Page 61 of Bloom

He made a happy sound. “I want to.”

Oh boy.

He let out a breath, sounding as nervous as me. “Should we do it over the phone? Or should we wait until the next time we see each other?”

“I don’t mind. Whichever you’d prefer. I’m happy just knowing you want to talk about it, so at least I know we’re on the same page.”

“It’s crazy fast, isn’t it?”

“Yes. But it feels right, don’t you think?”

“I do.” Then he laughed. “God, this is insane.”

I couldn’t help but laugh too. Relieved and so freaking happy. “Maybe we could discuss some options now, and when we see each other next, we can say what we’re comfortable with. You know, if we take a day or two to think them over.”

“Sounds fair.”

“Well, I’d be happy to put dating on the table, straight up,” I said. “We are technically dating, so that’s more of an observation than a label.”

“True.” It sounded as if he was smiling.

Okay, so we were officially dating. Good to know.

I was nervous. Giddy, almost. “As for expectations,” I said. “And this is something you can tell me if you’re comfortable with or not. But I definitely won’t be seeing anyone else while I’m dating you. I’m a one-person-only kinda guy. But that’s just me, and I know that’s not cool with everyone. Dating means keeping options open, I guess. So if you wanted to date other people, I’d be okay with that.”

“Would you really, Keats?”

“No.”

He laughed. “Me either. I don’t want to see anyone else. I won’t be dating anyone else, and I like the fact you won’t be either.”

Oh, wow.

“Sooo,” he added, “does that mean we’re exclusive? You know, as far as expectations and labels go? You don’t need to answer that right now?—”

“Yes.”

He chuckled. “So much for leaving the answers until we see each other next.”

“You can answer whenever you’re comfortable,” I replied. “But I know my answer already.”

“I know mine too,” he murmured. Then he was quiet again, and I wasn’t sure what to say next.

Because what came next was a big step.

“Sooo,” he said again. “Exclusive dating sounds a lot like boyfriends.”

And there it was.

He said it.

My heart felt a little strangled. Nerves and butterflies and something else I was nowhere near ready to name yet.

“It does,” I managed to say. “I’m happy to keep it at dating exclusively if that takes any pressure off.”

He let out a shaky breath in my ear and it sent a shiver through me.

Hooooooly shit.