My jaw hit the floor when Terrence dropped that bomb.

"My dad wants us to tie the knot ASAP," he blurted out.

I was still glued to my chair, clutching my drink like a lifeline. Knot? We weren't exactly braiding each other's hair here, were we?

"Don't sweat it," Terrence said, seeing the panic in my eyes. "I twisted his arm a bit. He gave us until graduation." He winced, like admitting it felt dirty.

"But why the rush? Isn't love kind of a prerequisite for, you know, the whole mating thing? Not just the bonding-and-stuff. Like, real, heart-eyes, butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of love, Terrence."

His eyebrows shot up. "Don't you...