Session 𝓢eventy-Six

Session 76:
"The Knowing Circle"

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

Monroe was on the phone for a while.

I couldn't tell if she was avoiding me or genuinely handling work-related issues.

I tried not to overthink it.

Or overthink our conversation.

She completely shut down after she stopped herself mid-sentence.

I wasn't sure what she stopped herself from saying, but now I really wanted to know.

I care that I had to stand there and pretend to be your therapist when I—

When I what?

I should've asked.

I should've pushed harder on what she wanted to say.

Maybe I could've made her feel better if I knew what was really going on.

I tried doing other things to take less stress off of her—like taking our suitcases upstairs one by one.

I even unpacked hers, neatly putting everything away where it belonged.

When I walked downstairs again, she was still outside, the dim patio light on and her back to me as she held her phone to her ear.

I stared at her for a moment.

Then I forced myself to focus on something else again.

Anything else.

The food we had was cold now, so I went ahead and heated up mine.

I also left hers in the microwave for whenever she came inside to eat.

I tried my best to eat as much as I could, even if I didn't feel up to it, because the last thing I wanted was to wake up in the middle of the night hungry.

Monroe was still on the phone when I was done, so I just headed upstairs again to her hidden bedroom, unsure how to occupy myself.

The first thing I did was get ready for bed—so I changed out of my clothes into one of her baggy white t-shirts that she kept folded in the closet.

Then I pulled my hair up and brushed my teeth, doing my skincare routine after.

The house was still eerily quiet, no sign of Monroe heading back inside.

At this point, it's been a few hours, but the last thing I wanted to do was interrupt her call.

So I laid in bed, the dim lamp on as I scrolled through TikTok.

I searched up cute date ideas or girlfriend proposals, but nothing seemed good enough for me.

Then I started glancing around her room, determining I could use that to go off of.

Like her record player—I could get her more records.

And the green walls, I wanted to find some type of greenery or a green flower bouquet.

No one had ever given her green flowers, so I would be the first.

I also wanted to make her dinner—I still remember the spaghetti recipe she taught me.

And maybe I could attempt to make focaccia bread.

I remember her making it so long ago, so I think that might be one of her favorites.

Then I need to get Zion and Sarai on board with coming over after to meet her and have dinner, maybe.

It sounded like a good plan in my head.

I just hoped it would make her feel better.

I could've been honest when Zion and Sarai were there, but I wasn't.

I got scared and made a stupid decision.

I knew Monroe had told Eliza all about me.

I knew more about the Maricel situation, and yet I prolonged everything. 

I quickly glanced up from my phone, hearing soft footsteps patter down the hallway.

It made my heart speed up in my chest, quickly closing out of Pinterest as the cracked door slowly opened.

"Hey," I softly said as soon as Monroe walked into the bedroom.

She smiled, but it didn't look genuine enough for me.

"How did your work call go?" I asked as she approached me on the bed.

"Good," Monroe said, setting her phone on the nightstand. "I apologize for how long it took. I called Eliza after."

"Oh, it's okay," I didn't hesitate to say, even if I wondered what she had discussed with Eliza.

Maybe how fucked up I am?

"I unpacked all of your stuff for you. Your food is in the microwave, too," I said as she stood by the bed, staring at me for a moment.

She calmly slid her hands into the pockets of her dress pants, nodding once.

"Thank you, Liberty," she said, her voice soft with me, but her words too formal for my liking. 

"Of course," I whispered, awkwardly looking down at my lap.

There's still this heavy fucking tension haunting us and I hate it.

I'm not even sure I should bring it up again.

Earlier, she said she wanted to table the conversation as a whole.

"I understand where you were coming from," Monroe said, naturally making me glance up from my lap, "I was originally overwhelmed with the situation, but I can recognize that you felt scared to tell me."

I nodded wordlessly, unsure of what to say.

I just knew I didn't want to say the wrong thing again.

"But understanding," she suddenly spoke again, "It doesn't cancel out the impact of it."

I furrowed my brows, "Impact?" I softly whispered in confusion, wanting to know more about what she meant.

