Chris POV
"Happy birthday, sweetie!" Ma yells across the airport concourse once she sees me. The joy on her face is indescribable as my dad and Scott trail behind her.
I lean over wrapping my arms around her short stature before hugging my dad and giving a brotherly slap to Scott's shoulder. "Good flight?" I ask them.
"No problems at all. Where's Opal?" Dad asks as we move to the escalator.
"At the apartment. She thinks I'm working a shift."
"Chris, you're the one that wanted me up here earlier than originally planned, and yet you've barely been around. It's your birthday, I'd like to spend some time with you," she pouts from her stance in front of the stove where she's making pancakes.
"I know, love. But, if I want to be off for the party tonight and everything tomorrow and the wedding, I've got to go in." I round the corner, grabbing my wallet, watch and holster off the table by the door. I move closer behind her, placing my hand on the small of her back and lean over her shoulder to place a quick peck on her cheek. "Smells great though. I love you, I'll see you tonight."
Scott gives me a strange look, one I'm very familiar with. "I know. I could very well be playing with fire right now, but it's a chance I've just got to take."
Once we reach their baggage claim I leave them with the directions to meet me at a specific exit in about thirty minutes. I make my way back up to the main concourse until I reach terminal C.
I don't realize I'm a few minutes late and the flight has already began emptying out. I dodge around people trying to spot him.
"Officer!" I hear called out from behind me. I turn around to see Pops sitting behind me, resting in the chair.
I greet him with a warm hug and a smile as he tells me which carousel has his bags waiting. "She suspect anything yet?" he asks me as we wait.
"I think I've got her aggravated with me enough that it'll be a complete shock."
Pops eyes light up as he gives me a thumbs up. "Good!"
Opal POV
I continue to pout over my pancakes, glaring at the seat across from me that should be inhabited by a scruffy face, blue eyed, brunette wearing his signature smirk. But instead I'm looking past where his form should be, staring at the collage of photos of the two of us that rest on the wall.
Staring intently at the photo from New Years Eve, I stab at the food on my plate, frustrated. I remember joking with him about how an old wives tale says that what you're doing at midnight is what you'll be doing all year long. His response excited me as he said he would be kissing me senseless then.
'Where's that senseless kissing now, officer?' I think to myself.
I've spent most of the time alone in this apartment, outside of a meal with the rest of the bridal party. One that ended with Chris being called in for another meeting. He's barely touched me, small grazes over my lips or my forehead. Definitely no heavy making out, or even a little bit for that matter. And then the kicker this morning when he left before I was even able to give him his gift.
"It's what you signed up for," I say aloud to absolutely no one except my coffee cup that sits staring at me with a picture of Chris and his family.
I'm starting to wonder if he's done with me. If the distance has taken a toll on him. Has my insecurities been too much for him at this point? Did he find someone else? Maybe a new officer at the station has caught his eye. I really can't blame him, someone close by makes life much easier, more fun, more exciting.
So why am I here? My eyes fall on the image of us from Lily and Jameson's wedding, where it all really started for us. Fate, the universe, God, whoever kept bringing us together and that was the point I finally let it win. And now, it's gonna end at a wedding.
I don't even realize I'm crying until I feel a drop hit my arm that rests across the table. I drop my fork on the plate, creating a loud clank and push it away from me.
"He's about to dump me."
After dragging myself up from the table, feeling completely defeated, I toss my dirty dishes into the sink. Normally I'd go ahead and clean them, especially since I'm at someone else's home, but since my time here will be short lived, I don't even care.
I decide to take a long soak in the tub. Chris says he never uses it, preferring to shower of course. I run through my motions to prepare for the evening, unsure if I even want to continue with it. Then I hear Lily's voice in my head telling me it's Laura's day and I can whine over my failed love life later.
By the time there's a knock on the door I am shaven and clean from head to toe with fresh blow dried hair.
A look through the peep hole reveal Lily and Rae. I pull open the door, turning away from them. "Good morning," they both say cheerfully.
"Bite me," I answer her harshly before collapsing onto Chris' couch.
"Well, someone's a ball of sunshine today," Lily mocks.
"You would be too if you knew you were getting dumped soon."
I see them exchange a confused look with one another, stepping further into the room. "What are you talking about, Ope?"
"Chris. Is. Going. To. Break. Up. With. Me." My eyes dart between each of them as I say each word.
"You're insane," Rae tells me, joining me on the couch. My hand instinctively goes to her stomach, rubbing across it, searching for something to keep me calm.
"Am not."
Lily pulls a seat out from the kitchen table. "Walk us through it, Opal."
"One, he has been pretty much anywhere but here with me since I got here. He was the one begging me to come up here and stay for a full week. Somethings changed since he asked me to do that, but he's too chicken to say anything about it." I hold up two of my fingers now. "Two, he's barely touched me, barely kissed me. Hasn't even let me attempt to celebrate his birthday today."
Lily gives me that look. The look that tells me I'm insane, reading too much into something. "You don't really think that."
Emphatically I nod my head. "Have we met? Yes, of course I think that!" I jump up from the couch, feeling my anxiety heightening, causing me to begin pacing. "He's just being nice to me because of the wedding. He knows we still have to be around one another so he doesn't want to ruin that. He doesn't want to cause problems for Spencer and Laura."
Lily grabs my arm as I pass in front of her for the third time. "Do you hear yourself?" She pulls me down into the chair next to her. "You're reading way too much into something that is just not there."
My eyes finally begin to well up again. "You haven't been here with us. Or, I guess I should say with me. This isn't what I want Lily, but if he wants to end this, I won't play along just for the wedding." I stand up, reaching for my phone that sits on the kitchen counter.
"What are you doing?" Rae asks, joining us.
"I'm calling Chris. I won't play a part if he's not interested anymore." I start dialing but don't get far as Lily snatches the phone from my hand.
"No you're not. He's on shift, and you're not about to do something like this over the phone and put his mind on something other than keeping himself and others safe." She slides my phone into her purse. "Now get your crap together," she points at my bag and waves her and back at my body, "and let's go to Laura's. You'll see him tonight."
I glare at her as I grab up my bag and purse. "You'll be the one sharing your room with me when this all hits the fan. Jameson can sleep on the floor." I yank the door open, ushering them out and locking it behind us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris POV
I steer clear of my apartment until I get a text from Laura letting me know that Opal has been picked up by the girls and they're headed to her house. Not five minutes later I've got a call from Jameson that he and Anthony are on their way to my place once they pick up Spencer.
I put the television on ESPN since we're just gonna hang out around here until we grab a bite to eat before joining the girls.
"It's open," I yell out from the kitchen as I hear the knock on the door.
The guys file in, one right behind the other until they're all standing around my living room and kitchen. "Man, I don't know what you're doing, but your girl is losing her mind," Jameson tells me as he leans up against the counter.
"What do you mean?" my brows furrow.
"Lily text me when they left here. Opal thinks you're gonna dump her once this wedding is over."
I give a hearty laugh while Jameson and Anthony just stare at me wide eyed. Spencer throws his hand up in the air to meet mine in a high five.
"Care to fill us in?" Anthony asks.
"Soon enough, my friend."