It’s a beautiful morning and we were starving so we walked over to the bakery to get chocolate croissants. Daddy said you looked too pretty to wake up, but we’re gonna bring you one back, so don’t eat.
Love,
Dylan
A rush of emotion welled up and I slumped back against the mattress with a groan. Last night had been amazing. The thought of Max’s magical hands all over me made my thighs quiver. But there was no denying that it had only made me even more afraid of what was to come. I knew I was going to have to respond to his proposal one way or another, and soon. I’d managed to avoid it last night, but I doubted we’d get through another day without it coming up. Especially after the intimacy of last night.
I glanced at the clock and a sudden wave of panic washed over me. Dylan and Max would probably be back any minute. So I did the only thing that made sense. I threw on a pair of flip-flops, brushed my teeth, and ran.
An hour later, I was sitting across from Lara in what used to be our favorite coffee shop as she stared at me from across the table, something akin to horror in her eyes.
“Did you at least text him and let him know you were leaving?”
I fidgeted, tracing shapes into the foam of my latte as I shook my head. “No, not yet.”
“But you said the note he left said they’d be back shortly and were bringing you breakfast. Don’t you think he might wonder where you went?”
She wasn’t being mean, exactly, but I couldn’t help getting defensive.
“I guess so, but I wasn’t really thinking about that. I just knew I needed to get out of there, fast.” I groaned and bent to bury my face in my hands. “Lara, I swear, it felt like the walls were closing in on me.”
“Because of the proposal?” she asked, her tone gentling.
“No.” At least, not entirely. “I know that I want to be with Max and Dylan. I’ve never wanted anything more. But when I think of Greg, I can’t help but question my own judgment. What if I say yes, and this all turns out the same way?”
“By the same way, I’m guessing you don’t mean by Max telling you he’s gay, after all?” she probed, pausing to take a sip of her macchiato.
I almost laughed out loud at that, but the sheer vastness of my freak-out held me back. “No, Max is definitely straight. I mean, what if he decides I’m not what he wants, after all?”
Lara shook her head firmly. “You know, the other day when you told me that you weren’t sure he wanted to be exclusive and all that, I was nervous for you. But now? Girl, I am all about it. You know why?”
I shook my head slowly.
“Because he asked you to marry him. He wants to commit to you. Surely he wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t sure what he wanted. Heck, from what you said, he didn’t even ask the mother of his child to marry him. Seems like a pretty big step for a guy who hates the idea of commitment.” She threw her hands up. “And as far as Greg comparisons, let me ask you this. Has Max asked you to give up your career dreams to support his?”
I tugged absently on my bottom lip and shook my head.
“Has he asked you to give up your time or your money to invest into his business? Or told you that spending time with your friends when you could be working on said business meant you didn’t care about him?”
“No.” In fact, Max encouraged me to take time off from caring for Dylan to get some “me” time and meet up with Lara at least once a week. And when we’d talked about the fact that I hadn’t gotten my degree, he’d encouraged me to go back to school if I wanted.
“So, Greg asked for everything. What has Max asked for?”
When she said it like that, the comparison between the two seemed silly.
“Just my love,” I admitted softly.
“As it should be,” she said with a smug nod.
I drank down the rest of my latte, my heart pumping as hope began to spread through my chest.
“Well?” Lara demanded, glaring at me. “What the hell are you waiting for? Get your ass back there and get that big sexy man to put a ring on it before I try to steal him from you.”
I stood and wrapped her in a weepy bear hug. “Thank you. You always manage to get me back on track when I’m spinning off the rails. Love you, Lara.”
She pulled back and gave me a laughing shove. “Sushi’s on you next week. Now, go! My break’s over and I need to get back to work.”
The trip back home was interminable, and I considered calling Max and telling him everything I was feeling over the phone. Instead, I stuffed it into the center console and recited the words in my head, determined not to screw it all up this time like I had when he’d first asked me and I went totally tongue-tied.
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