Shall We Dance?

Chapter 37 - Hope

The light caress of his fingers on my bare stomach wakes me up. I turn around and find him wearing his glasses and sporting the biggest grin. I cuddle on his chest and feel him kiss the top of my head.

"How was my snoring?" He asks.

"Didn't hear a thing this time. Slept deeply for a change."

"I guess last night felt like relief."

I nod and continue cuddling. Last night we were eliminated from Shall We Dance, but felt as everything but losers. We found each other, we won each other. Roman gloated about getting the highest score of the night and tried to tease us. For the first time I didn't feel hate or anger. I felt nothing. He noticed it too because he looked disappointed at our lack of reaction. Our attention was towards each other, free of any commitments.

"It was a good experience, our personal situations made it complicated, but I don't regret it," I say.

"Glad you think about it that way. I'm honestly on the countdown to be forever free of doing television. Four shows and then I can do as I please."

"And what would that be?"

"For starters, being with you just like this on a lazy Sunday," he kisses my lips lightly. "Making love like we did last night."

The sweet memory makes me smile. After the show, we went to grab a bite at his favorite diner and then came here. Once inside the house, we could barely contain our mutual needs and the rushed and heavy kisses were proof. Fer held my hand and brought me to the bedroom, where our clothes made it to the floor and our bodies to the soft bed sheets. We explored each other and for the first time, he didn't seem ashamed of his scars. We made love until we were satisfied and then he admitted to me that it was the second time in his life that he had sex, the first being the drunken night as a teen when he conceived his son with Denise.

"I still can't get over the fact that you saved yourself for such a long time."

Fer smiles and looks slightly embarrassed. "I barely remember my first time. I guess this was the one I should count as the first. It has never been a lack of interest, I never met anyone I liked enough."

"Glad you like me enough," I tease.

"I like you so much that I fear at times that you don't like me the same."

Now I understand his reaction when I told him I loved him.

"I like you the same, and forgive me for not saying it earlier. I love you Fer and that's something I don't say quickly or take lightly. I like being with you and how I feel when I'm with you. I think the recent events didn't give me any time to say it."

"My only hope is that things will only get better from now on. I can't change my life events, and even when I feel at my best, the trauma will still be there. What I know is that you help me, you bring me back to life on those moments. I'm grateful for you and I know my parents are happy that we are together."

"My parents like you too. Mom has also been asking about Javier. I guess he reminds her of Maurice at that age. I had a catch up call with them during the week and they were truly worried about you. I'll call her later to let her know about your decisions regarding the show."

"Maybe you can tell her more news. I would like us to get married."

I sit on the bed and stare at him.

"I've waited long enough," he chuckles. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone but you."

"Fer-"

"-And it doesn't have to be immediately. We can wait as long as you want, but you need to know that I'm in this relationship for the long run."

I lay down again on the bed and a sort of giggle forms in my throat until I'm laughing out loud. Fer watches me with interest and slight worry.