It used to be about the big moments, the gestures that made a splash to get her to take notice of me. Now it’s the nightly routine that has us returning to each other every night to fall asleep together.
Reaching the end of the path, I stop, tipped over with my hands resting above my knees. It’s fucking freezing this morning, but somehow, Rad convinced me to go for a run. I wanted to say no, but he said he needed to talk to me about something important regarding Tealey.
The girl’s like my little sister. If something’s going on with her, I need to know.
I’m also desperate to get out of my own head and in need of the distraction from the situation with the lawsuit.
We start walking to catch our breath after thinking it was a good idea to race the last half mile to get to this finish line. Reality check: we are not young enough for this anymore. “I’m blaming the thin air,” I say, glancing at Rad. He’s not doing much better. “I want to get back in shape.”
He says, “What are you doing? Weights?”
“Yeah, but I’m stiff. I need to run more.”
He reaches over and shoves my arm. “You and Marlow are settled into playing house. Next thing you know, you’ve packed on the love pounds. That’s what Tealey calls them.”
I rub my stomach, thinking he’s right on those pounds. Fuck. “So what’d you want to talk about?”
“Before we get into it, Tealey sent me on a mission to find out new details about you and Marlow. Apparently, quick glimpses into your relationship over brunch isn’t enough, so you gotta give me something to take home, man.”
I chuckle, running my hand over my hair. “It’s good. Is it bad to worry about jinxing it?”
“Why would you worry about that?”
“Because Marlow and I both suck at relationships—”
“Nah, don’t do that, Jackson. The past isn’t a reflection on the future unless you don’t learn from it.” He veers off the path into the winter grass and stands near the edge of the lake. Squatting down, he keeps his sights on the water when he continues, “I’m sorry works wonders if you mean it and not fucking up in the first place does an even better job.” He stands back up. “Trust me, I know. We all fuck up. All of us, but you and Marlow will do what you and Marlow do. If you start stressing about what will happen, you’ll lose sight of what’s happening in the present.” We get back on the path and start walking again. “Are you happy?”
“I’m happy.” Picking up the pace, we fall into a steady jog.
“Then just be happy.”
I like how it sounds like a decision I need to make. Maybe I’m overthinking it, and it’s just a choice I make. “So what’s going on with Tealey?”
Rad says, “I asked her to marry me, and then life got in the way. I want to remedy that.”
It’s not so much surprise I feel but fascinated that he’s bringing it up. It’s not been my business to ask about the pace of their relationship, but it seems like it’s been longer than either of them thought it would be. “What are you thinking?”
He stops again and replies, “I’m going to see if she’ll get married at the courthouse.”
I’m already shaking my head. “That won’t work. We’re talking about Tealey, right? Tealey Bell, the girl who used to make us watch When Harry Met Sally every Christmas break and who boycotted Friends for a season, which she still won’t watch because Ross thought he was on a break when he cheated. The same Tealey that just last year was crying because—”
“First of all, I was a stupid asshole last year, so we don’t need to dredge that back up. Secondly,” he says, ticking off each finger. “Ross and Rachel were on a break. I’m a divorce attorney. Dating someone else when the primary couple is not together is not cheating.”
I pat his back. “You should probably keep that argument from Tealey if you want to live another day.”
“She knows I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. That woman has owned my heart from the moment I met her.”
“Then stop being an asshole and marry her,” I say, laughing.
“She’s so busy with her fundraising events that she put me off twice.”
“Tealey is a saint—”
“She sure is for putting up with me.”
“Yes, for that, but also because she will always put others first, even if it means sacrificing her personal happiness. She has a heart of gold and deserves the same energy she gives others. She’d marry you at the courthouse if that’s what you wanted.”
“But how do I get her there? I want to give her the world, Jackson. I don’t know how to make her take it?”