Stealing the Dancer

“I’ve got no control when it comes to you, and you should know that by now.”

“Not till death does us part.
That won’t even take her from me.”

He pulls me in his arms once more, and his mouth claims mine again.
Everyone hoots and hollers when Mack sweeps me off my feet and carries me back down the aisle.
Lawson shouts the rest of the vows, making me and everyone else laugh.

“Not till death does us part.
That won’t even take her from me.”

He pulls me in his arms once more, and his mouth claims mine again.
Everyone hoots and hollers when Mack sweeps me off my feet and carries me back down the aisle.
Lawson shouts the rest of the vows, making me and everyone else laugh.

Seeing you like that was the worst moment of my life.
I thought about how I’ve spent every moment before now without you, and I couldn’t do that again.
Not now that I’ve tasted heaven.
There’s no going back for me, Whitley.
I love you, and you’re my everything.
As soon as we’re out of here, I’m taking you to be my wife.
Don’t argue with me.”

“Maybe I could shower first?”
She says it like a question, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I smile.

“Mack, I—”

“I love you.”
I cut her off, and she smiles as tears fall down her cheeks.

“That’s what I was going to say.”

“Mack,” she pleads and grabs my forearm.
“Don’t leave me.”

I pull her against my chest and cup her face.
“I’ll never leave you.
I promise I’ll always come back.
Do you understand me?”

She nods, and just then there’s the sound of another explosion outside.

I’m obsessed beyond reason, and someone might say I’ve lost my mind.
They can fuck themselves because I don’t care.
Whitley has consumed me all the way to my core, and I’m in love with her.

The words haven’t left my mouth, but I’ve shown her in other ways.
I’m going to say it soon, but this is enough, for now.

Mack closes the space between us and strokes my cheek to try and calm me down.
“Everything is going to be fine.”

“We don’t know that,” I whisper.

“I know I’m not letting him take you from me.
He needs to start understanding that.”

“I’m hungry,” she mumbles sleepily and then wraps her arms around my neck.
I’m not sure if she realizes what she’s done, but I’m not about to stop her.

“I know.
I could hear your stomach for the past twenty miles.”
I kiss the top of her head without thinking it through, but it just felt right.

I take another step back, and he shakes his head in warning.

“I need the bathroom,” I lie, and he cocks his head to the side, staring me down.
Mack knows I’m lying.

“All right, but be quick.