“I said I’deventuallymarry you, but not yet,” I hand over the ring. “And I want you to hang onto this until it’s time.”
“I don’t like this,” Aaron refuses to take the ring.
“Sparky, you’re a serial monogamist,” I point out. “You don’t know any other way of being, and that is an incredibly sexy thing about you. But, I don’t want you to Tarzan your way through the dating jungle, not letting go of one vine before you have another one in hand. I don’t want you to be a ‘husband between marriages’ and settle on me because I’m available.”
“That’s not…”
I shush him with a finger over his lips. “Plus, there’s the little thing of rebuilding trust. You have some trust issues, Aaron. You may believe it’s because of what you went through with Sabine, but those issues started long before her betrayal. You believed what Owen told you instead ofasking me. And several times in the last few days, you assumed the worst, again without asking. For someone who wants forever, you’re quick to take off when the going gets tough. Taking off without asking a fucking question. That’s going to take time to get past.”
He huffs out a breath. “Shit. You’re right.”
I shrug. “I know I’m right. I’m glad you see it that way. Because if you love me, you’ll do this for us. For our future.”
“I do love you.”
“And I love you. That’s why I’m taking a few weeks off of work, and we’re going to get to know each other better,” I reach for the breakfast tray. I’m sure the food has gone cold, but the coffee might be salvageable. “We’ll go on dates. We’re going to chill out and binge-watch terrible reality TV shows. We’ll make out like teenagers in your truck. We’ll gross out our kids with how much we love each other. We’ll live in sin, out of wedlock. HA! And when the time comes, I will marry you without hesitation because we know it’s the next right step.”
Aaron considers what I said, then smirks at me. “Did you say we’re going to live in sin, out of wedlock?”
I shrug. “Why not? I had a baby out of wedlock. And when you think about that word, it’s pretty funny, right? Like, I’ve been working a job - out of wedlock - for years. I own a condo - out of wedlock. And I even vote - out of wedlock! So, why don’t we go for broke and live together, out of wedlock, and get those old-fashioned tongues wagging in this town.”
“You know no one cares about that, right?”
I grin. “I do, but it’s fun to say, no?”
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Probably give me some of your Top Choice Vitamin D when the doctor clears me for sex.”
He shakes his head. “You’re incorrigible.”
I snuggle closer to him. “Yes, but you love me for it.”
“That I do, Camellia. That I do.”
