Two Of Hearts (Three Of A Kind #2)

by Beth Rinyu

  ***

  We stopped off at the lake on our way home. I stood behind Carrie and wrapped my arms around her waist as she stood and stared out at the water. My mind began to wander. Maybe now was the perfect time. I had the ring in my pocket….all I had to do was hope that she would say yes. She threw her head back and smiled up at me when I moved my hands down to her belly. “Carrie, hearing our baby’s heartbeat was just so….”

  She turned around to face me. “I know, it was pretty awesome, wasn’t it? Did you ever think that this would be happening?”

  “Umm….well, I kind of hoped that it would eventually.”

  “No, I’m talking about way back when in high school. Who woulda’ thought that Calculus Geek Carrie would be knocked up by Super Jock Jason?”

  He lifted me off ground and pulled me to him, kissing me gently on the lips. “I’m the happiest guy in the world, Carrie.”

  “Me too….well not guy, but girl.” I giggled. “So, Teigan came to see me today. He looks great. He was so thankful for everything you’ve done for him. Did he tell you he’s got a new little girlfriend?”

  “No, he didn’t…..he’s holding out on me. Wait till I talk to him again.”

  “He was so excited to tell me about her. He wants us to meet her. It reminds me so much of you and me back in the day.”

  My heart was beating a mile a minute. I knew it was stupid to be this nervous. This was Carrie, the girl that had been one of my best friends for the past eight years. The girl that I could tell anything to. The girl that was having my baby, and the girl that I loved more than anything in this whole world. I took a deep breath. “Yeah, about that, Carrie…..” She looked up at me in confusion. “I know I wasn’t your first, but I want to be your last. So, I was wondering……” I reached inside my pocket and pulled out the box containing the ring. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life eating Oreo cookies with me?”

  She let out a loud gasp. “Oh my god,” she whispered, nodding and wiping the tears that were rolling down her face. “There is no one else in this entire world that I would rather eat Oreo cookies with.”

  “Good.” I smiled and took her hand, sliding the ring down her finger.

  She pulled me into a hug and kissed my face over and over again. “I love you so much, Jason.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Once she pulled it together a bit more, she examined the ring a little closer. “It’s beautiful. Did you pick this out all by yourself?”

  “Umm….did you actually think I was going to get away with picking an engagement ring for you without getting input from your two other halves?” She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.

  “Well, I love it, and I love you…..so much.” She hugged me tightly. “Hey, Jas?”

  “How do you feel about a shotgun wedding?” she giggled.

  “Carrie, I’d marry you right this second if you wanted.”

  “Yeah, well, Gia and my mom….I don’t think they’ll let us get away with that. And you know Mom, she’ll be able to pull off a wedding in under a month that most people would take years planning. She may drive me absolutely insane in the process, but it will be worth it. I just want to be married before the baby gets here.”

  “Just name the time and place and I’ll be there.”

  “Good.” She stood on her tippy toes and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “Love you, Jas.”

  “I love you too.” I bent down and kissed her belly. “And, I love you so much already, baby,” I whispered. I stood back up and took her hand. “This is the best day of my life.”

  “Mine too.”

  “Hey, Carrie. Do you know what else today is?”

  “Friday?” she joked.

  “Our anniversary.”

  She looked up at me and furrowed her brows. “Eight years ago, today, I shared my very first Oreo cookie with this cute, little blonde girl and from that very moment, I knew there was something pretty special about her.”

  “How the heck do you remember the exact date?” She asked, looking amused.

  “It was game seven of the World Series and the Yankees won with a walk-off home run. The first and only time I ever missed a World Series game they were in. And, you know what? I didn’t even care. I had a much better time hanging out and studying with you that night.”

  “Oh my god! I can’t believe you remember all that.” She threw her head back and laughed. “You do know that I wanted to kiss you so badly that night, don’t you.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  She nodded and stood on her tiptoes, placing gentle kisses all over my neck. “So, I say we go home and relive that night….except this time, I get to kiss you, and maybe do a little more. You know, my grandmother was telling me that some of the best sex of her life was when she was pregnant. Do you want to go home and see if she’s right?”

  “Ummm…..Carrie, did you really have to mention your grandmother and sex in the same sentence?”

  She let out a loud laugh and squeezed my hand tightly as we began to walk along. “Well, I think we’ve got lots to celebrate tonight. It just may be an all-night celebration.”

  “I like the sound of that.” I stopped abruptly. “Oh, shit!”

  “What?”

  “I told Olivia we’d stop in at the Halloween fest later. She’s going to be there with her new boyfriend, and she wants us to meet him.”

  “Aww, she met a boy?” She asked as we began to walk again.

  “Yeah, he’s a senior. He asked her to go to the fall formal.” Now it was her stopping dead in her tracks, looking deep in thought. “What’s the matter?”

  “Umm….Jas, did she happen to mention….is he in her History class?”

  “Yeah, she sits in front of him. Kinda like me and you back in calculus, but, I’m sure he’s not as cool as me.” I teased. “How did you know that anyway?”

  “I think you need to have a seat,” she said, pointing to the bench that was just a few feet away.

  “Why?”

  “Just trust me.”

  “Carrie, really? I don’t need to sit. What is it?”

  I looked down at her and raised my eyebrow as a huge grin stretched across her face. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn ya…….”

  Jason and I were finally where we were always meant to be. Never did I imagine just how much life had in store for us all those years ago, when the cutest boy in school asked me for help with Calculus. Was our relationship perfect? Nope. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. True love isn’t perfect. It’s flawed and unsettling. It’s when we learn to accept those faults in each other and forgive, that true love is formed. Jason and I were far from perfect, but together we brought out the best in each other. If there was one thing I learned in the past few months, it was this: Perfection is what you make of it, and as long as we are with the one we love, that perfect moment that we’re always searching for, is the one we’re in.

  ~ The End

  Thank You

  Thank you for taking the time to read Carrie & Jason’s story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! Continue on with Gia’s story in Straight To The Heart (The third and final book of The Three of Kind Series). You can pre-order Straight to the Heart here.

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