Russ (18+) | ✔

23

Charlotte

Russ and I made it to the car before our security even reached the restaurant's door. By the time the door was open, I'd already distanced myself from him.

I planted myself firmly against the right side of the backseat, and when he followed, situating himself directly beside me, I made it a point to turn away from him.

I said nothing. I didn't cry. I gave no explanation whatsoever. I merely stared out the window. We had at the very least an eight hour drive before we had to stop at a hotel and rest. Then another eight hour drive would ensue. This equated to nearly twenty-eight hours of being with Russ.

Twenty-eight hours which will be spent in silence.

I'd always known my mother played dirty, hell the guy she brought up was proof of that, but to be so low down that she brought it up around Russ was worse than anything she could have done.

Now he'd have questions, questions that warranted answers. Answers that once he got he'd either not love me anymore, or he'd still love me, but that love would now be accompanied by pity.

I couldn't be sure which was worse.

. . .

Russ had thankfully remained silent throughout the entire drive. We'd pushed to nine hours instead of eight and had managed to arrive at a hotel at around eleven at night.

It was only when we were situated inside of our hotel room, Rowena posted at the door after sleeping through the drive, that Russ spoke up.

"Would—"

"If you're going to ask about him, please just don't—" I murmured lowly. I allowed my eyes to slip closed, forcing back the tears that I hadn't even realized threatened to fall.

I didn't open my eyes, but I could still sense Russ's worried frown. "Candy," he mumbled. "I was going to as, would you like to order room service?"

Sniffling, I forced out a laugh, and shook my head. Neither of us had eaten since breakfast, due to our lunch being... cut short, and after that 'cutting' we'd both quietly declined dinner, even the fast food that Sebastian and Rowena had gotten.

"No room service then," Russ spoke and this time his voice was closer. 

Opening my eyes I found him just over an arm's length away. He'd removed his shirt and with a slight wave of his hand, motioned for me to do the same. 

I complied, quickly ridding myself of the garment, before my jeans followed. Awaiting no further instructions I reached for his belt, not bothering to pull it from the loops as I began to quickly unbutton his jeans. Russ let me, and soon his briefs and my underwear followed as well. 

Once we were both stripped I meshed our lips together, finding solace in the activity that would not only take our minds off of things, but render at least one of us too senseless to talk.

However my promises of senselessness were left unfulfilled. As I walked Russ back towards the bed, I began to stroke him gently  and that was when his lips broke away from mine. 

"Lie down," he commanded, and I nodded, pushing myself farther up on the bed until my head hit the pillows.

"Kiss me," I begged as Russ lay beside me. He perched himself on one elbow, gazing down at me with worry in his eyes as he placed a hand on my belly, his slender fingers spreading until his thumb brushed my breast.

It was the only sexual contact I found he would give me, as I wriggled towards his touch he pulled away.

"No," he replied and I whimpered with the sound of his reply. 

"But—"

"No. I hadn't planned on asking you about Daniel—" I winced at the sound of the name that Russ had said with so much malice in his tone. "And that's precisely why I have to. You flinch at his name and your first thought when I spoke to you was that it was about him. I'm no shrink but based on how much you don't want to talk about him. I think we have to talk about him."

"I... Russ I can't..." My voice trailed off, unable to voice any words of refusal as my tears began to flow freely.

"Candy," he cooed. In an instant I was wrapped in his arms, our bare skin pressed tightly against each other but neither of us said a word. Instead he merely held me as I shuddered and shook in his arms.

"Charlotte," Russ said after a while, grabbing my attention and for the most part, halting my tears. "I'd planned to tell you this after our time was up. I wanted to make something special out of it.

"I'd planned to get you a jersey with my number on it, a hat, face paint — the works, you know?Get you in one of the games. A-And you'd sit there, watching me play, or hell on your phone, I could care less. I'd invite Lysander just in case you weren't watching and after we won the game, or during halftime, I'd get that fugly little angry Bullies mascot to ask you to marry me."

As he finished, we were both crying, though mine were substantially worse, accompanied by quiet sobs.

"And then I'll say yes?" I asked.

Russ smirked. "God no. You'll probably get pissed that I'm doing it so publicly, and if not, you'll choose the petty reply and not allow me two wins in one day," he replied, eliciting a chuckle from both of us.

"Is this your idea of a proposal?" I asked.

"Right now? No. And looks like I'll have to change that plan since, well yeah."

We chuckled again, though the signs soon died out as Russ grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers as he pulled it up to place a kiss on the backs of my knuckles.

"It doesn't matter though," he began, scooting closer to me so that he could rub his nose against mine. "What does matter, is that I plan on marrying you. No matter how much you refuse, I won't go away. We'll be boyfriend and girlfriend for as long as it takes. What does matter is that we are forever, and nothing— no detail, no matter how sordid— could stop that. Okay?"

I nodded, a small smile forming on my lips.

"Can we talk now, future wife?"

"Okay," I smiled wider. "Future husband."

😊✌️

I'm shit at foreshadowing, I know... But... you guys ready to learn about Daniel?👀