37 days: Holding on 2 broken promises

Forgive and forget

POV
Millie

I drive myself back to the hotel, full of emotions.

I don't know how to feel about any of what happened tonight. I went there intending to break things off and then I have sex with him? What is wrong with me?!

When I get back to the hotel, I open the door and am shocked to see Steph sitting on the couch. I assumed she's been giving me space after last night's episode.

"Hey," I say faintly.

"Hey," she says at the same level of volume.

I set down the lavender sun dress and notes onto the kitchen counter and walk over to the couch sitting beside her. She looks me up and down confused by my clothing.

"Don't ask.." I say.

She gives me a shy smile.

"I'm sorry Mills, I was just trying to protect you," she says in despair.

"I know Steph, I know," I say understanding her point of view.

"Penelope told me.." I say with a loud exhale.

"What?!" She asks in shock.

"Yeah..small world, she bartends at the place Nick took me to," I say rolling my eyes.

"What the fuck..?" She states.

"Yeah, I almost had to beat it out of her," I say shrugging my shoulders.

She smiles widely, "Wish you would've."

"Me too," I say reciprocating the smile.

Especially now..

"Do you think you can forgive me?" She asks hopeful.

"Of course I can Steph, I love you," I say grabbing her to hug her.

I can never stay mad at her, she's my rock, she's more than my best friend, she's my sister.

"How did tonight go?" She asks with a smile.

How did she even know? She spares me the question, "I helped him," she says.

My eyebrows shoot up, "oh?"

"He came to our room last night asking for help, he wanted to plan a perfect date," Steph says.

"And how much of tonight did you do?" I ask curiously.

"He came up with all the ideas, I just helped execute it," she says.

"Well, it was lovely," I say.

I feel even more like shit now.

...

It's now Monday morning, my first day on my own. I drive to the office praying I've learned enough last week to lessen the struggle coming my way.

I greet Natalie and walk to my new office. I go through the morning with a breeze, luckily no hiccups yet. I hear my phone ding through my purse. It's Nick.

How's day 1 going?

Me: Good! Thanks for being a good teacher. How's day 1 in Santa Barbara?

Nick: It's going. Kinda wish I never transferred, didn't know there'd be a gorgeous girl in the office.

Oh, Jesus..

Me: Too bad, could've been fun

Nick: At least I'll get to see you Wednesday

Me: Any ideas of what we should do?

Nick: We could keep it simple and go for another walk. Maybe on the beach?

No, the beach is mine and X's thing

Me: How about just a pavement walk

Nick: Lol. You got it

...

I go the next two days with a breeze, I haven't talked to X since Sunday night and even though it sucks, he's respecting the time and space that I need. At the same time though, I'm disrespecting him by going out on another date with Nick tonight, which X doesn't know about. I don't like Nick the way I like X and honestly, I don't see it going all that far with us but I did tell him I'd see him again tonight so we'll see how that goes.

After work, I go back to the hotel that I'm only staying at for the next two days until I get into my new apartment. Since I showered this morning I just touch up my hair and make-up. I pick out a pair of dark denim shorts and a light blue long-sleeved shirt. I put on a delicate gold necklace with a matching bracelet. Nick should be here any minute so I sit on the couch scrolling through my phone until I get the text that he's downstairs.

I make it down within a few minutes, he's standing in the lobby looking as good as ever in jeans and a white T-shirt that is fitting him in all the right places.

"Ready to go?" He asks with a sexy smile.

"Absolutely," I say and he takes his hand in mine, kissing my knuckles the way X did only a few days ago.

At this point, I'm no better than X.