Page 18 of Toxic Wishes

Toxic Wishes?

“What did your family say?” I ask, trying not to read too much into what he said.

His eyebrows lift a few inches as he dips his chin down at me. “Really? Do you think they even noticed this tiny tattoo when I have them all over my arms?”

“True. So…is that what you wanted to show me?” I bit my lip as a tingling sensation swarms my whole body.

“Kind of. I figured this year we could make a pact,” he says in a low, husky voice that makes him sound so much older and much more experienced than me.

“A pact?” My eyebrows shoot up in curiosity.

“Ya, if you or I are not married by twenty-two and we are both single on our birthdays, then we’ll become each other's birthday wish and get married .”

“Woah, what? That’s a little dramatic, don't you think? And why 22? Because I highly doubt I’ll be married by then.”

I haven’t even kissed a boy yet.

“Because it’s double 11, which makes it twice as lucky. Plus, I have been doing a lot of research myself on this zodiac shit, and I don’t think many people can satisfy our sexual appetite like another Scorpio can.” My thighs clench together. At this moment, Blake looked absolutely beautiful. The moonlight cascaded down on his angular features. That dark, wavy rockstar hair illuminated in the background with his hypnotizing brown eyes staring back at me.

“Don’t you think we need to date before making a pact—a commitment like that?”

“No.” His response is swift and sharp as if he’s been thinking about this for a while.

“No?”

“Think about it, most people who date,” he makes air quotes with his two fingers, “typically break up after a few months or years. Why do you think that is?”

“Uh, because they weren’t compatible?”

“Wrong. It’s because they took time to get to know someone, almost too well, and then after the sex faded, they realized that person wasn’t all that great, broke up, and moved on to the next one. Then, it becomes a vicious cycle. Toxic really. That’s why I know so many people who break up and get back together. It’s a pattern they got sucked into.”

“So you're saying you don’t believe in love?”

“No, I’m saying that the way people have been doing this whole marriage and dating thing isn’t working out, and it isn’t love. Why do you think the divorce rate is so high, and with a second marriage, the chances are even higher?”

“I’m confused. What would stop us from doing that even if we didn’t date before marriage?”

“Because it’s a decision being made. Back in the day when shit was simple, people didn’t wait years or date years to decide if they were going to settle down. They made a decision, said they were attracted to each other, and said let's make it work, and that was that.” He is staring off into the distance now, looking out the windshield.

He’s referring to his dad since Stacy is Cliff’s fifth or fourth marriage. I couldn’t remember what Blake told me, but I remember dropping my mouth open when he did.

“Once I get married, that’s it for me. I don’t plan on getting divorced. And if I don’t do it when I’m young, I’ll probably never get married.”

I chuckle lightly, “I guess you put some thought into this. The good news is you admitted to liking me, so that’s a good sign to this future pact-marriage-commitment.” I said.

“Damn right, it’s a lot of years we are talking about, considering I live until seventy-five. But I don’t see myself making it that long. Sixty, tops.”

My stomach does a summersault. The fact he is optimistic about the future gave me hope as well that he is doing much better and staying away from drugs despite my gut feeling that has me in knots from the slight possibility I could be wrong.

He may be doing better than me.

“Okay. Deal. Do we need to spit and shake hands or something?”

He laughs lightly. “No, but you’ll have to get the same tattoo.”

“What?” my voice shrieks a little at his suggestion. “Heck no. That’s where I draw the line.”

“You don’t have to get it on your wrist. You could get it on your foot or behind your ear. Although I will advise you, those areas are bonier than your wrist. So it probably will hurt even more.”

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