Reality hit Mark and me at the same time as we clambered into the upright position.
“Shit, my family is here. They must have taken an earlier flight. They have a key.”
He threw the covers over his body and started scrambling around the room. He put on some sweatpants and a T-shirt while finger-combing his hair. My dress from last night was on the dresser mirror. There was no denying what had happened in this room repeatedly.
Shit, did we leave anything out front?
They weren’t supposed to be here until this afternoon.
There was a knock at the bedroom door that caused me to throw the covers over my head as I lay back down, trying to disappear.
Surely, they wouldn’t come right in.
“Hey, Mark. We got on an earlier flight because we were so excited to see you guys. Are you awake?”
I heard the door handle start to turn, and then Mark’s hand pushed the door shut.
Double shit.
“Mom, I’ll be out in a minute. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
Being buried underneath the covers, I heard the stress in his voice.
His sweet, little persistent mother pressed on. “Is Sam here?”
“Mom, I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
I was motionless under the covers, horrified, when I felt the bed dip as Mark sat down.
His hand rested on my leg as he said, “Sam, I’ll go out there and get coffee started while you put on some clothes before joining us.”
I threw the covers back slightly, exposing my face only. I whispered harshly, “You’ve got to be joking. I am not going out there to see your parents while I look like I’ve been fucked senseless all night long. I’m not trying to tell you what to do in your place, but I’m not going out there until I’ve had a shower.”
“You mean, our place.”
He actually looked irritated at me and not at his family who had walked in, unannounced, practically barging into what was our bedroom.
“Regardless, I’m not going out there like this.”
Still under the covers, I crossed my hands over my chest for added effect even if he couldn’t tell what I was doing. My irritation was getting the better of me at how he’d reacted. I didn’t want to fight with his parents in the other room.
I continued, “Just think about it. Would you want to meet my dad for the first time after coming out of my room, looking like you had your wicked way with me all night long?” Softening my voice, I added, “I’ve never met your dad before. I don’t want him to get the wrong impression of me. Plus, this is so awkward right now. They know I’ve been sleeping in your bed.”
My parents would have flipped, and the fact that his parents expected me to be here was causing my head to hurt from all the confusion. I knew my parents were one end of the spectrum, but I hadn’t thought ahead on how his parents would react.
Shit, I look like a slut.
He ran his finger down my cheek. “I get it. I’m sorry. My family is really open, and they are probably thrilled at the fact that you stayed the night. They want us to be together, Sam.” He continued watching me. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll send them somewhere.”
Exposing more of my face, I lowered as I said, “You don’t have to do that. It’s a little overwhelming this early in the morning.”
Mark gave me a kiss. “Take your shower when you’re ready. I’ll be back in a few.”
Before I had time to respond, he walked out the door to the awaiting craziness in his kitchen. I groaned. We had never talked last night about how I was feeling about everything, and all this was adding to the building shit pile of my anxiety. My ears strained to hear anything, but I could only make out some murmuring.
I was still hidden underneath the covers when Mark came back in the room. He looked at me cautiously. Honestly, I was afraid his mom would sense I had moved, and then she’d come in to offer to help me get ready. That was how overbearing his family seemed right now.
“Sam, they’re gone. They’ll be back in an hour. Is that enough time? I can text them and tell them to give us longer.”
Ugh, what is wrong with me? Everyone is trying to be nice. “Mark, it’s going to be so awkward now. You told them I needed an hour? Maybe more? Hell, I am so terrible at this.”
I threw the covers back over my head.
He was at my side, pulling the covers back and bringing me into a seated position. “I told them that they caught me a little off guard, and I had something planned for this morning, so I was the one who needed an hour.”
I threw myself at him, and he chuckled. I was relieved that he hadn’t made me out to be a bad guy to his family.
I had to tell him how I was feeling. It was the only thing keeping me tethered in all this. “You’re perfect for me. I love you.”
“Love you, too. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. And just so you know, they’re beyond excited to get to be around you more. All of them are. That’s why they changed their flight. You’re not terrible at this, Sam. You’re perfect for me.”
His look of what seemed to be pure love had my anxiety edging slightly.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to get ahead of all the mental pressure that was building. “Okay. Let me go get ready.”
His body shifted, and I cut him off, knowing what he was thinking. “No, you cannot join me in case they get back early. Go to the guest bathroom to take your shower.”
I scrambled off the bed and to the bathroom. I closed the door before he had a chance to seduce me into letting him join me. In the bathroom was a note taped on the mirror.
It was such a small gesture, but it was the sweetest, kindest gesture I had ever received. I opened the door, and Mark was standing there, looking at me with a little smile.
I jumped into his arms. “I love you. If you promise to make it quick, you can shower with me.”
He was already walking us toward the shower before I’d even finished my sentence.
We were dressed and headed into the kitchen for coffee. I watched the clock tick down the hour until his family would return. I felt awful, having those feelings. I was beyond nervous at this point, considering how much they had changed since Colorado.
I opened up the fridge and saw my beloved favorite vanilla creamer. There was a note taped to it.
