He acknowledges with a soft nod.
“That means we’ll share you again, and I’ll have my time with you the same way they do.”
“And if I stop doing it…?”
“If you stop? You know the rules. You keep the job. Lose the prize. But you have enough money now to invest or do whatever you want to do with it.”
“And when it’s all over, assuming we’re still standing. What happens then? We won’t keep in contact after this?”
He flashes a smile.
“Probably not. If we get to that point, you might end up with one of us.”
His eyes slide away from mine in an effort to avert his gaze.
I bring my hand to his face, prompting him to raise his eyes.
We connect again.
“If it’s us…”
He bites his lip, waiting for me to continue.
“How will that be?” I ask.
His lips arch into a smile.
“If it’s us… We’ll have to see.”
“It would be different than the way it is right now…”
He bites his lip.
“Much different. Yes,” he says.
I straighten my back and stare at him for a few seconds while he holds my gaze, a smoldering grin sprouting on his lips when a wave of optimism breaks through me, and I loop my arms around his neck, crawl up on him like a monkey, fall into his chest and kiss his lips, hiding the tears pricking my eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED.