Chris POV
"Hey Daph. We need to go babe," I call out to her. We both have work in the morning. It's already noon and there's a minimum seven hour drive ahead of us.
After the intense confrontation last night I called reception and asked for a late checkout. She needed the extra sleep more than I did. My heart aches as she comes around the corner from the bathroom. Her eyes are still puffy and the redness has remained around them even though it's been hours since she last cried.
"Ok, I'm ready," she tells me as she picks up her purse from the bed.
I notice she's still not looking me in the eye. "Drive thru okay? That way we can get on the road."
"Sure," she simply states walking through the door I've held open for her.
She reaches the elevator and calls it up to our floor. Once inside she stands on the opposite side away from me. When we reach the lobby she doesn't walk directly next to me but a few feet separates us. The closer we get to the car I use the key fob to unlock it. Daphne reaches for the handle on the passenger side. I clear my throat. "No ma'am," I say. "That's my job."
She pulls her hand away and takes a step back. I set the luggage down and open her door for her. She climbs in and I wait to close it until she's situated. I toss the luggage in the trunk and climb behind the wheel.
"What are you feeling for lunch?" I ask as I back the car out of the parking space.
"Whatever is fine. You pick," she says barely glancing in my direction.
I'm starving since we skipped breakfast so I just pull into the first burger joint I come to. "Do you want your usual or something different?"
"Yes, that's fine."
I order her burger and make sure to get her favorite Vanilla Coke in a large. I'm not sure what I've done but hopefully this helps thaw the ice around her exterior. Taking the order I place it on the center console for Daphne to unpack as I pull out onto the highway headed back north.
The start of the trip is quiet. Too quiet. I had hoped this time would be filled with laughter as we reminisce over the quick getaway. But that thought is dissipating quickly. I decide to connect my phone to the auxiliary in the car and open up a playlist hitting shuffle. Soon the car fills with music.
The first song unfortunately reminds me of our argument last night.
A strangled smile fell from your face
What kills me that I hurt you this way
The worst part is that I didn't even know
Now there's a million reasons for you to go
But if you can find a reason to stay
I'll do whatever it takes
To turn this around
I know what's at stake
I know that I've let you down
And if you give me a chance
Believe that I can change
I'll keep us together
Whatever it takes
It seems to hit a chord with Daphne as well. "I think I'm going to lay back if that's okay with you. My eyes are so heavy," she says.
"Of course sweetheart. Whatever you need," I tell her reaching for her hand as she lays the seat back and turns toward the door.
Confused doesn't even have enough meaning behind it to describe how I'm feeling right now. We were okay last night when we went to bed. Both parties forgiven. I play the rest of the night through my mind.
We had both come to terms with our roles in the disagreement tonight. There was under reaction on my part and over reaction on Daphne's. I gave way more attention to the female than was necessary but Daphne said she forgave me.
At about 1 am we each refresh ourselves in the restroom and crawl into our separate beds. Again, I want to hold her but I'm not willing to push my luck at this point in time. I say a prayer that she rests tonight and that we'll be okay in the light of day. I continue to watch her a bit longer before I close my own eyes and drift off.
I feel my bed dip as I'm in and out of consciousness. The covers pulled back in place as Daphne comes to rest next to me. "Can't sleep?" I ask groggily.
"Not really," she responds as she places her hand on my chest.
I turn towards her, my body laying beside her as she is on her back. I prop my head up on my elbow. "What's wrong, baby? Talk to me," I say pushing her hair behind her ear.
Her eyes are heavy, not due to lack of sleep but from her tears. She reaches up placing her hand on my cheek and guides my mouth to hers. I place a gentle kiss on her lips before I pull back.
I lay on my back again and pull her against my side. We stay this way for a few moments before Daphne leans up and over me. She brings her lips to mine. It's not her normal way of kissing me. There's a feeling of need, desire. My hand reaches into her hair, taking control of the kiss. She moans at the feeling of my hand knotted in her hair.
"I want you," she whispers against my lips.
"Daphne," I say softly as she begins a trail of kisses to my neck.
"Don't you want me?" She asks finding her way back to my lips.
"More than anything, but we can't," I tell her, holding her face in the palms of my hands.
Her eyes look into mine, pleading with me. "Yes, we can. We're going to get married, it's fine."
I reach over and turn the lamp on that's next to the bed. "No, Daphne. This is not the moment you've waited so long for. Not after the night we had."
She begins tearing up again, lip quivering. "But maybe it would help me with my insecurities. Feel more confident around gorgeous women because I know you'll be mine."
"I am yours. There is no other woman that I find even remotely attractive," I assure her.
"Chris, tonight, I saw..." she attempts to speak her thoughts.
"Daphne, you saw a woman attempt to throw herself at me. I threw away her number. I went on and on about you to Jason. I came back here to you. You are it for me," I tell her. "But this is what I need you to hear more than anything else,"
I say taking her hands in mine and looking her straight in those beautiful brown eyes, "I look forward to the day I become one with you but it will not happen before the wedding. I will not let you fall back on your commitment to yourself. Understand?"