Monroe briefly glanced away from me, remaining silent for moments on end. 

Then suddenly—

She let out the heaviest sigh. 

"It hurt me," she said, furrowing her brows slightly, "I made an effort to make you feel welcome in my life, and I assumed you would do the same. Perhaps we weren't on the same page."

"No, we're on the same page. I just," I paused for a moment, shaking my head, "I messed up, Monroe."

She was silent for a moment, her stare anywhere but on me.

I could tell she was calculating what she wanted to say next.

Or how she wanted to say it.

"Why didn't you tell me after you knew about the Maricel situation?" she suddenly asked, her stare finally meeting mine again.

I hated the look behind her eyes.

She felt rejected, and I could see it all over her face.

"I was waiting until after we left New York. I didn't want to add more to your plate," I tried my best to explain.

"It wouldn't have added anything. Surely you knew that after meeting Eliza?" Monroe said, tilting her head slightly, "Or did I not do enough? Were you not comfortable enough?"

I quickly shook my head, my face falling at her words, "No-no, I was. She was nice and really welcoming."

Monroe nodded a few times, but didn't say anything.

She looked like she had so much to say, but she was holding herself back.

"I didn't mean to introduce you as my therapist in the moment," I suddenly said, knowing that was really fucked up, especially given how far we had come from that, "I-I just freaked out, and I wanted to talk to you about meeting them first."

She hummed in response, but it was forced, like she was trying to understand me as much as she could.

"I talked to Eliza about you every phone call," Monroe softly whispered, glancing down at the floor in a way that made me draw in a deep breath.

I think because I see a different version of her right now.

A younger version that was excited to have someone to talk about and show off.

And I messed everything up by hiding her.

"I think I imagined that you talked about me to your friends too," Monroe said, making everything crumble inside of me.

"I did, baby. I told Sarai all about you once she found out," I whispered, a heaviness burning in my chest.

"What did you say?" she asked me, glancing up to meet my stare again.

A soft smile grew on my lips, "I told her about how good you cook, how cute it is when you organize—or how you wake me up in the mornings with your hair and makeup done," I said, recalling the conversation I had with Sarai. "I wasn't sure if the NDA still applied, so I also wanted to be careful about that."

Monroe nodded at my words, but I could tell they weren't enough in this moment, "There was a miscommunication between us, it seems," she said, forcefully rolling her shoulders back, "Perhaps I read deeper into how serious we are, but it's okay now. All we can do is work past it."

I forced a smile when she leaned down to kiss the top of my head, hating that I made her conclude that she read too deeply into this.

She didn't read deeply into anything.

We are serious—or at least I want to be.

"I'm going to take a shower," she murmured as she pulled away from me.

"Okay," I whispered, even if I wanted to say so much more.

Like the fact that I was planning a full evening for tomorrow to make us official.

But all I could do was watch her walk away toward the bathroom, leaving me alone in the bed with the heaviest weight in my chest.

I really need to show her how much she means to me.

I need to show her that I'm serious.

It feels like words won't work anymore.

I let out a deep sigh, sliding further down into the bed as I thought more about tomorrow.

I went ahead and texted Zion and Sarai about breakfast instead of doing lunch as we originally planned.

I also decided to skip class tomorrow and dedicate my full day to planning this for Monroe.

Once I felt decently content with the plan for tomorrow, I put my phone on the charger and got comfortable in bed.

Numerous scenarios about how I would tell Zion tomorrow clouded my mind as I waited for Monroe to finish with her shower.

I naturally closed my eyes, relaxing deeper as I listened to the shower turn off.

I sat there for minutes on end, silence gathered around me. 

Until I heard the freshly repaired bathroom door open, a sweet scent wafting into the air.

I kept my eyes closed as her footsteps softly pattered into the room, making my heart tick in my chest.

Especially as I felt her draw closer and closer to me.

But it was only to click off my lamp, drenching the room in darkness.

I unconsciously opened my eyes, watching her figure round the bed to her side.

She smoothly slid under the covers beside me, getting comfortable in the bed that felt larger than it needed to.

