by Hannah Meade
I nod. I know what she actually meant. She was just stressed out about Sammy, and I understand that now. "Do you want to watch The Notebook?"
The Notebook is Emily's favorite movie. She has seen it about a hundred times, and since we used to live together, so have I. You would think by now that she would both be sick of the movie already, but she is still in love with it. I know that will cheer her up.
She smiles half-heartedly. "Yes, I do."
~~~
Marcus comes by later while Emily and I are watching High School Musical. "Hey, babe,” I say.
He leans in and quickly kisses me on the mouth. "Hey." He steps into the apartment and sees Emily. "Oh, hi, Emily." He clears his throat, probably remembering the last time he saw her. When he got his ass chewed out.
She smirks and turns her attention back to the TV.
I roll my eyes. Emily is not really mad at Marcus, yet she is loving making him squirm.
Marcus turns back to me with a questioning look.
I wave my hand, telling him not to worry about it.
"So, what are you girls up to?"
I grin. "Having a girls’ night."
"And you are interrupting it," Emily pipes up.
I ignore her comment. "We watched The Notebook and now we are watching High School Musical. We have gone through like five bags of popcorn already. I am going to need to buy more." I give Marcus a look like, That means you.
He vigorously shakes his head. "No. No way, Mia. I am not going all the way into town to get fucking popcorn."
"Hey, you still owe me mac ‘n’ cheese. Remember? From yesterday? When you ate all of mine?"
"In my defense, I made that for you. If you did not want it then you should have said so."
I scoff. "No way in hell was I going to turn down the cheesy mac. You should have been more aware of how much I had left and taken into consideration how much I eat it."
Marcus rolls his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. I will go and get your fucking groceries. This shit," he points to the TV, "better not be on when I get back."
Marcus leaves and I walk back to Emily on the couch. "He is crazy if he thinks we are turning this over." I unpause the movie, starting it up again when Troy and Gabriella sing their duet at the end of the movie.
Emily laughs and sings along, We are soaring, flying. There’s not a star in heaven that we can't reach.
I turn toward Emily and sing too. If we're trying, yeah, we're breaking free. Ooh oh oh.
~~~
Marcus comes back after we had watched the end of High School Musical and the whole HSM 2. Clearly, he did not just go to the grocery store.
He walks in the door and I begin my interrogation. "Where the hell did you go? You were gone for like two and a half hours."
He laughs. "Funny story actually. I went to the grocery store and got the two things I needed. Although, I saw my grandma in there. And you know how grandmas are. They want to yack your ear off and give you cookies. Well, she talked to me for about a half an hour about her new sewing project and how she was redecorating her house. Then, she wanted me to actually come to her house and see it in person. So, I followed her on the fifteen minute drive to her house and got roped in to staying there for dinner since she and my grandfather had not eaten yet. Then finally, after an hour and a half, I told her I had to leave. I told her my girlfriend was going to freak out if she did not have her mac ‘n’ cheese."
I whack him on the shoulder. "Wow, thanks. Now she probably thinks I have some mac ‘n’ cheese fetish."
"She thought it was funny. Oh, and she wants you to come over for family dinner on Sunday." He plops down on the couch beside me.
Emily glares as her hot chocolate sloshes around in her mug as Marcus makes the couch move. "Be more careful, you idiot."
Marcus shrugs, staring at the TV instead of her.
I glance at Marcus. "When is this family dinner happening? What if your grandfather does not like me? I do not have the best history with dads and grandfathers, you know."
"Mia, you have nothing to worry about. My grandma already loves you and I am sure she has already ranted plenty to my grandfather about you, too. What is not to like about you?" He pulls me tight to his chest, giving me a peck on the cheek.
I blush despite myself. He really knows how to make me feel special. Even if he is a dick sometimes. Sometimes you just have to look past the bad and focus on the good things instead. "I like you, too." I swing his arms out and sit down on his lap.
