“Shit, I don’t know. My life is complicated.” I laughed to myself before my hand moved down my head, smoothing mywaves. “But I’ve been thinking about things and maybe it’s time for a change.”
“A change?” she questioned with raised brows.
“Yeah, a change.”
“And what has you thinking about that?”
“You.” I looked her right in the eyes and she smiled big as hell.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, man, with your goofy ass. I can’t just walk away. It don’t work like that. It’s a process, but if you’re willing to stick it out with me, I’m really considering it.”
“I’m not going anywhere. How long will it take?”
I rubbed my chin, processing the question before I answered. “Shit, a year or two to completely be done.”
Maddie didn’t really care what I did. Not to say it didn’t make her worry, but she had never once made it an issue. I noticed she was always cool about little things like the late nights and having to cancel on her when I had situations, but I just knew that if I planned on making things serious with her, I needed to be in a place where I wasn’t putting her at risk. That meant I needed to let that shit go.
“I can handle that,” she said with confidence.
“You sure?”
“You’re lowkey telling me you want me around for the next two years, so hell yeah. I can handle that,” she said with a big ass grin.
“Your ass, I swear.” I kissed her again. “Just be patient with me. I’m not making any promises, but I like what we have, and if you’re willing to put the time in, so am I.”
“Carlos Alonzo, are you asking me to go steady with you?”
“Man, get your lame ass up. I’m about to go steady alright, but in you and not with you.”
I gripped her and she laughed. Yeah, I could get used to something permanent with her.How the fuck that happen?
Chapter 62
Maddie
“Do you like these?” I held up the color samples in my hand. Sophie grabbed them from me and ran her fingers across the mango and cream silk squares.
“Yeah, but it’s kinda bland. Maybe use this one.” She leaned forward and lifted a powder blue sample. “Try this one. It looks really pretty together.”
I smiled, took them from her hands, and placed them in my pretend wedding planning book. Sophie was helping me plan my imaginary dream wedding, but in the process, I was actually noting everything she liked and planning hers. I pretty much had all the details down, from flowers to the menu and now the colors. It was amazing how easy it was to pull the details from her by simply pretending to plan my own.
She thought I was a little crazy, but she was my best friend and loved me. So if I wanted her to help plan a fictitious wedding she would do it, no questions asked.
“So does Carlos know you’re already planning your wedding? Sophie grinned at me.
I playfully rolled my eyes. “No, but it doesn’t matter. Men don’t need to know all the details, they just need to show up the day of.”
“You are too much.” Sophie laughed at me then leaned against the base of the sofa. Her hands moved across her small belly, causing her to smile. She loved that baby already; it was all over her face.
“Hey, he basically asked me to marry him anyway.” I shrugged and Sophie tilted her head to the side and peered at me.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Stay with me long enough to get out the game basically translates to Maddie, marry me.”
“Oh my God, you’re turning into one of those crazy women,” Sophie said through a laugh.
