Page 19 of Yours, Forever

An incredibly attractive man, who kept looking hurt when I made light of our marriage.

I tried to find something to say, but he filled in the silence. "It's okay. Marriage means very little these days, I guess. Weddings are not what keep people together in our times."

"That's true. For us the prenup will keep us together but, without it? I don't know how that works."

"I don't know that either. There's only one couple I know who've been married forever and seem to truly care for each other; they're my friend's parents. Huge influence in my life, but it doesn't mean I can have what they have." He took another bite and swallowed before continuing. "My friend himself now seems to have found someone he adores. Maybe love like that isn't just rare statistically speaking, maybe it's a genetic rarity."

I'd grabbed glasses of water for us before sitting down, and took a refreshing sip before adding my thoughts.

"I see. The two people you've seen in love happen to be related, so it must be biological."

"Exactly. My father fills his mouth with what it means to be an Errázuriz man. As much as I hate to say it, there might be something to that." He went quiet for a while, and chewed slowly with his eyes cast down. Lost in himself somewhere. "Anyway, Iexpected you to be a lot more scared about being married to me, the way you ran away in Vegas."

"I'm not scared, just... confused, I think. A bit overwhelmed." I shrugged. "You have to admit this is weird. Three weeks ago, we didn't know each other. We don't even remember how we met. Now we're married? No one would think this is normal."

Max finished his sandwich and checked himself for crumbs. He ran his hand down his front, and I couldn't help but track the movement. "For the longest time, marriage was a business arrangement. Going into it for love is a modern, new thing. It's fine if we're just doing it the old way, for the sake of what we get."

I lifted my eyes to his. He'd caught me looking.

I pursed my lips. I kept my eyes on him, defiant. "I get financial stability and you get..."

"Power." He gave me a lopsided smile. "I'm sorry to get us into such a patriarchal arrangement."

Having finished my sandwich, I pushed my plate away. "I guess it depends on what you do with that power."

"I have plans. Just focus on the end goal, and you'll be happy when you get your freedom again. I'll make sure of it."

I believed him. It made it easier to want to get used to his presence in my life.

"What happens next?" I asked. "We just go on... and wait?"

"The ball is in my father's court now. He will know by now that I'm married, which starts the process. We'll see what he does."

"Should I be nervous?"

"I won't let him touch you."

The words resounded deep and serious between us; they hung in the air and traveled to me in bursts of sound and resolve. His eyes rested heavy on me, earnest and open.

He might not have added it to the prenup or said it in as many words before, but this was a promise like any other.

Whatever kind of man his father was, Max would keep him away from me. He wouldn't let the evident conflict between them affect me.

I took a deep breath and studied him. "Do you think you'll tell me one day what that's about? The way you talk about it, I think there's a lot there."

His eyes lit up with sparkling lights again. "Don't offer me friendship if you can't stand behind it, Eva. If we become friends I'll never be gone from your life. Are you ready for that kind of commitment?"

It might be only the second or so time that he used my name to tease me, and I couldn't help but let my lips curl into a small smile. "I agreed to a marriage-slash-roommate deal. Let's see how that goes first, sweetie."

A dazzling smile stretched on his lips. "I'll follow your lead."

Chapter 7

Max

For the next fewmornings, I insisted to walk Eva to rEvalution at the start of her workday. I soon made a home out of the coffee shop, in plain sight of the visiting patrons. When I needed privacy, Eva let me use her desk in the back office. Even so, within a week, people had learned to expect me to sit in the armchairs, and they quickly got used to saying hello and having a quick chat with me.

After breakfast one day, I switched things up; I went out for a walk down Main Street. I wasn't the type of guy to spend a lot of time in small towns, but this street hit every single expectation I had. Small shops lined each side, with everything from a salon to a pub to an old and drab notary public office.