“You should love me, silly you,” she teased, tapping his shoulder.
“Not today, Daniella. It took me a long time to say this. I’ve been restless. It feels like you’re slipping away from me, and it’s making me go insane.”
He reached for her hands and held them like he was afraid they’d fly off.
“If my uncle were still alive,” he said, “he would have wanted us to be together… and happy.”
She swallowed hard and gently took her hands back. “You can’t love me in that way, Tim. I haven’t seen you in that way. You’re… you’ve been like a brother, a family.”
His palm hit the couch arm, making a loud noise. “We are not family! I love you, for crying out loud.”
She flinched, then lifted both hands like she was calming a child. “Hey. Calm down. It’s late already. We’ll talk about it later.”
She