I almost felt like I had teleported back to the night when I put a pillow barrier down and we slept on opposite sides.

I felt so far away from her.

And I feel far now.

I lifted my hand, about to reach for her—

But she had already turned away from me.

I drew in a deep breath, an ache rippling through my chest from her actions.

It made me feel nauseous.

I suddenly turned on my side to face her, sliding closer to her before I could think it through.

But I needed to feel her.

I wanted to hold each other like we always did.

My actions were full of hesitation, slowly lifting my arm and running it around her waist.

Then I hugged myself to the back of her body, hoping and praying that she wouldn't push me away.

That would mean I truly messed everything up deeper than I realized. 

I was stiff for seconds on end, waiting for her response.

But there was nothing.

Monroe didn't move an inch.

She just remained silent, allowing me to hug her.

There was this heaviness between us.

One that neither of us could fall asleep in.

It was suffocating.

But after minutes on end, I lost hope that she would break the barrier between us.

Then...

She let out the deepest sigh and turned around to me.

Relief flowed through me the moment she wrapped her arms around my waist, holding me so close against her warm body.

I immediately hugged her closer to me, tangling my legs with hers as I buried my face into her chest.

The air felt lighter.

I could finally breathe again.

I swear it was impossible not to fall asleep at that point, especially since I was mentally still in a different time zone.

New York was three hours ahead, so it felt a lot later for me.

I fell into one of those sleeps that make you forget your entire fucking existence.

It was perfect.

Minus waking up to an empty bed.

There was the usual note, except this one was more to the point.

Left for work. Didn't want to wake you.
-Ro Ro

She still used the nickname I gave her, so I assumed she was moving past last night.

I think she was just struggling with being okay again, and I don't blame her.

I really hope I can fix it today.

It was all I thought about as I got ready, opening my suitcase to grab everything I needed.

I didn't do much really—just skincare, brushing my teeth, and pulling on a pair of leggings with a cropped sweatshirt.

I kept my curly hair in a bun and determined that it would work for today.

Then I ordered an Uber back to my apartment, leaving my suitcase at Monroe's so I would have more of my clothes there.

I only went back to my apartment for my car, and then I drove over to Zion and Sarai's.

As usual, they had breakfast practically ready—buttery pancakes, scrambled eggs, and crispy turkey bacon.

It all smelled so good.

So did the fresh coffee smell lingering in the air.

I focused on eating first, letting them catch me up on their weekend.

Mostly, because I was nervous as fuck to even bring up my topic.

I had rehearsed so many scenarios in my head, and yet none of them felt right.

"So," I suddenly spoke, awkwardly setting my fork down on my plate, sticky with syrup.

"So?" Zion laughed, tilting his head at me.

I awkwardly blinked, briefly making eye contact with Sarai.

She slowly set her fork down, automatically reading the serious expression on my face.

"Did I miss something?" Zion suddenly asked, glancing between us both.

Here goes nothing.

"She's not my therapist," I quickly forced out, my face burning up, "Dr. Leclair, I mean," I awkwardly added.

Zion furrowed his brows, "Okay..." he trailed off, "I mean, that's cool if you don't want to see her anymore. We support you eith—"

"No, she uh," I paused, hating how terrible I was at this, "We're involved... romantically. She hasn't been my therapist for a while now."

"Oh," was all Zion said, blinking a few times as he processed my words.

"I found out last week," Sarai suddenly said, pursing her lips tightly together, "Libs wasn't ready to tell you yet, and I respected that."

Zion nodded hesitantly, confusion still written all over his face.

Then he tilted his head.

"So there was a mystery girl?" he asked, his attention suddenly diverted to me.

"Yeah, basically," I whispered, still trying to get a read on his thoughts.

He hasn't exactly had a reaction.

I furrowed my brows when a smile spread on Zion's lips.

"I called it first," he suddenly said, glancing over to Sarai.

She jokingly rolled her eyes in response, "Seriously, Zi?" she laughed, nudging his arm, "That's all you have to say?"

