Page 105 of Praising Haru

“Oh yes, right. Can we name the cactus first?”

He laughs. “If you want.”

“It looks like a Josephine.”

“That’s a perfect name.”

I grin and then open my laptop. Kyle sits with me while I reply to my email. Then we take a shower together. We take our time, spending more time embracing and kissing than getting clean. Afterwards, he dries and cuddles me, and then we get dressed. Kyle had the forethought to bring a change of clothes with him, or maybe he went home and got some while I was sleeping. I’m not sure which it was, and I don’t ask.

We go downstairs. I sit at the table while Kyle reheats the soup Dad made. My phone beeps. My hand shakes as I open the email from one of the fashion houses. I barely got to the end of the message when I receive a reply from the other. I read that too.

“Monday.”

“For interviews with both?” Kyle asks.

“Yeah. One in the morning. One in the afternoon. I should be able to get a train early Monday morning and then one home in the evening.” It’ll be a long day but cheaper than staying overnight in a hotel.

He puts a steaming bowl of soup in front of me and sits in the neighbouring chair. “How are you feeling about them?”

“Nervous.” I squeeze his hand. “I want to go but don’t.”

He leans over and kisses my temple. “I know, baby. You will go, won’t you?”

“Yes.”

He smiles despite the sadness in his eyes. “Let me spoil you this weekend, beautiful. I’ll cook for you and pamper you. We can go on that owl hunt we talked about. Maybe go to a club on Saturday night or stay home and do something kinky. Then we can cuddle all day Sunday.”

“Don’t you go to your parents’ for dinner every Sunday?”

“Yes, but they won’t mind if I skip for one week. Or you could come with me and meet them. They’ll adore you.”

Meet his parents. He’s met mine, so it seems only fair. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

He strokes my hair away from my face. “Both companies will love you. You’ll be back in London permanently before you know it.”

“Fingers crossed.”

“And toes.”

He kisses me. I try to get lost in him, but it’s hard. How can I want something so badly while hoping it never comes to fruition? I love Kyle, but he’s right. I can’t turn my back on my dreams. Six months isn’t forever, just a fucking long time.

CHAPTER20

KYLE

I cook dinner for Haru on Friday evening, and then we spend a lazy, cuddly evening together. Haru reads to me, almost getting to the end of the book before he gets too tired to continue.

“You can read the rest tomorrow night or when you get back from London,” I say.

He sniffs and nods. I get it. We’re doing the same thing, trying to fit everything into a weekend in case it’s our last. Which is crazy because it won’t be. If Haru gets offered a job on Monday, he won’t be able to move back to London straight away. He’ll need to find somewhere new to live, which could take a few weeks. My head knows that, but my heart isn’t being rational at all.

We go to bed and make love slowly, without any toys or kink, just me and him staring into each other’s eyes. Afterwards, we fall asleep holding each other, our hearts beating as one.

On Saturday, we go into the city centre on an owl hunt.

“I didn’t know there were twenty-five owl locations,” I say, looking at the leaflet we’ve picked up.

“Nor did I.”