Page 7 of What About Now

“Because your sister and my best friend, my brother, are now married, and if this didn’t work out, it would have been awkward.”

“That’s exactly why we need to make this go away.”

I nod. “Yesterday, I would have agreed with you. Today, I’m seeing things differently.”

“Explain that. I don’t understand, Maddox.”

“Today, I woke up with a wife. Not just any wife. It’s you, Brogan. You’re the one I want. I’ve wanted you quietly for months. Now that you’re mine, I can’t fathom changing that.”

“Do you hear yourself? We weren’t even dating, Maddox.”

“Then we’ll date,” I say, shrugging.

“We’re married! This isn’t a game, Maddox.” She pulls in a deep breath, trying to get a hold of her emotions. I watch as each one plays out in her features. Fear, confusion, and damn if I don’t see hope shimmering in her eyes.

“I know, Brogan. I know that this isn’t a game. I know that it’s my life and yours. I know it sounds completely insane, but damn, baby, I don’t want to end this. I want us to stay married. I want you to be mine.” I pause, and since she doesn’t reply, I keep going, spewing all the jumbled thoughts in my mind and in my heart, hoping to convince her this is what I want.

Sheis what I want.

I don’t know what I can say to convince her. I just need time. Time to prove to her that we can be incredible. Time for her to fall in love with me. I’ve wanted her for so long. I need to give her time to catch up. I don’t want to get a divorce. She’s mine, and I want her to stay mine.

“Give me six months,” I blurt.

Her brow furrows in confusion. “What?”

“Six months. Give me six months to prove to you that we are the real deal. We are endgame.”

“You don’t know that, Maddox. You don’t even know me, not really. You might like the idea of a wife, but trust me, you don’t want that person to be me.”

“I do,” I say firmly. It’s not lost on me that those two words are what got us in this situation in the first place. “I know you, Brogan. I know that your nieces and your sister are your entire world. I know that you and your sister have been through hell and back and are still here fighting to tell your story. I know that I’m drawn to you like no one ever before, and I know that I want to give this a shot. Me and you.”

“I’m broken, Maddox.” She shakes her head, sorrow masking her features. “You don’t want to take on all that is me right now. Trust me.”

“Let me prove to you that I do. I want you. You’re not broken, Brogan. You might be a little bruised, but you're stronger than your past.”

“They told you.” She nods, as if she wasn’t sure if I knew her history.

“Emerson sat Lachlan and me down and told us what happened.” Dropping my hands from her face, I stand and hug her tightly to my chest. It’s not until I bend and rest my head on top of hers that I feel her arms wrap around me, returning my embrace. I hold her until she lets go, and even then, I hang on just a little longer before placing my index finger beneath her chin and tilting her eyes to mine.

“I’m a mess, Maddox,” she says, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Therapy is helping, but I don’t want to bring you down with all that.”

“And what about Briar and Forrest? Is she bringing him down? Of course not. Those two are kindred spirits. How do you know that we’re not?” I ask her.

“We’re going to miss our flight,” she says, changing the subject.

“Promise me we’ll talk more about this when we get home?” She nods, but that’s not good enough. “I need your words, Brogan.”

“I promise we’ll talk about this more when we get back to Tennessee.”

I don’t miss that she refused to say home, but that’s okay. I’ve got the entire flight back to form a plan. Six months is all I need to prove to her that we’re meant to be. Fate brought us together in that wedding chapel last night, and who are we to fight against fate?

“Are you packed?” she asks.

I glance over my shoulder to where my luggage sits. “Yeah, I just need to zip it all up. Do you need help?”

I’m greeted with a soft smile. “No. I can manage. Thank you, though.”

“We make a great team, huh?” I say, winking at her.

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