More Than Meets the Eye - Page 135

“Yeah.”A splendid smile spread across Sami’s face.“You know, I don’t like the feeling.”

“No?”

“I think I’d like to have another commitment in my life.If you have any ideas…” His hands traced up Baz’s chest.

“Hmm.Thing is, I don’t really need a fall guy for hire.But I do have an opening as my boyfriend?Very entry level, perfect for, I don’t know.A third-year law student.”

Sami’s head jerked back.A frown dimmed his sunny face.“Huh?”

“Eevee pulled a few strings at UChicago Law.”

“No.”It was barely more than a breath, colored with disbelief.

“Yes.I mean, they want to talk to you first, and I’ll be busy writing you one hell of a character reference for Aya to sign, but after that, if you want to, you could go back in the fall.But you don’t have to!I understand if you’re done with the legal world for good.I just wanted you to have the chance to pick up where you left off.You deserve to finally be in charge of your own life.”

A hundred emotions crossed Sami’s face while Baz talked—disbelief, hope, and once the realization kicked in that Baz was not kidding, exhilaration that made him beam.“Oh my god.I… Oh my god!I can’t believe you did that.”

“Is that okay?I didn’t want to overstep.I just figured opening that door was the least I could do after subjecting you to all my trauma.”

“Okay?”Sami laughed breathlessly.He sandwiched Baz’s face between his hands.“I fucking love you.”

The sweetness of the words rushed through Baz, swaddling his heart with roses and lifting it to the skies.

Sami loved him.

Sami lovedhim—flaws and nights spent crying and horrendous timing for conflict resolution and all.

How utterly unbelievable.How unfathomably beautiful.

“Is that a yes to being my boyfriend…?”

“Yes!Of course it’s a yes.Yes to all of it.”

Their lips found the familiar way back to each other, melting into one.

The serenity of pure redamancy embraced Baz like a perfectly weighted blanket, warm, calming, grounding in ways he had deemed impossible for him to ever experience—and then came Sami.His miraculous, incredible boyfriend.

They might not be Joel and Eevee, but they were Baz and Sami, and that was enough too.

Matter of fact, it was perfect.

Epilogue

One Year Later

“Graduatingwiththehighesthonor and designated Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, Sami Adam.”

Baz leaped out of his seat, strained his vocal cords to produce the loudestwhooppossible that must have Sami rolling his eyes right about now.Just for that, Bazwhooped again, the sound echoing through the vastness of the Rockefeller Chapel.Baz wouldn’t have set foot in a church again for a lesser reason than cheering for his partner’s success.

His palms were burning from how hard he clapped them against each other.Sami’s reluctant smile and adorable blush under that god-awful graduation tam only spurred him on.

Sami moved the tassel out of his face as he entered the stage to receive his diploma.The kufiya his teta had made for him shone bright against the burgundy robe—Sami’s way of making her a part of his big day.

Baz wiped the wetness from the corner of his eye.

A tissue appeared in his line of sight—Sami’s mother Halima was crying harder than him, but it was typical of her to share her supply.Baz accepted it, squeezed his eyes shut for a second as a silent show of gratitude.

Meeting Sami’s parents for the first time a few months ago, during Sami’s winter break, had been nothing short of nerve-racking.Not least of all because Sami was determined to use the occasion to tell them the truth about the past two years of his life in person.