I glance down to what I’m holding, and her eyes follow my movements. They widen in shock as she covers her lips with trembling fingers.
“Is this…” She tries to touch the glass cover of my gift.
I clear my throat. “It is. I was going to give it to you. If you want it.” I move nervously from one foot to the other. “If not, I’ll keep it.”
Kyle interrupts us. “How about we all go inside, yeah?”
He wraps an arm around my shoulders and turns me around. I let him lead me because I can’t think anymore. My brain is an overload of emotions.
Behind us, I hear that guy asking Mona for her coat so he can check it in with his. I clench my teeth in distress. All I want is to turn around and take a swing at him.
“Alex, wait!”
Kyle propels me forward. “We’ll go in, put this thing you’re holding somewhere safe, then we’ll get you a stiff drink. Andthen, you can talk to her.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Deal?”
I don’t respond to him, just let him pull me through the throngs of people.
“Alex, please wait,” Mona calls after me again.
This time, I stop and turn around to face her. I’m sure I look at bit crazed at this point, but only because I am completely out of my element. There’s also the shock of seeing her with another man. Before, when I had yet to admit to myself that I loved her, I always thought that I could handle seeing her with someone else. But now that I am faced with it, it’s destroying me inside.
“Can we talk?”
I nod but don’t move, so Kyle jumps in to help.
“I think there’s a small conference room down this way,” he says. “I’ll take youtwothere.”
Under different circumstances, the way he emphasizestwowould make me laugh. However, my mind is now focused on what I could say to Mona where she wouldn’t think I am trying to make her feel sorry for me. I hate myself for even putting her in this situation. Just… fuck my life and all the mess I made out of it over the years.
As my mind is all over the damn place, we both follow Kyle until he finds us a quiet room, as promised.
“Okay, kids, be good!” He squeezes my shoulder and gives Mona a quick hug. “When you’re done, come find me. I’ll show you both a good time at a boring event that’s for a very good cause.”
His eyebrows go up and down, making Mona chuckle. The door clicks softly in place once he takes his leave, and now, I am alone with Mona.
“I can’t believe you saved this,” she says.
She points at what I brought for her, and I somehow manage to unlock my muscles enough to place it on the table before I drop it.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers.
In a desperate effort to prove my love to her, I saved the rose I gave her on the night I saw her last. After lots of online research, I was able to place it in a bell dome. It took lots of hours and even more patience to make it look like it floats, with a string of infinitely small lights surrounding it.
“It almost doesn’t look real.”
I want to reach out and grab her, kiss her until we’re both out of air. Since I can’t, I stick both hands into the pockets of my dress pants, rocking back and forth in the elegant dress shoes I have on my feet. They’re the most expensive item in my wardrobe.
I wince at my own thoughts. This obsession I have with not spending money or that everyone is after my money has cost me the most important person in my life. She’s standing in front of me, but I can’t call her mine anymore. It’s a tough pill to swallow.
“It wasn’t a good idea to bring it here.” I point with my chin toward the glass dome. “Kyle was right. I just…” I shrug without losing eye contact with her. “It was important to me that I gave it to you tonight.”
Mona’s tough girl attitude is nowhere to be seen tonight. A much softer version is present in the room, and it throws me off. In the back of my mind, I wonder if the new guy has brought out in her.
“I absolutely love it.” Her lips tremble just a touch. “I-I’m glad you brought it here. I…”
A sob escapes her, and she drops her face in her hands. I am at a loss. I don’t know if my touch would be welcome if I were topull her into me for comfort. In the end, I can’t deal with seeing her like this, and I go for it.
“I don’t know how we ended up like this,” she mumbles from against my chest. “I never imagined that you would be the one person in this world who could destroy me.”
