Love Takes Hold: The Helena's Grove Series Book 3 Read Online Free PDF Page A

hoping he’d understand where she was coming from.
    “I could never do the big wedding thing,” Zack said, almost to himself. “If we had a small wedding now we wouldn’t have to worry about the expense.”
    “What if we waited a couple years and get married when you’re done with your internship?” Jen proposed. “It’s not like we’d have kids until then anyway.”
    “Well if you’re only having two then you could start whenever.” Zack was back in his hard mood.
    Jen sighed in exasperation. “I’m willing to come up from two if you’re willing to come down from six!”
    There was a silence, each engulfed in their own thoughts. The drive went by slowly; every hour seemed longer than the one before it. The tension between them hung thick in the air and it made Jen feel claustrophobic in their little car. She had never been more relieved to reach a destination before. However, their apartment seemed different somehow; Jen couldn’t quite put her finger on it. After unpacking and taking a shower she realized it wasn’t the place but the feelings between she and Zack that was making it seem different. There was little communication between them as they put away their belongings. When Zack got into the shower without a word, Jen decided to just go to bed. Her muscles felt tight and her eyelids were heavy. She was just drifting off to sleep when Zack emerged from the bathroom and quietly got into bed.
    “I was afraid you wouldn’t want to sleep in here tonight,” Jen told him, her voice loud in the darkness.
    “I’m too tired to go somewhere else and my back hurts too bad to sleep on the couch.”
    Jen nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “So you’re really serious about this?”
    “I’m serious about wanting to get married and have children, yes. And I think we need to evaluate our relationship, make sure we both know what we want out of it.”
    Jen was quiet, taking in his words.
    “I’m not going to pretend this isn’t a big deal,” Zack went on. “I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t want the same things I do. I don’t see the point in it.”
    “I just don’t feel the urgency you do,” Jen argued. “In my mind, we have all the time in the world to figure out what we want.”
    “The difference between you and me is that I don’t need the time, I already know what I want. It’s you who needs the time, which translates to you aren’t sure. You aren’t sure about marriage because you aren’t sure about me.”
    “That isn’t true Zack. How could you even think that?” She could feel the emotion rising.
    “I proposed to you and you said no. What am I supposed to think?”
    “For the hundredth time, how I feel about marriage has nothing to do with how I feel about you,” she whispered harshly and turned on her side so she was facing him in the dark. She reached out and touched his arm, relieved when he didn’t pull away.
    “You love so differently than I do,” she continued. “I wish I could have the same feelings toward marriage as you do but I can’t. I’ve seen it go bad too many times. I’ve been involved with divorce my entire life; bitter divorces where no one is protected from the drama and havoc they wreak.”
    “Do you think that would happen to us?” Zack asked slowly. “Do you really believe I could treat you that way?”
    “I never thought you’d treat me the way you’re treating me now, and yet, here we are.”
    Silence surrounded them for a few seconds before she continued, “I don’t have all the answers Zack. But what I do know is that I love you.”
    There was a long pause as Zack inhaled and exhaled deeply. “It’s like you’re always telling me. You can’t live on just love.” He turned to lie on his side, his back toward her. Jen pulled the covers up to her chin and tried to sleep but couldn’t get comfortable. She shivered involuntarily and realized she was cold. She made a move to scoot closer to him but realized