Page 127 of Almost Not Quite Engaged
“How long have you been up? Those are fresh clothes! Merde!”
“Stop. Just speak Latin, we know you don’t know French. Went to the hospital around three. There’s no change but I wanted Birdie to sleep. Curtie took her back to the house. Nate and Stacey showed up around eight. I came back and curled up with you for about an hour, then got up, took a run, showered, grabbed bagels, and now you’re up to date.”
“Did you sleep enough?”
“I’m fine. Not as well rested as some of us, but fine. I’m glad you slept.” He begins moving toward me.
I try to halt him with my tone. “We need to talk.”
He sits down on the floor next to me, leans over and kisses me. “You can’t break up with me today. I don’t have time for it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Are you mad?”
“I was. But mostly because I had to fly to New York to discover you were in a place I just left. Could have saved a shit ton of time, money and miles.”
“I’ll pay you back.”
He starts creating a carpet picnic with the bagels and cream cheese. “Why don’t you open a 401k with that money.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha.” I smear some chive cream cheese on an egg bagel and take a huge bite. He wipes the cream cheese off my nose and hands me a napkin.
“There are several packages outside my door from Nordstrom.”
I roll my head back. “Most likely clothes my mother thinks will look good on me and a hairbrush.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“As opposed to clothes I’d actually like or wear.”
“Got it. Are you going to wear them?”
“Only when I’m not in your house.”
He pulls me to him quickly, and I straddle him. I’ve practiced this part in case it came up. “One, you’re my spirit animal. Two, I wanted to see the world and didn’t know where to start. Three, I now know it was to feel closer to you.”
He smiles and says, “Three reasons you went to Bangladesh.”
I nod with tears in my eyes and he pulls me closer.
“Those are some good reasons.”
Chapter 65
Two Faced
ZANE
Boston
I sit up and let her lean back against me as she sips her coffee. We’re both looking at those flowers and the rest of my room.
“Where did you get that?”
“The camel? Gobi desert.”
There’s a long pause and she says without looking at me. “When I set out it wasn’t about you. It still isn’t, really. Even though we’re traveling together. None of it was about you. The path and adventure were mine.”
