Cover Story Now in Stores

Pete and I hadn't talked in two days. He didn't even come back to the hotel. He called me multiple times, but I let my voice mail pick up, and when I got the the little sign that told me he had left a message, I went and listened to him.

"Paige, I'm so sorry. I didn-Fighting over your hair was stupid. I can't believe that I even invoked that! I makes me sick to think about it! Please, call me back baby. *beep*"

"Paige, please answer my calls. I don't want to be away from you anymore, and I'm sorry about what I said. I know it upset you, and I knew that when I said it, but I couldn't stop myself! Call me back please.*beep*"

"Oh god, please stop ignoring my calls. I need to talk to you, seriously. I need to hear your voice. I need to have you in my arms. I screwed up. Again. *beep*"

"I'm going back to L.A. Maybe not-ah-just, just call me back please. *beep*"

His calls got more and more frantic. He was so desperate to hear me, feel me, hold me, love me that I couldn't resist calling him back. But I was stalling. First, I was calling Dev. I missed that asshole so much, mostly because I'd known her since forever. I picked up my phone and dialed. The ringing went on and on for a couple rings.

"Hello?" she asked, finally picking up. I sighed and rolled over on the bed.

"Dev? I need to talk to you," I said.

"I would guess that's why you called me on your honeymoon, Paigey. What's wrong?" she asked. I sighed and started playing with the strings on my pants. Was it worth telling her now? Of course. Dev was my best friend, and I knew she'd only tell everyone else if I told her too. I could trust her that way.

"The other day, Pete said something about the purple extensions. Something mean to me. Then I walked off and headed back to the hotel and I haven't seen him sense. I'm worried. He keeps calling me and begging me to call him back or at least answer his calls, but I don't know what to do! I don't know how to deal with this! Over fucking hair extensions! Dev-"

"It sounds like you just need to call him, Paige. Listen to what he has to say. Take a day off and head down to the spa with him. Do something that will bring the two of you together."

I sighed. She was always right, and I had yet to figure out why. "Okay. In that case, I have to go. My marrige of only a few days is already on the line," I said. I could hear her nod some how. Despite my friend on the other end of the line, I knew that this was Pete and I-fight, make up, fight again, make up again, try not to fight, fight, and so on-and that it would be us for a while, maybe forever.

We said goodbye before hanging up and I stared at my phone until I was ready to dial Pete's number. The phone rang a few times, until he picked up. "H-hi," he said. My breath caught in my throat then, and I had nothing to say to him. My mouth grew dry, and my eyes started tearing. "Just listen then," he said as if he knew how I was feeling. I nodded, even if I knew he couldn't see me. "What I said was wrong. I wanted you to be real, in every way, and those extensions marked a sign that said fake in my head. I couldn't hold myself back to keep my thoughts in my mind. Nothing came out right, and I know how much I hurt you. I always do," he said.

My throat was fighting my voice. It didn't want to let my words out, but my voice was dying to get out of my mouth. He waited a few seconds before asking if I was still there. I gave him an mh-hhm. "Come back," was all I could muster. The first tear in my eye fell down my cheek and onto the pillow. My throat burned with the fight against my words, and my voice felt heavy-like it would explode if my throat kept fighting. "Please, don't leave me alone anymore," I cried finally.

It wasn't exactly what I wanted to say, but it's what came out.

He sighed happily, glad for me to be talking to him again. "Please come back," I said again. There was a knock on the door, and the signal on my phone that the call was disconnected went off.

"I'm already here," he said. I got up off the bed as fast as I could and ran to the door. I flung the door open and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm so, so sorry," he said, taking in the smell of my hair. I'd been in the same jammies for days, but Pete seemed to like the sent of my grape-sented shampoo I'd brought along with me.

I skipped talking to him. My words were useless compared to my actions, and my time was short if my mind worked right. What I meant by that was, if I had said something, time around me would have gone too fast. I wanted things to go slow, mostly because I was alone, and my husband had finally come back to me.

I trailed kisses up his neck to his lips and let him carry me into the room, shutting the door behind us. He put me down by the bathroom and told me, "Wait here. I have something to make you feel so much better," and walking into the room without me. I waited a few minutes until he came back out and took me by the hand into the bathroom.

There was a small box of black hair dye on the counter and the tub was filled with the rose petals, water, and soap decorations. "I hope you won't mind me making some alterations to the color," he said, holding the extensions in his hand. I smiled, because this was the simple solution. We'd both be happy; me becuase I'd get to keep my extensions in, and him because they'd match my actual hair color.

I tied my natural hair up and let him put the dye in the extensions. I didn't know if I was supposed to do this or not, but it didn't matter to me. I just wanted him to be happy, along with me being happy, too. When the dye was gone, he pulled the extensions into a little bun and tied it to the back of neck, before getting undressed and sliding into the tub. I followed him in and sat agaisnt his body, his arms wrapping around me under the surface of the water.

"I missed holding you. I always do when I can't be with you," he said. I smiled again and let his lips kiss any skin they could reach from behind me. I felt so...amazing right there in his arms. And I was so happy to have him back.

Oh, and by the way, the things we did in that tub that night are too graphic to describe.