Authors: Evan Kelsey
I steel
myself for what he's about to say. "I've had Julia and my mother
start planning our wedding."
My jaw
drops, for some reason this isn't what I expected to hear. I
thought he'd bring up Xavier or tell me we're leaving sooner then
he thought, anything but this. I move my mouth to say something but
I can't find any words. I don't know what to say to him.
"I told
them to send you invitations to choose from and you'll get the
final say on everything. The innovations need to be confirmed
quickly, though. Do you think you'll be able to choose through
pictures?"
I just
stare at him, over come with the feeling of wanting to smash his
face in. "When exactly is the wedding date?" I ask, slightly
irritated.
"As soon
as they can reasonably get everything done."
I nod.
"Why?" I ask, calmly even though it's killing me to be civil. I
won't let this slight disagreement in our wedding plans ruin our
first day together in this beautiful city.
I can
tell he's trying to think of the best way to explain his actions. I
see him mentally crossing off each one as the seconds pass. "I want
to marry you." He decides to say.
"I know,
but why are you outsourcing our wedding? We should be planning this
together in a pace were both comfortable with."
"I'm not waiting a year or longer."
"I don't
recall asking you to wait that long." Even though if that's exactly
what I had in mind. He gives me a look like he knows I'd make him
wait that long. I look away. "Fine. I admit I want to wait that
long, but there's nothing wrong with waiting considering we started
so quickly."
"We're
practically married already. I just want to make it official. If I
agree to wait for the wedding, I want to sign the legal documents
making us married." He offers like he's doing me a
favor.
"No,
we'll get married when we get married. I'll knock a year down to
nine months." I negotiate.
"Six
months." He counters.
"Eight."
I look at
him. "Seven." We say at the same time. I hold out my hand to him
and he shakes it smiling.
"What did
I just agree too? I want to change your last name. Ever since the
hostess at the restaurant called you Mrs. Novak, is all I can think
about."
I smile
at his sweetness. "You better call your mother and tell her to stop
planning our wedding."
"I doubt
she got too far. I just told her an hour ago."
"While I
was changing?" I ask, rolling my eyes. Knowing that's exactly when
it was.
"Yeah."
"Your
rush, does it have anything to do with what happened earlier?" I
question.
He looks
away from me. "Yes."
I figured
as much. "I love you." I assure him.
His eyes
come back to my face. I see hurt and I'm confused by it. "What did
you feel when he kissed you?"
"I don't
know. I was too shocked." I answer truthfully.
"When you
pushed him away you looked at him differently." He
states.
"Differently?" I question.
He nods.
"I won't lose you to him."
"I'm not
going anywhere."
"You
won't see him again." He says, sounding like a statement and a
question at the same time.
I sigh.
"I'll miss him as a friend. If he can move on from any feelings he
has for me then I'm willing to give our friendship a second chance.
Would you be okay with that?" I ask, already knowing the
answer.
"No." He
replies, pulling up clumps of grass.
"Alright." I say, knowing it's not right to ask for that much
understanding when it comes to Xavier.
"Alright?"
"Yeah,
but I still get to talk to him at social functions when you're with
me." I point out.
"Okay,
but no going out with him." He says, pointedly.
"Yes,
sir." I tease as he kisses me lightly.
Ruxin
Novak
I sigh,
resigned to the fact I won't be able to make her mine for another
seven months. I knew she wouldn't like the idea of not planning our
wedding together. At the time I didn't care that she'd be mad, I
was more worried about losing her to him. Seeing her face after she
pushed him away won't leave my head. Sure she looked surprised and
shocked, but she also looked torn and confused, like she wasn't
sure why she pulled away.
I lost
it. All my confidence in our relationship vanished. I've felt
myself making up for the way I started our relationship. Although,
I can't bring myself to really regret it. She's the first person to
ever really know me. Even knowing she deserves better and could
find another to love, I can't. I can't move on from her and I won't
let him have her.
I love
her, she loves me. She cares for Xavier I see it and so did he. He
took advantage of that, he wanted her to see him as more and for a
split second she did. Not that my beautiful Angel will admit it to
me or herself.
However,
Xavier made one huge tactical error, he rushed his hand. He didn't
build enough of their friendship, she wasn't ready. I thank God he
won't get the chance again, she'll be mine soon. I feel like I've
won a game Xavier and I were playing. Only it wasn't a game to
either of us, it was real. What he lost was real.
I kiss
her hand and stand up getting her too stand up with me. She holds
my arm as we circle the park and then make our way back to the busy
sidewalk. "I'm hungry."
"Me too.
Let's stop and eat." I reply, walking us to a little cafe and deli
shop around the corner. We seat ourselves and wait for a
waiter.
"Can you
please call your mom? I can't get it out of my head and its making
me nervous."
"Why? Let
her get some invitation samples so we can pick. They'll need to be
sent out soon anyway."
"Yeah, I
guess you're right. I just don't want to put her through any stress
trying to rush our wedding."
"She's
excited, trust me." I say, smiling. I know there's a Tiffany's
jewelry store just around the corner I'm planning on taking her
after lunch. I want to buy her wedding band and my own. Maybe I can
talk her into picking something else too. I know she likes her
mother's locket. Getting her one with the two of us inside would
mean a lot to her. Good dammit! Who the hell am I? I smirk to
myself. She's definitely changing me, I doubt my family will
recognize me when we get back home. I look across the table taking
in her beauty.