I pulled it out and eyed it thoughtfully. “You noticed what kind of creamer I use?”
He came up behind me as I stood in front of the fridge, and he wrapped his arms around me. “I notice everything about you. Have you decided which place you want to keep for us? I honestly don’t care. I just want to be with you.”
I leaned my head against his chest. “Your place is bigger with the two extra bedrooms versus my one, but it doesn’t matter to me. Plus, we’ll have our place in Atlanta if we go there.”
He kissed the top of my head. “My place it is then.”
I poured the creamer in my coffee, and we took a seat at the bar.
After taking a sip, I said, “I need to ask you something prior to your parents getting back.”
It seemed like the things we needed to talk about were stacking up, and we needed to get some of them out in the open before it caused an implosion. Edna’s words about the kudzu vine echoed in my mind. It might not be the best time, but I was plunging forward.
“You can ask me anything, Sam. I don’t have any secrets with you.”
He grabbed my free hand, and I looked at him. He still had that freshly showered look with his wet hair.
“What were you and Missy?” I held up my finger to stop whatever he was going to say. “I’m not upset by any means. Girls like that are manipulative bitches. I need to know if she’s going to be a problem and know the score, so I can prepare accordingly.”
He rolled his shoulders. “We never had sex. A couple of years back, we were both really drunk at a party one night, but I stopped before she took her shirt off. She’s been after me ever since. After our display last night, I’m not sure h
ow she’ll react. She’s been trying to land a couple of the teammates for a while, so I hope she focuses on them more.” He combed through his hair and eyed me a little warily, which increased my nerves slightly. “I found out last night that Allison is doing a photo shoot in Atlanta soon with a few key players and cheerleaders for promotional stuff. It completely slipped my mind the moment I saw you out on the dance floor. Missy is going to be there.”
The thought of Missy and Mark in a picture together caused unfounded jealously to bubble up even though I knew there was nothing going on there. Stay calm, Sam. There’s nothing to worry about. Don’t let this bitch get the best of you.
“When are you headed there for it?”
“It’s next week. I figured we could go since you still haven’t officially started yet, and your schedule is open—or I was hoping that would be the case.”
He gave me a warm smile that had my heart instantly melting. I was glad that we had taken one thing off the list of things to talk about. It felt as if I was able to breathe a little bit more, like some of the vines were being cut away that were strangling me.
“Sounds good. And we have a place to stay there.”
I gave him a wink as there was a knock at the door. Just the sound and knowing what lay on the other side of the door had me a tad antsy after this morning’s incident.
Hopefully, wherever they went, they took some chill pills.
Mark went to the door, and his mom, sister, and dad came into the condo. His dad had the same body build and face structure as Mark, but his dark brown hair and brown eyes made him the odd man out in the group.
He came toward me like we had known each other for years. “You must be Sam. These two women have been talking nonstop about you. I’m David.”
“Hey, David. It’s nice to meet you.”
David brought me in and gave me a big hug. This was one of the touchiest families I’d ever met. I had a friendly family, but this family blew mine away with all their enthusiasm.
Deep breaths. It is all okay. They are just being friendly—nothing more.
Right as he let me go, Annie and Sabrina took me into their grasps. I felt like a rag doll being passed from person to person.
“You guys, give her some breathing room,” Mark said.
I smiled in relief at Mark as his family took a step back. It was wonderful they liked me so much, but I felt claustrophobic. Mark came up behind me and guided me into the living room. His family followed. Annie and Sabrina were talking a mile a minute regarding everything we were going to do in the next forty-eight hours. I was exhausted at hearing all the additional plans they had packed into our schedule that hadn’t been mentioned in the hundreds of group texts that were sent to me.
Sabrina started, “So, I was thinking that we could leave in about thirty minutes for pedicures, manicures, and shopping. We needed to change the appointments a little to fit everything in.”
Annie answered back, “I agree. That will be fun. Hair and makeup is this afternoon before going out tonight. The limo is picking us up at six to take us to dinner. Then, I have a tea scheduled for mid-morning tomorrow. I wonder what chick flicks are playing at the theaters. We might be able to squeeze in a movie.”
My head was spinning slightly—no, it was actually spinning really fast as I tried to keep up. Is there even going to be time to sleep?
Even though I had spent the entire afternoon with them in Colorado, I felt like I was interacting with complete strangers. If anything, Mark had understated how hyper his family was.
When am I even going to see Mark?
Mark seemed to sense me tensing, and he pulled me against him. I tried to relax into him, but I felt like a rigid stick against his warm embrace. There was so much to take in that their voices were becoming blurred as I focused on breathing.
Sabrina broke through the fuzzy noise of voices when she asked, “So, are you going to keep us waiting? What did she say? That’s why you made us leave, wasn’t it? We’re dying to know.”
Mark looked uncomfortable and nodded. His mom and sister started doing this little clapping and squealing thing. I was not going to survive this visit. It was as if I had been teleported back to middle school on a continual basis with them.
What did I miss?
He hadn’t asked me anything. He’d told me about the photo shoot, but that could not cause this much excitement, even from these two.
