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I usemy key and let myself in through the bookstore. It's dark and quiet and peaceful. The smell of the books mingling with the scent of vanilla and cinnamon that drifts in from the bakery is comforting and I take a big, deep breath.
Part of me wants to sink into the huge, soft armchair in the corner and just be alone. But the chair is in the romance section and that makes me want to cry.
My heart feels bruised but I managed not to cry in the car on the way over.
I don’t think that’s going to last, though.
Obviously, Andrew knew something was wrong, but he didn't ask. Even when he loaded my suitcase in the back. I simply told him, “Take me to my apartment, please.” He's made the trip to my apartment several times over the months I've been with the guys, so he didn’t need anything more than that. He just let me sit in the back and quietly nurse my emotional wounds.
I can't believe what just happened. I went from the highest high, from Michael proposing to me to the lowest low, realizing that Nathan was turning this into a contest and that Crew didn't want any of this to happen at all.
Crew didn't want any of this to happen.
That shocked me.
Sure, it was all a bit of a shock. And I should've thought more about that. I guess, as is typical, when Michael has an idea and is in charge of something, I just assume it's all going to be okay.
The proposal was obviously very spontaneous, which was what made it so romantic and amazing. I love that the careful, rational, always-in-control one of our foursome had been so wrapped up in his feelings for me that he’d just dropped to one knee. Even now, the butterflies in my stomach love that.
But I’d assumed we’d include Nathan and Crew.
And I guess I figured we were all on the same page when it came to our future.
We’re in love. We’ve moved in together. Isn’t forever a given?
I climb the stairs up to the apartment and let myself in.
I don't even know if Luna is home tonight. All I know is that I have to sleep here. This place is familiar. This is comfortable and cozy and while I don't consider it home anymore, it is a place where I feel safe.
And it's away from the guys.
I hate that I want to be away from the guys right now, but I do. I couldn't imagine spending the night in our house together and continuing to talk about this, or, maybe worse, avoiding talking about the subject of our future.
I did know that I could not sleep in that bed with any of them, not to mention all three of them. I'm not sure they would've all slept there together. There was so much tension and anger in the room that I just needed to get away.
The door swings in and I roll my suitcase across the threshold.
Luna is sitting up from where she had been obviously lying on the couch. "Oh my God, Dani!" She leans to put her plate of cookies on the coffee table. "You scared the absolute shit out of me! What are you doing here?"
"Sorry, I probably should've called or texted. Are you alone?"
She gets up from the couch and crosses the room. "I am. But it doesn't matter. You're always welcome here. Even if someone else is here. What's going on?" She's looking at me with sincere concern. Her eyes drop to my suitcase. "Oh, no. What did they do?"
That's what makes the tears start. Not just that my friend is welcoming me and obviously concerned for me, but that she immediately assumed the guys had done something. And that she’s blaming all three of them.
"Michael proposed."
She frowns. “What?"
I nod. "Michael proposed. It was really romantic. And I said yes."
"Did he do it in front of the other guys?"
I shake my head. "We were alone."
She whistles low. "And Nathan lost his shit, right?"
I nod, the tears streaming.
