Three
1033 Words
Reginald:
Not once has she tried to pull away. The smile on her face lights up her eyes in a way I thought I'd never be able to see. My entire body is still on fire from that kiss. We had never gone further than what our first kiss had been. This was hungry and there was so much in it. She had blown my mind. I still can't put words together.
"I thought you were mad at me," she said when we started eating and everyone else fell into an easy chatter.
"Mad at you?" I asked pulling her closer and she let me.
"Yeah, cause of what I said?" she looked up at me making me smile at her.
"No, I thought you were mad because I said no. Mikhail said no one ever says no to you,"
She laughed her body shaking against mine. "No one has ever told me no. It hurt coming form you. I'm not going to lie,"
"That's probably not going to be the only time I say no," I informed her truthfully. She looked at me with a smile on her face.
"I know," she laughed. "I'm excited about that. I have never been put in my place until now and I have to tell you it was a little liberating,"
"What?" I laughed.
"It's like the weight of the world fell off my shoulders," she rested her head on my chest.
"Then you're welcome?" I asked unsurely.
"Don't get used to though. I'll fight back sometimes,"
She lifted her hand and looked at the ring. Mikhail and I looked everywhere for that thing. When he called and said he had it I rushed over to him as fast as I could and he had been right it was perfect.
"Do you like it?" I asked.
"I never really liked jewelry," she said looking up at me. "But this. It's beautiful,"
We just watched everyone talk then I drove us home. I think I answered a few things here and there, but the truth is that I feel immense relief. I seriously considered coming home alone tonight. With an unsure answer from Rip. When she looked at me and smiled before looking at everyone I had known her answer already.
She hadn't hesitated like I thought she was. She didn't even think about it. It had come to her as a shock, but there was clarity in her thoughts. I had learned to read her reactions closely always watching to see if she would change her mind about me and she hasn't yet.
"I think we should talk about this," she said turning to face. We were halfway home. Slight panic. Did I celebrate too soon?
"What?" I asked and she laughed.
"No, Reg. I didn't change my mind. I want to know what you want out of this,"
"Okay. What does that mean?" I asked confused.
"I mean, what did you have in mind? A proposal means a wedding. I don't know if you knew that?"
I laughed. "Of course I knew that, Rip. I just... I don't know don't girls have like a grand idea of that since they're born?"
"I never liked someone enough to ever consider something like this. Miranda planned the arranged marriage. I kinda just showed up at stuff and said sure," I take a deep breath every time she brings that up. I hate Miranda and that f*****g Stephen guy. "What do you think about when you think of a wedding?"
"Ripley Hemingway in a white dress," I answered.
"What did you think about before that?" she pressed. "You have an image of what you want, tell me, please. I'm not good at this,"
"Fine," I shrugged, sneaking a glance at her before turning my attention back to the road. "My mom used to tell me about my dad. She said she knew that he wasn't her mate, but she couldn't help it. She fell in love with his charisma. The way he was with his pack. He had found his mate a couple of years prior, but she died. Yet there was this spark in him. He didn't lose the love of his pack with her.
"She said that if he could he would have brought down the stars and moon for her. She knew he had loved her and it was beautiful. When she was with Gabriel she said it was easy to love him. It had been as it should. However, the love she shared with my father, it was a mystery because it was never supposed to happen. Lost in the Universe,"
"Okay, now I have a visual," she smiled, sitting against the seat.
"Care to share?"
"Lost in the Universe. Being an artist really is annoying as it is amazing," she said reaching for her sketchbook.
"You don't have to pick it right now," I let her know with a smile. "You don't have to pick that for me,"
"Reginald, I've done things for others when they mean very little to me. This is for you as well as it is for me. What makes you happy makes me even happier. I'm really simple to please because I have no expectations for anything whatsoever,"
"Why?" I asked. "You should expect the world to be handed to you. It's the least you deserve,"
"I got tired of being disappointed. I figured if I didn't expect something. I wouldn't feel that disappointing feeling in me towards those I love,"
"Did you just dodge all the bad in the world?" I asked pulling into the garage.
"No, I turned them into things I liked. Sadness, painting. Stress, building. Anger, killing. Happiness, being salty. Then everything else fell into place. It felt normal for a while,"
"Now?" she turned to smile at me.
"Now my mind is blown away when something as amazing as what you did today happens," she's drawing again.
"Do you feel sad?" I asked.
"Sadness is just the instant before happiness. To be sad is to be happy,"
"Who talks like that? Like Yoda?"
"My mom. You have to it down and have a conversation with her. It's going to change your life,"
- Writer
