This is my submission for the Open Novella Contest 2023!
Maggie is fresh out of med school, hoping to get in some time with her friends and go on a few dates before she moves out of town for her internship. After a particularly bad date, her best f...
I could kill Dice. After telling him for weeks that I didn't want a party, I walked into his dark house and was scared with a round of 'Happy birthday!'. I was going to head right over to him and punch him in the arm with all of my strength until I noticed a familiar head of curly brown hair. My mother. Somehow he had gotten my mom and dad into town, without me knowing. It had been so long since I'd seen my parents, I actually felt grateful for the surprise party. It also happened to be the first time for my parents to meet Dice, including Travis and his parents. As the night moves on, everyone seems to get along and I couldn't be happier with that fact.
Dice grabs my hand and tugs me away from chatting with one of his brothers. I had met a lot of his friends and family in the last few months, they had all been nicer than I had expected. I'm led out of his large living room, and down the cramped hall that led to his bedroom. Once inside he closes the door behind him and I smile up to him. "If you think I'm going to fuck you with my parents under the same roof, you are out of luck."
There's a quick passing kiss from him as he moves around me. "I didn't bring you in here for a quick fuck, we can do that later."
Even though we did have our fair share of arguments the past few months, we never struggled with sex. We seemed to do it wherever and however often we could without getting caught.
Dice moves to his dresser, digs around into it and when he pulls out a small box I swear my heart was going to drop out of my ass. "Please tell me that you're not going to propose."
Dice gives me a look that tells me to be quiet and my mouth snaps closed. I swear I immediately break out into a sweat as he gets closer with the box. "I'm not proposing."
My shoulders sag in relief. I had come to love Dice very quickly, but it was way too soon to get married. Dice opens the box to show a thin silver chain, he grabs the end of it and pulls it up. Dangling on it is a small set of wings, I gently grab it and run my thumb over the smooth silver. Flipping it over I see that it has his club's name engraved in tiny letters on the backs of the wings, then just under it, Dice.
"You can't wear bracelets or rings, but I saw some female doctors wearing thin chains like this one." My heart gives a squeeze from the fact that he had taken the time to notice a detail like that, to get me something I could wear even at work.
"It's beautiful," I said, he lets out a long sigh of relief. He moves behind me, tossing the empty box to his bed. I lift my hair and he secures it around my neck.
His hand lingers on the back of my neck, his lips brush the shell of my ear. "Also, when I propose it wouldn't be at a party, that would be tacky."
My breath catches in my throat, making a strangled noise come out of me. Dice just laughs, I turn around and punch him in the arm. It just makes him laugh more.
