“Yes! Do I give out vibes that I’m looking for a hookup?” She raises her eyebrows. “I mean, come on, at least wait until the second date to ask that.”
“Would it have made a difference if he asked on the second date?”
“Probably not. But still. Who thinks to ask that on the first date?”
I pickedup a Domino’s pizza on my way home from work. I've felt surprisingly good today, despite the ongoing tension with Liam. Amari decided to stay another night at her dad’s. It left me with some unexpected free time. So, I plan to watch one of my favorite movies,Practical Magic,and pour myself a glass of red wine. It’s not the perfect pairing for this kind of pizza, but I wanted to unwind with a nightcap. I hadn’t heard from Liam, and honestly, I’m not sure if I care. The stress from his issues with Kai had been weighing heavy on me.
Before settling in to watch the movie, I changed into my pajamas, slipping off my bra and feeling the release. The release I always feel when I take my bra off makes me feel like I can breathe ten times easier.
Halfway through the movie, Liam walks in. The sun is setting earlier now, making it seem later than it is. He comes around and sits next to me. I’m curled up in the corner of the couch under a blanket.
“Why are you eating alone? Where is Amari?” he asks, glancing between me and the movie playing on the TV.
“She’s at her dad’s,” I say, trying to keep my tone casual so it doesn’t seem like I’m mad and an argument starts. Even though I can feel the tension creeping back into the room.
“I didn’t know today was his day,” he says, confusion flickering across his face.
“It’s not, but I didn’t want her around all the tension here.”
He drops his gaze, staring at his hands. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, his voice soft. “I feel you slipping away.”
“How?” I say, honestly wanting to know.
He looks up at me. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. I just feel it. I feel so distant from you.” He scoots a little further onto the couch. “I thought we would be in the middle of planning our wedding and have a set date by now. It seems as if you’re avoiding it all.”
I shift in my seat, feeling a tight knot in my stomach. “Let’s set a date, then,” I say before even thinking. How can I set a date when deep down I don’t know what I want? It’s obvious Liam feels it. Maybe not exactly what I feel, but he feels something if he’s worrying about the wedding and my relationship with Kai.
His expression brightens a little. “Okay. You said before that you wanted to get married in the summer. What month were you thinking?”
“I was thinking June.” I’ve always wanted a June wedding. It’s not too hot or too cold. It’s right in the middle, where the weather is changing from spring to summer, and all the flowers are blooming.
Liam’s body melts into the couch, as if his tension has been released. Is this why he’s been so concerned with Kai? Because we hadn’t set a date? Because his issues came out of nowhere.
“June sounds good,” he says, pulling out his phone. “We could do June fifteenth. It’s on a Saturday, and it’s in the middle of the month.”
I glance over at him with a slight smile. “Junefifteenth, it is.”
He scoots closer to me and rests his head against my shoulder. I lean my head slightly on top of his head. This is the first time in a few weeks I haven’t felt so tense around him. I’ve always wanted to get married, and I promised myself I would move forward with the wedding when we were on vacation, knowing it was giving me a sense of calm. But then, every timehe’s away or I’m around Kai, I overthink about what the right choice is? Maybe Liam is right. I’m too close to Kai.
Blakely
“Where are we going?” Amari asks from the backseat. I picked her up from school and decided to go look at some wedding dresses. The conversation Liam and I had last night gave me some inspiration. I had this urge to go look at dresses. But only to look. I’m not ready to try anything on yet. I would like to lose a few pounds before I do.
“I thought it would be fun to go look at wedding dresses and maybe we can find you something to wear, too.” I’m not sure what color scheme I want. Looking at dresses for Amari and bridesmaid dresses might help. I always thought everything would come quickly when I got engaged since I always dreamed of having a wedding. But nothing has come to me. Is it because when I always thought about being married, it was when I was a teenager and Kai and me were together? Have too many years passed by for me to remember what I wanted?
“Can I wear a pink dress?”
“Pink will be pretty. Let’s see what they have.” I put my car in park and look around at the sparse parking lot. Guess they don’t get busy on weekdays.
As we step into the bridal shop, the soft scent of fresh flowers and fabric fills the air. The space is bright, with rows of gowns hanging. The soft pink carpet paired with all the gowns gives this place a sophisticated look.
"Hi, do you have an appointment with us?” a woman asks.
I look at her in surprise at the wordappointment. Can’t anyone come in and look around? “No. I don’t. I wasn’t aware we needed one.”
She glances around the store and then back at me. “We usually ask that one is made so we can have a bridal consultant assist you with trying dresses on and to answer any questions you may have. But I can make an exception for you, since we’re pretty slow right now.”
I notice a group of girls in the far back sitting in front of a dressing room looking over at the soon-to-be bride in her wedding dress. All the girls’ faces light up as the bride twirls around. “Thank you. I appreciate it,” I say, turning my attention back to the woman. “Next time, I’ll book an appointment.”
