No Regrets, Only Memories

The War Room

Maeve

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't spend the entire debrief thinking about Daniel's lips against mine. His lips when he kissed me the last time felt like heaven, like every single day we'd spent together in the last four and a half years had boiled down to that one moment when his lips touched mine. He tasted like peaches, it was the stupid flavor of his stupid electrolyte drink. I wanted to be mad that he pulled what little strength and focus I had left for the week to himself. He was being sweet though. The very adult decision to pretend even for a few hours that nothing had happened so we could sit down and talk through our feelings like adults had thrown even me for a loop. It told me he cared though. He had calculated his decisions since he made one without thinking and it had serious implications behind it.

He stuck to his word too, not saying anything to me as we went back to our rooms and changed to leave. I skipped a shower, wanting to get this conversation over with as soon as possible because I was honestly hoping I could feel his lips on mine again. It seemed like he had the same idea as Pyrita, Angela, and I left my driver's room at the same time as Michael, Charlotte, and Daniel left his room. The brief moment of eye contact he gave me was a normal silent conversation, he was asking if I was ready. A small nod, what would look like an acknowledgement to anyone outside of the two of us, was my confirmation before we went back to the hotel.

Pyrita drove, saying nothing as Angela was typing on her phone in the back seat. It felt like the 10 minute drive took an hour, but we made it back to the hotel with the others immediately behind us. It was nerve wracking to get in the elevator with everyone and it was awkward to have to be the first two off as everyone was on a floor above us. Daniel said nothing though, just pulling out his room card to open the door.

"Ok, I've been thinking about this and-" I stopped talking when I saw the spread on the dining table.

There were two trays with silver domes over them, a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and two bottles of red on the table, and there were a few assorted smaller silver domes around the table. Daniel came up behind me where I stopped in my tracks just a few feet from the door, his left arm sliding around my waist as he kissed just behind my ear.

"If we're gonna talk, we're gonna have to eat. I'm starving and you must be too after all that." He spoke quietly in my ear, making me shiver involuntarily before he let me go and walked towards the table.

That reaction alone should've told me how tonight was going to go. He had me wrapped around his finger without even knowing it. Yet, he still had the audacity to be a gentleman, walking over to the table and pulling out a chair for me. Not wanting to keep him waiting, I made my way to the table and let him help me push my chair in before he took his own seat to my right.

"Did you do this?" I asked the rhetorical question as he reached over for the red wine. He seemed to be the picture of calm, a blank face as he focused on the task ahead.

"Yes, I knew what was going to happen and I just wanted everything to be ready when we made it back. The champagne is from the hotel though," He chuckled as he uncorked the wine," they said congrats on your podium." I gave him a small smile in thanks.

"I'll make sure to say thank you when we're leaving in the morning...." he didn't say anything, very invested in getting our glasses of wine before he said anything else.

"So. How do you want to do this?" I asked once he placed one glass in front of me.

"First we eat..." He explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He moved the two silver domes and revealed the meal he knew as my favorite, chicken parm with alfredo pasta. It was a sweet gesture, making sure that I was getting everything I wanted in this situation. That wasn't how I wanted it to go though. He had to talk to me and we had to figure this out as adults together. With that in mind, I still ate like he wanted us to. Mostly because I was sure he was also thankful for the liquid courage when it came to the situation we were currently in. However, halfway through eating in silence I grew more annoyed than anything else.