The One Who Got Away is Back

Present 3 ♡ The Drive of Shame

After I left his hotel room the next morning, any passerby who saw me would know exactly what fueled my power walk. Luck was on my side, and the corridors and elevator were empty. Either people had partied too hard last night, or they were still partying.

I slid into my room and locked the door with a sigh. The exhaustion was deep in my bones, which felt like jelly. My head pounded something fierce and my stomach was queasy, but I had to keep moving. All the way back to Miami.

I shimmied out of my dress and took a shower so cold that my teeth were clattering once I stepped out. Unfortunately it hadn't erased the hickeys I found around my neck. Or chest. Or the one on my inner thigh. As I turned I confirmed a certain bite mark that had sent me over the edge during round two.

Miguel had marked me everywhere as though I were his apple. His skin was darker and maybe it wasn't as notorious, but so had I.

I groaned. Why couldn't the earth open up and swallow me whole, forever? I couldn't possibly join the brunch that Estelle scheduled to bid our farewell to the couple. Everybody and their mom probably saw what Miguel and I were up to on the dance floor last night and connected the dots to our sudden and prolonged disappearance.

Shit, I couldn't believe I'd done something like that during my best friend's wedding. I also couldn't believe what I was about to do.

I grabbed my phone, found a couple of missed calls that I ignored, and went straight to texting Page.

I'm sorry, I feel really bad for ditching your reception but I can't possibly make it to the brunch either, I sent.

I figured she'd be asleep or doing who knew what at this early time in the morning, but her reply came back right away.

Why not?

I read the two words, breaking into a sweat. Was she mad? She had every right to be. How could I repay her for this? There was no way I could in my entire lifetime. Oh God, I was so sorry.

I waited so long, thinking about what to say, that she started calling me.

My phone nearly nosedived into the toilet but I caught it in time. My poor heart was almost bursting as I picked up the call.

"H-Hello?"

Her cackling greeted me.

"Damn, girl. I was hoping something would happen between the two of you last night," she said, despite the fact that she could barely breathe. "But you guys really went for it. I mean, all night. Are you still going at it?"

"No!" I screamed. "Are you crazy? I'd never call you if we were, you know."

"Fucking each other's brains out?" A snort from her end of the line. "C'mon, you're a big girl. You can say it."

This big girl found herself blushing from head to toe in the mirror. My skin matched my hair to the exact hue.

"So you put us at that table on purpose?" I asked, my voice a few octaves higher. "What happened to the apologies of the previous day?"

Something in her voice made me imagine her shrugging. "Well, you had that old unrequited crush you told me about after college and he suddenly RSVP'ed. I thought it'd be awkward, you know? But then-" She started giving me a laugh that sounded a lot like Santa's. "Then, I saw the way he was looking at you on Friday night and even I started to sweat. So then I thought-"

"You shouldn't have," I mumbled.

"And I was right," Page finished. "Because you guys did bang, right?"