If Only I Knew How to Hate You

Bailey

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“…No.”

“Ha, yes.”

His happy laugh drew me in and made me unable to refuse it. I could only sigh, biting my lip and wondering what I was getting myself into. “We’re crazy,” was all I could finally mutter, burying myself into his shirt.

Our ‘audience’ laughs as Alex wraps his arms around me and plucks the notebook off from my lap. “Okay, this place, those flowers, those cards, aaaand that center piece,” he announces.

“Sure,” I shrug, moving my arm behind us to give him a backscratch. He shifts a little, only so I’ll hit his shoulder blade. I smile absently at how predictable he is. I glance at the book and nod. “Okay.” I kiss his lips.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” he bites his lip, pulling back. “My parents are coming to town.”

This new year is not what I expected, that’s for sure. Mostly because I started it with a make-out session with Alex Gaskarth, who I swore [probably several times] that I would hate for the rest of my life. But no, it’s the other way around. So it was obvious, I suppose, that I took everything back to his place and the dogs were happy with me back.

Not to mention, Missy announced that the two of us just had to put on a real wedding for everyone. Who knows why? But before I knew it, it was February and she had brought me several wedding books. Alex had mentioned it to his parents, and his mom announced that she had to come help with the wedding.

“She’s going to kill me. Or the other way around,” I warn him during breakfast the day they are supposed to arrive. I made eggs [my specialty- and the only thing I can currently make] and he made coffee. We feed the leftovers to the dogs.

“It’ll be fine,” he kisses my forehead before sitting down next to me with his sketchpad, seeing as he needs to be writing some songs now for their next album. “You’ll be fine.”

Then something comes to me. “You know what? Let’s not do this.”

“What?” He freezes.

I shrug. “I mean, it’s not like you ever asked me, you know.”

“What?” He blinks.

“The question,” I roll my eyes and give him a pointed look. “I mean, we were drunk the last time it happened. And now? Missy wants to be a part of it. So it’s like we’re going to get married twice-”

“The first time wasn’t legal,” he reminds me.

“And we didn’t tell anyone,” I shoot back at him.

He narrows his eyes playfully at me. “You’re a sneak.”

I just shrug.

Chuckling to himself, he stands up, dropping his pen, and pulls back my chair. “What…” I trail off as he pulls me up and starts humming- a waltz. He spins me around with a wicked smile. He’s only got his jeans on for the day- baggy ones, at that, for lazy days. And me? I’m still in my shorts and a tank from bed. So it makes no sense to really be dancing, and my cheeks are beginning to flush… Still, I can’t help but return a foolish smile, my heart beating a little quicker, as we start twirling around the kitchen and living room, the dogs at our feet barking happily at us.

“I suppose,” he breaks in after a moment. “It’s a good thing, after all, I got this polished.” And somehow, he slips the ring on my finger. I stare at it a moment, surprised, before looking at him and staring at his smirk. “Marry me?”

“You little rat,” I narrow my eyes, unable to believe he thinks he can get away with this so casually. And yet he can. I wrap my arms around him, wrapping my legs around his waist. Before he can say anything out of surprise, I plant my lips on his. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”