He shrugged, "I guess it sucks that I was left out of the knowing circle, but I get it. I'll live," he said, and all I could do was laugh.

"Knowing circle?" I asked, laughing again at the term he used.

Zion's smile grew wider. "Yeah, I just can't believe you have a girlfriend," he said, taking a bite of his crunchy bacon.

"She's not my girlfriend," I corrected him, even if all I could do was smile even more, "Yet," I emphasized.

"Yet?" Sarai immediately said with a smile.

"I'm asking her today," I clarified, my cheeks growing sore from the stupid smile on my lips.

"Hell yeah," Zion said, holding his hand up for a high-five, "We can do double dates now," he determined as I gave him a high-five.

"I'm so excited—I just added more to the list yesterday," Sarai said, excitedly clapping her hands together. "We can collaborate with you guys on it."

"Yeah, definitely," I didn't hesitate to say, "Our first double date can be at my place tonight, actually. I'll make dinner."

Zion's brows furrowed. "Aren't you asking her to be your girlfriend tonight?" he asked, clearly confused about these sudden plans.

"Yeah, but I want you both there after," I explained, picking my fork up again, "I kind of messed up last night by introducing her as my therapist. She wanted a different impression with you."

Sarai poked her bottom lip into a frown. "Aw, she cares about meeting us?" she said, tapping Zion's shoulder, "Check that off the list of questions we have, babe."

I shook my head with an amused smile, especially when Zion genuinely grabbed his phone to check it off the list I already knew they had.

"Guys, I'm serious," I said, trying my best to focus on the main objective here, "She introduced me to her parents in New York. Her friend even knew about me—"

"Hold on," Zion cut me short, holding up his hand, "You met the parents?"

"I didn't know you were meeting her family?" Sarai said with a growing smile.

I shrugged it off, "I didn't know I was meeting them either. It just... happened," I tried my best to explain without reiterating how fucking scary Monroe's parents are.

That's the last topic we need to get on.

I need their official first meeting with Monroe to go as smoothly as possible, without any fear involved.

"Okay, we definitely need to make a comeback from yesterday's introduction then," Sarai determined, earning a few nods from me, "We want to be her friend too."

"So, how does the therapist thing work now? Is dating allowed?" Zion curiously asked.

"Zi," Sarai nudged him to stop, making him shrug in defense.

"Dating isn't exactly allowed. I think there's like a law involved and then some people remember her as my therapist," I murmured, trying my best to explain the situation, "But her parents took care of it, so."

"Took care of it?" Sarai asked, now just as curious as Zion.

"What does that mean?" Zion asked.

I dramatically sighed, "That's not the point right now—we need to focus on tonight," I quickly determined, purposely straying away from the topic of her parents.

"Right-right," Zion didn't hesitate to say, "But what about Mama Maris? Does she—"

"Zion," Sarai laughed, nudging his arm again.

"Someone has to ask the questions here," Zion pointed out.

I shook my head with a smile, "Look, we can cover logistics down the line. We need to plan tonight right now," I said, trying to stay on topic, "No therapist questions or anything about my mother tonight—also, her family is off limits too."

"Roger that," Sarai nodded with a fake serious look.

"Just send us topics to avoid and we'll go over them before," Zion offered, immediately making me nod.

"On it," I said, quickly grabbing my phone, "Now onto the plan," I murmured as I unlocked my phone.

First, I focused on texting our group chat about any avoidable topics.

Like Monroe's family, my mother, how she was my therapist, even Dr. Kincaid got put on the list.

So did Kaia, which I highly doubt would be a person of discussion, but I wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

I also explained Monroe's OCD in the best way I could, specifying that they shouldn't stare at her if she randomly fixes the table midway through the meal.

Or even if she insists on cleaning up everything, and it turns into a deep clean.

I gave as many examples as I could so they understood it properly.

I wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible around them.

Next, I moved on to the girlfriend proposal, pitching them my idea so far.

From the vinyls to the green bouquet idea—they loved it.

Hopefully, Monroe would love it even more.

