Rejected: A love story-Chapter 64: How would you feel about getting married?

We clinked glasses softly.

"So," I said, leaning back. "What’s the occasion?"

"Our last day as freshmen," he replied smiling.

I stared at him. "You remembered."

He shrugged. "Of course I did."

"You know, it’s feels strange that the year is already done. It wasn’t really memorable, but... it would have been worse without you and Ella. You should have seen the way Ella’s brother congratulated her with a big hug. Their sibling bond is undeniable."

"You envy that," he said.

"I don’t envy," I corrected. "I just... noticed, I wish I had that, you know...sibling thing"

He watched me for a moment. "You’ll have that too."

"With who?" I teased.

He didn’t answer right away, just ate, then drank his wine.

Halfway through the meal, he reached across the table and wiped something from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. I froze for half a second.

"You’re staring again," I said.

"At you," he replied and I blushed.

"Of course, it’s at me dummy, who else?."

"Did you just call the most insanely rich former bachelor of Wesley cost a dummy!" He teased and I found myself laughing.

"No my lord! That was a mistake I’m sorry" I couldn’t hold my laughter in.

"Everyone! My girlfriend just called me a dummy!" He announced with a huge grin, it was obvious, he was holding himself from laughing. People could only whisper as we both laughed.

He suddenly leaned back in his chair, studying me. I took my wine, taking a sip.

"Fiona," he said.

"Hmm?"

"How would you feel about getting married?"

I choked on my drink immediately. Marriage?

I grabbed my napkin, coughing, my eyes wide. "What?"

He reached for his glass like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me. "Relax cupcake, it was just a question."

I stared at him, heat crawling up my neck. "You can’t just say that casually!"

"Nathan, please."

"What?"

"Marriage?" I shook my head. "You’re insane."

He smiled, not in an offended way tho. Just amused.

"I’m serious," he said lightly. "Hypothetically."

"Hypothetically, you’re still insane."

He leaned forward. "You wouldn’t?"

I hesitated, that was the problem.

I laughed again, softer this time. "I’m twenty. I haven’t even finished my entire collage year. Let’s not scare me."

He studied my face, searching for something.

Then he waved it off with a smirk. "Fine. Forget I said anything."

"I’m not forgetting you said that," I muttered.

I gave him a look. "Nathan, you really dropped the weirdest question in the middle of romantic dinner like it was normal talk."

He shrugged like it was nothing. "You brought up siblings and future memories. That’s practically marriage talk."

I blinked. "That is not marriage talk."

"It is to me."

"Oh my God," I groaned, dragging my palm down my face. "Why are you like this?"

"Because," he said, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, "when I think about my future, you’re there. That’s why."

My heart did a stupid flip and I looked away immediately. "Don’t talk like that."

"Why not?"

"Because," I whispered, "I don’t know what to say when you say stuff like that."

"So say anything," he replied softly. "I’m not forcing you."

I fiddled with my spoon. "What matters is our moment now, Nathan. This. Us. Right now."

He nodded slowly, but his eyes didn’t leave me.

"And do you see a future with me?" he asked.

I raised my head, caught off guard. "You’re still on this?"

"Yes."

"Nathan—"

"Fiona," he cut in gently. "I want to know. Even if it’s not marriage talk. I want to know if you ever look at me and think... maybe...You know, one day."

I swallowed hard. The room felt warmer suddenly as he leaned forward a little, his elbows on the table and eyes fixed on me like he was waiting for something important.

"Do you?" he asked again, quieter this time.

I played with my napkin. "I don’t... I don’t know. Maybe. Sometimes. But it scares me."

"What scares you?"

"You," I said honestly.

He blinked. "Me?"

"Yes," I breathed. "You’re older. You’re... everything. Your life is already shaped. Mine is just starting. And you talk like you know exactly where you’re going."

"I don’t," he corrected. "Not until you happened to me. When a man knows, he knows. "

That shut me up completely.

Nathan continued, his voice low but steady, "I’m not asking you to marry me tomorrow morning. I’m asking because I’ve never... imagined a life for a second without someone. Until you came."

My chest tightened painfully. "That’s... a lot," I whispered.

"It is," he agreed. "But it’s true."

I traced the rim of my glass with my finger. "You’re going to make me cry, idiot."

"Don’t," he warned playfully. "People will think I broke up with you and that’s bad for my image."

I burst into a small laugh despite myself. "Stop."

"I’m serious," he said with that slight smile. "You cry and they’ll call me a ruthless man..not like they don’t see me that way already."

I shook my head, smiling into my hands.

"Look," I finally said, my eyes meeting his, "I don’t want to think too far ahead because I don’t want to ruin what we have. But if you’re asking whether I... feel something real with you?"

"Yes," I said. "I do."

Something in him softened—like whatever tension he had been hiding just dissolved.

"You know," he murmured, leaning back, "I like hearing that."

"Don’t get used to it."

"Oh, I will."

"No—"

"Too late."

I rolled my eyes. "You’re impossible."

"You’re cute when you’re flustered."

"Oh my God."

"Cupcake" He said quietly and I covered my face.

"I want our daughter to look just like you"

"Jesus Nathan! Now you’re talking about kids!"

He laughed a little loud. "Relax, I was only teasing you"

"I recently became a father unknowingly, that’s enough reason to pause"

I removed my hands from my face. "You should be glad he loves you" I pouted my mouth.

"Either way" He said casually, suddenly not liking where the conversation was heading.

"Now that I think of it, who would want to get married to a man who has a child"

"Nathan stop! Don’t say that. Leo is a sweet little boy"

""Sweeter than me?" He smirked.

""Shut up!" I threw my napkin at him and he laughed.