Jewel

Chapter 25

He said in the beginning it was cute because he thought it meant she cared about his interests and friends, not that she was keeping a running tally of all the times he has enjoyed himself more with other friends besides her.

"But I don't want to call off the wedding just yet-even though she's driving me literally insane-because I think maybe after all is said and done, she will calm down and be normal again and all will be well."

"Do you love her?" I ask bluntly.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you love Paige?" I repeat.

"Uhh when she's not being a psycho freak... yea."

"So you don't."

"I didn't say that."

"You gave a condition under which you would love her." I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table top. "She may be psycho, but she's your psycho and you should love her unconditionally. Much as you did in the beginning chalking it up to her being interested in what you were doing, now she is trying to make sure everything about this day that will mark the beginning of the rest of your lives together is perfect."

He takes a breath as if he wants to interject something, but I keep taking before he has a chance to start talking. "Marriage is not a fickle thing, it is a lifelong commitment, through better and for worse. Not to exploit the other, or wish them bad things. Everybody has their little bickering fights and you just have to put your big boy pants on and work through it... if it's something worth saving to you. Now I don't know much about you guys, but what I know about everyone is that you have to follow your heart and do what makes you happy. If you honestly can see yourself rocking on the porch together at 80 something years old still in as much love as you were a couple of months ago, don't give up." He nods as if he is following what I'm saying.

"But if you feel that in 20 years when responsibilities are continuously pressed on your shoulders and you work and work and work with no time to enjoy yourself that you will lose sight of the people that are supposed to matter the most to you, then get out now while you still can and save yourself... and Paige from the heart ache of yet another failed marriage."

"So what do I do?"

"Well that's up to you. You have to do what you feel in your heart. Not enough people think this through like they should so if I can save even one person, then I'm going to do it."

Connor sits and things for a minute. We both basically finished our pizza and are just sitting here together.

"Would you help me figure it out?" he asks, hopeful.

"I don't really know how much help I can be, but I can try if you want."

Connor nods with a hopeful smile.

"Okay, let's try this. What is she like? Besides psycho now because of trying to prep for the maybe wedding?" I slurp the last bit of my soda.

"Maybe we should go some where else to talk about this? I feel we have over stayed our welcome here."

I give him a confused look.

"Like maybe we could go for a walk or something?"

"Okay." I smile. "If that will help, then let's go for a walk." Connor smiles his gorgeous smiles too and summons our waitress. I try to pay for half, but he won't let me and that really irks me. This isn't a date and I bet I make more money than him in a week then he does in a month. Not that a $30 dinner check is going to make or break him, but still.

It's starting to get dark outside now as it is the first few weeks of October. I start to walk down the side walk, but Connor calls me back to the motorcycle. He wants to do for a walk... but on the opposite side of town in Central Park. Honestly, I haven't been down there since the summer so it could be nice to see how the park looks in the fall.