Alice Avery
The bedsheets felt cold in the space next to me. I could feel the mascara all over my face, under my eyes and down my cheeks. I had my underwear on, that was it. Ricky wasn't lying next to me and I couldn't hear him anywhere within the room, he must've left. It's ten in the morning and the sunlight is bursting through the useless curtains. I sit up and pull the bed sheets against me and sigh as I think about last night. He probably left this morning because he's angry. I don't blame him. I'd hate me too. I was selfish, my actions were stupid, they usually are if I'm being honest. Our clothes were still on the floor from last night, a pair of handcuffs laid on the edge of the bed. Last night was fun, at least when it came to sex.
The door handle sounded and Ricky walked through, two drinks in his hands. He paused for a moment and stared at me. "I just went to go get coffee, figured you'd still be asleep by the time I got back."
He handed me the coffee while taking in my appearance. "Thanks," I croaked.
"You feeling alright?" He asks and sits beside me on the mattress.
I nodded. "I'm really sorry about last night." I say and he raises his eyebrow at me. "The whole club scene and how I reacted when you told me she was just a friend. I shouldn't have said or done anything."
Ricky takes a sip of his coffee then sets it down on the bedside table. "You seriously didn't know him?" He questions and I tighten my hands around the cup.
"I have no idea who he is. I hardly even looked at me, never mind catch his name." I say and he drops his gaze. "Are you mad?" I ask.
"I don't want to be."
"That's not what I asked." I reply and he falls silent, his jaw clenched.
"I just hope you understand that were together now. We've played games in the past but this-" he moved his hand between the two of us. "This isn't a joke anymore. We don't get to fool around with other people like we used to."
"You mean like you used to," I snap at him. "I've been nothing but devoted to you." I defend and his eyes dart to me.
"You know the full story so stop pretending that you don't." His voice is dark and I don't reply to it, he continues. "Why did you feel the need to do that last night?"
I closed my eyes for a few seconds and thought of the different ways this conversation could go. I shook my head to myself and began to talk quickly. "I don't know. I just saw you talking to her and-" I exhaled. "I started to think of things and I got jealous. You were so close to her."
I see him stare at me from the corner of my eye and he forces me to look at him. "You think I'd do that to you?"
"I don't know." I answer honestly.
"You think I would do that to you?" He asks again and I don't reply. "I love you, Alice. I'm not leaving you, especially for somebody else. I love you."
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I shouldn't have done what I did. I know that."
"I know," he replies. "It's okay. I'm sorry if it came across like I was going to do something with Olivia. I'm sorry it looked like I was getting close to her. I was so shocked to see her and I guess I didn't realize how it looked."
"It's okay, I doesn't matter anymore. And I hope you know that I only said those things in the elevator-"
"I know exactly why you said those things." He cuts me off with a smirk.
I smile at him and move closer. Ricky wraps his arms around me and holds me. "Thank you," I whisper to him and he tightens his arms around me.
"Why are you thanking me?"
"Just- thank you for loving me. God, thank you."
"You don't have to thank me, Ali. You're real fucking easy to love."
I lifted my head from his shoulder and looked up at him. I smiled, really big. "Do you wanna get married?"
Ricky looked stunned, "sorry?"
"You heard me."
HIs lips were parted, something different within his eyes. "You're serious?"
I nodded. "Why the hell not? I've never had any desire to get married, but then I met you. I love you, pretty bad. We should get married."
Watching his smile grow was truly beautiful. He reached for my right hand and slide the purple stoned ring off my finger. I gave him my left head and he slide it on my ring finger. "I'll get you a real one when we're back home."
"No," I said. "This one is perfect."
Our love was random and spontaneous and flawed. It was the best kind, really. We were stupid and we never thought things through but we didn't have to. That was the beauty about us, at least that's how I see it. We do what we do. No matter how simple or bizarre and we do it together. Life is going to happen and hell will raise but as long as he was near, the rest just didn't fucking matter.
*
I took a shower and got myself ready before Ricky took me out to lunch. We walked to a nearby restaurant. "You nervous for tonight?" Ricky asks as my eyes scan over the menu
"No," I say with a stifled laugh. "Why would I be nervous?"
He shrugged, "It's a lot different from our races in Vegas."
"I guess so but really, I'm not worried. Besides, it's only you."
Ricky's eyebrows raise. "You think you'll beat me?"
"I'm positive I will."
He chuckled at me, "we'll see."
I let the silence linger at the table before speaking again. "Are you nervous? For your other race, I mean."
"No," he says casually. "I don't really care if you want me to be honest. I don't care at all."
I nodded my head even thought there was no way for me to relate to him. I browsed through the menu some more until Ricky suddenly brought his hand up and handed me something. It was a car key.
"Oh God, what did you do?" I ask jokingly and he smiles, gestures towards the parking lot in the window next to us. "The grey one?"
"The grey one." He answers and I practically leap from my chair to thank him. A dark grey corvette was parked just out front the restaurant. "It's all yours," Ricky adds.
"You can't be serious," I say and brush my fingers over the new key.
"I never got you a birthday present." He says and I laugh, my birthday was months ago. I lean across the table and press my lips to his.
"Thank you." I say before kissing him again.
