Love You More

PART THREE: ONE

"I'll drive!" Tate called from the top of the stairs. He were going on this stupid star gazing adventure, all courtesy of Patrick's brain. "You two can get in the back." Tate winked and I swatted his arm before Patrick grabbed my hand.

Patrick and I had been dating for 6 months. He was probably the nicest boy I'd ever met. He was a photographer in Boston, a very good one at that. I met him during a photo shoot about a year ago. Right before graduation. He asked me to coffee 5 times before I finally gave in. Turns out we work really well together. He's funny and gentle. He's genuine and always on my side. He doesn't fight with me and he is phenomenal in bed.

He went to take a call before we left, leaving Tate and I to pack up the truck. "He's cool, I like him." He told me, a nervous scratch to his neck.

"Me too." I admitted, smiling small. "How's the shoulder?" I asked him and he sighed, rolling in a little. He got injured in the 8th game last season. Took a hit to his shoulder that almost ended him. He's supposed to be back next season though, much to his delight.

"Does he know about us?" He asked, nodding towards the closed front door.

"I haven't exactly told him." I cleared my throat. His eyes widened and he groaned loudly. "What? He wanted to come meet you and Mom and I didn't know how to explain."

"You just tell him that we dated in college. You don't have to go into detail. Candice knew about you." He licked his lips and got into the driver seat.

"And the bitch hated me so much she dumped you!" I reminded him and he threw his head back in laughter. "Tate, I'm serious. It's different once he knows."

"You can't keep it from him. Not after we bonded over how good your cookies are. I don't know what cookies he was talking about but-"

"Shut your mouth now." I warned and he continued to laugh, tapping my nose. "Thank you for not giving him a hard time."

"He's a better man than I could ever be."

"Stop saying things like that." I rolled my eyes. "You told me to move on. You screamed it at me for months." I reminded him.

"I know, I know. I just," he sighed, looking down at my hands. Hands he used to hold. "Seeing you with someone else is gonna take some time."

"You moved on too. Several times. In several states. In several countries." He looked away, his eyes closed and his jaw clenched. "Don't think it wasn't hard for me to see those pictures of you with women I could never compete with. That ruined me, Tate."

"They could never compete with you. They were never you. You knew me before everything. You were with me for it all. I don't know a single one of their names and I can tell you the only name I've ever had on my mind is yours."

"You ended it, Tate. You didn't want distance or time anymore. You can't make me feel sorry because I was tired of being alone. Of missing you. I love Patrick, he makes me happy."

"You love him?" He asked, his voice hoarse and a way I had only heard once before.

"I love him, Tate."

"I gotta go." He gulped, moving past me without so much as a glance back at me. I was stunned, speechless even. He'd never looked that way. He'd never walked away from me.

"Where's he off to?" Patrick said as he walked down the porch steps.

"He, um," I bit my lip and tried to smile at the most loving man I'd ever met. "He had an emergency come up. We'll take my car."

"Everything ok?"

"Everything's going to be fine, Patrick." I kissed his cheek and he smiled down at me, wrapping his arms around my neck. He really had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. Blue with flecks of green in the center. "I love you."

"I love you more." He grinned, bowing his head to capture my lips in a kiss. "I really think we should head out before the suns completely gone." He mumbled, pulling away for just a moment.

"We could go inside." I smirked, placing my hands on his stomach. "See the stars another night."

"We could do that."