“You have to say that. I’m your husband.”
“No, but do you want to hear something strange? Like a coincidence?"
“Shoot.”
“‘Galileo’ was my mom’s second favorite song.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.” I wait for him to ask more, but he simply meets my gaze, waiting for me to go on. And I like this feeling. We’re equal partners in this whole learning-more-about-each-other thing.
“It’s a song by the Indigo Girls.” I reach for his phone, and he hands it over. “Here.” I pull up the YouTube video and play it.
The music starts out light. A simple drumbeat and strumming guitar. But the lyrics are deeper. All about a person who keeps holding out for the right answers, terrified of making a mistake. Bridger nods along, listening intently until the last verse. When the song ends, I hand him back his phone.
“What was her first favorite?” he asks.
“Hmm?”
“You said ‘Galileo’ was your mom’s second-favorite song. What was her first?”
“Ah, right.” I smile to myself. He always pays attention. “Another one by the Indigo Girls. Called ‘Ghost.’”
“I haven’t heard that one either.”
“It’s pretty heartbreaking, to be honest.” I push out a sigh. “The singer has all this longing for someone she can never have. Her love haunts her dreams.” I hitch my shoulders. “Like a ghost, get it?”
“Play it.”
“You wouldn’t like that one,” I say.
“How come?”
My cheeks flush. “Because … it’s … romantic?”
He hesitates for a moment, then something passes behind his eyes. “Science and romance aren’t incompatible, Loren.”
“I …” Heat builds in my throat. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Pupils dilate. Breath catches. Blood races. Heartbeats quicken.” He keeps his eyes trained on mine. “Those are all biological responses to love.”
“Maybe.” I swallow. “Sounds more like desire than love.”
His lips curve up. Just the slightest movement. “I can’t imagine desiring someone I wasn’t in love with.”
“Well.” Goose bumps rise along the nape of my neck, and I let out a breath. “I stand corrected.”
He drops his gaze. “You’ve also been exhausted for hours. So we should probably try to get some rest.”
Yes, yes, we should. In fact, I should’ve gone to bed an hour ago. But now my heart is a drum in the cage of my chest, and all I can hear are Bridger’s words of love and desire echoing in my brain.
There’s no way I’ll be able to fall asleep now.
“I might need a little time to wind down,” I say. “Big day and all.”
“One of the biggest.”
“I’ll probably just watch Netflix on my phone until I drift off. That’s what I usually do.”