The moment the door clicked shut, I heard several feet running down the stairs. I turned around and saw that everything was back to normal, all traces of the party had been cleaned up, and I was relieved not to see one paper heart roaming about.
“Are you okay?” Brit asked, and when I saw her face, I almost broke down again. I must have looked like crap.
I would have answered, but Natalie was with her. “You didn’t respond to any of our texts.”
“I know. I’m really sorry. I was— not myself last night. How was the party?” I forced myself to smile. It hurt my cheeks.
“Party was great. Would have been better if my best friend was there,” Brit said, crossing her arms.
“What? Jaime didn’t show up?” I asked, trying to channel the girl I used to be.
“Very funny. He was here, but you weren’t. Look, I know you miss David, and it couldn’t have been easy on Valentine’s Day to be without him, but getting drunk and leaving with his cousin was not the way to handle it.”
“We had a bad fight. I think we broke up,” I finally admitted.
“What?” Natalie said as Brit’s jaw dropped.
“Not for real, though? Like you’re just taking a break or something?” Brit asked hopefully.
I walked past them and into the living room. I sat on the couch and took a breath. “I don’t know. I’m really upset.”
“But your lips are tattooed on his neck, and he gave you a promise ring. You guys are a forever thing.” Natalie sounded frantic, like if my love life didn’t work out then hers had no hope.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but not all stories have a happy ending.”
Brit sat beside me. “What happened?”
“He… uh… has a roommate who doesn’t believe in pants. A beautiful blonde rock star named Danny that he failed to tell me about.”
“He cheated on you?” Brit sounded horrified.
“I don’t think so.”
“So, then why did you end things?” Natalie said a little too sassy for my taste.
“Nat, I really hate to burst your bubble, but the shit that’s been happening over the past few weeks has been building. I thought we could survive a long-distance relationship. We couldn’t.”
“But it’s only been a little over a month,” Brit said, rubbing my arm.
“You go a month without Erik and tell me how easy it is. You have a stronger relationship with his assistant than him. You have him miss the biggest moment in your life and live with a half-naked girl and then tell me how you’re surviving, and everything is freaking fabulous,” I snapped. She pulled her hand away. Crap. I had taken it too far.
“I’m sorry. It’s just been so hard.” My eyes threatened tears, and the salt stung. I had cried so much in the past twenty-four hours I didn’t know how I wasn’t completely dehydrated.
“Why didn’t you come to us?” Brit asked.
“It was your birthday, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”
“You’re so stupid.” She shook her head.
“What she means is, you can always come to us. We’re your sisters,” Natalie said with a cheery smile.
“Ugh, cut the kum-bah-yah crap, Drama Queen. I meant, it doesn’t matter if it was my birthday, you can always come to me, Kris.”
“I just didn’t want to spoil your party. Erik worked so hard.”
“Well, he didn’t do it alone. I know you helped. Besides, I was worried about you. So, by leaving, you sort of only drew more attention to the fact that something was up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. It actually was a good party, and I’m sorry you missed it.”
“I wouldn’t have mentally been there anyway.” I sighed and leaned back into the couch.
“As soon as you left, Brit switched her shoes!” Natalie tattled.
“Seriously?”
“What if zombies attacked? I can’t run in pumps.” Brit crossed her arms as if her logic was valid.
I glared at her, not impressed. “No, but you could have used the heel as a weapon.”
“Huh. I never thought about it that way. You’re so smart.” She smiled at me. “So, what do you want to do? Are you hungry?”
“No, I ate at Harry’s.”
“Want to get in PJs and watch old movies?” Natalie offered.
“I think… I think I just want to go to my own bed. Is that okay?”
“Yeah that’s fine,” Brit said, her face cloaked in understanding.
I gave the girls a group hug. “Thanks ladies, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
I took a shower, and when I went into my room there was a chocolate cupcake on my nightstand and a note from Brit that read: “For what it’s worth, I don’t believe for a minute that it’s over between you guys.”
