~Dani's POV~
"Pizza sounds good." I say as I turn around to face Marshall.
"Ok baby, pizza it is. I'll be right back, I'm gonna go grab the menu and place our order, uh what kind of pizza do you like Dani?"
"Any kind is fine with me, except Canadian bacon and pineapple, I don't like that kind, also I only like white sauce." I say and hope I'm not being too difficult.
He smiles at me.
"Ok baby, how about pepperoni with white sauce, sound good?" He asked with a smile.
"Yes, sounds perfect!" I say happily.
Marshall walked out of the room to go down stairs to place our order. I pick up the clothes laying scattered on the floor yet again. I realize this is becoming a habit, but a very good one. I smile to myself as I replay everything that's happened today, I can't help but feel so happy, life works out so crazy sometimes, 6 months ago my world crashed and burned. I thought I would never be truly happy again. But then Marshall came along. We both have been hurt and we both are finding this to be hard, in different ways. We have our walls up but I know he is really trying, I can see it. I hope he knows I too am trying. I don't want to worry about what all can go wrong and lose sight of all that can go right. I would hate myself if I didn't put my all into this, so that's exactly what I'm going to do, well at least I will try.
I walked over to the bed and started to make it but when I shook the sheet out, my phone went flying off the bed. I finished making the bed and then went over to where my phone fell and picked it up, I see I have 3 new text messages.
9/9/17 6:24pm
From Mom:
Hi honey, I just wanted to check in with you, I know you are probably adjusting to the time difference and jet lag, but give me a call when you can. We're getting ready to go to bed, it's almost 9:30pm here. We love you!
Aw I need to call my parents tomorrow and catch them up on things, I also need to talk to Marshall and see when I'm going home. Shit why is Darren texting me again? Didn't he get the hint I don't want to talk to him when I didn't text him back? I don't even want to know what he has to say so I just put my phone on Marshall's nightstand. I decide to go find Marshall, I walk down stairs and find him in the kitchen, he's getting a drink out of the fridge, he turns around and looks at me with a really cute smile.
"The pizza will be here in about 40 minutes." He says as he pours himself some juice.
"Dani, you want something to drink?" He asked me.
"Sure, juice is fine."
He handed me the juice he just poured for himself, and grabbed a glass to get him some more.
"Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me, Dani, I want you to feel comfortable here, if you want anything, help yourself, if you need something and I don't have it, tell me, I will get it for you, k." He said very genuinely.
"K." I replied as I took a sip of my juice.
He walked over to me and grabbed my waist and lifted me up on the counter of the island, my cheeks heated up as he moved in between my legs, he wrapped his arms around me and rested his head on my chest. He then looked up into my eyes and I leaned down to kiss him on his soft lips, I ran my hand through his short brown hair.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but baby we need to get you upstairs to put some pants on, the delivery guys gonna be here soon and I don't want to have to fuck him up for lookin' at my girl!" He said as he rubbed his hands up both sides of my thighs. His touch sent chills through my body.
"Ok, babe but you need to also put a shirt on, you know just in case "he" is a "she" I said with a giggle as I rubbed my hands up his toned biceps.
"Aw is my girl a little jealous?" He said as he smirked at me.
"Nah, just don't want her looking at what's mine." I said with a wink.
"Alright, come on let's go put the rest of our clothes on." He reached out to hold my hand as we walked up stairs. I went to my dresser and found some leggings, he went into his closet and came out with a shirt on, I instantly regretted telling him to put one on, but this man can wear anything so he still looks sexy as fuck!
"Come on baby, the pizza will be here soon!" He says as he pulls me to him. He hugged me and kissed me on my cheek, I love when he's touchy, it's one of his best sides, not clingy at all just really affectionate. I smiled and looked him in the eyes as I kissed his soft lips, I love his lips, kissing him is one of my favorite things to do. We walked down stairs and sat at the island again, and both grabbed our drinks and took a sip. The doorbell rang, I followed Marshall to the front door. He opened it and it was a young guy standing there, Marshall gave me a little sideways grin, probably because he was right it was a guy. Marshall handed me the pizza while he paid the delivery guy and gave him a very generous tip, the guy said "thanks Em!" Marshall closed the door and grabbed the pizza from me.
"Wait you knew him?" I asked.
"I told you Dani I know a good pizza place, so yeah but in all honesty I didn't know who they were gonna send." He said with a smirk."
We walked into the kitchen, he grabbed us two plates, putting two slices on each, he handed me a plate. I took a bite.
"Mmm wow, this is really good!" I said while I chewed my bite.
"Yeah, it's mine and the girls favorite pizza place." He said as he took a bite too.
We just sat at the island and ate. We finished up, and I got up to rinse off our plates. Marshall closed the pizza box and put it in the fridge. He came over to me and wrapped his arms around me, I noticed that this is what he does. I actually really like it, it makes me feel like even though we are doing regular things like cleaning up, or whatever that he is thinking about me. It makes my heart smile. I turn the sink off and he hands me a kitchen towel to dry my hands, I dry them off then set the towel on the counter and wrap my arms around him. He smells so good! I love his cologne.
"Marshall?" I say as I hold him.
"Yeah baby?"
"You know, we never talked about when I'm leaving." I felt him tense in my arms at my words.
"Fuck, I haven't really thought about that, to be honest I've just been caught up with you being here." He said as he squeezed me tighter.
"Yeah I know babe me too, that's why I asked."
