Diving Deep (UK Crush #2)

Chapter 20

"I can't believe I'm going to finally see Gethin and Ronan!" I was practically dancing with excitement as Teddy put the bags in the car. "And Matty again, too!" I put my arms around his neck and squeezed him as I kissed his cheek. "Thank you thank you thank you for this!"

    He hugged me back, though not with quite as much energy. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I don't get what the big deal is, though. You just saw them a few weeks ago. They're just not that exciting, are they? I mean, I see them all the time. I don't see the allure."

    I hit his chest. "Don't be mean. I've missed them desperately. Matthew too. And who knows when I'll see them after this? You four are the closest thing to a family I've ever had.

    "And I get to see Wales, too. This will only be the third foreign country I've ever visited in my life."

    "Wales isn't exactly exotic, though," He commented, shutting the trunk. "I mean, it's not as though we're going to Madagascar or anything, is it?"

    "Hey, you," I called to him as I opened my door, "get off of my cloud." I got in and shut the door.

    He got in and grinned at me. "You do make me laugh, I must admit."

    "Well, I'm just happy, so stop pissing on my joy, okay?" I grinned back at him. "What exactly is the problem, anyway?"

    He put the keys in the ignition. "I don't know. Maybe I'm jealous? You just seem so happy to see them."

    "So? That doesn't mean I'm unhappy to be with you," I said reasonably. "If the situation were reversed, and I were with them, and we were going to see you, believe me, I wouldn't be able to contain myself. I wouldn't have been able to wait this long."

    He turned the key and started the car, but didn't put it in gear. "Really? Because I know it makes me sound a complete wanker, but I think that's what's bothering me. I feel like I've been trying so hard to see that you're happy, yet you're dying to go and see them. Is that terrible? To just want you to myself? To feel like you just want to be with me?" He wouldn't look at me, a sure sign that he was really bothered.

    I reached over and turned turned off the car. "I do just want to be with you. Do I want to see the boys? Yes, I do. Would I want to go without you? No way, not at all. The fun of this trip was that we could go together. I've been so looking forward to the car trip, with you, to watching Geth play soccer, which I know fuckall about, with you, to sightseeing in Cardiff, with you, to spending time with the boys, with you, and to driving back, with you." I put my hand on his arm.

    "You have done an outstanding job of seeing that I'm happy, as you put it. I've never been happier. Look at me, please." I squeezed his arm, and he looked over. "Seriously, look at me. Have I ever looked happier to you? Did you know that random people on the street just smile at me? That's never happened to me before in my life, and I don't think it's because the people here in England are just more friendly than people in California, do you?"

    I climbed over the console to sit on his lap, facing him, not knowing if I'd even fit, or if I'd end up sitting on the steering wheel and blowing the horn; luckily he saw me coming and slid his seat back as far as it would go.

    I put my hands on his shoulders, and he put his large hands around my waist, looking into my eyes with a combination of embarrassment and a bit of shame, maybe? "You have no reason to be jealous of anyone, ever, especially any of the boys," I said, looking back into his glorious eyes. If he needed building up from time to time, then it was my job to provide it, just like he provided confidence to me whenever I needed it, as often as I needed it, no questions asked.