Pocket Full of Posies

Chapter Six

  I clutched his hand a little tighter as we walked up the porch steps of his house. I didn’t want to tell him, but I was nervous. Why? Heck if I knew! What did I have to be nervous about, really? Especially right now! Now wasn’t the part where you got nervous. I swear, I just made absolutely no sense.

  Isaac’s arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling my snugly against him. “Baby, you’re shaking.”

  I looked up into his mesmerizing blue eyes. It did the trick. Instantly, all my nerves washed away. Just like that; just like always. Always…..We were soon going to be always. I was always going to wake up to those eyes looking at me. It scared me, a little, how ready I was for this—for marrying him. It was what I’d wanted since I fell in love with him. I just always knew I was going to marry him.

  “Summer chill,” I excused, smiling like a lovesick dork.

  It wasn’t technically summer yet—only a few days after graduation. We’d been engaged for exactly four days. It didn’t seem right that only four days ago he’d popped the question—at my graduation party, in front of everyone! No one had seemed particularly surprised. I was at the moment, but only because I hadn’t expected it to be then. The thing is about me and Isaac, I kind of always knew we’d get married right out of high school. We just loved eachother so much. I couldn’t imagine life without him. He was my first and only boyfriend. My best friend. Everything I’d ever need and more.

  Chuckling slightly, Isaac planted a soft kiss on my temple. He puffed out his chest in a mocking show of preparation. “Ready?”

  I rolled my eyes at him, just barely containing a girly giggle.

  Isaac gave a brisk nod before opening the door.

  There were a lot more people than I expected. There was his family, of course, and mine along with a crapload more friends than I’d known we had. His friends were my friends, after all. All except Joanna. She could be nice to Isaac and act like she approved of him, but in the end she was just my friend. I was okay with being selfish like that. Our friendship wasn’t something we shared. Some people are just meant to be best friends, you know?

  “Marley!” my said friend squealed, running up to me and throwing her arms tightly around my neck. She hadn’t even give anyone pause to say congratulations all at once or whatever people say at engagement parties. She simply wanted to be the first to hug me, and I was fine with that.  “You look so gorgeous!”

  “Thanks,” I laughed. I managed to peel back her arms, allowing my lungs the air they desired. “God, Jo.”

 She covered her mouth around a squeak of a giggle. “I know, sorry! Oh, but, um, Happy Engagement Party! Or, you know…..whatever.”

  And then everyone wanted to hug the life out of me and Isaac, profusely congratulating us on our engagement. You’d think most families would disapprove of us getting married so young, especially this day and age. But in the south, they just kind of expected it. It was the thing I loved most about living here, actually. Besides, what was the point in waiting three more years when we knew we were meant for eachother? It just seemed silly to prolong the inevitable.