Page 84 of What if It's Us

She shakes her head. “But…I…”

“I’ve been waiting for you, Marlee.”

Dumbfounded, she sits back against the bench mulling over her thoughts, circling her straw through her slushie. “Well, do you think it’s happening too fast? I mean, what happens if we do this? What happens if we start something together and I do get pregnant and then it all just…falls apart?”

“What would make you think things will fall apart?”

Her shoulders drop and she glances away toward the setting sun. “Because that’s how all my relationships end. Or have ended, I guess. In the past, I mean. They all collapse at some point.”

Slurping my slushie, I consider her words even though I know what I’m going to say next. “Maybe all those relationships were meant to happen, Marlee. Maybe they were all meant to teach you something along the way, or help you grow as a person so when you finally end up with me, it changes the course of the rest of your life.”

The corners of her mouth lift and a weight inside my chest lightens. “You think you’re that life-changing, huh?”

“Where you’re concerned? I know I am, Marlee.”

She’s the one thing in my life that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt will be the best decision I ever made.

It’s not finally calming down for my family.

It’s not wanting to take my adoptive family’s last name.

It’s not even hockey.

It’s her.

Falling for Marlee and waiting for her is the best decision I will ever make.

I know it.

“We’re here,” I tell her. “You and me. Red and blue tongues, questionable course safety hazards, and weird pirate statues.”

She laughs but I continue. “Maybe we’re not doing this whole thing in the most conventional of ways, but we’re doing it together, remember?” I graze my knuckles just under her chin,bringing her face toward me. “You’re not alone in this, Mar. No matter what happens. I promised you that you would never be alone if you didn’t want to be, and I meant it.”

She sips her slushie and then leans her head on my shoulder.

“Thank you,” she murmurs.

“For what?”

“For pulling me out of my own head.”

I press a kiss to the top of hers and then pull her lips to mine, a gentle swipe of my tongue giving me a sweet taste of her blue raspberry slushie. “Anytime, babe. But next time, I get to win mini golf.”

She huffs a silent laugh when I lean over and take an actual sip from her straw and I can tell she’s hiding her grin. “You can try.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MARLEE

Me

Important question. Like, life or death over here. Don’t judge me.

Ledger

LOL. Literally already judging but proceed.

Me

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