Emily gags. "Get a room. Some of us are actually trying to enjoy the TV." She scoots farther away from Marcus and me like we have some sort of disease.
I ignore her and lean forward to kiss Marcus. I take his arms and guide them around my waist, holding me in place. I wrap my own hands around his neck, pulling him closer to me.
"GUYS, REALLY."
I laugh and pull away from Marcus. "Then move off the couch. You are not helping yourself by just staying there complaining about us."
"Hey, we were watching HSM 2 before Marcus came in and interrupted. I want to finish it. So, if anybody is moving, it is you guys."
I roll my eyes but get off of Marcus's lap. "Fine. But when you leave, Marcus and I are finishing what we started."
Twenty
Today is going to be a great day. At least, that is what I tell myself the next morning.
~~~
I wake up with Marcus's arms wrapped around my waist and his chest pressed against my back. He had slept over last night, along with Emily. I did not plan on it. Marcus was supposed to go home last night. I faintly remember Emily complaining, because Marcus wanted to stay over.
10 hours earlier
"No. Go home. This is a girls' night. You are not even supposed to be here." Emily is a little pissed off at the fact that Marcus is still there. I gave her a fair warning earlier; told her that Marcus was coming over. Yet, she is still upset.
Marcus just laughs. "Why can you not go home? I want to be with my girlfriend."
"And I want to be with my best friend. No, I need to be with my best friend." Emily glares at him, daring him to challenge her.
Marcus grabs my arm, pulling it to his chest. "I am staying, as long as Mia wants me to stay."
I yank my arm back, glaring at Marcus myself. "Do not get me in the middle of this. You guys figure this shit out yourselves." I excuse myself from the room, getting away from the both of them.
I set to work making myself another cup of hot chocolate, using the dark chocolate flavor. It is the only kind I ever have with me; I live for dark chocolate. I did not even let Emily eat milk chocolate when I lived with her.
Someone knocks. I yell, "I will get it." Marcus and Emily are still fighting, so they do not even notice. I am thankful for whoever is behind the door; they have saved me.
I open it to see Ryan. "Ryan," I breathe out.
He smiles. "Hey, Mia."
"WHO CARES IF YOU HAVE KNOWN HER LONGER? I AM THE MAN. I SHOULD HAVE RIGHTS."
Ryan peers around me, wondering where in the hell that came from. To be honest, I am wondering myself. I am not exactly listening to their argument, just getting a headache from it.
I roll my eyes and gesture for Ryan to step out the door. "We can talk out here."
I close the door behind me, shutting out all of the loud voices. "So, what is up?" Last time Ryan paid me a visit, we made out.
He just shrugs. "I just wanted to see if you were busy. I was heading to the movies and wondered if you wanted to come with." His cheeks tint pink, hinting there is more to this request than he is letting on. This is a date.
"Ryan..."
"Mia, I am not asking you to marry me. I am asking you to have some fun."
Well, when he puts it like that, I am convinced.
"Marcus is here."
He nods his head and looks down at his feet.
"And so is Emily. I cannot go out right now. I am sorry. Maybe another time." I open the door and step inside, expecting Ryan to leave
.
Instead, he proceeds to grab my arm and yank me back. "Please. We really need to talk."
I pull my arm back to me, a little scared at how he is acting. "I really cannot, Ryan. Not right now."
"Can you tell me when you are free?"
I sigh. Why is he so adamant on this? "Sure. I will call you." I put my hand on the doorknob, keeping my eyes on him. When I am sure he was actually leaving, I open the door and walk back inside.
Marcus and Emily are still fighting, like they did not even notice I had left.
I heat up my hot chocolate more and saunter over to Marcus and Emily on the couch. "Guys, really. Would you both just shut the fuck up already?" I plop down right in the middle of them, ending their argument. "You both can just stay over. Emily, you can sleep in the guest room. And Marcus, you can sleep with me."
Emily pouts. "Why can I not sleep with you?"
Marcus smirks. "You wanna cuddle with your best friend, too? We could all three have a cuddle session? Would that make you happy?"
