Green Eyed Daydream #Wattys2016

Chapter 66

Tyler's POV

I'm sitting on Carrie's bed, watching as she's stuffing her suitcase with clothes. Another business trip means I won't be able to see her for three days. As proud as I am of her success at work, I am also hating how it's starting to impact our relationship. Lately, she appears more stressed, and tired, and just detached. It seems that the more responsibility she's taking on professionally, the more it chips away at our time together. During her Boston trip we barely spoke, and afterwards she was in a weird mood for days.

"Ugh, this thing won't shut!" she groans, exasperated that her overfilled suitcase won't close.

I hop off the bed, and help her out. "Here you go," I tell her, but she's now focused on searching something on her phone.

"So, have you given any more thought to my proposal?" I ask.

"Hm?" she doesn't look up from the screen.

I walk over to her, and take the phone out of her hands.

"Hey!" she protests, and tries to reach for it. I quickly lift up my hand over my head, and I know that even on her tiptoes she can't get to it. "What the heck!" she yells, frowning up at me. "I was in the middle of--"

"Answer my question," I tell her.

"What question?" she asks, looking aggravated.

"Have you thought more about moving in with me?"

Carrie's frown dissolves, and she stares at me with strange eyes.

"Why do you even want to live together? It's a pretty big step for someone who never wants to get married. I mean, what's the point of building a life with one another if you already know we're not going to end up together?"

"Whoa, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you're a walking contradiction, Tyler. You tell me you never want to get married. That means you're never really going to fully commit yourself to one person. At the same time, you want me to move in with you and 'play house', which is basically like being married, but without the legal obligations. So, it's like you want your cake and eat it too...or not buy the cow and get the milk for free...or whatever those sayings are!"

I'm a little taken aback by this sudden rant, so I need to keep my temper in check and choose my words carefully here.

"You're fucking mental, you know that?" I say.....and yes, that's me showing restraint. "I fucking love you, and I want you to live with me because I want to wake up with you in my arms every damn morning...and take care of you...and build and strengthen our relationship. I don't know why you think I have some kind of a hidden agenda here, Carrie, cause I don't! All I want is for us to be together as much as possible. And if you don't feel the same way, which it's pretty fucking clear that you don't...then forget it. I am not going to beg you," I say, feeling frustrated as all hell.

She just stares at me, and folds her arms across her chest.

What in the fuck crawled up her ass, I'll never know. I thought we were on the same page. But it's like we're reading two different fucking books at this point.

"I just don't want to make a mistake," she says finally. "I don't want to wake up one day, after spending years of building a life together, find out that it's over...and you've moved on...and now I'm out of a place to live...and just...alone..."

"Carrie, look at me," I tell her, lifting her chin up so she meets my eyes. "I am not trying to trap you into some weird powerplay arrangement where you don't have a life without me. And I am not planning on abandoning you...ever. It's more than a little disconcerting to hear that you have so many doubts about our relationship. I thought we were solid. I mean...I don't know why you think getting married is at all a guarantee of happiness or stability. There are more and more divorces each year. Gruesome custody battles. Ugly, messy, fights that are far worse because people chose to get married. If you're so hung up on getting married and can't see that what I'm offering you is more real than some ceremony in a courthouse, then maybe I misjudged you."