I texted her about my fake day that I had planned with Zion and Sarai, informing her that I was skipping class today to catch up with them.

That seemed believable enough, and Monroe didn't second-guess it.

I also decided to use my credit card from my mother, so Monroe wouldn't see any of the changes.

She also wouldn't be paying for any of it, either, which made me feel a lot better.

I got so many things, and I hit numerous stores.

It took me a few hours to get the vinyls, grocery shop, and hunt down a green bouquet.

The only thing I found pretty enough for her was the green roses.

Hopefully, they won't be as triggering as the red ones.

I really fucking hope.

If not, I would've ruined everything easily.

Once I got back to my apartment, the first thing on my mind was the vinyls.

I picked out one that she doesn't have in her collection yet.

It was a vinyl of one of The Weeknd's albums.

Of course, I grabbed her a jazz one too since that's all she listened to, but I thought giving her something different to add might be a good idea.

I also picked out a random Vinyl that I planned to paint on.

I used white to paint the words of my choice on one side, which were:

Track 1: Girlfriend?

I added cute red hearts around it and outlined the words in matte black to add even more depth.

Hopefully, she understands it.

I was trying to be creative with the whole record theme, but I'm not sure if it makes sense.

It was kind of too late to change the idea anyway, and I had to get started on dinner.

Before I started, I made sure to text Monroe and tell her to come to my place after work.

Then I didn't say anything else, not wanting to accidentally reveal the surprise.

I started on the focaccia bread first, following the online recipe.

Spaghetti-wise, I just followed the steps Monroe had told me last time.

I also put garlic bread in as a backup to the focaccia bread.

I wasn't sure if I did it right or if it would taste good, so a backup plan felt necessary.

By the time everything was done, I barely had any time to get ready myself.

But I wanted to look really good for this big moment between us.

I quickly did light makeup, like mascara, some concealer, and a little bit of blush.

I also did my brows before focusing on my hair.

I let my curls out of the bun, deciding to wear them down with some of my hair out of my face.

I slicked it to the back of my head, tying it in a ponytail and keeping the rest of my curls down.

Then I tied a white bow into the ponytail, which matched the cute yoga outfit I had picked out.

It was a black Alo set.

Specifically, a full-length tank top and leggings with the seams outlined in white.

I put on her favorite fragrance oil and slid on my slippers, keeping my look somewhat casual.

I felt very cutesy, and everything looked perfect.

The food on the stove turned out amazing, even the focaccia bread.

And the setup of roses and the stacked vinyls on the kitchen island looks cute.

My heart nearly beat out of my chest the moment I heard the lock click on my door.

Only one person had a key fob to my apartment, so I knew immediately that it was Monroe.

I leaned against the kitchen island, smiling like a genuine maniac as the door slowly pushed open, revealing her. 

Monroe wore her usual long trench coat over her black dress pants, her shiny brown hair down, and her bangs framing her beautiful face covered in light makeup.

She always looks so good after work.

Or before work.

Honestly, anytime.

She looks good anytime.

"Surprise," I said as soon as I locked eyes with her.

Monroe tilted her head at my words, but she didn't look fully caught off guard by the display I put together.

"I figured you were up to something," she murmured, her lips twitching up as she openly glanced between the kitchen island and the food on the stove. "What is all of this, Liberty?"

"Come find out," I said, impatiently motioning her closer.

I don't have long until Sarai and Zion get here, so we do have to rush a little.

I didn't time this the best.

My smile grew wider as Monroe walked closer to me, the door falling closed as she openly eyed the green roses wrapped in a darker green paper.

"Are they too much?" I quickly asked, not wanting to upset her with roses again, "I... chose your favorite color. I know roses aren't your favorite but—"

"I adore these, Liberty," Monroe gently cut me short as she stopped beside me, running her fingers across the soft flowers, "Thank you, my sweet girl."

A smile immediately grew on my lips when she pressed a fleeting kiss to my cheek, feeling so unbelievably happy that she liked them.

"Wait, there's more," I whispered, reaching over to grab the stack of vinyls. "I picked some out for you."