Emily flips him off, making Marcus laugh.
I roll my eyes at the both of them. I have some pretty childish people in my life.
Present Time
I roll out of bed, literally, and walk into the bathroom to get ready. Today is wedding day, and I am so excited. My aunt got engaged about a year ago, and I have been waiting for this day ever since. She deserves to be happy. All her life, she has wanted a fairytale wedding. The perfect guy, the perfect princess dress. All of it is finally coming true, especially when she needs it the most. She had just gotten laid off from her job when Jason proposed. At first, she was sad. She did not have any money to put into her fairytale wedding. But Jason pushed her. He helped her get the job she loves now. Her life has changed for the better since Jason came into it. I am forever grateful for him.
I turn on my "Wedding" Spotify playlist. Yes, I have a playlist especially for weddings. On it, are songs like "Marry Me" by Jason Derulo and "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett. I absolutely love these songs, especially today. They get me in the loving mood.
Marriage is such a beautiful thing, and I am overjoyed whenever I am invited to share someone's special day with them.
Nobody except Emily knows, but I have my wedding all planned out. Ever since I went to my mom and dad's wedding, when they renewed their vows, I had begun planning my own wedding. I was ten years old when they decided to renew their vows, and my mom had asked me to help her. I was so excited, even though I had no idea how to plan a wedding. There are so many things to consider. Picking out a dress, deciding whether you want round or straight tables, deciding how much food you need, choosing what type and color of flowers you want. Now, I can understand why my mom was so stressed out all of the time. Forgetting one detail could ruin the entire wedding, and everything has to be perfect. Most people only get married once, so nothing can ruin it.
When I was ten, I was confused why the lighting of the reception would make any difference on the most special day. But still, I was set on having the absolute perfect wedding when I was older. I have a huge binder filled with all sorts of things for my wedding. I cut out pictures of wedding dresses form bridal magazines, and I have everything set in the two colors I want, teal and grey. Granted, my favorite color could change by the time I get married, but hey I was ten. I believed I was going to get married in a couple years.
Sometimes I think about getting married, especially in a few years. Next year, I will be graduating college. It is almost time to fulfill my ten-year-old dreams of crafting up the perfect wedding. I just have to find someone to spend the rest of my life with first.
I hear the rumbling of a car outside and I assume it is Marcus. Emily went to work, and I do not think Ryan has the guts to show up twice in the span of 24 hours.
I put down my curling iron and go to open the door. Before I have even gotten to it, however, it swings open. Marcus comes inside, walking right past me. "Mia, I need your help."
I just stand there, wondering why he is here. "Well, hello to you, too." I walk over to close the door and watch Marcus pace back and forth in my living room. "What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting up with Sarah?"
I had asked Marcus to come with me to the wedding today, but he said he was meeting up with a "friend.” Evidently, Sarah had been his best friend back in the day, until she moved away. She is back in town visiting, so he wanted to see her. I respect that, and in trying to trust him again, I did not argue. In reality, I had worried so much about him visiting her. I have not stopped thinking about what could happen when Marcus told me he was doing this last week.
"That is the problem. She tried to kiss me." He stops pacing and finally looks at me.
My heart stops. This is what I have been afraid of all week. "She...she what?"
Marcus tries to grab my hands, but I pull away. He has some explaining to do first. "Mia, it did not happen. We were just talking about what we have been up to, and she started to lean in. I pulled back before she could even try and kiss me. I walked out of the restaurant and came right over. I thought I should tell you before you find out from Emily."
"And how would Emily even find out?"
He gives me a look like, Really? You have to ask that?
I nod, understanding. Emily finds out everything. Everything.
"I swear to God, Mia. I did not kiss her. I did not even want to kiss her. I love you."
I look at him, trying to gauge if he is serious or not. How do I know he is not lying to my face? "Marcus...how can I even believe what you are saying?"
