AllFreeNovel
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“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall,” he smiled.
He pulled my chair out at the table, then sat in the seat across from me. The table was set up right next to the bench we always sat on when we met each other every Saturday evening for the teen skate night.
I babysat as many kids as I could so I would have enough money to buy new outfits and matching laces for my skates. Since we didn’t go to the same school, seeing each other on Saturdays was our precious time.
“Do you remember the first time we spoke to each other?” I asked.
“I do. I was so nervous, but Peaches’ ass made me do it. You were flirting with a brother hard, though,” Kerem responded.
“I knew what I wanted. I just didn’t know it would take me giving Bird five dollars to play like she liked Peaches so we could come over and talk to you,” I confessed.
“You never told me that,” Kerem smiled.
“Yeah, I felt stupid because it didn’t take five dollars. She liked Peaches for real, as we can see,” I laughed.
“She played you,” Kerem laughed.
A waiter came out and placed salads in front of us.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve gotten her back more than once,” I responded.
We both started eating our spinach salads. After the salad, the waiter brought out covered dishes. I had grilled chicken and a baked potato while Kerem had steak.
“Why did you like me when we first met? I mean, I was not the best dresser or the best looking kid around. Why me?” Kerem asked after we finished our meals.
“I’d heard that a man that was good on the dance floor was also good in bed…just kidding. Although, I later found that to be true. Honestly, I watched you skate for about a month before Bird and I concocted the plan to meet you. I watched the way you concentrated on your moves, and the whole world seemed to disappear around you. I wanted you to concentrate on me like that. And yes, your clothes game was garbage, but you’ve always been the best looking man in the room to me,” I smiled.
It felt so good to be able to have a conversation with my husband and not be angry with him. I’d been working very hard on the whole “shower him with kindness,” concept. I was tired of being angry. It felt like it took so much more energy to fight him than to relax into his apology and let the chips fall where they may.
“I was floored when you spoke to me. I was surprised when you gave me your number. I was confused when you let me kiss you. Shocked when we lost our virginity together. Mesmerized when you said yes to my marriage proposal and over the moon when you took my last name. I’ve always known that I married up. You’ve never been in my league, and I’ve always been so afraid of losing you. I can’t ever lose you Key. Your love is my oxygen,” Kerem said while grabbing my hand.
I swallowed hard to keep the tears at bay.
“You don’t have to respond. I just want you to know that my love for you has never waned and it never will. I will fight for this marriage until my dying breath. Even then, I will ask for permission to be your guardian angel. I will love you in life and in death, Keeva. That’s how much you mean to me,” Kerem put my hand to his mouth and kissed it.
It felt like that kiss went from my hand to my center. I had to clench my thighs together to make the sensation subside.
“You ready to skate?” Kerem asked.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
We moved over to the bench to put on our skates. It had been years since I’d put on my skates, but they still fit. I stood from the bench and felt a little wobbly, but being in skates again felt good.
Kerem took my hand and led me to the floor. As soon as we entered the rink, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s East 1999 started playing.
“Remember how much you like Bizzy Bone?” Kerem chuckled.
“Yeah, you lucky you met me when you did. I was going to find him and marry him. I planned on having a bunch of little light skinned babies with good hair. I had their names picked out; chicken bone, lucky bone, and funny bone,” I laughed.
“Yeah, good thing I found you first,” he winked.
Kerem held my hand as we moved to the moderate tempo of the song. He held on tight, so I felt secure until I got my bearings and was able to skate without wobbling.
The DJ had an expertly curated playlist of all the songs we skated to through middle school and high school. By the time the slower music came on, I was more than ready for Kerem to lead me. He turned around on his skates and faced me as he skated backward. I always loved his swag on skates.
He pulled me close to him, and we swayed to the slow song that the DJ played. We swayed as we rounded the rink.
“Reem?”
