It might seem like a childish thing to do, but I want to make sure we’re both still on the same page about what this means. My feelings about dating still have not changed. I’m not anywhere near ready for a relationship. At least not yet.
“Is that okay with you?” I swallow hard, worried he might say no.
With a pensive nod, he says, “Yes. Anything for you, Mags.”
The List
No kissing
No cuddling
No spending the night
No telling anyone*
No hickeys
No falling in love
No PDA
CHAPTER 13
Rowan
March - Bahamas
The Bahamas resortfor Andi’s wedding is, undoubtedly, the nicest I’ve ever set foot in. It’s still no match for Italy in May with Maggie in my arms, but still a really nice resort. I don’t take very many vacations, choosing to visit my friends and family in Charleston instead when I have the time, and exploring cities with Maggie when we’re traveling for tournaments.
But an actual, proper vacation? I take in all the palm trees and the fancy drinks, smiling and nodding at the people milling around the beach in their floral dresses and shirts.
My plain green polo shirt seems boring in comparison and I make a mental note to check out the store in the lobby and upgrade my wardrobe. Maggie walks ahead of me and takes a seat at the bar, looking over her shoulder at me in an invitation to join her. Her tanned skin is highlighted even more so by the cream colored dress she’s wearing, one that stops at the middleof her thigh. I swallow hard and try not to think about how she would look in a wedding dress.
I take in the carefree look on her face, her long blonde hair falling down her back and I smile, knowing I won’t be able to hold back long until I’m begging to take her to the room we’re sharing so I can put my mouth all over her.
In one swift move, I take the sunglasses off my face and prop them atop my head, leaning my forearms on the bar and whispering in her ear, “That dress looks gorgeous on you, but it would look even better on the bedroom floor.”
Her laugh is bright and pure sunshine as she shakes her head at me. “Really? You think pick-up lines work on me?”
“Ouch. Do I need to try harder? I can do this all night,” I say and give her a wink.
“We need to amend the agreement and add ‘No pick up lines’ to the list.” She rolls her eyes but I can see my charm is winning her over as she bites her lower lip and drags her eyes all over my body. “I know something else you could be doing all night though.” She smirks, leaning in.
“What can I get you two?” the bartender asks, ruining the moment. Maggie visibly sits back, her smirk dropping down into a polite smile. Here we go again, pretending like there’s nothing going on between us when we’re in public.
“Margaritas. Two, please,” she says and the guy rushes over to make them. I sigh, knowing our flirty banter has come to an end. Maggie is way too adamant about our rules, especially those still left on our list. I sneak in some light PDA every now and then, but this setting is too public for me to get away with it.
My mood darkens, even though the margarita is delicious, and I listen to Maggie ramble about how she can’t believe her sister is getting married and having a baby.
“I mean, don’t you think we’re a bit young still?”
“Mags, we’re in our early thirties. It’s perfectly normal forpeople to want to settle down,” I say, chest tightening. The truth is, the ring I got for is metaphorically burning a hole through my pocket, even though it’s physically back in Palm Beach, still hidden amongst my cleaning supplies.
I need her to see the potential of this, and most of all I need her to admit her feelings for me. But something is still holding her back and I’ve always been too afraid to push. But maybe I’m at the end of the rope—maybe this is my last chance to make her mine. Permanently.
“Do you know that nearly 50 percent of marriages end in divorce? And second marriages are even closer to 70 percent. I mean, just look at my mom and?—”
“Okay, but Andi is not your mom. And neither are you,” I say quietly, my hope plummeting. Is that really what she thinks about marriage? That they all end in divorce?