He steps closer. I do not step back. "Please. I am telling the truth. I know I have fucked up before, but this time I have not. I promise you, swear on my heart, that I did not kiss Sarah."
"Okay. I believe you." I smile as he takes my hands in his and pulls me to him. "Thank you for telling me. You are right. Emily would have found out somehow."
He chuckles over my shoulder. "Yeah." He pulls back and his eyes travel the length of my body. "Are you getting ready for the wedding?"
I nod, gesturing to my halfway curled hair. "Yep. You interrupted my hair-curling."
"Well, since Sarah and I are no longer hanging out today, maybe I could come with you?"
"I would like that."
He leans in and tilts his head, his breath tickling my ear. "I cannot wait to take that dress off of you later."
I blush, looking down at my form-fitting teal dress. It is strapless, which I am sure Marcus likes, and hits right above the knee. It is pretty tight, but I am very confident in my body. Of course, I am going to show it off. Originally, I had planned to send a picture to Marcus when I was all done up and make him wish he was here with me instead. That would have gotten him real distracted from Sarah.
He laughs, realizing the effect he has on me, and leans back. "By the way, how has work been going? You have not talked much about it.”
I grin. “It is going great. Everyone is super nice and welcoming. I even finished editing my book and I showed it to my boss. She knows this big publishing company that is always looking for fresh faces and so she forwarded my manuscript onto them.”
Marcus comes over, picks me up by my waist, and twirls me around. “Mia, that is amazing. I am so proud of you.”
I laugh, glad that he is so happy for me. “Put me down, I am getting nauseous.”
He sets me back on my two feet and I smile up at him. “I never thought that I would get a chance, Marcus. I wrote this book a few years ago and I did not think it would ever go as far as on my computer. Now, a well-known publisher is reading through my manuscript as we speak. It is so surreal.”
He leans down like he is going to kiss me and I pull away. “Stop! I am not done with my makeup and you are not ruining it yet.”
He smirks. “Yet?”
“Yes, now go get ready so we can leave on time.” I shoo him away with my hands.
He turns around and walks out of my room, and I keep my eyes glued to his backside. H
e is wearing tight-fitting pants that hug his butt in all the right places. He is definitely going to be staring at my ass the whole night, so I have every right to stare at his.
He turns back when he reaches the door and smirks when he sees my eyes are locked down there. I blush and quickly flick my eyes upward. "Later, Mia."
"Bye, Marcus."
He smiles once more, blows me a kiss, and walks out the door.
Fuck. Why does this boy have this much of an effect on me?
~~~
I have just finished putting everything in my little silver purse when Marcus knocks on the door. I take a breath, excited for how he will react. Last time, I only had on my dress and half of my hair curled. Now, I have my whole head curled, my face done up, and my heels on.
I open the door and smile when I see him. He looks damn good in his black suit. "Hey," I breathe out.
He glances up from his phone, and smiles. His eyes follow every curve of my body, all the way to my feet. I blush under his scrutiny, suddenly nervous. Maybe he thinks I look awful, maybe my curves stand out too much.
I turn away, unable to look at him anymore. "So I just have to grab my phone and we can go..."
Marcus grabs my arm and twirls me back towards him, leaning down to press his lips against mine. Yes, even in five-inch heels, I am still shorter than him. I revel in his touch, shivers running down my body. I press my lips against his, returning the lovely gesture.
He pulls away and looks me up and down once more. "You look beautiful, Mia. How am I supposed to keep my hands off of you for this long?"
I grin, loving how I can affect him like he affects me. "That is your problem." I grab my phone and walk toward the door. I turn around to find him staring at my ass. See? I told you.
Except he does not blush when I catch him staring. He just shrugs and walks past me. I roll my eyes. Men have no shame. I do jump, however, when he slaps my ass as he walks past.
"Marcus!" I yell.
He laughs and continues to walk out the door.
Jesus. This boy is going to be the end of me. I pull my dress down a little, after Marcus makes it ride up, and walk out the door.
