How to get him to fall in love | ✔

Chapter Seven

I do end up giving it a go with Marcus. He's nice enough that I want to try, I guess prior to this I never even thought of him in that way at all.

My reasons might not have been the best for deciding to give it a try, but I've seen plenty of rom coms where the girl says she could never love her guy friend and she doesn't even give him the time of day then years go by and he ends up in a serious relationship with a new girl when the female protagonist finally realizes she loves him

To say in the least Marcus legitimately seems like someone I could love.

With the end of the year approaching, everyone is too busy studying for exams to notice anything going on, let alone anything different between the two of us, and we don't mind it

By then we have hung out already a few times; usually at my place, where the agenda goes something like this: get some work in, order something to eat and sometimes make out in-between.

The first time Marcus and I actually went out is when he fetched me right after one of my monthly therapy session. He was waiting there already in the parking lot by the time I arrived, I don't know why it bothered me, but it did

''Hey'' I greeted him, taking out the key from my bag

''hi'' he says in response, taking the bag from me

I let us both in, and he puts my bag down on the counter. He looks around the apartment, like he hasn't been here before, but he has, the way Marcus looks around makes me feel oddly vulnerable

''Where were you?'' he asks as I take off my jacket

''Post office, needed to mail things'' I answer. Yes it's a lie, and there's no shame in telling him the truth, let alone that I attend therapy monthly. But I've been going to therapy for the past ten years; it's not a choice I'm making. This therapy is prescribed like I need it, the fact that I still need to go after all these years bothers me, like there's something wrong with me

''How's your assignments coming along?'' I ask him, thinking back to last week when he had told me about the topic struggles

''Barely'' he admits setting down my bag on the kitchen counter

''Were you waiting here long? '' I ask, hoping he'd offer some insight as to why he is here

''probably like 5 minutes, thought I'd come get you''

Get me for what?

I look to him unable to keep the excitement out of my face; he looks pleasantly surprised by my reaction

''I like this smile'' he says coming closer to me, almost a breath away. I try to stay in place, to be confident but sometimes my inexperience shows, the fact that I don't normally get this close to a man shows, and I'm always afraid that I'll chase a man away with my inexperience, like what if he wants things and when I don't give it he decides to move on because he is tired of waiting

I might not have much experience, but I know enough to know that guys usually want the same thing

''Come and get me to take me to where?'' I ask teasingly

''Where would you like to go?'' he asks

''Surprise me''

....

Marcus takes me to the beach, it's a weekday so there is barely anyone there, and it's chilly so no one really comes to the beach on days like these

''The first time I've been to the beach while it's raining'' I say humorously. It's not raining, its drizzling I'm over exaggerating

Marcus smiles at me and pulls me closer to him ''as a kid I only went to the beach when it was raining'' he admits ''precisely because it's the best time to come–'' he trails off, wrapping an arm around my shoulder ''that, and that there's usually no one around on days like these'' Marcus whispers the last bit, even though we are the only ones here

Yes the beach is quite empty like we have this whole piece of land to ourselves. I've always wondered how in movies when girls get kidnapped at the beach or public places how these places always seemed to be so conveniently empty, now I understand

Mental note: don't go to beach alone on a rainy day

''But people come to the beach, when it's hot, so that they can cool down in the cold water, why come to the beach when it's cold then'' I muse

''Because when it's so cold, the water is warmer'' he answers dubiously

''No way'' I say, because that's impossible

''C'mon'' he says as he tugs me to the water. I let him lead me.

Marcus kicks off his shoes, pulls off his t-shirt and jeans and then dives in the water, I remove my items of clothing more slowly, I will have to swim in my underwear; I have a vest on underneath my sweatshirt so I keep it on and gingerly go in

I wouldn't say the water is drastically warm, but the water does feel warmer than what it usually is like, he pulls me into the water and looks at me like he is waiting for me to say something

I open my mouth to tell him that he's right about the water, but he doesn't let me, instead he pulls my body closer to his, his hands alone resting on my waist is enough to send shivers down my spine

Am I this deprived of touch, to react so evidently to every touch?

''Plus rainy days are also ideal to bring your girl to the beach and do this-'' Marcus doesn't finish the sentence with words, he lets me know what he wants to say with his mouth

How presumptuous of him to call me his girl, but I let it slide

The kiss is sweet, salty and heated at the same time. His hands cup my ass and I move my legs to wrap around his waist. I don't worry about how light or how heavy I am to him in this scenario like I might have wondered about if we weren't in the water, but I know this thing about water; It makes everything float, making the weight feel lighter. The kiss is effortless and his hands move to lift my vest. I break away from the kiss

''So you do this often then, different girl?'' I say sounding all breathless

''I try, but we never make it past the getting into the water part'' he answers

I laugh and un-wrap my legs from around him

Marcus tries to kiss me again many times after that, but I pretend I don't notice and I don't let him try anything else, because I'm afraid that it'll lead to something more very quickly, I guess I'm just too afraid to give him more before I know if I really want it or not. And more afraid that I'll give him more based on how my body responds to his

.....

Marcus drops me off at home after he gets milkshakes for us, and we talk about our plans after graduation, he wants to teach permanently, he teaches now but it's to do his practicals at his designated high school. Marcus loves teaching, he says it's his calling and can't imagine doing anything else

That's the difference between him and I, I do not teach because I want to do it forever. We go through life learning and teaching, why not get paid for it in the meantime. Marcus opinion differs from mine here in the sense that he teaches because he actually loves it

I admire him for it

It becomes a while before I admire him again