Here With You | ✔

CHAPTER FIVE; part two

 Dresden Gibson

    The first time Cas says it, I think he's joking.

     I'm on the phone with Linden, our wedding planner, and I've been on the phone with him for an hour, trying to come to an agreement on the time-frame for the day. Linden is insisting on a later ceremony.

     "You'll be facing the sunset and you'll be bathed in this glow when you exchange your vows. I'm telling you — it'll be absolutely magical."

     "It sounds absolutely magical," I snap. "But it's not what I want."

     It also does not work with my plans, plans of which I've yet to tell Cas about. It's not something I can spring on him the day of the wedding, though, so I'm going to tell him. A surprise, but one I'm willing to let stand on its own, without the tease of dinner and subtle comments like your passport is up to date, right? (It is, I checked with Olivia.)

     Cas is unsuspecting, has been unsuspecting for weeks. He's on the couch now, watching Home Alone for the umpteenth time, even though Christmas is two weeks behind us. He's also refused to take down our Christmas tree, who's spilling needles everywhere like a popped piñata. And I'm nearly certain his diet has consisted only of those sugar cookies with the pictures of reindeer and Christmas trees and gingerbread men in the center.

     Cas turns his head so he can look at me over the back of the couch, smirking as he says, "Okay, bridezilla."

      I gape at him, pointing to my chest. "Me? A bridezilla?" I mouth quietly as Linden goes on and on about sunlight and glares in photos and sweating and golden hours.

     "Yes, you," he says with a laugh. "What's a few hours later in the day?"

     I turn my back to Cas and say to Linden, "We're doing the earlier ceremony. And it's final because invitations are already being printed."

     Linden huffs and then caves, which he was always going to do. While he makes some valid points, and I could see the appeal of an evening ceremony, it doesn't work for the timeline. I've left a few hours for error but I'm not trying to dance in that window. Literally. The reception has a strict cut-off of nine p.m.

     I hang up with Linden and join Cas on the couch, crawling up between his legs so I'm lying on his chest. He looks down at me as he reaches up and pushes my hair back.

     "I don't think you and Linden are both making it to June 5th. It feels like a fight to the death," he says with a laugh.

     "Well hopefully his death, otherwise you'll be at the alter alone."

     "Huh, I don't know. I may be forced to take Linden's hand."

     "I'll fire him."

     Cas's chest vibrates as he laughs softly. "Don't be jealous," he says and then his expression shifts in a way I'm all too familiar with. "Or actually, yes be jealous. It's doing things for me."

     "Everything does things for you," I respond, my tone teasing. "I could breathe and that would do it for you."

     "You know most people would count their blessings to have a partner as responsive as me," he responds in too thoughtful a tone, all things considered. Like he has genuinely contemplated this.

     This line of conversation only leads to one place and I can't get distracted. Not yet. "Where's your phone?" I ask him, shifting onto my side a bit because Cas is hard and feeling it against my chest is doing little to help with the whole distraction thing.