For a long moment neither of us moves. The sounds of the city drift around us, distant traffic, laughter somewhere behind us, water striking the stone embankment below.
“I spent years convincing myself I didn’t need anyone,” I admit quietly. “It was easier that way. If nobody mattered enough, nobody could disappoint me.”
“And did it work?” he asks.
“No,” I confess, the answer sounded embarrassing to say out loud. “It just made me lonely.”
Then his hand brushed mine and I instinctively lace my fingers through his.
We continue walking hand in hand until the hotel comes back into view. The elevator lobby is almost empty. Neither of us presses the button immediately. Neither of us seems interested in ending the night.
Hector turns toward me slowly, studying my face as though he's looking
