Page 40 of Why Not Forever?

I laugh. “Vic, you spent an hour showing me how to load and unload your dishwasher. The chore chart you made is colour-coded.”

She huffs. “I like things done a particular way.”

“I’m not saying I mind. So you like to be in control. To be honest, it kind of makes my life easier. I don’t have to think about when something needs to be done. And if it gives me something to tease you about, so much the better.”

She sends me a withering glance. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t.”

“Nah. You like it when I tease you. If you didn’t, you’d get mad instead of snarky.”

I wait for her to protest, to tell me I’m wrong. She doesn’t say anything.

“Hm?” I say after a moment. “Were you going to agree with me?”

“I was not,” she says. “I’m also not going to lie.”

I laugh and we drive in silence for a bit, while I consider the past month and a half of marriage, of this conversation, of something I’d like to clear up, to make sure we’re on the same page. I take a breath and say, “I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s that?” She changes lanes, getting off the highway.

“I’ve noticed, since we got married, that you treat me differently than I thought you would.”

“How did you think I was going to treat you?”

This is stupid. I shouldn’t have brought it up, but I forge ahead anyway. “It almost feels like we’re friends again.”

She snorts. “And? You were going to ask a question.”

I decide to come right out and say it. “Are we friends, Vic? It’s just, you hated me for a long time.”

She sighs. “I never hated you. I hated the circumstances we were in. It took me a long time to reconcile that the circumstances weren’t your fault. But I also knew every time I saw you, I would be reminded of them and how much it hurt that he chose you over me. Some guy he didn’t know over his own daughter.”

I wince. “You should know, Vic. I never considered he would choose meoveryou. I thought he would choose meas well asyou. I was just as shocked as you must have been when I found out I was hired and you weren’t. I’m really sorry.”

She doesn’t look at me, focused on driving, but I can see the sad smile. “I don’t blame you, Tanner.”

“What changed?”

“Time, first of all.” She shrugs. “It’s been over seven years now. My father has done more things that make me angry, that have hurt. There are more things that had nothing to do with you. I tried to cut him and Mom off once, you know. Go no contact, or super low contact, like Spencer is with his dad.” She shakes her head. “It didn’t work out very well.”

I want to ask what happened, why it didn’t work out, but she sighs and continues. “Then you came to me to tell me what he wanted. You decided not to manipulate me like he wanted you to do. You could have come to me, asked me out, been super charming. Instead, you decided to be honest with me. I appreciate that.”

I scoff. “You wouldn’t have given me the time of day if I’d tried to be charming.”

She sends me another of those glances. “I think you underestimate how sexy you are.”

My brain does the equivalent of a record scratch. Excuse me, what? The memory of that white paper rose in the vase flashes through my mind. I’ve spent more time looking at it than I care to admit over the last few weeks. Could I have gotten her back? Despite the mess of emotions, I give her my most cheeky grin.

“Are you telling me you find your husband sexy and charming, Mrs. Marcus?” I say.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she responds, dryly. I can hear the eye roll, even if I can’t see it.

She parks in front of my parents’ apartment. We get out of the car and Vic takes the present from the back seat. I grab her free hand before she can go inside. She looks up at me, her clear blue eyes finding mine, asking me without words what I want to say.

“I feel like I should return the compliment,” I say. “You are not charming at all.”

She folds her arms over her chest, the gift bag dangling from her fingers, and raises an eyebrow. “Gee, thanks.”

“But you are fucking gorgeous.” I lift a hand to brush back a strand of hair that has escaped her neat twist. “And what you lack in charm, you make up for by being absolutely fascinating.”

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