𝙶𝚄𝙸𝙻𝚃𝚈 𝙿𝙻𝙴𝙰𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙴 || 𝙰𝙽 𝙴𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙴𝙼 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝙵𝙸𝙲

Chapter 86 - A Painting Is Worth A Thousand Words

A/N: Close by Nick Jonas is the most fitting song for this chapter tbh^.

Marshall's POV:

— Sip & Paint Date Night

"I ain't gonna sugarcoat anything to you, baby, and you know it. You should feel bad for how you have been treating me, but Ima let you have it for now. Let's just enjoy our date night, shall we?" I said, putting the sour feelings aside and turning over a new leaf.

"Okay. Thank you, by the way, love." She gave me a small smile with a hug.

She pulled away shortly after, taking a seat at the table as I followed behind her. God, give me strength. I want to be mad at her, but I can't. I want to fuck some sense into her, but I won't. Not yet anyways...

I passed her, her bowl of pasta and poured her a glass of wine from one of the bottles. She looked at me suspiciously, and I already knew why: Because she doesn't drink around me. She can be so prissy sometimes, but I wouldn't have her any other way. She's respectful of other people's boundaries and when she says she is or isn't gonna do something, she means it.

"Just drink the wine." I nonchalantly told her.

"No. I'm not going to drink around you. You already know that."

"Sadé, stop being such a prissy good girl and just drink the damn wine." I told her sternly.

She cut her eyes at me, squinting. I just stared at her back, not saying anything. I wasn't backing down from this. I did not go through hell trying to find her some good wine to enjoy just for her to decline it because I'm sober. My sobriety is not hers and she needs to understand that. I'm a grown man and can handle myself. Watching her consume wine isn't going to make me relapse or upset me. It may not be my cup of tea, but that's why I don't indulge in it and drink Red Bull and sparkling water instead.

"Nuh uhh." She simply said as she started to eat her chicken & spinach Alfredo.

"Sae, you know you can drink around me and can smoke if you wanted to and I wouldn't blink an eye, right?" I said getting all serious with her.

"Yes, but I want to support you on your sobriety journey, and I really respect you. So I'm not going to do it." She said softly, no longer looking at me.

Aww. That was actually really sweet. She's so thoughtful of others. But like I said, I didn't go through hell for nothing. So one of us better end up drinking the wine and getting drunk off it tonight. And it's obviously ain't gonna be me.

"Baby, look at me." I said, gently grabbing her chin so she'd make eye contact with me, "It's okay for you to drink around me. I'm not going to be offended. I'm not going to get mad at you. Nothing. As long as it's not a problem for you, I don't mind. Honest to God." I reassured her.

She was silent for a few seconds before she let out a huff, and pulled away from me.

"Fine. Only if you say so though. But don't say I'm too much to handle at the end of the night like you did the last time you gave me wine." She rolled her eyes sassily while she grabbed the wine glass and put it to her lips.

I watched her sip her girly drink, having no complaints. I made a mental note to myself that if I were to ever buy her wine again it's be that one.

"Well, that's a different conversation for another day. I didn't expect you to go down on me like that, girl." I mumbled feeling flustered.

I scratched my beard, sticking my tongue to my cheek as I had gotten a flashback. Man, that night was wild. And that's exactly one of the reasons why I don't mind when she drinks wine or any alcohol... Releases a whole 'nother side of her.