Scars Like Ours | Red View Romance #2

🐈 Twenty Nine

Annie pressed her back to the door of the bathroom stall and focused on her breathing. In, hold, out. Repeat.

Her stomach churned, hot tears pressing against the backs of her eyelids. The bathroom was empty, nearly silent, but she could still faintly hear the band playing out the final song of the night back in the party.

She'd wanted to stay for the final moments of the last dance, but as she watched Marshall and Kenzie dance together, Layla and Dawson laughing and swaying in each other's arms, Roman and Lillie-Mae holding each other close, still just as in love as the young couples that surrounded them...

She couldn't handle it; she had to get away to collect herself. Why did she have to want the one thing she'd never have? It would've been more realistic for her to want anything else--money, fame, one of her paintings ending up in the Louvre for God's sake. Instead her heart ached and yearned for nothing more than a love that she would never experience.

Maybe there'd been a part of her that had hoped, despite all her doubts, that the blind date would work out. That Tomas would sweep her off her feet and somehow he'd be taken with her. That they'd be made for each other, and she wouldn't have to keep hiding all the unrequited love she had for Cliff.

Love. One hand flew up to her heart, eyes flying open. Oh, God. She was in love. 

Somewhere along the line, the attraction that she'd tried so desperately to suppress had grown and flourished instead.

She was in love with a man who thought of her as nothing more than a friend, and to top it off, the date that had the potential to save her from her feelings had turned out as more of a disaster than she ever could have predicted.

She wasn't sure whether she was on the verge of laughing or crying.

I should've just come alone. I should've just let Gabby continue on that night, should've let Cliff find out about my feelings. The regrets ran through her mind. If she'd just done things Gabby's way, then she wouldn't have had to deal with the looks of pity from her friends, or Adam's apologetic glance when he saw Tomas was spending the night beside Kenzie's friend Maria instead of Annie.

Sure, she hadn't been optimistic about the date--it didn't mean she'd been expecting him to walk out from the bathrooms after no more than an hour together, head over to her and say nothing more than, "Sorry. I just don't think this is going to work out."

She'd barely gotten out a surprised, "Oh--um. That's okay," before he walked away. It was as if he couldn't get away from her fast enough.

She'd almost had a repeat of her mother's wedding, where she'd gotten drunk to numb her feelings. But she'd managed to resist, managed to tell herself not to spoil a night that was otherwise wonderful. 

Two of her closest friends were celebrating the start of their new life together--her failed date should be nothing more than a slight speck on the evening.

A few more deep breaths, a few more seconds of reminding herself that today was a happy day. That she was in a good place with great people, and she should be out there to send two of them off on their honeymoon.

Composed, she rolled back her shoulders, checked herself in the mirror and headed back out, making it just in time to join the rest of the guests in seeing Kenzie and Marshall off. Everyone headed out into the cool night air, watching under the starry sky as the happy couple walked through the center of the crowd to cheers and congratulations. They ducked into Marshall's car with bright smiles, waving to friends and family.

Kenzie stuck her head out of the window as they pulled away, blowing kisses and grinning wildly. "We'll send pictures! Bye! I love you!"

Annie waved and found herself beaming, watching them drive off down the dirt road and turning after the sign to the orchard. The commotion lulled into a steady hum of soft chatter and goodnights as people began to disperse, hugging and waving in farewell.