When I get to my apartment, I immediately slip out of my dress and hang it in the closet. It’s doubtful I’ll ever wear it again (who first came up with that lie about people being able to wear their bridesmaid dresses again?) but it’s still really expensive. The fabric alone is worth more than anything else in my closet. It seems wrong to just throw it over a chair.
After giving Oreo some obligatory belly rubs, I start cleaning up the mess I left in the kitchen this morning. Time got away from me and I had to leave without cleaning up from breakfast. It’s a good distraction while I wait for Vin to show up.
We couldn’t leave together since that would defeat the whole point of keeping our relationship undercover. Plus, he’d mentioned having to run up to his room at the hotel really quickly to grab a change of clothes. But that should have only taken about fifteen minutes.
As the time ticks away, I rub my chest. This is starting to feel way too similar to the times my mom would promise to come visit and never show up. It’s been two hours since we left the reception and it doesn’t take that long to get here from the hotel, even with Saturday night traffic.
Maybe I won’t even need to implement Operation Wifey since he seems to have already forgotten about me.
Quickest plan ever.
I scoop up Oreo, cuddling my face into her soft fur. “It’s okay, girl. I guess it’s just us.”
I know she’ll be just as disappointed. She’s still a little skittish when Vin pets her but she seems to really like sleeping at his feet. Or next to him on the couch.
Just when I’m about to go to bed, there’s a knock at the door. I run back and fling it open.
Vin pauses when he sees the look on my face. Then he smiles in that way of his, that infuriating way, that says he knows what I’m thinking.
The fact that he’s usually right makes it worse.
“You thought I forgot?”
I shrug like it doesn’t matter but I step back so he can come in.
“Casey texted me and asked me to come by. They’re leaving for their honeymoon tomorrow and she wanted to say goodbye.”
“Casey wanted to say goodbye? Not your brother?”
He picks me up making me squeal. “My brother’s got his dream girl. I don’t think he even noticed I was there.”
When we reach my room, he sets me down on my feet. For a long moment, he just stares at me.
“What is it?”
“Just taking you in. I’ve been waiting for this a long time.”
Knowing how the next day is going to go, I feel guilty. “You’ve been waiting a long time to listen to me snore? For me to kick you all night?”
“To be able to hold you all night.” He kisses my forehead.
He follows me into the bathroom and while I brush my teeth, he sets a few of his things on the bathroom counter. Watching him line up his toothbrush and toothpaste there makes me sad.
Because after a few days of what I have planned, I’ll never see them again.
He brushes his teeth quickly and then follows me back into the bedroom. I jump in on my usual side on the right. He strips down to his boxers before getting in next to me.
“Tired?” he asks.
“Exhausted.”
“Me too. If I ever get married, remind me to do it in front of Elvis and skip all this crap.”
“I promise.” I lean over and turn the light off before he can see how his words affect me. Just because he won’t be around soon doesn’t mean I won’t miss him. And the day he marries someone else is the day my heart breaks for good.
He slides closer, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I won’t be able to sleep like this for long because his body already feels like a furnace but for now, it feels good.
“Ariana?” he whisper-yells.