“I love you,” Charlene said firmly.
That’s simple. “Okay. I love you.”
Charlene let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m glad you’re taking this seriously,” she said sarcastically.
“Don’t you think my feelings for Dylan are between him and me?”
“I do. Have you told him that you love him?”
No.“Charlene, he knows how I feel.”
“Is that a yes?”
Damn it girl.If it wasn’t for the fact that she loved Charlene like a sister, she’d probably have hung up by now.
“No. I haven’t said it outright. But I’m sure he knows how I feel.”
“Okay, so has he said it?” Charlene asked.
“No. But before you ask, I know how he feels too.” Not really, but hopefully that would be enough to appease Charlene.
“Why don’t you tell him tonight? Make him a romantic dinner, candles and everything, and then tell him you love him.”
“And why don’t you mind your business? I know how to handle my own relationship.”
“Good. Then I expect a call tomorrow so you can tell me how it went. Now go out and buy yourself something sexy to wear too. Oh, how about something fun, like black leather chaps and—”
“Charlene, I’ve got to go. Work is calling.”
“I didn’t hear a beep,” Charlene said.
Sofia laughed and said, “Beep. Did you hear it now?”
“You’re so lucky I love you.”
“I know. And trust me Charlene, I appreciate having you in my life more than you know.” Sofia knew no matter what she chose to do, Charlene would be there. It might come with a hell of a lot of ribbing, but it was better than having a dull, lifeless friend.
When the call ended, Sofia was left more confused as to what to do than before. She hadn’t even told Dylan about the offer for the lead role. Not because she was afraid he wouldn’t support her, but because she really didn’t know what she wanted anymore.
When did it become so complex?
Back at Mama’s Place, she never had to worry about anything like this. The only changes were to the special of the day on the menu. Besides that, everything was predictable. That wasn’t her life right now. And taking Charlene’s advice and telling Dylan how she felt, was one thing she wanted to be able to predict the outcome of.
If she went with her gut, then Dylan would tell her how much he loved her too, they’d kiss and end up in bed making sweet love all night long. There were no indicators to show anything but it being welcomed. So why hadn’t she already told him?
Maybe Charlene was right and she was afraid of taking the next step. It made no sense because nothing would change, but in her heart, it would. She’d never told anyone that she loved them. Until recently, she never thought about it. There were people she’d dated and cared about, but she’d never been in love, the kind that made you think about the future.
That’s what she was doing. Thinking of all the changes so far in such a short amount of time was overwhelming. Not just for her either, but Dylan had opened his home to her when he enjoyed being alone. But they were on the same page back then, neither looking for this to go beyond where they were. It was clear that marriage and children were not in either of their cards. Or at least, they hadn’t been.
Sofia had spent her day at the doctor, because she was late and her first thought was, she was pregnant. But the blood work returned negative and the doctor determined it was due to stress. At first, she was so relieved to hear the report. Stress she could manage on her own, but a baby would be something she’d need to talk to Dylan about. But as the day went on, she was faced with a different revelation, one she hadn’t expected. A sadness about the test results.
It wasn’t that she wanted to be a mother right now, but if that had been the case, she would’ve embraced it with love. That’s when she realized she may have changed more than Dylan. For the first time, she was actually thinking about having her own family someday.
That’s why she’d held back telling Dylan she loved him. Because if she was going that far, shouldn’t she also tell him everything? They promised to always be open and honest with each other. But she also knew Dylan would do anything to make her happy. No matter how many times she told him no, if it brought a smile to her face, he did it.
She was spoiled, not with gifts, because they meant nothing to her, but with time and romance. If she mentioned wanting a family, she feared he’d give her one, but for the wrong reasons. She wanted him to want children just as much as she did. Right now, she wasn’t sure that was accurate.
Could she continue being with him if he didn’t want any children? Would he run if he knew that I did?