Marriage For One

Why would I do that when all I want is you? I want us to stop pretending too.”

Rose: And before you say no, it doesn’t have to mean anything but that, just a kiss. The truth is you’ve slowly become this adept kisser and I think I wouldn’t mind kissing you right now. I’d like to call it a pity kiss. If that’s not okay since no one would be around to see it, I understand that.

Just as the machine started up, I put my hand on the only part of her body I could reach without pushing my arm into the tunnel: her ankle.

“Oh, okay. Yeah. Then I shouldn’t keep you.”

I wanted her to keep me forever.

His hand gave mine a squeeze, which was his version of I’m listening, I supposed. My heart rate picking up, I whispered, “That just happened, right? You want to…you want us to date? As in be boyfriend and girlfriend?”

He gave me a long look. “More like husband and wife, don’t you think?”

My eyes closed on their own and my lips parted—partly in shock, partly because the response was automatic. He didn’t kiss me like he had the night before, didn’t leave me feeling hungry for more, but as soon as he had the opportunity, he molded our lips together and kissed me longer, gentle and soft.

“You’re not alone in this. I’m right here, Rose. We’ll figure it out together. We have each other now.”

“You’re not alone in this. I’m right here, Rose. We’ll figure it out together. We have each other now.”

“I want to be that person to you, Rose. I want to be the person you lean on. You and I, we’re the same. We have no one but each other. You’ll lean on me and I’ll do the same. We’ll learn how. We’re in this together.”

Rose: They didn’t mess it up. It’s just that…last week you brought them in yourself, and that was more…something, I guess.