Page 93 of Choosing a Forever
“Third week of April, but I’ll send you the invite. It’s cocktail attire, I think.”
She nods, then looks up at me through her lashes while biting her lip again. On instinct, I bring my hand up to her face and pull her lip from between her teeth with my thumb. Then, I lean down and gently press my lips against hers. She leans further into me, fisting my shirt and deepening the kiss. Her tongue sweeps into my mouth, and I groan, mirroring the action.
She pulls back, breathing heavily. “Sorry, I—”
I cut her off with another kiss, wrapping my arms tighter around her. “Don’t apologize. I’ve been dying to make out with you for years.Years,Mack.”
“I feel like we’re blurring the lines. Setting ourselves up to be hurt when this ends.”
Her words are like a bucket of ice cold water washing over me. I release her and step back. I don’t understand. Was the other night just a release for her? Was it a spur of the moment, rash decision?
I could have sworn she was looking at me differently. Opening up to me more, starting to trust me, but maybe it’s just wishful thinking.
Her shoulders slump forward, and something that looks a lot like disappointment flashes across her face.
“You asked earlier what we’re doing, Mack. And I… I don’t know exactly, but I know I want you. I know I haven’t stopped thinking about the taste of you since the other night. Sleeping next to you makes me sleep deeper than I ever have in my life. I know being with you feelsright.”
I almost tell her I’m in love with her. Almost tell her if this ends, no matter what lines we cross or blur, I’ll be hurt—devastated. But I don’t know if she’s ready to hear it yet.
Mack opens her mouth to say something, but my phone rings and cuts her off.
I pull it out of my pocket, and my brows furrow when my mom’s contact flashes across the screen.
“I need to take this, Mack. I’m sorry,” I say as I make my way to the bedroom. “Hello?” I answer as anxiety swirls in my chest. Why would she be calling? She hasn’t reached out since the hospital.
“Hi, Talmage. How are you healing?” I’m taken aback by how…normalshe sounds. Has she forgotten we haven’t spoken in almost a month?
“I should be back to full duty in a week or two.”
“Good, good. I’m glad to hear it.” I hear her rustling around in the background, and then she sighs. “Look, I wanted to invite you… and Mackenzie and her sisters over for dinner on Sunday.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Mom, you haven’t apologized—”
“I know. I owe you—and her—an apology. I may not agree with the life choices you’ve made or who you’ve chosen to spend forever with, but…” She sighs again, and I can picture her pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re my child, and I want to support you. Your siblings miss you—your dad and I miss you. We want to get to know your wife and her sisters.”
I want to believe her—trust she’s not going to turn around and do the opposite of what she’s saying. She took the first step, after all.
“I’ll talk to Mack and the girls, but if she’s uncomfortable with the idea I’m not going to force her.”
“I understand. Let me know.”
“I will.” After a few more pleasantries, we hang up, and Mack knocks on the bedroom door. “You’re good to come in,” I say.
“Everything okay?” she asks, sitting next to me on the bed.
“My mom wants us and the twins to come over for dinner Sunday…”
“Why?” she hedges.
“She says she wants to apologize. She may not agree with my choices, but she wants to get to know you since we’re married…” I trail off and look at her, wondering if the words affect her as much as they affect me. If she wants this as much as I do. From what she said, it sounds like she doesn't, but something in me doesn’t fully believe her. Something in me wants to keep trying.
Her throat works on a swallow, and she nods once. “Okay. Um, we can go. Promise you won’t leave me alone with her?”
I intertwine our fingers. “I promise.”
There’s so much we need to talk about—so many things I need to say to her. I need to lay my feelings out for her and figure out if she wants the same things.
Keeping them in isn’t an option any longer.
