Page 57 of A Little Complicated

By some miracle, no one knows about us, and I’ve been hesitant to tell anyone. I don’t want to look stupid if things don’t work out. I don’t want to hear, “I told you so,” or, “You’ve known Mav forever. You really thought he’d settle down with you?” The thought alone makes me want to curl up in my blankets and cry. I know I was the one to suggest we keep things under wraps, and I know he’s been pushing me to make us official for a while now, but I’m really not sure I can stomach losing him publicly.

Is it so wrong of me?

“You gonna answer me?” he prods. “You’re making me sweat.”

“Mav, I know we’ve been hooking up for a while, but that doesn’t mean you have to—”

“I want to.” He cups the side of my face and tilts my head toward him. “Want,” he repeats. “No, I take it back. This isn’t a want. It’s aneed.”

A smile plays at the edge of my lips. “Oh, it’s a need, now?”

“School dances are a big deal in every movie my mom and Rory have made me and Archer sit through. Now, I might not be able to swing making you prom queen and shit,”—I snort—“but giving you a night you’ll always remember is definitely within my power.”

“And that’s why you’re here,” I conclude. “To ask me to prom.”

“Yeah.” He nods, the same sweet smile turning my insides to mush as he rubs his thumb along the back of my hand. “Honestly, I’m embarrassed it took me so long to remember it’s coming up for you.”

“It’s two months away,” I remind him.

“Perfect. You can mark your calendar.”

My lips scrunch to one side while my doubt threatens to ruin his thoughtfulness. And heisbeing thoughtful. And sweet. And charismatic. And the fact he didn’t ask me over text or didn’t wait until the next time we were supposed to see each other is…kind of adorable.

“You still haven’t answered me yet.” Maverick lifts our entwined hands to his lips and kisses my knuckles.

“Are you sure you won’t change your mind in two months?”

“Come on, Opie,” he pushes. “Stop coming up with excuses to keep hiding our relationship from the family, and let me take you to prom.”

“Speaking of our families, what happens when my mom asks who’s taking me?” I question. “She already gives me enough crap for not telling her who my Mystery Man is. You really think she’ll let me sneak out the back door in my prom dress without giving her an introduction?”

“So give her one,” he offers.

Aaaand, there’s the heart flutter again.

Pushing the feeling aside, I force myself to focus on our reality instead.

“Mav,” I start.

“I’m serious.” He pecks the tip of my nose and drops his hand to his lap. “Introduce me.”

“If I introduce you to my parents, then…”

“Then what?”

“Then it makes”—I wiggle my finger between us—“thisofficial. Are you sure you’re ready?”

Gently, he pushes me back onto the mattress and rolls on top of me, pinning me to it. “You’re my ride or die, Goose. And I know you’ve been putting off announcing our relationship to our families because you’re scared I’ll change my mind, but I won’t. The things you want? The future you want? I wanna give those to you. Like I said, I’m not gonna change my mind.”

I search his expression for sincerity and find it in spades. The softness in his eyes. The affection shining in them. The way it warms me from the outside in, making me feel beautiful and special and delicate and so many more emotions I want to wrap myself up in him and never leave.

“How do you know you won’t change your mind?” I whisper.

“I just do,” he replies, simply. “I’m tired of keeping this casual when what I feel for you is so much more. I want the rest of the world—including our families—to know you’re mine.”

Mine.

He’s never claimed me. I mean, he has. But not like this. Not so pointedly. We’ve talked about the future. About what we’ll do at LAU, and how it’s only a matter of time until we tell our families we’ve been seeing each other. But I always figured it was nothing more than talk. He’d grow bored or have cold feet by the time my graduation actually rolled around, and he’d back out. He’d change his mind. He’d break my heart.

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