i look up at anthony from across the table, "since when did you start- you know, making food?" i ask, laughing, "because this is somehow actually delicious."

he reaches over and grabs my hand causing my eyes to roam up his arm and down his bare chest- he used to be a stick, a literal toothpick, but that was before he started working out more. he's still a scrawny goof but he's gaining some noticeable muscle.

anthony brings my hand under his lips, kissing it delicately, "i had to put in the effort for you, baby."

he locks his eyes with mine, my heart begins to melt as his gaze deepens into mine and my eyes are captured and absorb his eyes with mine.

i purse my lips, "that's a first."

he smiles at my stone-cold expression, "shut up, cupcake, i'm the one who flew to a different country just to meet you. if that's not effort i don't know what is."

i nod, "thank you for that, we wouldn't have gotten to where we are without your... effort." i smirk over to him.

"obviously," he flaunts, "you were too wound up with this distance shit to even consider dating me."

i scoff, hesitantly knowing that what he says is true, "whatever okay, we're fine now."

"fine?" his eyebrow lifts teasingly.

"fantastic," i smile, lifting up and pressing my lips against his.

"oh, i know." he says with a smile before he bites his lip, "up for round two?"

i smirk, scraping the food on my plate onto my fork before i bring it up to my mouth. the warm food slides down my throat as i feel the burn of his eyes in my head. i swallow, looking up at him, "always."

•••

anthony's fingers trace my neck, i feel my skin tingling under his touch as he slowly moves them up my shoulder and down to my elbow. he places a chaste kiss on my shoulder, causing me to giggle and reach behind me to touch his jaw and bring his lips to mine. he laces his fingers with mine, giving me a tight squeeze as he pulls back my bottom lip.

"i love you," he shudders as his lip flings back reflexively.

"i know you do," i smile and run my tongue along my bottom lip, "i love you, too."

"good, i have a surprise for you."

my eyes widen, "anthony, what is it?" i ask anxiously and he chuckles.

"don't worry, it's a good thing." he lifts the sheets off of his body and tugs on a pair of basketball shorts.

"sure," i furrow my eyebrows as i wrap the towels around my body and walk to his closet. i run my hands through my hair and flip along his hoodies. i grab a random white one and walk back into the room where he sits at the smooth marble desk as the laptop screen lights up his dimmed face.

"what's this?" i ask, wrapping my arms on top of his shoulders and loosely around his neck as i press a kiss onto his light brown, messy hair.

he nips lightly at the skin of my arm through his hoodie before kissing my palm, "guess what?" he asks and i can easily hear the smirk that he holds in his voice.

"what?"

"well, you know how you are seriously wasting your time in school?" i nod vigorously.

"i'm helping give you a boost to your career, so in two weeks you are taking two weeks off of school and guess what?"

"anthony, i can't just skip school."

he shakes his head, "you don't understand, this is for your career, it's fine."

"i- i mean, you can say that but as much as i want to simply throw away any chance at an education, i can't just- do whatever you want to do." i cock my eyebrow.

"mar, please."

"'please' what, anthony?"

he sighs, frustratedly, "just keep an open mind."

"an open mind to what?" i pressure.

"to spending time with me instead of wasting your life away doing fuck all in school!" he snaps and my arms quickly retract from his neck and i step back to the foot of the bed.

"anthony, what is it?" i ask, "i mean, i get it. you get to make videos for a damn living and everything comes so fucking easy for you! you get paid to smile and look as damn attractive as you are at a camera! you get paid for something you don't need school for and-"

"MARA! you don't need to go to school to do what you want to do! you can fucking drop everything and come with me and start a career!" he stands up, furiously running his hands through his hair. i hate this as tears begin to pool in my eyes and my heart weakens as he stares out the window.

"i'm trying. all i want is to leave and travel and provide fucking fantastic content to whoever wants to see it-"

"you're just scared." he huffs.

"NO, I'M NOT!" i yell and i hardly realize the tears that have dropped down onto my cheeks.

he turns and faces me as i yell, his watery eyes widen and he rushes in front of me to wipe my cheeks but i dodge out of his way and wipe them myself.

"i- what?" he asks softly.

i sigh, "anthony, i'm not scared of leaving, okay? i want nothing more to leave and yet i still don't know what you're trying to explain but i am not nervous about leaving my school and friends. i don't care about school anthony, but i CAN NOT just drop everything and follow you!"

"why the fuck not?!" his voice cracks as i notice a tear slowly slide down his smooth, clear skin and it takes everything inside of me not to wipe it off too.

"because..."

"what because you're scared of me cheating again?" he asks.

"no- god no! anthony-"

"no." he says as tears fall down his cheeks, "you're always going to be nervous about me being out with someone else, even though i know i won't be."

"anthony," my voice cracks, "that's not it."

"it will always be it."

"no, it won't." i cry.

"i-"

"anthony, that is not true!" i say, "oh my god, just tell me whatever you wanted to."

i look up at him and his eyes have begun to swell up as the tears continue to run down his cheeks and my heart breaks even further. tears drip down my jaw and onto the front of the white hoodie before i go to his side and interlock my fingers with his large ones.

"i wanted to take you to paris."