Page 106 of Used

Gone.

Chapter 31

Marshall

September 9 — 36 Weeks 2 Days, Winter Melon

Marshall: Where are you?

Marshall: You’re not home.

Gunnar: Selene and I are at the jewelry store picking out wedding bands.

Marshall: Text me the address.

Gunnar: Marshall. You’re not joining us to pick out our wedding bands.

Marshall: Too late.

Gunnar: Marshall. No.

Marshall: I’m on my way.

When I arrive at the upscale jewelry store, I immediately spot Gunnar’s massive Viking frame in the store and stride past the sales attendants to join my friends.

“Marshall?” Selene asks, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“Dude, I told you not to come,” Gunnar says gruffly.

“Yeah, well... if you didn’t want me to find you, then why do you still share your location with me?” I taunt.

“He shares his location with you!” Selene gasps and punches Gunnar in the arm, and he grunts. “Why won’t you share your location with me.”

“Because I’m pretty sure this creep snuck into my phone to do it,” Gunnar says, pulling out his phone and flicking the screen open. “And I’ve told you, work.”

Selene pouts at her fiancé for a moment, but when he doesn’t respond, she turns her attention to me.

“Okay. So, either you’re here to help pick out rings, or you need something else.” She states.

“Elsie’s mad at me.” I gripe.

“What’s new there,” Selene says, turning back to the case of rings before her. “What exactly happened? Use your big boy words, Marshall.”

“I kind of proposed marriage after we had sex yesterday.” I blurt out a little too loudly.

Everything stills for a moment as they process my words.

Then, Gunnar looks up slowly from his phone, and Selene turns around like an owl with its head on a lazy Susan.

“You did... what?” Selene asks, her voice more menacing than I’ve ever heard it before in the three years I’ve known her.

“I asked her if she wanted to get married,” I say, a little quieter this time.

“I need you to be specific, Marshall,” Selene says, grasping me by my wrists and looking up at me. “Did you ask if she wanted to get married, or did you ask her to marry you?”

“I asked her to marry me,” I reply earnestly.

“What specific words did you use, Marshall.” Selene presses.

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