Page 74 of Yours, For Now

A huge stone fireplace stood proud at the center of the large side wall. That alone won me over. It drew the eye to the living space in the great room, helping distract from the stairs to my side, the closets tucked underneath it, and the door nearby. With the fire crackling and warming up the space, all I wanted to do was sit at the luxurious, huge sectional in front of it, get one of the several throws littered around the space, and cozy up with a good book and a nice drink.

The open, vaulted ceiling helped highlight the magnificent windows across from me. They hugged the sitting area, and offered a wonderful view of a large deck and a darkened landscape. On the other side of the tall, two-story high windows, the dining space boasted what seemed like a 12-place table at first sight. Next to it, and closer to us still in the foyer, an elegant open kitchen with light stone countertops, bronze metal finishes, and sleek-white cabinetry filled the space.

"This place is amazing!" I told Gabe's parents, Raúl and Sonia, as they approached as well.

Vi gave her brother a kiss on the cheek, then she did the same with me.

"Wait until you see the deck in the daylight, and sit around eating delicious food and chatting. It's my favorite part," she said.

The furniture and finishes made it clear the place had been decorated both with money and love. Leather, wood, gold, and light colors in multiple details helped give the home dimension rather than make it feel stuffy with the huge logs.

"Where's Jake?" Gabe dropped our bags on the floor as he hugged his mom.

"He's on his way," Sonia said. She hugged me next. "He's bringing Max and Javier from the airport."

Gabe put a hand on my back. "So they're both coming?"

"Yes." Raúl's smile sat wide on his face. "It'll be good to have everyone here."

"Good thing we'll have enough beds… but barely! Soon we'll have to expand the house." Sonia's smile matched her husband's.

"And you love that, don't you?" Vi laughed. "If Jake and the guys will be here soon, should we start making something to eat?"

She and her parents went to the kitchen, while Gabe showed me the rest of the house. The principal bedroom was behind the door I'd noticed earlier off the living room, while the second floor boasted five rooms with queen beds plus a large bathroom. When we entered what would be our room, Gabe closed the door and crossed his arms.

He faced me. "I guess we're sleeping together after all, since everyone will be here. Are you cool with that?"

"Yeah. I'm comfortable with you— comfortable enough." Correcting my admission was a knee-jerk reaction that didn't sit well in my stomach. Gabe gazed at me, putting no pressure on it. Like he knew my walls came up by instinct and didn't get annoyed by them. "Are you okay with it?"

He nodded. "Friends can sleep together. I considered jumping in with Jake, but if you're okay sharing a bed with me, then that's better. Less suspicion from others."

"Yeah. We're supposed to be having a nice weekend away… maybe we can make it good. Enjoy our time together. We've earned it, right?"

He stared at me as a slow smile curled his lips. "Let's enjoy it, yes."

Before I could say anything else, the boom of laughter reached us from below, loud enough to get through the wooden floor.

"My friends are here," Gabe said. "Let's go meet them."

We returned to the living area, and I was met with a delightful scene: Sonia leaned on the kitchen island, wooden spoon in hand, a big smile on her face as she listened to someone I didn't know tell a story from his perch on a barstool. Vi took the spoon from her mom and mixed something in a large pot, the only thing cooking on a six-burner gas range. Raúl casually poured steaming water into it while Vi stirred. The two of them grinned as well, and all faces in the room tracked the guy in the middle of a monologue.

"So I drove like I was in a Formula 1 race to New York, because of course Javi was there, and begged to the universe that he'd see my email and wait for me. He did, we hopped on his plane, and Jake had a new phone for me as soon as we hit the tarmac."

"All because you wanted to bring us alfajores," Sonia said. "Thank you."

"Anything for you all," the man replied, a cheeky smile on his face.

"Six dozen, though." Raúl scoffed and shook his head. "We'll have enough for everyone for the whole weekend, I think."

"Including Lina's family tomorrow?" Gabe asked as we approached the crowd in the kitchen, and everyone turned to us.

"Well, hello there!" The storyteller got off his chair and hugged Gabe, then stared at me. "I'm Max. Very glad to meet you and see you're real."

I offered my hand and he took it, but used it to bring me closer and kiss my cheek.

"You didn't think I was real?" I asked when he released me.

"I wasn't sure. Jake refused to tell us more on the drive here."