Page 114 of Before You
“Do you like it?” I ask, trying not to let my nerves get the better of me.
Marley covers her mouth with her hand, nodding as she looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “It’s perfect.”
“My family has this tradition of sorts about flowers, and it stems all the way back to my great grandparents. My great-grandfather always bought flowers for my great-grandmother—for any occasion, but most of the time without a reason—and this in turn translated to my grandfather when he met my grandmother. My dad’s made sure all of us have kept their memory and the tradition alive by teaching me and my siblings how flowers are meant for the most important people in your life,” I say, as Marley lifts the dainty gold flower pendant from the box. I picked gold because I noticed the rest of the jewelry she wears is gold, and I wanted it to match. “I wanted you to have a permanent flower beause you’re the most important person in my life.”
“That’s why you buy me flowers?” Marley asks, sniffling.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you the reason sooner.”
She launches forward, knocking me backward on the bed when she wraps her arms around me. “I love you,je t’aime, ti amo.”
“I love you too,” I say, holding Marley close.
~
“So how did the end of your semester go?” Marley’s father asks me as I help him set the table for dinner. He offered to teach me how to make Marley’s favorite dish, a creamy Tuscan chicken, and I’m not sure I’m skilled enough to attempt it on my own, but I definitely plan to practice.
“I think I started dreaming about numbers by the time I took my final exam after all the studying I did, but I’m hoping it paidoff. I’m waiting for the score of my project from my statistics class to be entered, but I have a good feeling about it,” I say, glancing to Marley as she brings silverware to the table. “It helps I had a great study partner.”
Yeah, Marley didn’t help me study at all, but she made sure I took breaks to keep from losing my mind. If anything, I had to try to keep her on task more than anything.
Kaden sets the pan on the table, a short laugh escaping him. “Mar must really like you if she willingly looked at numbers with you. She doesn’t even lik—” he stops talking when he realizes the look Marley is giving him, and I feel bad for inadvertently opening this can of worms.
Marley looks like a deer caught in the headlights as her dad looks at her, and she forces a laugh, passing out the plates. “Dude, you’re being dramatic. I love numbers, so of course I would help JJ study,” she says, pasting on the fakest smile I’ve ever seen her attempt. She’s too busy glaring at her brother to notice how Hayes frowns, and I can only guess he’s also aware of how bad Marley is at lying, especially when it comes to this topic.
I don’t want to push her, but she’s obviously miserable in all of her classes, and she avoids any topic involving Benson Pharmaceuticals like the plague. I’m not the only one noticing either.
Sephine walks into the dining room, her movements practiced and graceful. “Something smells good,” she says, smiling.
“For once, it wasn’t all me,” Hayes says, tipping his head in my direction. “Thanks for the help,” he says, and I wish I could enjoy the praise, but I’m too busy watching Marley to see if she’s okay.
“Of course. I’m not sure how much help I really was, but thanks for showing me how to make it,” I say, realizing I should probably respond.
Once we’re all seated and dinner’s been dished out, I’m only half-listening to the conversation Kaden is having with his parents about some art auction he’s going to attend with Bria’s mom. I can’t stop watching Marley. The way she’s been spinning her ring nonstop tells me Marley’s overthinking something, and I’m willing to put money on it being the exchange with her brother.
I bump her leg under the table with my knee, causing her to glance in my direction. I lift my eyebrow, hoping she can understand my wordless question.
Her mouth tilts into a smile—one growing wider when my gaze dips to see the necklace I gave her on her neck. She bumps my leg back, and I smile back, loving how some of her tenseness seems to ease.
A throat clears, and both our heads turn to see her parents and Kaden staring at us. “Anything you want to share with the group?” Kaden asks, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Actually, yeah,” I say, looking at her dad. “I’ve been meaning to thank you for having the new lock installed on their apartment.”
Hayes chuckles as Marley groans next to me. “Well, I thought it would be for the best if more shirtless men weren’t able to waltz into the apartment because it was unlocked.”
“I whole heartedly agree with you,” I say, grateful he didn’t murder me then.
“I get it, I need to be better about locking the door.”
Kaden sputters, choking on his water. “I’m sorry, you don’t lock your door? Are you stupid?”
“Kaden,” Sephine says, giving him a look.
“Dad fixed it by getting an automatic lock, so it’s not a problem anymore,” Marley says, rolling her eyes.
“Mar, I feel like you’re missing the point here,” her brother argues, and it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who feelsstrongly about this. “You and Bria live alone, and you know exactly why you should be locking your door.”
“JJ and Asher are there ninety percent of the time, so I’m pretty sure anyone who thinks about breaking in will run for the hills after one look at the sheer size of them,” Marley grumbles, and then her cheeks heat as I cough, trying not to choke on the bite of chicken in my mouth.
