you to leave either.”

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And just like that…

Every remaining fear disappeared.

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A few minutes later we were sitting side by side on the bed.

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The movie was playing.

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Neither of us were paying attention.

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At all.

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Because every few minutes one of us would glance at the other.

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Then immediately look away.

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Like idiots.

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Happy idiots.

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Halfway through the movie, Kat leaned against my shoulder.

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The same way she had done hundreds of times before.

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Yet somehow…

It felt completely different now.

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My heart immediately started racing again.

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“You okay?”

Kat whispered.

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“No.”

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She laughed softly.

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“Me neither.”

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And somehow…

That made everything better.

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For the first time in years…

Neither of us had to wonder.

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Neither of us had to hide.

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Neither of us had to pretend.

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The movie eventually ended.

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At some point, Kat fell asleep against my shoulder.

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And for once…

I didn’t move away.

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I simply smiled.

Pulled the blanket over both of us.

And stayed.

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Because after ten years of waiting…

One night together didn’t seem nearly enough.

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But it was a start.

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And for now…

That was more than enough.