Page 84 of Beautiful Life
“Honey?” Her beautiful but worried face wonders what in the hell is going on with me.
Doing my best to put all that out of my mind, I make a decision. “Marry me.”
I don’t take my eyes off hers, but I know her body jerks and hear her coffee cup hit the granite. “What?”
“Marry me,” I repeat. “Tomorrow.”
Her voice goes higher. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
“We can’t get married tomorrow.”
“Yes, we can. I’ll get a license today, take a couple days off. You’re off tomorrow, too. It’ll be just you and me. You want Gabby there, we’ll call her and Jude, but that’s it. No one else. Not my family to make it something we don’t want, not your mom to stress you out or piss me off. Just you and me. Marry me, Leigh.”
“Tony, what is this about? We can’t—”
“You love me?” I demand.
She slumps ever so slightly in the seat she hasn’t moved from and with a little shake of her head, she says on a huff, “Of course I love you.”
“Is that going to change?”
She says quietly with meaning, “No Tony. I will always love you.”
“You’re mine?” I ask further.
She answers with as much meaning. “Forever.”
I finally let my body move and her head tilts. I claim her face with my hands and lean into her and lower my voice. “Then let me be yours, Leigh.”
She closes her eyes and I feel her exhale against my lips.
“Sweetheart,” I call to her.
She looks to me. “You’re crazy, Tony Carpino.”
“I’m not crazy.”
“Your mother will hate me forever,” she goes on.
“How could a mother hate someone who makes her son happy?”
“Tony…”
“Tomorrow.”
She shakes her head slowly. “What are we doing?”
“We’re starting our lives, gem. And it’s going to start tomorrow.”
“Your words … they carry such heavy meaning. Soon, ready, tomorrow. I’m honestly afraid of what could come out of your mouth next.”
“Say yes. It’s all you have to say.”
What she doesn’t do is say yes. “Crazy.”
“Say it,” I demand.
