After a while of watching the fireworks, they started to die down until they stopped. The wind blew, and she shivered, so they decided to head inside and have their dinner. Rao poured the wine as she sat, taking in a fancy meal that was not as exquisite as it'd been in the past. It was a simple salad with native seafood topping and small bowls of soup.
They ate quietly, both hungry after watching the fireworks. She liked it because she knew they would have to chat once the meal was over, and she wasn't sure she was ready.
"So, today is our last date." He set his glass of wine down, staring at her.
Her heart skipped a beat, knowing where the topic was headed. It was the conversation she'd been thinking about most of the day. Her future couldn't have been more unclear. She had no idea that this was what would happen over the span of a month.
"Unless you don't want it to be." He leaned forward, reaching across the table, and grabbed her hand. "I've been enjoying this. Enjoying us and the time we have together."
She couldn't say she wasn't because she was. She really found herself falling for Rao more than she thought. She didn't even know that was possible for her.
She had thought he was going to be like every other man she'd dated, but she was wrong. Rao was gentle and soft-hearted. He made her laugh, and he cared about her.
He cleared his throat. "Lexi, I never thought I'd find love. Honestly, I never thought I'd be able to even imagine the thought of you staying here after a month, but I'm hoping you will. You are the sassiest and most gentle-hearted person I have met."
She felt his hand rubbing circles on hers, and she watched him. She could tell he was being open and utterly honest. His eyes didn't waver as he continued.
"You're intelligent, and I love just sitting and talking with you. I could do it all day and call it a wonderful day. We could do nothing, and I'd be happy just being near you." He pulled her hand up, kissing her knuckle. It made her heart skip a beat.
"You're amazing, and may I add, you have an amazing body to go with it. You in that mini black dress. Fuck. No one can make it look like you do."
She couldn't help but chuckle at Rao. She tightened her fingers around his and tried to keep herself calm. She could tell he wanted her to stay. She could hear it in his tone.
"I know that you agreed to a month, and when I first met you, I wondered if you'd even stay that long. But I'm glad you did. I'm glad I got to know you, Lexi. I've fallen in love with you, and I don't want you to go. I want you to stay."
Lexi felt panic hit her, crawling up from her stomach and past her throat, ready to spill out of her mouth. She would typically pull away and tell the person they were insane. She had that urge, but she forced it down.
This was not like all the other times someone confessed themselves to her. This wasn't like when she was a young teen and easy to fool. This wasn't like when she was a fresh twenty-year-old and thought she knew what love was.
She was older. She was wiser. She knew what she deserved but was he going to give it to her?
She thought about Gerri's words and how she knew that Rao would do anything to make her happy. That's all he had done so far, and he would only continue. He wanted her to be happy.
He had bent himself backward to accommodate her. He'd stood by while she was being difficult and opened up to her when she needed him. He'd come a long way to prove that he loved her.
Rao had done a lot to prove he was the man for her. He'd wanted to show her that he wasn't like all the rest, and he had. He wasn't anything like the guys she'd dated.
The men she had been with hurt her and used her for their own gain in life. She didn't want to go back to that, not after this. Why would she go back when she knew Rao would offer her the world to make her happy?
But the sudden thought of leaving her home planet, leaving Earth, left her feeling dizzy. Could she really leave Earth and live on Nova Aurora for the rest of her life? That wasn't a small decision to be made.
It wasn't like moving across the state. She was moving across the galaxy. She'd be leaving behind her family and her friends. She wouldn't be able to just call them and chat. She wouldn't have anything from her normal life.
Lexi knew the wormhole exit opened up in Vegas, but that was a long way to Cincinnati, Ohio. That didn't even count the wormhole travel.
This was a huge decision for her to make, and it wasn't simple. This would change her life forever. Did she want to go home to Earth and be close to her family and friends but never find someone who loved her, or did she want to stay here with Rao, who would love her and care for her but see her family so little?
There was also the time difference, and her family and friends would age quicker than her. Would that be something she could stomach watching? Could she live life knowing when her friends died, she'd still be young?
"Lexi?" he tilted his head, looking at her, worried now, "did you hear me?"
She nodded, giving him a weak smile. She'd heard him perfectly clear. He loved her. "I did. I just …" She sighed, taking a deep breath in. "It's a lot to process."
"Me loving you?"
She gave him a nod. "Everything. The entire situation is a lot to take in."
"Will you?" His fingers tightened. "Will you stay? Will you stay here with me?"