Twenty-Nine // J.G.

thirteen.

Day 9.

"Jack," His name rolled off my tongue in a pleading tone, my tiny arms clinging to one of his as I attempted to peer into the plastic bag he was currently holding. "What's in the bag? Tell me, pleeease."

"I told you I'd show you once we get back to the suite," He answered with a chuckle, switching the bag to his other hand to dictate that he wasn't going to give in. "Be patient, babe."

I huffed, loose strands of my hair flying upward against the slight Hawaiian breeze as my eyebrows knitted together across my forehead. "I don't understand why everything has to be a surprise with you." I frowned.

"It keeps the relationship alive," He sang, smiling broadly as he held the doors of the hotel open for me.

Well, I couldn't argue with that. I was a sucker for mysteries, and with Jack, no matter how grand or how stupid they may be, the possibilities were endless when it came to his surprises. My body was giddy with anticipation as we rode the elevator up to our suite, and I almost had to drag Jack down the hallway once we got there.

"I feel like you're overestimating my surprise." He laughed, guiding me inside before he set the bag on the kitchen island. "I mean, I'm flattered, but don't come at me when it's not up to your standards."

"Oh, just show me already!" I urged as I climbed up on one of the stools and poked at the bag as if that would expose a hint to what would be inside. He took his sweet time untying the bag before he lifted a styrofoam carry out box from it, sending me into a whirlwind of confusion. "Your surprise is... Food?"

"I told you you were overshooting with the excitement." He snickered as he popped the box open, revealing a bunch of ring-shaped food.

"Looks like onion rings." I commented.

"It's fried calamari." Judging from the grin on his face, I felt obliged to act excited, when the truth was I had no idea what these things were.

"Fried calamari... Which is...?" I trailed off.

"Squid." He answered, and in turn, I scrunched my nose in distaste.

Any form of seafood never was and never will be something that I would be willing to eat; the smells were repulsive and I couldn't help but imagine how slimy it would feel in my mouth. Even the thought of it sent shivers through my body. I guess it was a mental thing, seeing as this food looked crispy, though I still wasn't ready to test my theory.

"What happened to bacon and eggs?" I pouted, seeing as we had skipped breakfast to have a nice morning swim with the boys.

"When you're in a relationship, there's gonna be a time where you two get past the honeymoon phase and start to realize how different you are. You guys are gonna disagree on things, whether it be about big decisions or little things like your favorite food. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices and compromises, so that your relationship can remain healthy and balanced. You're gonna have to try new things for each other, and that's what you're gonna do right now." He recited as if he had been rehearsing that speech for hours, a proud smile lining his lips.

"How come you're not making any sacrifices?" I chided with a frown.

"The time will come. Later. Right now it's your turn." He pushed the box closer to me, and I almost backed away as if it would somehow come alive.

"I didn't know the bet had become a relationship lesson." I muttered, reaching for a ring and keeping it at a fair distance from my face.

"We're learning together, Mar. Now eat the squid." He urged.