𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒, k.jacobs

FORTY.

FORTY ;
champagne problems

real life !

"You know, after that day I genuinely never thought i'd come back here," Karl said as they made their way down the beach where everything had gone so so wrong only a few months ago. "Even after we fixed things I never actually saw myself being able to come here again."

Marley sighed and lightly swung their hands between them, "I wish I could say the same. I came here twice while we were on our break and I think it was because I was torturing myself or something. I don't know. It wasn't a good time, that's for sure."

He sighed and lightly squeezed her hand, "It would have sucked so bad to lose this spot, though."

"Would have sucked worse to lose each other, I think," she replied with a shrug. "I know that's cringey and disgusting, but it's true. I would have been able to deal with never coming here again if it meant we never had to go through something like that again."

"We won't," he promised. "You're stuck with me forever, Marley Langdon."

She hummed, "And if I pull a Karl and say I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore?

Karl stopped abruptly before moving to stand directly in front of her, both hands moving to rest on her shoulders. He stared at her for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes. "You aren't funny, Mars."

"Really? I think i'm hilarious."

"Well you aren't being funny right now," he replied with a frown. "Unless you're being serious?"

Marley dipped her head to rest against his hand before offering him a sheepish grin. "I'm just messing with you, Karl. The only time I wouldn't want to be your girlfriend anymore is if you were proposing. Or if I were proposing," she paused and looked up just in time to see the fond roll of his eyes. "I just figured that if you can't joke about it now you probably never will be able to and you've gotta admit that if the situation didn't happen between us you would've found it hilarious."

He sighed and pulled her against his chest, quickly leaning down to rest his chin against her hair. "It's a little soon to be making jokes about the worst thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life, Mars."

"It's been what? Six months now?"

"Six and a half," he corrected, voice slightly muffled. "Too soon, Mars. The wound is still fresh."

She sighed and held him just a little bit tighter, "Nadia says it's always going to be too soon, though."

"Nadia doesn't know what she's talking about," he dismissed quickly, making her scoff and take a step back so she could look up at him.

"That's literally her job, idiot."

Karl frowned, "Well maybe she's bad at it. Have you considered that?"

"If she's bad at her job we're really talking to the wrong person. That makes things super awkward and—,"

He huffed and muttered a quiet, "You win," before grabbing her hand and pulling her down to sit in the sand with him. "You know...six months is technically a long time."