32. We’ve always been weird.
32
"We’ve always been weird."
Aaron Miles
Monsieur Leon is a busy place, and a few diners recognize us as we come in. It happens pretty often, but it’s always weird to eat with an audience. Thankfully, the restaurant staff manage to find us another table in a more intimate corner.
Even if we can’t pronounce half of the dishes they’re serving, so far, everything is delicious.
I’m seated next to Marissa, and as soon as I’m done eating my steak, I lean back against my chair, placing an arm around her shoulders. I’ve bee n dying to feel her close to me all night.
Her body goes rigid, and realizing what I’m doing, I yank my arm back, knocking my fork on the floor in the process. We both lean forward to pick it up, bumping our foreheads as we sit back up.
“Are you okay?” I ask, caressing her forehead with my thumb. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s my fault,” she says with an awkward chuckle. “I’m fine. Strong head.”
She tilts her head to the side, her sparkling eyes locked on me, and I smile. How could I not when this amazing woman is gazing at me with so much tenderness?
“You guys are weird,” Adler says. That’s when I realize everyone at the table has gone quiet, enjoying the most awkward show in history.
“No, we’re not,” I blurt, snapping toward him.
“We’ve always been weird,” Marissa says, draping her napkin back on her lap.
Adler frowns, shaking his head vehemently. “You’re weirder . If I was your girlfriend, I’d freak, bro.”
I frown. “I d—”
Marissa kicks me under the table, and I stare at her, wondering what I did wrong. Then it hits me. I’m supposed to be dating someone other than Marissa, as far as everyone else is concerned. Sheesh! This thing is really not easy.
“I don’t know why,” I say, forcing a smile. “Marissa and I are friends, always have been. She can’t have a problem with that.”
“Most chicks would, though,” he says, taking a swig of his drink. “Did you even invite her tonight?”
What’s with James and his need to defend this woman he hasn’t even met? Not to mention doesn’t exist. “I did,” I say, trying to hide the irritation in my voice. “She had to work.”
“Yeah? What does she do?” Hawthorne asks. I know it’s a perfectly reasonable question, but beads of sweat form on my neck. I’ve never felt as much in the hot seat as I do now.
“She’s a waitress at a restaurant downtown.”
“Oh! Next time we’ll have to go to her restaurant in that case!” Beaumont says.
“Right, because she really wants to wait on her boyfriend and his annoying friends,” I grumble.
“What do you mean? We’re adorable!” Beaumont retorts, making everyone laugh.
“No, but seriously. She wouldn’t enjoy that. We’ll just do something when she’s off.”
Adler glances between Marissa and me one more time, then nods. “Sounds good.”
I seize the opportunity to flip the conversation around to the new James Bond movie, and it works like a charm. We keep the weird and awkward moments to a minimum for the rest of the meal, simply enjoying a night out with friends.
Marissa Martin
“James has a good eye,” I say, chuckling as we cross the threshold of Aaron’s apartment. “Who knew he was so observant?” Despite how uncomfortable and extremely close of a call that was, it was kind of fun.
“He’s one of the best wingers in the league. He has to be observant. Nothing gets past him.” He grins, taking his coat off. “Are you going to read before bed?”
“Yes. I’m loving this secret dating romance,” I say with a smile.
“Oh! You’ll have to tell me more about that. Any pointers?”
I give him a confident nod. “So far, it looks like we’re doing great. But I’ll report back if there’s a new development.”
Laughing, we collapse on the couc h and settle into our favorite reading position. Aaron lying on the chaise, me resting my head on his torso. There’s nothing more relaxing than reading while listening to Aaron Miles’s steady heartbeat. Even if his torso is a little hard, it’s very comfortable.
I’m almost done with my chapter when he kisses my forehead, making my entire body erupt in tingles.
“I still can’t believe you loved me all these years,” I say in a near-whisper.
“Is it really that hard to believe? You're a lovable person,” he says, a chuckle vibrating through his core.
“You know what I mean. I'm not exactly your type,” I mumble, my ears suddenly burning. In the fifteen years we’ve known each other, I’ve never really talked to Aaron about my insecurities. Probably because they felt so intrinsic to my attraction to him.
“What are you talking about?” he asks, moving slightly, and I raise my head to meet his eyes. “I have a feeling I won’t like where this is going.”
I sit up, wrapping my arms around my knees. “It’s just, you never really dated anyone who looks like me, you know? The same body type.”
His brow furrows. “I don’t get it. Your body is perfection, Marissa. Like every other part of you. What’s not to like? The girls I dated were just a distraction, and the ones who looked remotely like you, I spent all my time comparing to you. Needless to say, they all fell short. That's why those relationships never lasted. It was always you.”
“Really?” I ask, my heart soaring in my chest as if it was just launched on a high-speed roller coaster.
“Of course.” He takes my hand, caressing my palm with his fingers. “I didn’t know you felt this way.”
I twist my mouth. “I like the way I look, and I know I’m never going to be thin like some of the other girls—it’s just not who I am. But it’s hard to feel pretty next to them sometimes. Especially when I’m dating a hotshot hockey player.”
“See, I don’t understand that,” he says, shaking his head. “First of all, you’re always the prettiest girl in the room. Hands down. And second, half of my teeth are fake, and my body is full of bruises and cuts. Nothing pretty about that.”
I chuckle, my heart still glowing as sparks dance through my chest. “Thanks for saying that.”
“I mean it,” he says, squeezing my hand. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I do.” I nod, snuggling into his arms again. And it’s true. Even if it’s not always easy being a plus-size girlie, I do know Aaron loves me for who I am. It felt impossible before, but the way he treats me, ho w he looks at me, says everything.
“Plus, what’s on the outside isn’t what matters,” he says. “I’m more in awe that, even knowing everything about me, you still wanted me.”
I glance up at him. “What's not to like?”
“Um, I wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine growing up. Heck, I’m still not.”
“You were to me,” I say, tracing lines on his perfect torso. Aaron is the only one who can make me laugh with a simple look, or bring me from sadness to happiness with a word.
“Only because you didn't judge. I was an angry kid with loads of issues, and you still became friends with me. And your dad—well, he saved me. Who knows where I’d be today if it weren’t for him? Probably dead or in jail.”
“Don’t say that!” I sit back next to him. The look in his eyes tells me he’s serious.
“It's true. Where do you think my parents are today? Probably one of those two.”
“Do you think about them often? You never bring them up,” I say, picking a pillow and settling it on my lap.
He lets out a sigh. “What's there to talk about? They left me, so I don’t want to lose a single minute thinking about them. I just got lucky I found my real family.”
“We were lucky too, you know. T here was an empty space that you filled. You helped us as much as we helped you.” I mean every word. When Aaron came into our lives, it was like a new beginning. My dad was excited to have a boy to show things to, and I was glad to have someone new to hang out with. I wasn’t exactly popular at school, but Aaron and I clicked immediately.
He draws me into a hug. “I’m sure your mom is watching over you and is so proud of you.” He kisses my temple. “Like your dad is. Like I am.”
“Thanks for saying that. She'd probably be rooting for us.” I laugh. “Apparently, she was a hopeless romantic.”
“She’d be right to be,” he says, tilting my chin until I’m staring at him. “Because we’re getting that happily ever after. I’m sure of it.”