A Bride for 100 Days

one: so I'm runaway bride

Just as I was about to open the bedroom door, I heard a giggle.

"Babe, just like that..."

I froze where I stood, my hand on the doorknob.

"You're gonna miss this, babe."

"Hmmmmm... we'll only be gone a week..."

"Don't go."

"Naomi, babe..."

"Her father is gonna be here for graduation, why do you have to...."

"I gotta look sincere. Take the initiative."

What is happening here? Naomi? Who's Naomi? My Naomi? My ROOMMATE, Naomi?

What...

I started shivering. Why am I cold? Why was someone dragging ice cubes up and down my skin?

"Oh...babe..."

Should burst in on them? Make a big noise?

"Finn, God, I love you...."

"Me too, baby..."

Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit...

I ran away. As I hit the landing, I felt the heaving at the back of my throat and turned just in time to puke in a plant.

Ew. Gross.

I flung myself down the stairs, out the building door and down the sidewalk. My sandals pinched my toes but I hardly felt it.

Had to get away. Had to get away.

I turned and began running up the ramps of the parking garage, trying to remember where I'd parked. Then I froze.

Where was my purse?

Crap. I must have dropped it along the way. I pivoted and began running back down the ramps and practically into an oncoming car. It honked and I jumped out of the way, grabbing the rail with both arms and randomly noticing the grime it left on my arms. With a long breath, I tried to steady myself and headed back down at a slower pace.

At the sidewalk, I turned and slammed into a chest.

"Hey..."

"Sorry," I mumbled, pushing past the guy and tripping on my own toes.

"Whoa..." he held out a bare arm to steady me.

"Sorry," I said again, pissed off and dizzy and confused.

"Are you..."

I ran off down the sidewalk and into the lobby of Finn's small apartment building and began hiking back up the stairs.

"Babe!"

My chest practically exploded in surprise. I looked around, half-expecting Finn to be standing there.

"Babe! Come on...you can't leave me like this."

They were a flight of stairs above me. If I had just turned the corner...I could take them, I was sure of it. I'd taken two semesters of tae kwan do. Absolutely. I lifted my foot and realized that I was missing a shoe. What the...?

A glint up on the next flight of stairs. My phone! My purse! I was saved!

I leaned out of sight again when Naomi began screeching; "MARRY her? For real?? The plan was to get engaged, Finn! The plan was to get her father to notice you and help you! This is bullshit!"

"It's for us, babe! I'm dead serious about our future. Aren't you? Aren't you willing to do anything for our careers?"

"Not anything," Naomi argued, her voice practically a hiss. "There are some things that I wouldn't do. I have standards. I thought you did, too."