“How do you–”
“Ba,” he said.
“What–”
“Da da da.”
I took a deep breath. Right, that was what he was doing. “Are you three, Dam–”
“Nelly, Nelly,” he sang until I slapped my hand over his mouth. Chloe and Logan chucked in front of us.
“Alright, enough, I won’t mention it again,” I snapped, shoving his hand away.
“So my folks are visiting next weekend and want to meet you,” he said as casually as if he was telling me the time.
“I’m sorry what?”
He rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t introduce you as my wife, so calm down.”
I fucking know he wouldn’t. “Why do they want to meet me?”
“Last time I was there I took a call from you and then the questions started. I guess you, Chloe and Logan are the only people I’ve really mentioned since I moved here. Don’t give me that look, if you weren’t phone stalking me they wouldn’t want to meet you.”
I coughed in disbelief. “Me stalking you? I think you put in way more booty calls than I do.”
“Oh, that is so not true. Damn, I knew I should’ve kept a tally.”
Chloe glanced over her shoulder and grinned at us through the gap between the chairs. Bitch. I almost wanted to stop arguing with Damon so she’d stop doing that annoying, smug face but there was no way I was letting Damon win this.
“Damon, you call me more.”
“No, I don’t.”
I glared. How could we settle this? There was no way of remembering all the times and who’d instigated them.
“Whatever, let’s just say that I make the calls the most,” he said.
“Yes, let’s, because you do. Anyway, I’ll meet your parents but if you make one marriage joke I’m out of there.”
“Deal. You’re not the marrying type so it’d be pointless.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
In front Logan winced along with Damon.
He held his hand up. “That sounded nowhere near as bad in my head.”
“What. Do. You. Mean?” I hissed.
“I mean you make no secret of the fact that you’d rather chop off your own head than settle down. Obviously I don’t mean that no one would want to marry you.” He looked rightfully scared.
“That wasn’t very obvious.”
“Hey,” he said, lifting my chin. “I would never think that about you, Nell. If it’s not clear that I think you’re the perfect woman by now, then you’re blind.” He extended his index finger and added, “And before you say, I’m not telling you this because I want more, I know you don’t want anything heavy.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I wasn’t perfect. Who was? Knowing Damon thought I was though, made me slightly more optimistic for a future with someone rather than cat avenue where I was headed right now.
We were – thankfully! – interrupted by the stewardess telling us where the life jackets and exits were, all of which did nothing to calm my jittery nerves.
There was no awkwardness as Damon lent over to double check my belt was buckled. Don’t worry, buddy, that’s the first thing I fucking did.
Our relationship may not be conventional but I did love how well we got along and how nothing ever seemed to be too awkward to talk about. Though I had been a little uncomfortable when he said I was ‘perfect’ but that was a reflection on me and not ‘us’.
I was supposed to be the strong, confident one, and I was, but that meant I tried extra hard to bury any insecurities I had. Which was plain ridiculous because there wasn’t one person out there who didn’t have any.
“Ready?” Damon asked, smirking.
“As I’ll ever be. Do you think they sell wine?”
He laughed. “Probably, but it’s not a long flight. I am not carrying your drunken arse anywhere.”
“Yes, you would, you’ve done it plenty of times before. Hey, remember when I had to carry you home?”
“You remember why you had to do that?” he asked.
I bit my lip. I’d ordered doubles for him and he hadn’t realised until the sixth drink. “Whoops.”
“Yeah, whoops,” he repeated, narrowing his intense eyes.
I sat back as we started to move. Damon’s hand soon found mine and I relaxed a little.
The flight passed surprisingly quickly. Damon kept me entertained by chatting about absolute crap. Chloe and Logan spent most of it being loved up, where Damon and me spent it arguing over who would tire who out first. I was determined to win.
He flashed me a cocky smile. “I think you’ll find I’m the one who’s up for the next round first.”
The plane dropped a fraction and so did my heart.
He laughed and flexed his fingers, telling me to loosen my death grip. “We’re landing soon, Nell, we need to be closer to the ground to do that.”
“Fuck off,” I hissed, making him laugh again.