Monroe's brows furrowed together, glancing over at me, "You didn't have to do all of this, darling," she said, her voice softened between us, "I've moved past the miscommunication we had."

I quickly shook my head, "No-no, this isn't just about that—I mean, sure I want to show you how I feel instead of saying it," I explained to the best of my abilities, "But I also had this all in mind during our stay in New York."

Monroe remained silent for a moment, staring so deeply into my eyes.

Then I saw it.

The subtle smile on her lips, nodding once at my words.

"Let's see these vinyls then," she murmured, glancing over to the stack of different records I picked out.

The most important was last.

"I chose that one so you could have something different in your collection," I said as she ran her fingers over the first vinyl record. 

The Weeknd's, specifically.

"Lovely," Monroe determined as she carefully set that one aside, revealing the next record.

"And jazz is your favorite, so I had to pick up that one," I explained as she eyed the second vinyl record.

It was the way her smile grew, how she ran her fingers over the vinyl cover.

I could tell she truly loved it.

"Thank you, darling," she whispered, briefly leaning over to kiss my temple as she set it aside with the other.

That's when my heart stalled in my chest.

Especially as she eyed the last vinyl cover.

It was black—no words or pictures.

Just blank.

Monroe furrowed her brows, "And this one?" she asked, briefly looking over at me.

"I think they mixed the cover up," I lied, motioning to the vinyl cover, "Take it out of this really fast."

Monroe nodded, carefully reaching into the vinyl sleeve and pulling the black record out.

Except this one was covered with freshly dried paint, the words bold and clear.

Specifically, the word Girlfriend?

I outlined it to be bolder than the rest. 

Suddenly, my hands felt sweaty, and I couldn't catch my breath to save my life.

Especially as Monroe stared at the record for seconds on end.

She was silent.

Her expression neutral and unreadable.

But her eyes never glanced away from that record.

She just... stared at it.

And suddenly, I didn't know what to say.

Was that technically a rejection?

Is this her way of saying no?

I really wouldn't blame her after how everything went recently. 

"I uh," I awkwardly breathed out as Monroe carefully set the record down, "Never mind, I just thought maybe—"

I cut myself short when she closed the space between us, pressing her lips to mine.

It took me a few seconds to catch up with her actions, but as soon as I did, I immediately kissed her back. 

Monroe cupped my face in her soft hands, kissing me deeper as I naturally relaxed against her.

I ran my hands up her back, pressing myself closer against her body.

Monroe hummed in the softest way as she trailed her lips past mine, letting go of my face to gently grab my waist.

Then she pressed gentle kisses along my cheek and across my jawline.

"Yes."

The word fell from her lips so softly that I contemplated whether I had hallucinated it.

"Yes, Liberty," she emphasized a second time, guiding me back against the kitchen counter.

I smiled so wide that it made my entire face ache.

"Yes?" I clarified as she trailed warm kisses down my neck.

"Always a yes," Monroe murmured, pressing fleeting kisses along my collarbone in a way that made me giggle.

"You're my girlfriend, Monroe?" I asked more formally, laughing even more as her kisses grew featherlight and ticklish.

"I'm your girlfriend, Liberty," she whispered against my chest.

I swear all I could do was grin at her words, especially as she placed more kisses on my body, trailing some down my shoulders.

Then she softly kissed the back of my hand.

"Your girlfriend," she murmured in a whisper, her beautiful blue eyes holding mine as she lowered our hands.

"My girlfriend," I said, tilting my head as I eyed her face, "Yummy."

Monroe chuckled softly, openly staring down at me, "My god, you're adorable," she said, leaning in to kiss me again.

I nearly grinned as I kissed her back, "My girlfriend thinks I'm adorable," I tested the label out even more.

It was enough to make Monroe smile deeper against my lips.

"Your girlfriend also thinks you're unworldly beautiful," she whispered against my lips, "And incredibly intelligent."

"Oh really?" I whispered as she briefly sucked down on my bottom lip, "What else does my girlfriend think?"

"Your eyes are my favorite shade of brown," she said, making my heart nearly shoot out of my chest. "Your voice makes the static go away."

