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Trying to keep the increasing thickness growing in my throat at bay, I return to the living room and find Kristy waiting for me with a bottle of wine. She is in a well-deserved celebration mood. I’m so happy for her and Oscar.
But before I can join her, I hear my cell phone ringing in my room. I look at her indecisively and she laughs. “You guys have it bad. Pick up before he comes back.”
I bolt into my room and grab the phone from the side table. Breathlessly, I stammer, “H-hi.”
“Hi.” How is it possible that just hearing one word from his raspy voice makes me miss him more? “I’m not even off your street and I’m missing you already.” Zander sighs, making me believe I’m not the only crazy one. The way my heart aches, it feels like we’ve been apart for days and not just a few minutes.
“Me too,” I whisper, and my voice cracks. “I love you… so much.” While saying the words to a phone instead of his face, they somehow feel less powerful.
“You’re killing me, couch girl.” He groans while I unsuccessfully try to bite back a sob. “I’m coming back. Please don’t cry.” I hear him say something to the driver.
“No, no. Please,” I interrupt his commands.
“Are you sure? I can return, stay the night, and leave for St. Peppers early tomorrow morning.”
“No.” I shake my head vigorously which he, of course, can’t see, so I try to explain to him with words. “It’s just… I’m not used to all these…feelings.”
He’s quiet for a while before I hear a tinge of familiar tease in Zander’s voice. “Can I say something mean?”
“Sure.” I smile through the tears, wondering where he’s going with this.
“As much as it breaks my heart to hear you cry, I’m also over the moon to see you missing me so much.” His raspy voice reminds me of all those moments in the past forty-eight hours when he was whispering in my ear. Sometimes too soft, sometimes too hot.
“Kristy is waiting for me. We plan to celebrate her engagement. Will you call me when you reach home?” I ask before I turn into another weeping mess, remembering the most amazing eleven-hundred-and-fifty-two-minutes of my life.
“Of course. I’ll call you sooner than that. Go enjoy the evening with your friend. It’s a special day for her.”
“And for us,” I murmur.
“Every day with you is special, Marr, even when we’re apart.”
My pulse quickens at the rawness of his gruff voice. A hitch escapes me, eliciting a groan out of him.
“You’re making me crazy.” Before I can tell him he’s doing the same thing to me, Zander clears his throat. “No more being sad. Go to your friend before I change my mind and drive back.”
I love his sweet warning, which is followed by a rustling of papers.
“Now, I’m going to enjoy a little car picnic with the snacks you packed for me. Love you, couch girl.”
“Love you, Zander.” In the past two days, I’ve said these three words so many times. Words I’ve rarely said in the past. These powerful and meaningful words come out so easily with him.
I enter the kitchen and find Kristy taking out a pizza from the oven.
“I thought I would get dinner ready by the time you and your boyfriend finished your monkey business.”
“We were just talking.” My face heats as I remember all the non-talking business we’ve recently conducted.
She hums, telling me she’s not buying it.
When we settle on our vintage living room rug, Kristy hands me a glass of wine. We click our pale blue glasses. “To us and our love lives.”
“To us and our love lives,” I repeat before sipping one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. “It’s a good one.”
“I kind of stole it from Oscar before the accident happened.” Kristy pulls off a piece of pizza, the melted cheese trailing on the cardboard box.
“Wow. You and Oscar? I still can’t wrap my head around this news. How did I… never know?” I’m not overly astute on such matters, but it’s Kristy; I should have had some inkling. We see Oscar every day. I remember all the times I’ve seen them bickering. “I really am happy for you, Kris.”
“And I’m happy for you. I’m sure the handsome, sexy bachelor won’t be a bachelor for long.” She hits my shoulder playfully.
