Like I Would

15

“It’s fine Marc, and I mean, you guys are engaged now, so it had to all happen for a reason, right?” she turned her big hazel eyes toward me, and I swallowed hard, wanting nothing more than to blurt my feelings out to her, ask her why she told me no.

“I don’t know. I mean, I think things happen for a reason, but… she just doesn’t want any of the things I do,” I was going to end up just kicking myself for blurting all this shit out. But it was like before; I could never keep anything from Carly. Except the fact I loved her, somehow I kept that to myself until it was too late.

“What? She would’ve done anything for you,” I shrugged, picking at a loose thread on my shorts.

“No… it’s just… I want to get married and have a home and a family and she’s just so… disinterested in all of that. She hardly wants to do anything with my family, refuses to help Nat out with all this wedding mess… but she wants me to be involved with hers. Only hers, and it just… sometimes it drives me nuts, you know?” Because you told me she could give me things you couldn’t.

“Marc… if you’re not happy you need to do something about it,” she whispered, and I shrugged.

“What can I do now? I asked her to marry me,” I sighed, and she shrugged.

“If she’s putting it off there has to be a reason Marc. Talk to her about it,” she insisted, and I nodded, wanting to end the Angie conversation and get back to catching up.

“So what about you? A super model can’t be single,” I teased, and her face turned a deep shade of red as she shook her head.

“Single as a pringle,” she retorted, and I felt my heart speed up a little bit.

“You’re kidding right?”

“Not even a little Marc. Don’t you think he’d be here with me if there was someone?” she asked in response. I had to admit that one did make sense.

“Yeah I guess. It’s just… I mean… why?” I all but face palmed, my words not coming out the way I needed them to. I could tell Carly was trying not to laugh, and I had to give her credit, but she wasn’t helping.

“Sorry, I mean… you’re gorgeous, you’re funny, you’re smart… I just don’t get how you don’t have someone,” I amended, causing her further embarrassment and bringing on a silence. My words were maybe a little too sincere, and maybe she noticed.

“I just haven’t found the right guy. A few very important men in my life set some pretty high standards,” was her soft answer, a tiny smile on her lips.

“Your dad was pretty amazing,”

“Not just him. Henry, Eric, you… seeing how Henry and Linda are, Tanya and Eric… knowing my dad loved my mom the same way, and then how you were with Angie… I told myself I wasn’t ever going to settle for anything less than that,” she shared, and I felt my mouth go dry.

“And you shouldn’t; you deserve that and more,” my voice was quiet, and I saw her small, but sharp intake of breath, her eyes widening ever so slightly at the way my words had come out.

And then I leaned in to press my lips to hers.
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Sorry that this chapter is so short! It is, however, setting up for some bigger stuff that happens later on!

I hope you like it! :)