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EDIE
My eyes fill with tears of happiness as I nod at Henry. The intensity of his eyes makes me weak. I've been so strong on my own for so long, but I'm ready to give myself to someone. As soon as Henry said he couldn't make anything work with anyone else because I had a part of his heart, I knew that’s exactly how it's been for me. I couldn't give my heart to anyone else because it was already occupied by Henry.
"Don't cry, sweetheart," Henry says gently, kissing the tears from my cheeks.
"I'm sorry I was such an idiot, Henry." My voice catches as we hug each other tightly. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot."
"What?" Henry asks, his eyes confused. "Don't be sorry. I'm sorry I didn't ask you out like I always wanted to.”
“Well,” I laugh, reaching for his hand and lacing my fingers through his. "I guess we were both idiots. I should have understood that your flirting meant what I hoped."
Henry smiles and nods. "Let's get back to our room."
"Absolutely." I smile so wide my cheeks hurt. "Though we need to stop by the ballroom and say goodbye to Annie and Jared. They're off for their honeymoon first thing in the morning."
* * *
"I'm sohappy for you, Annie. You look beautiful." Annie smiles at me and pulls me into a fierce hug.
"Thank you, Edie. I'm glad you were able to come." She lowers her voice, "And I'm happy Henry came as your date. What's going on with you two? You're looking pretty chummy."
"Well..." I grin like an idiot, glancing at Henry, who winks at me. "I guess you could say you were right all these years, Annie."
"You're finally hooking up?" If it’s even possible, Annie looks more excited than me.
"We've been in love with each other for years, and we're going to do something about it. I'm excited but scared."
"I'm thrilled for you, Edie. You deserve happiness. I'm glad you and Henry finally worked things out. But why are you scared?"
"I'm super excited to build something with Henry. What scares me is the power of my emotions. I didn't know that telling somebody I was in love with them and hearing them say the same to me would be so profound. It's the purest form of happiness I could imagine."
Annie nods and hugs me again. "It is, Edie, and it only gets better. What you're experiencing now it's just the beginning. I can't wait for you two to get married and have children. You guys are going to be amazing together."
"Thanks." I look at Henry.
Thinking about marriage and children seems like a dream, but I know Henry and I are in this for life. He tilts his head to the side, asking if I'm ready to go, and I nod. As much as I love Annie and am happy for her and Jared, I need to go spend time with Henry.
"Have a wonderful honeymoon, Annie. Let's catch up when you're back home and settled."
"Will do. Now you go have some fun with that man of yours," Annie says with a wink.
* * *
"Come here, Edie."Henry’s voice is thick with longing as he closes and locks the door to our hotel room. We stand in front of each other, the air between us crackling with erotic electricity. He runs his fingers down my neck and pulls my shoulder straps down, kissing along my neck to my shoulder. "Let's get you out of this dress."
As Henry slowly unzips my dress, he trails a line of kisses down my back. His hands slide under the fabric of my dress, caressing my skin. "You are so beautiful, Edie."
"Thank you," I say, starting to believe it.
When I see the fierce look in Henry's eyes, I see how beautiful he thinks I am. I see the longing as they roam over my body, and for the first time in my life, I really do feel beautiful.
Henry looks at me like my body is a gift, not something to ‘deal with,’ or like he only wants to make love with me with the lights out. The emotions rising in me are almost too much to bear.There's a reverence in how he looks at me, and my heart expands with love for him. He loves me because of how I look, not despite it.
"I love you so much, Henry." I pull him close to me, my bare skin rubbing against the heavy texture of his suit. I get into bed and watch Henry as he undresses. There's something more intimate about watching him now because this isn't just a one-night stand. This is the beginning of something big between us, something that will change our lives.
"I always thought your flirting was a joke. I never thought you were serious."
"I'm sorry, Edie. I should have told you exactly how I felt. I knew you thought I was joking, and when you always laughed it off, I assumed you weren't interested. He crawls into bed next to me. "But now we're together. We know the truth of our love, and we'll never let it go."
