Page 33 of Embraced in Ink
Marcus let out a rough chuckle, one that immediately made her feel like she was on the same page with him. How did he do that with a simple sound? “I feel you. I just think we need to get to know who we are first. You know?”
She relaxed at once, even though hearing his voice did something to her that was not at all relaxing. “Exactly. I haven’t changed, neither have you. We’re still Bristol and Marcus. We’re still the ones who fight and laugh and are dorks with each other. You have always been in my life, and this isn’t going to change anything. It’s going to cement the fact that we’ll always be together.”
“I get that.”
He paused again, and she frowned even though he couldn’t see her. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you think it’d be easier if we told everybody what got us here?”
She bit her lip. “It would be easier in one respect, and maybe painful in another. I don’t know. I’m not good at this.”
“You’re good at everything you do, Bristol.”
“Haha. We both know that’s not true, and I sure as hell don’t feel it right now.”
“Then let’s take that and run with it. You and me. We’ll solve this problem of ours.”
“What are you saying?”
“Meaning, you and I have had countless dinners together, movie nights, we’ve gone on trips together, we have literally seen each other around the world, but I’ve never taken you out on a date. And if we’re going to be real about this and find that next path like you keep saying, let’s make it work. You and me. A date.”
She froze, nervous excitement filling her. “Our first date?”
He cleared his throat. “We’re engaged, after all. We might as well figure out what the fuck we’re doing.”
Laughter bubbled up in her throat. Who knew she could laugh when she had so many other emotions running through her? Marcus, that’s who. “Well, that’s a good thing to think. Because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
His voice lowered. “We’re getting married, that’s the big thing, but maybe that’s not the right answer.”
She froze. “Getting married is not the right answer?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Getting married is the right answer. Because that’s what we want.” He paused, and she didn’t say anything. She was afraid to.
“So, where are we going on this date?”
“Well, let’s figure that out. Shall we? I already know what you like to eat, where you like to go, so…do we want to go somewhere we already love? Or find something new?”
She thought about that, wondering what the right answer was. Because they already had a lot of places they loved, but that was as friends. Were they going to build on what they already had? Or try something new?
Because she was afraid that she wasn’t going to give the right answer, she went with what she knew. “Let’s go to that Thai place we love.”
She could hear the smile in Marcus’s voice as he spoke. “The Thai place works. You know I crave their soup.”
“And you always get it so spicy it makes both of us cry, but it’s the best.”
“See? We’re already on the right path.”
“This was my idea, you know, Marcus? This whole marriage thing. And yet you’re the one soothing me. It’s always like that.”
“It’s not. I get stressed out over things, too.”
“But I’m the one who blows up. You’re always stoic and stern.”
“It’s my last name, it’s what I do.”
“Dork.”
“I’m a nerd, thank you very much. You would do well to get it right.”