She buries her head on my chest and cries. "I'm sorry. Here you are trying to keep my 'honor' intact and I'm throwing myself at you."
I stroke her back and chuckle. "Be thankful I'm such a gentleman now because if this was me about 13 years ago there might've been a different outcome."
"I love the you you're now," she says as her tears subside.
"Love you more my beautiful, Daphne."
This has nothing to do with what happened at the arena or even the argument. She's embarrassed about last night.
We're only about an hour and a half outside of Miami when I whip the car into the closest parking lot.
"What's wrong," Daphne asks sitting up.
I don't speak. I fumble through a song list on my phone until I find what I'm looking for. I turn the radio up louder and roll the windows down. I get out and go around to let Daphne out.
"Chris, what are you doing?"
"Dance with me," I say.
She shakes her head and gives me a flat "Chris, no."
"Daphne, yes," I say nodding my head as I take her hands in mine and pull her up out of the car.
This is another of those moments where music speaks louder and more intimately for us. You and Me by Lifehouse comes flowing out of the speakers as I hold her close to me.
What day is it
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up, and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time
'Cause it's you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me
And all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
Why are the things that I want to say
Just aren't coming out right?
I'm tripping on words
You got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here
'Cause it's you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me
And all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
There's something about you now
That I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
'Cause it's you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive.
I continue to hold her close as the song ends. She's hugging me tightly as my chin rests on the top of her head. I lean down closer to her ear. "I know you're bothered about last night. Please know I didn't turn you down. I just want to give you the world you desire which also means helping you maintain the promise you made to yourself."
Finally she looks me in the eye for the first time today. "Promise?" she asks hopeful.
"I promise." I bring my lips closer and she meets me in the middle. I kiss her in a way that I know will make her weak in the knees. I move back by her ear and whisper, "because believe me I'm longing for the day I make you weak in more ways than just by a kiss." I look at her so she can see the honest desire my eyes hold.
I open the passenger side door for her again. "And on that note, what's say we pick a wedding date?"
"I'd like that," Daphne says kissing me once again before sitting back down.
Third person POV
The remainder of the ride home is much more pleasant as Chris and Daphne discuss wedding plans. Daphne has become much more animated in conversation. Chris listens intently to all of her ideas.
"I know most couples just leave all the decision making to the bride but I want you to be a part of it too," she tells him.
"I'll help however I can, but I want you to put yourself first with this, okay. Think about your dream wedding and go with it. I can't really imagine telling you no to any ideas you might have," he says as he steers the car onto the last leg of the trip. One hundred miles to go.
Daphne smiles because she knows her wedding Pinterest board has changed drastically from the time that she started it four years ago. The wedding industry is ever changing from season to season. She's going to have to go through the board and delete several things as they no longer resonate her dream wedding.
"Do you have a preference on season?" She asks Chris.
"Not really. Would you want to wait until the summer for when school is out? Would Spring Break be too soon?" He answers her although he feels like this is definitely more of choice she needs to make.
She stops to open up the calendar on her phone. "Spring Break is the second week of April. That gives us three months if we do that. What do you think?"
"Let's look at the second part of the date situation. Where do you want to get married?"
Daphne thought as a young girl the only place she'd ever get married is at her church. But as she's gotten older she's dreamt of a beautiful outdoor wedding, someplace rustic. But then you have to worry about weather, heat and bugs.
"That's the million dollar question, babe. Because I honestly am not sure," she tells him. "Do you want to give input on that?"
Chris becomes thoughtful. "At the time that I thought I'd be in South Florida all my life I thought a beach wedding would be nice. But, I know you're not a big beach fan so I wouldn't ask that of you. Do you think you'd want to do a destination wedding like your brother?"
"At one point I did think it would be sweet to get married in one of those small chapels in the mountains," she reveals. "But I don't know who outside of family would make that kind of trip. We could maybe do Savannah or St. Augustine even. It would kind of be a destination wedding but still close for travel."
"Oh gosh! But the house may not be ready in three months, what then?" She asks him.
Chris reaches his hand over and places it on Daphne's thigh. "I guess it's a good thing you already have a house then. I can just move in with you if ours isn't finished being built."
"Next question, honeymoon preferences?"
"Anywhere, as long as I'm with you," he says bringing her hand to his lips. "What about you? Any dream destinations?"
Daphne definitely has some dream locations in mind but again, another realization takes place. "We should probably do something small since we're building a house at the same time."
"Babe, we're good, I promise. If you'd rather do the wedding at Spring Break and have a small honeymoon then we can plan something bigger for the summer after your house sells," he says countering her offer.
"Definitely something to think about. I guess the biggest decision that needs to be made soon is the where for the ceremony on the off chance we have to push it a year because of things being booked," she tells him somewhat sad at the thought of waiting.
The idea of waiting close to a year doesn't excite either of them. "I'd rather not wait that long but if your heart is set on one specific place and that's what we have to do then we'll do it. You're getting your dream, Daphne," Chris tells her with a knowing smile.
Daphne returns his smile and holds tightly to his hand. "Marrying you is the dream, Chris. Where we do it, doesn't matter."