around. I mean, seriously? Why not just leave me if Kayla was the one he wanted to be with? Why wait until she’s pregnant to walk away? I guess I should just be happy he didn’t take me on Jerry Springer to break the news...” She shrugged and scooped out more fried rice onto her plate.
“Enough of my drama, what about you? Do you have anyone serious in your life?” She looked down at her food as she poured soy sauce over her rice.
“I’m not in a relationship.”
Her gaze still downward, she continued pouring soy sauce over the rest of her plate, “What's the longest relationship you’ve had?”
“A couple of years.”
Her eyes shot up to meet his, abandoning her pretense of nonchalance, “Really! That’s a long time. Were you engaged or anything?”
“Nope. Actually, that was part of the reason we broke up. She wanted to move things along and I was more than happy to keep them exactly where they were.”
“Was it just that she wasn’t the right one? Do you ever want to get married?”
If anyone else, at any other time, had asked Riley that question the answer would have come easily - “NO”. But right now, sitting across from Chelle, looking into her big doe eyes...he didn’t know what he felt about wanting to get married. But, regardless of his feelings, the fact that he wouldn’t get married hadn’t changed. That fact remained immutable.
“Whether I want to or not doesn’t matter. I’m not ever getting married.”
Chelle nodded, seeming to understand, “Because of what you saw happen with your Mom and Dad.”
“No.” He hadn’t thought his response had come out sounding harsh, but the hurt expression on Chelle’s face told him it had.
He tried to soften his tone. “I’m just not that 'forever' guy. I’m not cut out for marriage.”
“Really? Why not?”
He didn’t answer. He wasn’t trying to give her the silent treatment or anything. He just didn’t know what to say.
“Is it because you can’t imagine being with only one person for the rest of your life?”
“No,” he answered honestly.
“Then what is it? If it’s not about your parents and it’s not that you don’t think you could be happy with just one person, then what is it?”
Again, he didn’t answer.
After waiting several minutes for him to respond she finally just smiled and said, “Well, I for one think you would make a great husband.”
He didn’t know how she always did that. How she always knew the real reasons behind his behavior. It was like she had a direct line to his soul. It was unnerving.
“And an amazing dad,” she added before stuffing her face full of rice.
She chewed, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel who was storing nuts for the winter. He felt a smile spread across his face. Chelle Thomas was equally as adorable as she was sexy.
--- ~ ---
Chelle laid in bed and mentally kicked herself. Why had she gone down that line of questioning with him?
Oh right, because she had been feeling guilty about their momentary lip-lock and was scared that she may have inadvertently been a participant in cheating. She was not “the other woman” kind of a girl. She liked having a clear conscience and being able to sleep at night (current evidence of both to the contrary!).
She should have just stopped there. As soon as he said he wasn’t in a relationship, she should have zipped it. But, no. She had to add a follow-up question.
And. for the life of her, she could never guess what had prompted her to say that he would make a good husband...and dad.
Holy Flipping Moly!
He had just said in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want to get married. And she had no idea what his feelings were about becoming a father, but she was pretty sure he didn’t need (or want!) her opinion on the matter.
Tossing and turning, she looked over at the clock beside the bed and saw that it was just past one. She had been laying sleeplessly in bed for over two hours and was starting to think that
“Enough of my drama, what about you? Do you have anyone serious in your life?” She looked down at her food as she poured soy sauce over her rice.
“I’m not in a relationship.”
Her gaze still downward, she continued pouring soy sauce over the rest of her plate, “What's the longest relationship you’ve had?”
“A couple of years.”
Her eyes shot up to meet his, abandoning her pretense of nonchalance, “Really! That’s a long time. Were you engaged or anything?”
“Nope. Actually, that was part of the reason we broke up. She wanted to move things along and I was more than happy to keep them exactly where they were.”
“Was it just that she wasn’t the right one? Do you ever want to get married?”
If anyone else, at any other time, had asked Riley that question the answer would have come easily - “NO”. But right now, sitting across from Chelle, looking into her big doe eyes...he didn’t know what he felt about wanting to get married. But, regardless of his feelings, the fact that he wouldn’t get married hadn’t changed. That fact remained immutable.
“Whether I want to or not doesn’t matter. I’m not ever getting married.”
Chelle nodded, seeming to understand, “Because of what you saw happen with your Mom and Dad.”
“No.” He hadn’t thought his response had come out sounding harsh, but the hurt expression on Chelle’s face told him it had.
He tried to soften his tone. “I’m just not that 'forever' guy. I’m not cut out for marriage.”
“Really? Why not?”
He didn’t answer. He wasn’t trying to give her the silent treatment or anything. He just didn’t know what to say.
“Is it because you can’t imagine being with only one person for the rest of your life?”
“No,” he answered honestly.
“Then what is it? If it’s not about your parents and it’s not that you don’t think you could be happy with just one person, then what is it?”
Again, he didn’t answer.
After waiting several minutes for him to respond she finally just smiled and said, “Well, I for one think you would make a great husband.”
He didn’t know how she always did that. How she always knew the real reasons behind his behavior. It was like she had a direct line to his soul. It was unnerving.
“And an amazing dad,” she added before stuffing her face full of rice.
She chewed, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel who was storing nuts for the winter. He felt a smile spread across his face. Chelle Thomas was equally as adorable as she was sexy.
--- ~ ---
Chelle laid in bed and mentally kicked herself. Why had she gone down that line of questioning with him?
Oh right, because she had been feeling guilty about their momentary lip-lock and was scared that she may have inadvertently been a participant in cheating. She was not “the other woman” kind of a girl. She liked having a clear conscience and being able to sleep at night (current evidence of both to the contrary!).
She should have just stopped there. As soon as he said he wasn’t in a relationship, she should have zipped it. But, no. She had to add a follow-up question.
And. for the life of her, she could never guess what had prompted her to say that he would make a good husband...and dad.
Holy Flipping Moly!
He had just said in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want to get married. And she had no idea what his feelings were about becoming a father, but she was pretty sure he didn’t need (or want!) her opinion on the matter.
Tossing and turning, she looked over at the clock beside the bed and saw that it was just past one. She had been laying sleeplessly in bed for over two hours and was starting to think that
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