I looked at the cupcake and saw a trace of runny red dye bleeding over the vanilla frosting. She had removed the candy heart. I wish it was that easy to remove mine. Surveying the room, I realized just how much of David’s presence was here. There were pictures and stuffed animals. A few of his shirts, ticket stubs from movies, concerts and shows, and the most agonizing token— the promise ring. I got on my hands and knees and retrieved it from beneath the dresser and placed it in my jewelry box, not knowing what else to do with it.
I couldn’t just sit here, surrounded by him and expect to feel like myself. Every single photo begged me to stop and look at them. Some were candid, some were group shots. But some were just us. Perfect, happy, in love. It was easy to see how happy we were together. Me on David’s back, laughing as we walked through a carnival. David on stage, singing. The two of us smiling as we kissed in a photo booth.
Suddenly, the thought of our first kiss came rushing back to me, and overwhelmed by the emotion of it, I had to sit on the edge of my bed.
We had spent the day together talking. It was one of those talks where the day turned into night and you didn’t even realize any time had transpired. The coffee shop was closing and as we walked outside, David took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out and placed it between his perfect lips. It hung there dangerously as he fished for a lighter in his pocket. Not able to control myself, I reached over and pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and stuck it behind my ear. David’s eyes widened in surprise. But I just shrugged.
“Those things will kill you.”
He didn’t say anything. Simply looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time, then his hand slipped around my waist, and he pulled me toward him, his lips instantly against mine. Although warm and supple, they were firm and held a commanding quality. No one had ever kissed me like that. I could taste the strawberry tart he had earlier as he parted my lips with his tongue, deepening our connection. Tingles began to radiate everywhere, my body awakening from a long sleep. My hands shook against his chest. It was scary feeling so intimate so fast. When David released me from his kiss, I remained tethered to him by invisible strings, and as my eyes fluttered open, I watched how he licked his lips before dipping his forehead against mine.
“What was that for?” I asked rather breathless.
“For caring.”
In that moment, I knew I wanted to keep on caring forever.
Now, looking at the pictures in my hands, I wondered how forever ended so soon. This was stupid. We were strong, and I wasn’t about to let that Danny bitch have my David. I reached for my phone, determined to call him, fully prepared to give Garret hell so I could work things out with the love of my life when I saw I had three missed calls and a text from David that simply said, I love you. Please call me.
Elated, I sat on my bed and did as he had asked. The phone had barely rung once when David answered. “Thank Christ,” he said. “Kristen, I am so sorry. You are right. I should have told you about Danny and not avoided the subject. I swear to you nothing is going on. She knows I have a girlfriend, she’s always known. I was just so caught off guard I stupidly didn’t introduce you. Please, please forgive me. I can’t do this without you.”
I didn’t know how badly I had needed to hear his voice until that second. “I may have overreacted,” I admitted, and I heard him exhale on the other end of the call. “This is just new, and I feel so in the dark. Between your assistant and not knowing your roommate was a girl, and you not calling after my audition…”
“I know. I know. I am so sorry. I’m doing the best I can here, Kris. My days are long, and there’s the bloody time difference, but don’t think for a moment that I’m not missing you like crazy— and my thoughts were with you when you had your audition, I swear I was telling anyone who would listen that my girl had her big shot that day.”
I pressed the receiver closer to my ear. “Really?”
“Of course! You know you’re my girl— you’ll always be my girl.” I closed my eyes, relieved. “So, are we okay?”
“Yes,” I affirmed. “We’re okay.”
“Thank god.” David breathed heavily into the phone. I had a feeling he had been through the same amount of hell that I had been. “Is there anything I can do to make up for the mess I’ve made?”
“Yeah,” I said with conviction. “Tell Danny to wear a bra around you— and pants!”
“Done,” David said.
“So,” I said as I opened my jewelry box and slipped the ring back on my finger. “How was your Valentine’s Day?” David laughed on the other end, and for the first time since I had first laid eyes on Danny, I trusted in us again.