AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The room becomes a blur of laughter as he twirls me around in a carefree dance. The alcohol has emboldened us. Our inhibitions disappear as we sing loudly and dance to the music. The alcohol continues to flow freely, and each time Ethan senses my mood starting to darken, he twirls me around faster until I squeal in laughter.
Giddiness washes over me. I don’t know what time it is or how long I’ve been in this room. All I know is that I’m having the best time of my life, and I never want it to end.
With every step, jump, and spin, I feel the sadness and burdens wash away. The weight of my family obligations and my impending wedding is gone, giving a sense of momentary relief.
Ethan begins belting out incorrect lyrics to one of my favorite songs. His boyish charm shows as he winks at me and begs me to sing with him.
“I think I’m drunk.” I must find my own admission to be hilarious because I bend over in convulsive laughter. I can’t seem to stop laughing. Ethan is laughing, too. His face flushed from the exertion of dancing too hard.
“You’re not drunk, I’m drunk,” Ethan disagrees.
The song changes, and a slower beat begins. Ethan pulls me into a loose hug as he begins to sway to the music. We are both holding onto each other as we move in circles. Neither of us is steady on our feet, but we don’t care.
“I think I need to sit down,” I admit. “Else, I’m gonna fall on my bottom.”
“That’s a good idea. How about over there.” He leads me to the bed, and we both fall backward on it, gazing up at the ceiling.
I’m feeling inexplicably happy and carefree.
“You know what’s funny?” I ask. “Two hours ago, I barely knew your name.”
“You know what else is funny?” Ethan asks. “Two hours ago, I never would have thought you capable of drinking whiskey and getting drunk.”
“I don’t remember ever having this much fun.”
“Me either.” He pauses. “Liz?”
“Yes, Ethan?”
“I don’t think you should get married tomorrow. I think you should postpone. Give yourself time to think about what you’re doing.”
I exhale slowly. “Can we just lay here and not talk about that?”
Ethan doesn’t immediately respond. I wish he hadn’t broken the spell. His sobering comment is like a bucket of ice water thrown in my face, reminding me of my obligations and things to come.
“I just think that you’re too good for someone like that. He doesn’t deserve you. You’re setting yourself up for a life of heartbreak.”
I barely register the sound of a click coming from the doorway. I glance questioningly at Ethan. “That’s just Jake. He said he’d be stopping by, so I gave him a room key.”
Embarrassed to be lying here with Ethan, I push on my elbows to sit up. Jake and I are friends, and I’d hate for him to get the wrong idea.
As I’m sitting up, the door swings open. It’s Jake, but he’s not alone. Trent is standing there with a look of confusion. “Elizabeth?” he says. “What the hell are you doing?”
I jump up from the bed and sway at the quick movement. My thoughts are still scattered from too much alcohol and dancing.
“Trent! Why are you here?” I blurt out, unable to come up with anything else to say.
He is looking at me with disgust written on his face.
“Why am I here? I’ve been looking all over for you,” he says accusingly as he takes several steps into the room. “Now, I’m going to ask you again: what the hell are you doing in this room?”
“It’s not what it looks like,” I explain quickly. “Ethan and I were just listening to music, and I had a little too much to drink.”
Trent sends a scathing look my way, and I cringe at the cold anger reflected in the lines of his face. He looks me up and down, noticing my rumpled silk blouse untucked from my pleated skirt, missing jacket, and missing shoes. “I have to be honest, Elizabeth. I never thoughtI’d catch you in bed with another man. I didn’t think you had it in you. I see I was wrong.”
“Nothing happened. We’re just friends. Not even friends, exactly. He’s Jake’s brother.” I know I’m rambling and doing a terrible job of defending myself, but I should’ve known better than to come to Ethan’s room like this. It’s all my fault that Trent is mad at me.
I have to fix this before he decides to call off the wedding. I search for an explanation Trent will believe, but my mind is a jumbled mess.
