Prove It

Chapter XXVIII

"Wow," he all Marcus can say when I finish telling him what had just happened with Jon.

"Yeah, never in a million years have I ever thought he would come to me. I guess he really does love her, because for the longest time he would avoid me," I tell him.

"Why?"

I shrug, "He suspected I knew about him cheating on her. I guess he was just too embarrassed to be around someone who knows what you've done wrong."

"Yikes."

"I know," I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head at the top of his sternum.

A moment of silence passes and I look up at his face to see him pondering hard.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask.

He looks down at me and pushes some hair over my shoulder.

"Do you like me?" he asks and I flinch back at his question.

"I-Well yes, why do you think I don't like you?" I ask. I've never had a problem with him.

"I mean like me like I like you," he explains and I open my mouth to answer before snapping back shut. I feel like absolute shit for not giving an immediate response, but I never really noticed when I began developing true feelings for him. It just, happened.

"Yes," I reply. "What made you ask that?"

"You mentioned Jon said he loves Sofia. I was just wondering if there was anything starting between you and I," he says softly and I nearly kiss him. Goodness gracious he's cute.

"Definitely. You've become really important to me, Marcus. You've become someone I rely on," I tell him, swallowing my pride as I do so. I always tell myself to never become reliant on one person, but I guess like my developing feelings for him, my reliance grew with that undetected.

He swallows hard before kissing me softly, the kind of kiss he always gives me. The tenderness that makes me weak everywhere and my brain go haywire.

He pulls away but I pull him back by the front of his shirt I've been gripping onto. His lips land on mine a little harder than what we're used to, but I revel in the rougher feeling.

He hesitates for a moment, taken off guard by my actions, but the next second he is kissing me back.

He moves one hand from my waist to my cheek, his long fingers wrapping around to the back of my neck. His lips move sensually over mine, and he presses his face closer to deepen the embrace.

Without disconnecting her shifts me on top of his lap and sits up straight against the headboard.

I lean down and cup his face with both my hands as he runs his down my back, up my sides, and sliding his fingers through my hair.

My heart is pounding rapidly in my chest, and I need to breathe more than the infrequent time between kisses. I pull my head away from his and take long, deep breaths.

"I'm sorry," he pants and I furrow my eyebrows.

"There's nothint to apologize for," I say and he shakes his head.

"You want to go slow. That is definitely not slow," he explains and I chuckle.

"Well I liked it, a lot. Don'y say sorry, okay? We can even go at a normal pace now," I joke. He smiles at the comment and pulls me flush against his chest.

"Good to know," he teases back. I laugh and smile wide at him.

His smile softens as he traces my cheekbone with his thumb. "You're smile is so beautiful. Especially when you look as happy as you do," he whispers and I don't think I've ever been more speechless in my life.

"Marcus..." I trail off and he pushes a strand of hair out of my face.

"You have no idea how many things I've wanted to say to you, but couldn't" he says and I just sit there usless and unsure how to compete with him.

"You're so amazing," I say stupidly, but I put as much emotion behind it as I could.

He looks up at me with a smile that can melt me, the lines around his mouth get me every time.

"I love you," he confesses and I flinch back out of his arms. I no longer am calm, I'm scared. It's only been two months, I can't tell him I love him yet. I don't.

"Marcus, I can't, I mean I don't-" I stutter and he brings me back in his arms and shushes me.

"I don't care if you don't say it today, or tomorrow or even in the next months. I just had to tell you. You deserve to know and I couldn't not say it anymore," he explains and I feel my heart rate slow down.

"You kow I wish I could, right?" I ask him seriously and he just smiles at me with sad eyes.

He doesn't answer my question, but instead pulls me into another kiss. One with less passion, but more intimacy, giving me the answer he didn't want to guilt me with.

"I really, really like you though," I tell him when we break apart. If he he has enough guts to tell me how he feels, I should stop being a wuss and let him know what mine are as well.

He smiles goofily and runs ruffles my hair, "Thanks."

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"Could you quit stabbing me in the eye?" I snap at Sofia. The girl may know what she's doing, but she has no idea how to be gentle.

"Beauty is pain bitch, now sit still," she scolds and goes back to work and poking my eye out with the small brush.

"Then I'd rather be ugly," I grumble and the bristle jabs my eyeball again.

"Ow!" Sofia rolls her eyes.

"Hold still or it'll take even longer," she chides. I stay as still as I can for the remainder of the painful period.

"Perfection!" she exclaims, kissing her fingertips loudly.

I look in the mirror and analyze her work. I nod my head in approval and she claps her hands giddily.

"Now move, I only have a half hour to do Mindy and Lauren's" she says, swatting my arm.

I roll my eyes and get out of the large chair. I walk into the bathroom to change, spending about ten minutes on the laces in the back.

I sigh in frustration. This better look cute as fuck.

"Manda hurry up we have to take pictures!" Georgia nags from outside the door.

"Coming!" I call back, taking one more second to touch up the back of the dress before bounding down the stairs to be with the girls.

"About time! Come over here," Sofia says, motioning me over to the right foyer.

Sofia's mom takes about a billion pictures of us, and a thousand different poses later we're finally out the door with Mrs. Romeo telling us to be safe and make smart decisions.

Sofia snorts and rolls her eyes at the same speech my own mom gave me before I left the house today.

I always wonder how much our parents really know about what we're doing, but it's not like we've ever been irresponsible.

"Alright mom," Sofia drones, closing the window and turning up the music.

"I definitely won't be smart tonight!" she hollers as I start up the car.

Rolling my eyes I'm already starting to worry. Oh boy.