"Monroe," I said against her lips, pulling away so I could meet her stare, "My baby," I whispered as I reached up to gently cup her face in my hands. 

"Officially yours," she whispered back, her eyes burning so deeply into mine, barely inches of space between us.

"Monroe," I repeated again, running my hands up her arms as I drew in the deepest breath.

Suddenly it feels so heavy between us, but god is it in the best way for once.

All I want to do is spill every thought I've ever had to her.

I want to bear my soul—no, everything to her.

I want to give her everything I have. 

"You're the reason I don't feel lost anymore."

My words were soft, breathless between us.

And they made Monroe hold me even closer.

"You get me, Ro," I said, nuzzling my nose against hers as I held her deep stare.

"I get you," Monroe whispered, furrowing her brows for a moment.

She looked deep in thought, staring down at me like there was nothing else beyond this.

Beyond us.

"God, but I do more than just get you, Liberty."

Her words were lowered and so fucking raw that it made goosebumps tickle all over my body.

My brain grew fuzzy.

I nodded wordlessly, parting my lips to say something—

But then, knocks sounded at the door.

And our moment was gone.

Great. 

"Another surprise," I forced out, slowly pulling back from her, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do.

Monroe hummed wordlessly, and I could tell she was still just as trapped in the moment as I was.

But Zion and Sarai are waiting.

I quickly reached over, putting the record back in its vinyl and briefly tidying them into a stack again.

"Come on," I whispered, gently grabbing her hand and guiding her over to the door.

Monroe silently followed along, her loafers pattering against the floor.

The air around me grew even warmer, especially as I reached for the door handle.

I immediately smiled the moment I opened the door, revealing Zion and Sarai, smiling widely at us.

And then I noticed the wine bottles in their hands.

One thing I forgot to touch base on.

Monroe doesn't drink.

Fuck.

"Hey guys, come in," I quickly said, trying my best to think of a way to handle the alcohol situation that I'm now faced with.

I could also feel Monroe's stare shift to me, processing what I had orchestrated for her.

"We brought the fancy stuff," Sarai said as she walked past us with Zion.

He nodded. "We wanted to impress..." he trailed off, glancing at the beautiful woman by my side.

"Monroe," she formally introduced herself.

Or informally, for once.

She wasn't Dr. Leclair to them anymore.

She's so much more.

"My girlfriend," I decided to say the new title, which was enough to make my friend's smiles grow even wider.

Mostly because they knew everything I was planning and... Monroe said yes.

"It's nice to really meet you," Zion emphasized as we walked over to them at the kitchen counter, extending his hand once he set the bottle of wine down.

Monroe didn't hesitate to reach her hand out. "You as well," she agreed, briefly shaking his hand.

And the small smile on Monroe's lips was enough to confirm that I made the right move here.

Even if it interrupted the moment we once had.

"Libs told me so much about you," Sarai said as she opened one of the drawers to grab a corkscrew. "We need to try your cooking next time. She said it was incredible."

"Legit used the word incredible," Zion added with an amused smile as he unscrewed the bottle of wine.

Monroe's soft smile grew in the most beautiful way as she briefly met my stare, "Dinner is on me next time, then," she said, instinctively sliding her arm around my waist to hold me closer.

I'm so happy she's finally mine. 

"We're for sure holding you to it," Sarai said, walking over to the cabinets. "What do we think about drinking and chilling—dinner a little later?"

"Ro doesn't drink," I quickly said, not wanting her to feel pressured or anything.

"Tonight can be an exception," Monroe said, immediately making me glance at her.

I didn't want to say anything else and push the topic in front of Zion and Sarai, but I also wanted to make sure she was comfortable.

The way Monroe reassuringly squeezed my waist was enough to silently ensure she was more than comfortable.

"Perfect, I'll grab four glasses then," Sarai happily determined as she reached into the cabinet.

I hummed in acknowledgment, hoping wine would be a good addition to tonight.

I've never actually had alcohol with Monroe before—at least with her drinking too.

This should be interesting.