Page 53 of Choosing a Forever
A knock on the window startles both of us.
I really want to know what he was going to say, but I guess I’ll have to wait since our entourage is standing in the brisk wind and motioning for us to get the hell inside.
I give Tal an apologetic smile and go to open my door.
“Wait! Let me open my wife’s door.” He hurries out, rounding the car and opening my door for me. I take his offered hand, and he helps me out of the car, our bodies pressing close together. His eyes roam around my face
“You look beautiful,” he whispers, just for us to hear.
“You already complimented me,” I whisper back.
“I’ll compliment you for the rest of my life, Mack.”
The butterflies erupt, flying around in my stomach as he takes my hand and turns to lead our group into the restaurant.
I really want to believe him.
I’m only half listening to the conversations going on around me. I’m still staring at the massive bouquet of red, pink, and white roses. A ring balloon and a heart-shaped one stick out of the vase, nestled between the flowers.
Tal looked sheepish when I turned to him with wide eyes. He just shrugged and told me he couldn’tnotget me something for Valentine's Day.
Then, he produced a wood-carved rose painted gold. Another callback to our first—and only—Valentine’s Day together in ninth grade. The rose he carved at fourteen was misshapen and lumpy and not painted. Clearly the work of someone who’d just barely gotten into wood carving, but I still cherished it until we broke up andlooking at it hurt too much. I threw it away—which I regretted later.
This rose looks almost professionally done. It’s got crisp cuts and smooth surfaces, the gold paint is evenly spread, and there are no chips or blotchy spots to be seen.
How long did it take him to do this?
Kinsley and Harper “ooo’d” and “aww’d” over the flowers and the gold-painted rose. To them, this is just a sweet gesture to celebrate our marriage and Valentine’s Day. Lizzie gave me a look that saidyou’re fucked.
I am. My heart is fucked, and we’ve only been married for two hours! Because the wooden rose means so much more to me than he could ever know. It represents a time when things were simple, and I was in love with a boy who promised me forever. It reminds me of late-night texting and early mornings at school, walking around talking about everything and nothing. It’s stolen kisses backstage between rehearsals and notes passed between classes. A reminder of a time before life flipped me upside down.
I tune back in when another server comes back over with their sticks of meat and pineapple. I really want more of the pineapple, so I ask them to cut me off a few slices.
“Preparing for the wedding night?” Lizzie whispers in my ear from beside me.
I roll my eyes. “You know that’s not what this is.”
Lizzie shrugs, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork. “The way that man was eye-fucking you when he saw the girls sitting so pretty? I wouldn’t be so sure.” She motions to the way my dress hugs my tits, pumping her eyebrows suggestively.
“Lizzie!” I hiss. “He was not! Don’t say shit like that.”
“Why? You’re married. Heshouldwant to fuck his wife.”
“You know that’s not going to happen,” I murmur, hoping no one else can hear our conversation. How mortifying to be embarrassed about fucking your husband.
“Maybe not, but don’t count it out, babe. I still think you should keep an open mind about this. I think this could be the start of something beautiful.” She leans away from me and says, loud enough for the table to hear, “Twinsies, you’re having a sleepover at my house tonight so Tal and Mack can… get settled.”
Woah, what?!
Tal chokes on his cheese bread, and Enoch starts patting him on the back.
Kinsley points her fork at Lizzie. “Will there be popcorn and movies?”
Lizzie rolls her eyes. “Obviously.”
Kinsley nods her approval and goes back to eating her food. I’m shocked at her lack of argument.
“Dude,” Enoch says. “You’re finally going to lose your virginity!” He holds his hand up for a high five.
