Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Mom beams, and I don’t think it’s just the promise of a visit making her smile so widely.
“Hey, Donovan. Good to see you too.” Mom hugs him next, just as his parents come up the sidewalk behind us.
“Hey, baby.” His mom hugs him.
“Hey, Mama.”
“How you doin’, kid?” asks his dad before they embrace as well, followed by the same hellos to me.
I feel like the news could burst out of me any second, like if I don’t tell them right now, I’ll explode with it.
I can’t help the guilt that churns in my gut either. Are they going to think Donovan felt forced to marry me because I don’t have my shit together?
He frowns at me slightly, as if he can see the turmoil going on inside me. I give him a small smile, not wanting him to think I’m having any regrets.
I signal toward the couch, and we walk over. Donovan sits down first, and I do the same, keeping close, legs touching, drawing courage from him.
“Donovan and I are married!” I blurt out, and Maggie gasps. I slap a hand over my mouth. Oops! It wasn’t supposed to come out that way.
Donovan sighs. “I thought we were going to slowly work them into that part?”
“Married??” Mom asks at the same time as Calvin’s, “What’chu mean you’re married?”
Before I have the chance to explain, Donovan says, “It was my idea.”
“It was my fault,” I add. “He wouldn’t have had the idea if I wasn’t a dipshit.”
Donovan turns to me. “What? You’re not a dipshit. I hate it when you talk about yourself like that.”
“Can someone please tell us what’s going on?” Mom asks.
I’m the one who started this, so I make sure I’m the one to tell them about it. “When I left my old job to work with Cliff, I knew he wouldn’t offer medical insurance. Yes, I quit my job with coverage to go somewhere that didn’t have it because, well, like I said—dipshit.”
“Or, you know, someone who cares about others and tried to help out someone you thought was a friend,” Donovan defends me, reaching over and lacing our fingers together. “When he broke his ankle and I found out he didn’t have medical coverage, I sorta lost it. I was worried for him. You never know what will happen, and I let my fear of having been sick as a kid take over and came up with the plan for us to get married and put Eric on my medical insurance. He only did it so I wouldn’t worry so much.”
“That’s not true. I did it because I thought it would be fun to be married to you.”
Calvin cuts in. “Would the two of you stop defending each other like you’re being attacked?”
“We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on,” Maggie adds.
“It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, for the insurance and while I got back on my feet.” My stomach cramps with nerves. “I wasn’t trying to take advantage of him. I love Donovan more than anything in this world.”
“Oh, Eric,” Maggie says. “No one would ever think that. We know how much you love him. I’m just trying to understand. A marriage of convenience? We thought…”
“We are,” Donovan says. “We realized over the past few months that we’re in love.”
“And probably always have been in love,” I continue.
“And now we’re together for real.” Donovan squeezes my hand.
Our parents are quiet for a moment, making sweat bead on my brow. Did we misjudge this? Do they hate the idea of us together?
“I’m going to take care of him,” spills from my lips. “Not that Donovan really needs me to take care of him, but I’m not going to make foolish decisions anymore, and I’ll pay my own way. I’m serious about starting a business, and I swear I’ll be whom he deserves.”
Donovan turns sideways on the couch so he’s facing me again. “What are you talking about? You don’t have to do anything to be who I deserve. You don’t really feel that way, do you?”
I look away, insecurity clawing at me. “You’ve always had your shit together, and I’m the guy following you around. I wasn’t good enough for college, bounced from job to job, couldn’t afford my apartment. You had to marry me to get me out of my mistakes.”
“No. I didn’t. I married you because I love you, even before I realized I’m in love with you.” I can’t help but look at him as he speaks. “We’re a mess—both of us. You feeling like you’re not good enough for me, me feeling like I’ll never be good enough for you. I’ve never understood what you see in me, even when it was just you befriending me, and then everything with Malcolm happened, which ruined my self-esteem even more. But we do deserve each other, and we are good for each other. You have such a big fucking heart, Eric, and that’s my favorite thing about you. I don’t care if you went to college or have your own business or anything like that. I just want you.”