The One Who Got Away is Back

Present 3 ♡ The Drive of Shame

"Yes, we did," I whined. "Damn you."

"Was it good?"

Good didn't begin to describe the night. Good was supermarket ice cream in a summer day. Good was cancelling plans and staying home in pajamas to catch up on Netflix. Good was waking up late on a holiday after a solid night's sleep.

Last night had been like a million stars had aligned and pointed a bright path leading to each other's happiest spots and to multiple, consecutive big bangs that evaporated every molecule of our bodies until they reformed to do it all over again. Last night had been a wonderful cosmic fluke that shouldn't have happened, because now that it had I didn't think anyone else would ever live up to it.

I started sobbing.

"Oh, Page. It was amazing."

"Then why are you crying sweetie?" She gasped. "Did he run away before you woke up? That a-"

"No, it's me. I'm the one who ran away."

"But why?"

I blew my nose on a tissue before replying, "Because I want to have sex with him again. And again. And maybe go on walks on the beach, hold hands, have ice cream, have fights and fall asleep in each other's arms. But he lives in freaking Canada."

"Oh, sweetie..."

I put the phone on loud speaker as I started to get dressed. One look at my ruined gown set me off again.

"I'm so sorry," she said, fretting with the way her words started to jumble. "I just thought it'd be fun if you could scratch your itch. I didn't think-"

"I scratched it, alright. But now I itch even more." By that point I was returning everything to my jumbo suitcases, trying to clear the room as efficiently as possible. "So you see, this is why I can't make the brunch. I can't face people's knowing glances... or his."

The knock on my door startled the lights out of me, but from the other side I heard Page's voice. Once I opened the door she jumped me with a hug. She was wearing her bathrobe and slippers, her hair still a mess and makeup running down her face. But instead of being with her husband she was here for me, and that made me sorrier that I had made a scene at her wedding.

"I'm sorry," we both said in unison, which gave us a sad fit of giggles.

"Sorry for being such a hussy at your wedding."

"Sorry for playing with your tender heart." Page smiled as she pulled a banana out of her pocket. "I got you this since you're skipping brunch."

"Thanks." I took the banana with a sigh and she sat on my bed to watch me pack. "Can you pretend I don't exist if anyone asks you where I disappeared to last night?"

"Oh, honey. Everybody knows." She didn't laugh for my benefit even though I could tell she really wanted to. "Didn't you hear all of us cheering as you dragged Miguel out of the dance floor?"

"Oh my God," I said way too loud. "I did not drag him out!"

Page couldn't contain herself any longer and she started a full blown belly laugh. "Quite a few ladies were cursing your name, but at the end of the night they were happy you didn't catch the bouquet and drag the hottest bachelor out as well. That wouldn't have been fair."

"For the last time, I didn't drag him." As I said this I closed the last suitcase hard. "He came willingly."

"I noticed. His compass was pointing north and the north was you, if you know what I mean."

Yeah, I knew exactly which compass she meant.

"I love you, but you're making me want to kill you and I don't think Jace is ready to be a widower yet." I gave her a big hug. "Will you tell him I'm sorry for being a coward but that I had to run?"