The Scars That Make Us (Second Generation Book 3)

Chapter 12

JACE

Nola and Catarina talked throughout the drive to the courthouse. I could tell she was getting nervous because the longer we drove, the quieter she got. I was nervous too. I found myself drumming my thumbs against the steering wheel to attempt to calm my nerves. For a moment I thought about calling Deacon, Lyle, or Miles and letting them know what I was up to, but I just knew they’d try to talk me out of this and I didn’t want to be talked out of anything.

I glanced over at Catarina and she was looking at me. She gave me a sweet smile and I reached my hand over to the passenger side of the truck and gave her leg a squeeze. She curled her fingers up into mine and I gave them a good squeeze.

“You doing alright over there?”

“Yeah, do you think we will be there soon?”

“Just need to get through town.” She nodded her head and went back to silence. I rubbed my thumb in circles over her hand. 

Nola spoke up in the backseat, “So, not to be nosy or anything, but have either of you thought about how this is going to work?”

“I think we just need to give them our IDs, I guess if they need more. Shit, I didn’t think that far.” I look over at Catarina to apologize for not thinking this through.

“I don’t mean the wedding thing. I mean the being married thing.”

“Um…..that’s kind of a good point. Jace?”

“I don’t know, baby. I mean, you can move here and live with me. I know I don’t have a lot, but I promise I’ll do whatever I can to make everything perfect for you.”

“I know you will. Do you think your family is going to accept me? Oh god, are we rushing this?”

“Whoa now, I didn’t bring this up to freak the two of you out. I’m pro this thing,” Nola motions between the two of us, “and it isn’t like you’re some little kid, Catarina.”

“I know.”

I hate the concern that I’m hearing in her voice. I don’t want to force her to do anything she’s not ready for. Maybe we were both caught up in the emotions and weren’t thinking things through. I pull into the courthouse parking lot and put the truck into park. I look back at Nola and smile, “Hey Nola, do you mind giving us a second?”

“Of course not.” She leans into the front seat and kisses Catarina on the cheek and then hops out of the truck. 

When the door closes, I turn my body to face Catarina and she does the same thing to face me. I take both her hands in mine. “I don’t want you to regret taking this step with me right now, Cat. I know that it all happened so quickly and if you want to take a step back and not go through with this, I’m fine with that.”

“It isn’t that, Jace. I love you, I meant that I really did.”

I lean forward and kiss her lips gently. “I know you meant it, baby. I meant what I said to and although it was spontaneous as fuck, I want to marry you. I know it here,” I press my hand against my chest, “that you’re the one for me. If you want to slow down and think things through more, that doesn’t mean I’m taking back my proposal.”

She shakes her head. “No, I know that we have things we need to figure out, but this isn’t something I need to figure out. Nola is right, I’m not a child anymore. I am only as reliant on my parents as I let them be. I don’t need their home, their credit cards, their judgment and hatred. I need you”