Puzzled, I asked, “What is so exciting?”
I looked around, confused, and the attention focused acutely on me.
Oh shit.
Sabrina piped up as she continued to bounce, her blonde hair swaying, “That you agreed to move in with Mark. He’s wanted to ask you. We’re practically sisters now, especially once he gets a ring on your finger. Then, you’ll be married before we know it. Hopefully, it’s soon before the season starts. Maybe we should look at some wedding dresses today to see what you like. Oh, I hope it’s a short engagement. Then, you can make me an aunt. Oh, I can’t wait until we have a little baby in the family.”
I felt light-headed as the blood drained from my face. What the fuck? My world felt like a colossal train wreck, and my mind started to retreat and shut down. Too soon…this is all too soon. I was adapting to the L word and living together. Shit. Fuck. Holy hell. I needed to get some air. I needed space. I needed to collect my thoughts.
Standing abruptly, I muttered, “Excuse me.”
I ran to Mark’s bathroom and locked the door. They’d have to break it down to get to me now.
It’s too much, way too much. Ring? Marriage? Oh fuck, this is going too fast. Where was the Rewind button?
After turning on the faucet, I splashed my face with cold water, and then I took deep breaths. I need to calm down. How did things spin that out of control so fast?
Taking family vacations together would be a walk in the park compared to that huge elephant they had parked in the room.
Someone knocked on the door, and my breath caught, wondering which person was at the door. I turned off the faucet.
“Sam, can I come in?” It was Mark—thank goodness—with concern lacing his voice.
I responded, “I’m okay. I’ll be out in just a minute.” My damn voice broke at the very end. Way to be convincing, Sam.
“Sam, it’s just me. I want to talk.”
He had that determined sound in his voice. I reached over and clicked the lock open. Then, I took a position on the toilet with my head in my hands.
He came in and locked the door again before taking a seat on the rim of the Jacuzzi. “Sam, I’m so sorry. They’re just…I don’t know. Shit, this is why I was nervous in Colorado. They can be overwhelming.”
Looking up, my eyes started to fill with tears. I hated being so fucked-up. “I’m sorry I freaked out. I’m not ready to…I don’t want to—”
He was in front of me in two seconds. “Hey, it’s not your fault. Brina gets carried away. I shouldn’t have told them about me asking you to move in with me. We talk about everything, but you can be damn sure I’ll keep it in check in the future. Just don’t let it change your mind about moving in with me. Don’t run, Sam. Talk to me.” He knelt before me and cleared my tear-streaked cheeks with his thumbs. “We’ll figure this out.”
Sitting there, I kept trying to calm down from that monstrosity of a conversation his family had unleashed on me. It was time to lay it all out on the line. The implosion had happened, just like Edna had said it would since I hadn’t preserved things.
I tried to look down, but Mark put his finger under my chin, as I spoke, “It’s so much to take in with Thanksgiving and Christmas and the family vacations they’re talking about. The group-texting is overwhelming. Your mom actually already asked me to start calling her mom in one of the texts. The next forty-eight hours is completely planned, and you’re not slotted to be with me at all. I thought the point of this was to be with both of us. Then, out there, that was more than talking about me moving in. The R, E, M, and B words were m
entioned. It’s just…a lot to take in. They must think I’m a freak with how I reacted.” I took in a deep breath after nearly saying all that in one breath.
Just saying the letters had the words floating in my head—ring, engagement, marriage, baby. Fucking hell. That is a load of letters.
My shallow breaths started again.
Mark grabbed my face to make me focus back on him. “Sam, it’s you and me, only you and me. We won’t do anything we both aren’t ready for. I’ll never push you. Take deep breaths, baby. Deep breaths.”
I started breathing in deeply and releasing slowly, mildly calming myself.
He continued, “Keep breathing. My parents don’t think you’re a freak. They love you, Sam. They love you because I love you, and I’ve never loved anyone besides them, and they know it. Trust me, my mother and sister realize how much they overstepped their bounds. They aren’t normally this…excited. They got caught up in us and the excitement of me having someone in my life. You are what matters to me. Why didn’t you tell me how overwhelmed you were feeling?”
I looked down at my finger tracing a pattern on my knee. “I want them to like me, and I didn’t want to disappoint you. I’m afraid they’ll think I’m not good enough for you. What if I don’t fit in with them ever because of how fucked-up I am?”
“Sam, you could never be a disappointment to me or them. Hey, look at me.”
I raised my head.
“I don’t care what it is. When something is bothering you, talk to me. You’re perfect at this because it works for us. That’s all that matters, not what everyone else thinks. You are my first priority. I thought it was all okay because you guys were group-texting. It’s no excuse for what happened. They look at you like you’re one of the family. And regarding the R, E, M, and B words, don’t worry about them. All that matters is that we know where we stand. This is our story to write, no one else’s.”
I bit my lip and nodded before muttering, “This has been a bad day from the start. I want a redo.”
We were staring at each other as his thumb started to stroke my cheek, and then I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.
Promise Me Page 21
