His Brother's Obsession

Chapter 7: The Rules of Engagement

*****I hope you all are enjoying the summer! It's almost over though use your time wisely and have fun!! This chapter is short but I hope to have chapter 8 out soon! Keep reading I promise it'll get better😂😂
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Justin's POV

We were nearly done unloading the truck and putting the boxes in the house. I have never known a woman to have so little belongings. You would think she'd take up an entire moving truck, yet her things, including her furniture (the bed and her special chair) took only half the trailer's area. She seemed anxious so I wanted to ask her about how she felt about all this. I knew we were at the point of being together for a much longer time than dating, but I felt I was more ready to get settled down than she was. Now that we have been dating for two years I thought I would give her a promise ring.

"Hey Lys. Everything okay. You seem....nervous."

"Nervous is an understatement J. I feel like I won't be able to do this."

"How come?"

"I don't think I am wife material. Nor am I fiancé material," Before she could continue I cut her off with a kiss.

"You can't be so hard on yourself. You never know how things like this will go unless you try, and plus I have never felt so strong about a relationship like I do in this one." I paused for a second realizing I haven't been dating much in the past anyway being that I was recovering from my accident. She continued to stare off into the distance. I thought maybe if she did feel so terrible about it, I'd let her leave whenever she felt without causing an argument. I will trust her feelings.

Carrying in the last two boxes we slump onto the sofa and sigh in unison. She looks over to me and smiles. I can tell she is smiling so I won't worry, but I know as soon as I stop looking or leave the area, she'll drop the faux grin and contemplate the entire situation. That is just who she is. I love that about her, she thinks about things and not for just an hour. Days, Weeks, sometimes months. Like the time she thought everyday about buying a cat, but she wrote down the pros and cons of what she'd experience through the ordeal. The process of adoption and picking which food to buy and if she should buy a bell. Sometimes she overthinks, but so does everyone else. I place my hand on the small of her back, oh how I love to touch her, to make her feel calm and safe. She relaxed under my fingertips and laid on my lap. We must have fallen asleep because I woke up and she was not there. She was in the kitchen making dinner. She had already prepped, cooked, and made our plates and drinks. I walked over to her and wrapped my long arms around her waist. She was just so small, it amused me in a way. She placed her hands on my forearms to release my strong grip. She turned so that she was facing me and she had a soft smile more genuine than earlier today.

"Do you really think this'll work?" She asked looking between the two of us.

"Of course I do. Don't you?"

"I mean. . . you told me you loved me and I couldn't find myself to say it. I feel bad and. . .its hard to explain because I have never been in love before. You are the first man who has ever made me feel this way. I can't think straight when you're on my mind and my body does strange things when you hold me and kiss me. It's like an instinctual response. . .like we're meant to be together."

"If you're saying we're soul mates then I agree." We burst into laughter and made our way to the table, both of us holding our own plates and cups. She sat to the left of me and I sat at the head of the table. She held out her hand and looked at me like I knew what she was doing.

"Grace."

"Oh. Sorry I forgot."

"I say it before every meal. Please bow your head and close your eyes. I'll say grace this time, then we can alternate okay?"

"Lord, I thank you for this food we are about to receive, bless the hands that prepared it and I pray that it will strengthen us so that we may go out and others will see your light inside of us and will want to experience what we have with you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen." She exhales and opens her eyes and stares at me with a side smile. "That is something you'll have to endure with me. So if you want me to move out tomorrow I can understand."

"You can lead us, even better than I could ever imagine me doing."

After our meal she picks up the plates and glasses and moved them over to the sink. While she wiped down the table and counters I started to wash the dishes we used so then tomorrow we wouldn't have to worry about cleaning so much after we started unpacking. I felt a sharp pain run through my leg and up into my back. I paused for a second and rested my hands on the counter space next to the sink.

"You alright J?" She asks me walking over quickly. She wrapped her short arms around my stomach and rested her head on my back. She reached up and gave me a little massage on my shoulders and soon the pain subsided. She leaned over to look at me.

"You okay? Do you need your pills?"

"I'm fine really. I took some this morning."

"You know you're supposed to take them morning and evening times right? It's about to be 10-o-clock now. Why have you not taken your pills?"

"I wanted to see if I could take the pain. Maybe I was taking them for no reason."

"If your doctor supplies you with pain killers, it's because he knows you need to take them. So take them. Don't be stubborn."

She laughs and walks away to finish putting the leftovers away. She notices I am staring and chuckles again.

"You can't get anything done if you're staring into space J."

"I'm staring at the most beautiful woman in the world. I can't help it."