"I want
kids." I blurt out not thinking.
Her eyes
snap up to meet mine. "Okay." She says slowly.
"You want
kids right?" I question instead of addressing her shock.
"Yeah,
eventually." She answers cautiously.
I smile.
"I'm not asking for you to get pregnant tomorrow, don't worry." I
reply, laughing when I visually see her relax.
"Why did
you bring it up?"
"I was
thinking about how beautiful you are and I guess it made me think
of our future kids." I explain.
"Well I
hate to break it to you, but I want or kids to look like you. Dark
hair is way better then blonde."
A young
waitress comes to our table handing us menus and taking our drink
order. After she walks away I ask, "When would you like to start a
family?"
"Ideally?" She asks and I nod. "Maybe a year or two after
we're married. What about you?" I digest her answer before I reply.
That's two possibly three years until she would potentially give
birth to our first child, assuming she gets pregnant right away.
That's too long.
"I'd like
to start on our wedding night."
"You
expect me to get married and pregnant all in the same
day?"
"Ideally." I reply smirking. I've never thought of having
kids, but the idea of Eva pregnant with our kids makes me burn with
anticipation. She'd be a great mother and would teach me how to be
a great father, I don't want to wait.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eva
Thorpe
We leave
the cafe after we eat a light lunch and it occurs to me Ruxin isn't
walking aimlessly like I am, I can tell he's on a mission. "Ruxin!
You're not getting lost with me! You're still making
plans!"
"Only a
couple." He admits not at all sorry. When he stops walking and
starts pushing me into a shop I look and see its a jewelry store. I
start fighting to get away and he wraps his arms around me carrying
me into the store.
"Ruxin, I
already have an insanely expensive piece of jewelry. I don't want
anything else." I plead with him.
"Too bad.
We need wedding rings." He says to both me and a sales woman. I
look up seeing a pretty blonde woman and notice her eyes brighten,
clearly seeing dollar signs of her sales commission.
"Would
you like to see a specific style of wedding band?" She questions
politely.
He
glances at me then smiles smugly. "Your most expensive band for her
and a simple platinum band for me."
"Ruxin."
I say, slowly. Why did I have to open my big mouth? I swear he gets
off by making me mad.
"Yes,
Angel?"
Thinking
of a brilliant idea I say, "I would like to pick your ring and pay
for it myself."
"You can
pick it out, but you're not paying for anything."
"Fine. I
just really want to pick it." I reply, smugly.
His eyes
narrow. "I'm not wearing diamonds." He warns.
I smile.
"Okay, no diamonds." I agree nodding my head. The woman comes back
with two black trays and we go to a white desk to look them over.
We all sit and she shows us the most expensive wedding band. It's
platinum with four rows of diamond's. I roll my eyes.
"This is
our most expensive with a total of two carts worth of diamond's set
in platinum."
"We'll
take it." Ruxin nods.
"Great."
She replies, happily.
"Yes,
great. Now, go away I want to pick out your ring by myself." He
looks at me skeptically, but I make shooing motions until he stands
up and walks a few feet away. "Further." I order watching him. He
reluctantly walks to a sofa on the other side of the store and
sits.
"You've
trained him well." The woman remarks amused. I look at her name
tag, Becky.
I laugh.
"Yes, trust me we've come a long way. I finally have him walking up
right without dragging his knuckles."
"That's
the easy part. Is he house broken?" She jokes.
"We've
hand a few accidents, but he usually paws at the door when he needs
out."
We
chuckle together and I pick up a wide shiny band, it's simple
something Ruxin would like. "Can all these be engraved?" I
ask.
"Yes, all
of them."
I smile.
"I like this one but I want it engraved. I want it to say "Mine"
all the way around the band."
"On the
inside of the band?" She questions.
"No, on
the outside." I clarify. Becky, starts laughing but writes up the
order.
"Wait. On
the inside I want it to say, I'll love you forever. -A."
She
writes it down still smiling. I look over to the sofa and Ruxin
isn't there. I turn in my seat seeing him looking at a necklace of
some kind. I stand up and start walking towards him. He watches me
and winks. When I get to his side I see he's looking at a silver
oval shaped locket with a long chain.
"I can't
leave you alone for ten minutes. What are you up to?" I
question.
"In
buying you a necklace."
"A
picture locket?" I ask, blinking away the tears that are suddenly
filling my eyes.
"Do you
like it?" He questions. I nod in response, not trusting my voice.
"Look." He says, opening the locket showing me two additional
inserts. "It holds six pictures, total."
I look at
him questionably and clear my throat. "Is that number supposed to
be significant for some reason?"
"Not
really, but it's a good start for our kids pictures." He
remarks.
My mouth
drops open. What is with him and kids today? "Just how many kids
are you planning?" I ask in disbelief.
He
smirks. "As many as you'll give me, of course." He answers,
sounding like a politician.
"Of
course." I state, knowing he has a number in that pea sized brain
of his. "Tell me." I demand.
He
shrugs. "Four?"
"Four! Do
you even like kids? I've never seen you around them."
"I
haven't really been around any, but in sure I'll like my own." He
replies seriously.
I chuckle
at his answer and respond, "Let's start with one and go from
there."