"Well I guess it's something we need to discuss since you know, you live in LA." He said as he slowly pulled away from me. He grabbed his juice and took a drink.
"Dani, baby when do you want to go home?" He asked.
"Umm, I don't know, I love being here with you. Uh when were you thinking, you know when you asked me to come here? Did you have a time frame in mind? I asked as I sat down in front of him at the island.
"Well I was thinking a week, but..." He trailed off.
"But what babe?" I asked as I looked at him looking down.
"Dani that was before you know, you came up in here and made me feel some shit I haven't felt before, and well now we're together, shit I guess we should of talked about this when we made it official."
"Yeah I guess so, but I was just too excited!" I admitted.
"Yeah baby me too. Fuck what are we supposed to do now? Try the long distance thing? Fuck baby I can't imagine you being there and me being here, what are we going to do?"
"I guess we're gonna have to do the long distance thing, I know how you feel about Detroit, and I don't blame you, your kids are here, your whole life is here. But babe my whole life is in LA." I say with my heart feeling like it was breaking.
"I guess baby we're just gonna have to see how this goes. The truth is this is a new thing for us both so let's just take it one step at a time. K?" He said as he walked over to me sitting at the island. He wraps his arms around me I lay my head on his chest. He strokes my hair gently running his fingers through it.
"Ok babe, so I guess I will set up a flight back home for next week. Today is Friday, so I will set it up for next Friday?" I asked.
"Sure baby, next Friday." He says as he holds me tightly.
"I wanna take a shower." I said as I go to pull away, I don't want him to see how sad I am at the thought of leaving him. He pulls me closer, not letting me move. He just holds me for a few moments, I hold him back.
"Alright baby, I'm gonna call my girls and check in on them, I'll be up in a minute."
"K babe." I say as I give him a kiss, I walk upstairs and I grab my towel from earlier I also go to my dresser and grab my body wash and my shampoo and conditioner even though I'm not going to wash my hair, I already did earlier so I'm just going to clip it up, but this way it's in the shower for tomorrow. I feel really tired all of a sudden, I walk into the huge shower, I turn the water on and place my things in there.
~Marshall's POV~
I just got off the phone with my girls, I love hearing from them, I really fuckin' miss them not being here all the damn time, but I'm really happy and proud that they're doing the college thing. They get to do this because I made shit happen for them and that makes me happy.
But....fuck, I can't help but feel uneasy at the thought of Dani leaving. I guess I knew she would have to leave at some point but I honestly didn't even think about it until she brought it up. I'm feeling all kinds of fucked up emotions right now. I know her fuckin' ex lives in LA also, so she'll be closer to him and further from me... fuck! I run my hands through my hair. I walk upstairs and hear the shower on. I thought about going in there with her, but I decided not to because I have a feeling she wanted to be alone for a few, I know she thought I didn't notice but I seen how much our conversation bothered her, fuck it was bothering me too. I sit down on the edge of my bed, I look at the clock it's just after 9pm I see Dani's phone sitting on my nightstand, I found myself being curious as to what Darren had text Dani earlier, I told her I didn't care, but I want to know. I grab her phone and click it on I see she doesn't have a lock on it. Fuck I shouldn't be doing this shit, but I really want to know. If I ask her she'll probably tell me, fuck it I go to her messages and I see she has two unread ones from him, she must have known they were there because there wasn't a notification for them, that means she chose not to read them, I instantly felt like a dick for going through her phone, especially when she's given me no reason to doubt her. This was just what I do, what can I say I'm fucked up! I went to close her phone and my hand touched the screen on accident and now I can see the messages from Darren. I really didn't mean to do that but now I can't look away, I scroll up to the message from earlier.
9/9/17 12:48pm
From Darren:
Hey Danielle, I was just thinking about you and I know your birthday is in a couple days, do you have any plans? I would really like to maybe take you to dinner, I miss you. I hope your doing alright. Please let me know, I Know we said we wouldn't contact each other but I can't stop thinking about you, I've thought about you everyday since you've left, I can't eat I can't sleep, I can't help think we made a huge mistake. Well please text me back or better yet call me I would love to hear your beautiful voice. I love you Dani.
9/9/17 6:32pm
From Darren:
I guess you don't want to talk to me, but I need to hear from you, I miss you Danielle, I'm a mess without you, please my love let me take you to dinner, I promise that's all it has to be I won't try anything, I just want to see you. Please I love you!
9/9/17 6:40pm
From Darren:
You are the only fucking girl for me, you have to feel it to, do you miss me? How come you won't at least text me back? Did I mean nothing to you? ALL THESE FUCKING YEARS DANI! AND YOU CANT EVEN REPLY?! I JUST NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU FUCK! PLEASE MESSAGE ME BACK! I'm starting to worry, if I don't hear from you then I'm gonna stop by, I just need to know you're ok love. God I love you Danielle.
I just stare at Dani's phone in my hands as I start to shake. What the fuck? He's going to fuckin' yell at her? Tell her how much he loves her? What a fuckin' punk! I just want to fuck him up right now, this is my motherfuckin' girl he's talking to like this, I stand up and throw her phone on the bed as I pace in my room rubbing my head. I'm so pissed right now, I need to just calm down. All of a sudden I hear the water stop in the shower, fuck Dani's going to be out soon, she's gonna know I read his texts to her, oh well I'm just gonna be honest with her when she comes out. I really need to calm down, I just keep thinkin' about everything I just read... He wants to take her out for her birthday? Fuck! I don't even know when her birthday is I just realized... I have so much to still learn about her.
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