Because It's You (Carolina Rebels 2)

We go inside and get to work. We got Marc his own set of keys made this evening before we went to Noah and Meredith’s, since I like to keep a spare set stored away. Marc doesn’t have much, which doesn’t surprise me. He has more clothes than anything else. I need another closet. It takes a lot of rearranging between the closet and the dresser to fit all his clothes inside. Most important detail is it feels right and I’m happy.

My first week with Marc goes smoothly. He’s not even there for part of it because they had an away game in Canada yesterday. He came home late, woke me briefly, and I let him get his sleep this morning since they have a home game tonight, so I didn’t get to talk to him. I probably won’t until after the game.

Sylvia and the girls spot me first when I walk into the box. The twins rush me and hug me, wanting to know when the next sleepover is. For a moment, I panic. My home will look a little different with Marc living there, but the girls like him and I’m sure they won’t care all that much, if they even realize that he’s living there.

“Hey,” Sylvia says as I sit next to her.

“Hey.” Might as well get the elephant out of the room. “You’re forgiven, but I’m not budging where my parents are concerned. Not yet anyway. That’s all I’m saying tonight.”

Sylvia leans over to hug me. “Thank you. I’m sorry.”

I nod and know we can move past it. Too much has happened between us for our friendship to be broken so easily. Sylvia has been there for me through so much; that can’t be overlooked. Ever. With a deep breath and a smile, I lean back, talk with Sylvia, Meredith when she arrives, and Stella and Stephanie, too, and watch my man play hockey. I’ll admit and say that I come to chat with the women just as much as I do to come watch Marc. He still insists that I don’t have to come even half the time, but I think I’ll come often. He’s supportive of my dream, and this is how I know I can be supportive of his career.

I end up talking so much that I miss most of the action, but I see enough to know what we won one to zero.

“Did you see how freaked he was?” I look over my shoulder at the sound of Marc’s voice.

“I just don’t understand how she didn’t know.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Meredith asks.

“Ian left in a hurry because apparently, his girlfriend who isn’t really his girlfriend and who didn’t know he was living in North Carolina was at the game tonight. Now, she knows he lives here,” Noah says.

“But she didn’t know he was a hockey player either, it seems. Crazy shit. He was freaking out and in a rush to go explain things to her.”

“Wow,” Sylvia breathes, totally enjoying the juicy gossipy-ness of it all. “What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when he’s explaining himself. I wonder how he came to lie to her in the first place, though.”

“We don’t know he lied,” Meredith points out.

“He didn’t tell the truth,” I say.

“He’s not any of your problems,” Noah butts in. “Let’s go, Mere. See you guys later.”

I hang out with Sylvia while Marc plays with Stella and Stephanie until Scott makes his way to us. Things feel good and normal and amazing. Scott and Marc still have their kinks to work out, but I’m sure those will get sorted. Marc and I get to test the waters of living together. When we get home, Marc relaxes on the couch and I straddle his lap.

“I have a confession to make.”

“What’s that?” he asks, squeezing my thigh.

“My birthday was Wednesday. I turned twenty-six.”

Marc sits up. “Why didn’t you tell me? Fuck. Why haven’t I ever asked when it was?”

“I haven’t celebrated it in forever and honestly, I forgot about it until you had already left on your trip. I didn’t want to tell you while you were gone.”

He grabs my face, a fierce look in his eyes. “From now on, we both celebrate birthdays. We’ll do like Christmas, if we need to. I don’t celebrate birthdays either. Francis made them hell, but we’re changing that. Mine is November eleventh. Sound good?”

I nod and he lays back down. “How are we going to celebrate them?”

/> “Well, I’m going to buy you a present tomorrow. I think a laid back, simple, spend it with you kind of birthday sounds good, don’t you?”

I lean down to rest my head on his shoulder. “Yeah.”

“So, once I know what day off I have next week, call in sick to work, and we’ll spend the day together being lazy.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

We’re quiet for a bit before Marc speaks. “Will you promise me one thing, Elizabeth?”