Page 32 of Choosing a Forever
“Then tell them the truth. We’re getting married so quickly so you can stop overworking yourself. It’s technically true, it just leaves out the fact we weren’t dating in the first place.”
Mack studies my face for a minute. “You’re so calm about this. Why?”
I shrug. “It feels right.”
Chapter 11
Mackenzie
15 years old…
Idon’t know why I thought turning fifteen would feel like a big, life-altering event, but it doesnotfeel that way.
Maybe sixteen will. Guess I’ll find out next year.
My mom has always made me feel like the most special person on my birthday, so at least I started the day with a new shirt, crepes, and the promise of Red Lobster for dinner.
It only got better when I arrived at school and opened my locker to find a hand-carved rose from Talmage sitting there with a note and a drawing of a Firefly.
Happy birthday, Firefly. You “light” up my life.
Love,
Bear
I can’t help the wide grin spreading across my face, and I look up and down the hall to see if I can find him. I’m sure he’s waiting at our spot in the common area, so I place the rose and the note back in my locker and head in that direction.
What thefuckdoes that evenmean?
“It feels right.”
Okay, butwhy?
It takes me back to when I was still in the church. How people would tell you to just…trustif things feel right. “You’ll know if things feel wrong,” they’d say.
Well, I have anxiety. So Idon’tfucking trust my feelings. If I trusted my feelings, I wouldn’t be alive right now!
But Tal looks so… vulnerable. He looks like he genuinely means it. When I first walked in, he looked like a puppy who had just found its owner, and dammit, it’s endearing.
I don’t think anyone has ever looked at me like they’re excited to see me—at least not for a long time, and it made a brick in the well-constructed wall around my heart fall out and crumble to dust.
More than that, though,Iwas excited to seehim.
I’ve made peace with my decision, and the teenager in me has been pushing to the forefront of my brain, giddy and elated to be marryingTalmage fucking Monson.
But it still doesn’t feel real.
I guess because it’snotreal. This is a business transaction—or something similar. I still don’t understand what he’s getting out of our deal, but he’s adamant about it and…
I could use the help. It would be nice to have free time and not have to scramble to pay the bills.
“When do you want to do this thing?” I ask instead of responding to his answer.
Tal pulls out his phone.
“We should set our date as soon as possible so you can start using the benefits sooner. How do you feel about a Valentine’s Day anniversary? That’s three weeks from Friday.”
I scrunch my nose. “Valentine’s Day? Really?”
