Page 27 of The Puck Decoy

“Nice abs,” she coos sweetly, switching tactics just like she always used to do, trying to catch me off guard, and I laugh.

“Yeah, and nice legs,” I reply instantly, shuffling around trying once again to get comfy.

“Oh my god if I have to listen to you move around one more time I am going to scream,” she snaps, sitting up to glare at me. “Just get in the bed.”

My entire body freezes. “You want me to get in the bed with you?” I confirm, almost sure I misheard her. We’ve shared a room before, but never a bed.

“Yes, I cannot listen to you fidgeting all night, not when things are already dire for me right now, so just get up here,” she demands.

Well, who am I to disobey my wife?

I stretch out my limbs before grabbing my pillows and making my way over to the free side of the bed she has left space on. It’s weird to see someone in my bed, even her, mostly because I never have girls in my bed, ever. Once you let them in your bed it’s hard for you to get them to leave, so I just don’t do it with any girl. But Hallie isn’t any girl, not before today, and definitely not now she’s mine.

Slowly climbing into bed beside her I am immediately assaulted by her scent, and have to force myself to not make any sort of joke. Especially when I feel her stiffening as I lay down beside her. It has me wondering if she has ever shared a bed with someone before.

Only once I’m settled does she reach out to my nightstand and turn out my light, the soft hum of the fan noise from my phone, the only company surrounding us. Other than that and the sound of our breathing it’s silent, and it’s in that silence that I think about the magnitude of what we did today.We got married. I married her. I am someone’s husband, she is my wife.

“Josh,” she whispers into the dark. “Can I ask you something?” She’s so quiet that once she stops speaking I could almost pretend she isn’t here, yet I can feel her everywhere. Which is strange since we aren’t even touching.

“You can ask me anything,” I tell her the same thing I’ve told her since she was nine, and prepare for one of her unusual questions or topics.

“Well, it’s two things really.”

I bite back a smile even though she can’t see me as I reply, “I’m sure I can manage both.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you went to see my parents?” Her question shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. I know she’s close to her parents, and I knew at some point she would tell them herself and that it would be the truth. When I don’t reply right away she adds, “And why did you go and see them? Why did you ask for my dad’s permission?”

“That’s three questions,” I remark, and three seconds later a pillow is bashed into my stomach. “Okay, okay, relax,” I huff, tossing the pillow to the floor and thinking carefully about my answer before I respond. “I guess I had so much on my mind that I forgot to tell you. It didn’t feel important to me that you know, but I knew it was important for me to go. You have great parents, Hals, they are smart, kind, supportive, and have always been there for you no matter what. I see what you have with them and I know it’s a gold mine, what every child should have, and not enough do. I went to see them because I respect them, and I respect their daughter, and I didn’t want them hearing about it from anyone else. And I asked your dad’s permission because despite this being fake, my caring for you is very real. You’re important to me, you’re my family, and I needed him to know that no matter what I have your back, always.”

She’s quiet for so long that I almost think she has fallen asleep, until she eventually replies, “Do you really have an off limits rule on me around campus?”

Now that’s something I am definitely not answering, no good will come of me admitting that, or giving her my reasons why. I like my dick unpunched and still attached to me, thank you very much. “That’s too many questions, go to sleep,” I snap out into the dark, and I can practically feel her smile.

“Oh my god you do, don’t you?” she accuses happily, bashing me with yet another pillow.Where the fuck does she keep geeting them from?“Damn, people better be careful around me, apparently my husband is a psycho.”

I laugh as I toss the pillow on her head as I reply, “Yeah so you better tell all your boyfriends to back off.”

She pulls the pillow into her arms and turns onto her side to stare at me. Even in the dark I can feel her looking at me as she laughs, “All my boyfriends? The only boyfriend I’ve ever had went running to the hills as soon as we graduated with no reason why, so I think you’re safe there.”

I’m not sure she means to sound wounded by it, but she does. “Are you talking about Joey?” I ask, remembering that prick's name more than I care to admit.

“Or Jockstrap Jerkoff as he is more affectionately known in my house,” she tosses back, and I can just imagine all the other names her and Maddie must have called him over the years.

“Yeah that suits him to a tea,” I can’t help but snort, thinking about the couple of encounters I had to endure with him.

Hallie is silent for a few seconds before she whispers, “I didn’t realize you really knew him.”

Fuck. Busted.

I aim my response to be as casual as possible. “We may have spoken once or twice.”

Another pillow right in the head.

“What did you do?” she yells, hitting me with the pillow three more times before I grab hold of it to stop her.

“Fucking hell, will you stop with the pillows, and what makes you think I did something?” My voice is that of pure innocence, but she still scoffs a laugh, and I just know she is rolling her eyes.

“Because it’s you. You always do something. Remember when your cousin Jason tried to kiss me at that party, and you broke his nose? Or when that guy from your class was taking pictures of Maddie and me in our swimsuits, and you drowned him in the pool? And don’t even get me started on that creepy guy who used to work for your dad, he ended up in the hospital,you could have killed him,” she rants, listing off only some of my conquests, and I smirk into the dark as I recall them.

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