Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Taking the Plunge

(After Chapter One Hundred)

Imelda's Perspective

I walked briskly through the misty Wales evening. It had been a long practice followed by an even longer briefing on new plays. Just to come home to a note pinned to my door.

Garreth. Asking me to meet him at "our" spot. Pfft. Our spot. We didn't have a spot anymore after he humiliated me. I didn't even know why I was going... morbid curiosity I supposed. What could he possibly want? To give me back the things I'd left at his place? Humiliate me further? Maybe tell me exactly what it is about me that makes everyone I love do an about face and run the other direction?

I hadn't seen him in months. I was actually a bit nervous. I kept running over my mind the last time I saw him... and how everything had ended so quickly.

Three Months Prior

"Garr! I'm back." I called as I entered his apartment kicking off my heels from the wedding and looking around. It seemed dark and quiet in his apartment. "Garr? Where are you?" I called again.

"Out here... on the balcony." He sounded like he had been drinking.

I walked through his main room and pulled the door to the balcony open and squeezed out. He sat in a deck chair, sure enough, a drink in his hand.

"Hey. How was the match?" I asked casually.

"We won. I was benched again for fouling... they've put me on probation." He sighed and downed the rest of his glass of whatever it was. "The Wales League is not like Hogwarts. We got away with so much back then." He finally looked up to me.

His face took me in completely, still wearing my red dress from the wedding. His eyes bulged slightly as he took me in and then a flirtatious smile fell across his face.

"You look incredible!" He stood up and wobbled, chuckling. "All three of you..."

"Garr. You're drunk." I said, shaking my head at him.

"No, no, I'm fine. I was just pissed about being benched again. But I'm fine! Especially now that my lady is here. Looking sexy as hell!" He started to stumble toward me and I barely caught him as he enclosed his arms around my waist.

He leaned in slowly, pressing his hot, wet lips to mine. They tasted of firewhiskey. I pulled away from his kiss as gently as I could. "Come on. Let's get you into bed."

"NOW, you're talking..." He said cheekily.

I just laughed. "No, no. You need to sleep it off, big guy."

"Ooo, big guy, eh? I like that..." He chuckled as I heaved him toward his bedroom. His weight was heavy, but he was helping plenty.

"So. How was the wedding?" He asked as we stumbled through the bedroom door.

"Good. Anne was stunning! I can't believe so many of our friends are married now. Makes you think." I said off handedly.

"Yes. It does. I'm thinking about what happened after the last wedding..." He slid his fingers to the tie holding my dress closed and tried pulling on it.

"Hey, now. Stop that." I wrenched the tie out of his grasp and sat him on the edge of his bed. "Although, I was thinking about what happened that night, too." My face flushed. I rarely let myself be vulnerable, but he would hardly remember it now anyway. "And. How you asked me... to marry you that night."

"What?" He laughed, loudly. "No, I didn't."

"Yes. You did. You said, 'marry me.' You said you didn't care when or how and I said ok. I was just thinking... that maybe... we should. You know. Get married. Season's almost over. Summer training will be a good time ... to... do it." I didn't know why I felt so bold. But just seeing how happy Anne and Rachel were. And how their husbands were so devoted to them. And I loved Garreth. Merlin, save me. I wanted to be his wife.