My breathing.
My heartbeat.
Time.
“What... what do you mean you don't want to get married?” Alec asked me, his face a few shades paler than usual.
I shook my head. “I didn't mean not at all, I meant I don't want to get married right now. I want us to slow down.”
Alec blinked. “You want us to slow down?”
I nodded my head.
Alec was silent for a moment then he said, “Okay.”
I opened my mouth to apologise to him, but when what he said registered with my brain I froze.
“O-Okay?” I repeated.
Alec nodded. “Yeah, okay. If you want us to pull back a little that's cool, we have the rest of our lives to get married, have kids, and do a bunch of other things.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“I thought you would be upset with me,” I admitted.
Alec laughed. “Just because I'm ready right now to take my vows and have a handful of mini me's doesn't mean you are, and that's okay.”
It was?
“So you don't hate me?” I asked, my eyes filling with tears.
Alec laughed again. “No. I love you, stupid.”
I laughed and my heart warmed.
“I love you too, more than me life. I don't want this to make you feel—”
“Kitten,” he cut me off. “I know you love me, you don't have to question if I know that. I know.”
I didn't know what to say.
I was not expecting this conversation to go like this.
“I... I just can't believe you aren't angry with me.”
Alec leaned in and rubbed his nose against mine. “I have you. I have your heart. I'll have everything else with you in time—there is no rush. None.”
I pressed my forehead to his. “I adore your love for me, I cherish it. I cherish you.”
Alec smiled. “I know, Kitten.”
I closed my eyes and just felt our love surround us.
After a moment Alec asked, “How long has this been bothering you?”
I thought on it then opened my eyes and said, “Ages.”
Alec shook his head. “You really need to stop overthinking things. That has to be a woman thing.”
I surprisingly laughed.
Alec got up and sat on our new bed and put his arm over my shoulder. “We can go back to the apartment if you want. I realise now that everything I have been doing was overwhelming you, and I want to make it right.”
God, he was perfect.
I leaned into him and said, “If you asked me that this mornin' I would have jumped at the chance, but now? Not so much. I'm so relieved after our talk, and being here with you doesn't scare me anymore... it excites me.”
Alec squeezed me. “Are you sure?”
I nodded my head.
“I'm so sure I'm practically deodorant,” I teased.
Alec laughed and kissed my head.
I remained next to him for a few minutes until a knock rapped on the bedroom door.
“Come in,” I called out.
The door opened and Nico's head popped around the door. “Everything okay?” he asked.
Alec and I nodded.
“Great.” He smiled, then dropped it. “Alec, we need you to come and help us with something.”
I wondered what 'something' was, and so did Alec.
“Can't you just—”
“Alec,” Nico cut him off, and gave him a stern look.
The look was code for something.
“Sure. I'll help,” Alec said then turned to me. “You're okay, right?”
I nodded my head.
After getting everything off my chest and clearing the air I was so okay.
Alec left our room with Nico, and I went in search of the girls. I called out to them, and found them in the sitting room, with glasses in their hands. Bronagh was in the middle of cracking open a bottle of wine.
“Don't drink until we're back!” Nico's voice shouted then the front door slammed shut.
Bronagh ignored him and poured wine into the glasses extended to her.
“Where are they goin'?” I asked the girls.
They all shrugged. “No clue,” Branna said. “You doin' okay?”
I nodded my head. “Much better.”
Bronagh howled, “Park your arse and grab a glass, we're havin' a housewarmin' party even if it's just the four of us.”
“You mean five of us,” a voice from behind us said.
I jumped and turned around. “Alannah,” I breathed. “You frightened me.”
Alannah Ryan, Bronagh's best friend, and my friend, grinned. “Nico let me in as he and the brothers were goin' out.”
Bronagh whooped and poured Alannah a glass of wine.
I looked between the girls and shook my head.
This wasn't going to end well.
The girls were hiding from me.
I couldn't find the bitches anywhere.
I was resorting to looking in every room of my house to fucking find them. I was about to pass by mine and Alec's bedroom when I heard giggling. I opened the door and followed the giggling to the bathroom.
“What are you four doin' in here?” I asked as I entered the gigantic bathroom of my master bedroom.
Four heads quickly looked in my direction, three of the gazes were hazy and clouded with alcohol and one was clear and teasing. Alannah raised her hands in front of her chest and chuckled. “Don't look at me, this was their idea.”
Uh-oh.
Branna, Aideen, and Bronagh having ideas when sober usually ended in disaster, drunken ideas would surely be worse.
“What was their idea?” I asked and placed my hands on my hips.
I stared the three eejits down hoping to be somewhat intimidating, but when they burst into a fit of giggles I knew my threatening glare was little more than a slap on the wrist to them.
I switched my gaze to Alannah and softened it. “What did they do?”
“Somethin' stupid,” Alannah chuckled and shook her head.
Bronagh shoved her. “You took one too, so shut it.”
Alannah balked at her. “You forced me. You literally pulled my trousers and knickers down!”
That statement sent the three musketeers into another fit of laughter.
“Have you ever heard of waxin'?” Aideen asked, then fell into the bathtub as she burst into uncontrollable laughter. Bronagh and Branna were wheezing from laughing so hard.
I wanted to laugh simply because they were laughing, but I had to keep my no-bullshit expression on my face to get to the bottom of what the hell they did.