Becoming Mrs. Seguin

The following morning, I drove Damon to the airport so that he could catch his flight back to New York. We discussed how to decorate the new house that he had recently bought in Manhattan, but the whole time, my mind was elsewhere.

"When you get to New York, we can go furniture shopping. It'll be fun," Damon said cheerfully.

"Yeah," I replied distantly, keeping my eyes on the road ahead.

"Christine, is something going on? You've been acting strange since the luncheon yesterday," he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Why would you think that?"

"Babe, I know you're lying. What really happened between you and Tyler after the commencement ceremony?"

There was no point in lying about what Tyler had said to me, but never in a million years would I ever tell Damon that I still had feelings for my ex. It'd ruin our whole relationship.

Besides, I'd most likely get over them anyway. I was able to forget about Tyler once, and this time wouldn't be any different.

"Well, after he gave me those flowers, we talked and I told him about our engagement. Boy, was he pissed about it, but in the end, he said that...,"

"What?", Damon prompted, growing impatient.

"He loved me," I finished, turning to look at my fiancé as I anticipated his reaction. To my surprise, he seemed perfectly calm.

"What a pathetic jerk. I sure don't see how Tyler slapping you has anything to do with him loving you," Damon said, chuckling to himself.

"I admit, I was pretty shocked when he told me."

"But do you love him?"

Damon's question caught me off guard for a moment, but then I replied with a simple, "no".

"Really? Because I remember how devastated you were after the two of you had broken up," Damon remarked.

"In case you haven't noticed, I've moved on. Tyler will never get in the way of our relationship, I promise."

"Good. But if he dares to lay a hand on you...,"

"He won't," I said firmly.

After I dropped Damon off at the airport, I headed to my uncle's house to have lunch with him and his wife. They were definitely the people I'd miss most once I left Boston.

Sometimes, I'd wish that my uncle had never told me to go to Castle Island Beach that summer day six years ago. I wouldn't have met Tyler and gotten my heart broken.

But the time I had spent with him was undeniably some of the happiest years of my life. Would we have met somewhere else if I had never gone to the beach that day?

Tyler had always said that the two of us kept running into each other because we belonged together. I used to believe him, but look at where we were now.

As I drove back to the campus that evening, tears began to stream down my face. That jerk wasn't even worth having me cry over him, but I did anyway.

I hated Tyler for ruining everything that we had, but damn it I loved him so much. Then, there was Damon, who would eventually become my husband.

I kept telling myself that things were going the way I wanted them to, but inside, I was turning into a total wreck, slowly losing my grip on reality.

***

After spending the whole weekend packing, I was finally ready to head to New York. I decided that I'd leave tomorrow, since my body was pretty exhausted from lifting all of the heavy boxes into my car trunk.

In the afternoon, I drove downtown, opting to spend the rest of my day there. Besides, who knew when I'd ever come back to Boston again?

I visited TD Garden, remembering all of the hockey games that I had attended back then to cheer on the Bruins. It felt like ages since I last saw them play in person. They didn't make it to the Stanley Cup Final this year, unfortunately.

For lunch, I headed to a pizza shop that Tyler and I used to eat at all the time. God, I really needed to stop thinking about him. But everywhere I went, the memories just kept flooding back. After all, Boston was where our relationship had begun. And ended.

As I walked out of the pizza shop, my phone started to ring. I searched for it in my purse, accidentally bumping into something hard during the process. Or rather someone.

I looked up and it was as if my prayers had been answered. Standing before me was the one person I'd wanted to see so badly before I had to leave tomorrow.

"Tyler," I said with a gasp, staring into his gorgeous brown eyes. He had a pair of jeans and black tshirt on, just like the old days.

"Hey stranger," he greeted with a smile.

And at that moment, I totally forgot about the phone call I had, which just so happened to be from Damon.

"We really have got to stop running into each other."

"I don't mind it at all. So, what are you doing here by yourself? Where's David or whatever his name is?", Tyler asked, looking around for any sign of a third person, but it was just us two.

"You mean Damon? He's working on a project back in New York. In fact, I'm driving there in the morning," I replied.

Tyler's face immediately fell and I could see the hurt and disappointment behind his eyes. To be honest, I didn't want to leave either.

"Are you moving there?"

"Yes. You know what, I've got an idea. Instead of spending my last day here yelling at each other, how about we do something together?"

Oh lord, that did not just come out of my mouth.

"Well, I was gonna hang out with some of my college buds down in Cape Cod for a couple of days...,"

"Oh, never mind then," I blurted, my face reddening from embarassment.

"But I could always just leave later. Besides, I sure miss spending time with you," Tyler said, giving me a sad smile.

"I do too. So, where do you want to go?"

"You'll see," he replied with a grin.

I left my car parked on Washington Street and walked with Tyler over to his car. A part of me felt wrong doing this, but I quickly brushed it off. It wasn't like we were going to sleep together or anything.

"I forgot to tell you how beautiful you looked yesterday. But then again, you always do," Tyler remarked as he drove. Immediately, I could feel my cheeks begin to blush.

"You really need to stop doing that."

"What are you talking about?", he asked innocently.

"Hitting on me. You know I'm engaged," I scolded.

"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting that. It feels like we're still dating though, doesn't it?"

"You wish, Seguin," I said, playfully punching his shoulder.

After driving around for about ten minutes, we ended up on the shore of Boston Harbor. I could see Fort Independence up ahead, and at that moment, I realized...

Tyler was taking me to Castle Island... where we first met when I moved to Boston.

It seemed like only yesterday when we walked on the beach until the sun set and I told him about my break-up with Karl for the first time. He had been so sweet and understanding.

How clever of Tyler to bring me here, six years later. It hadn't even been half an hour yet, but I could already sense that he was up to something.

"You don't happen to have a swimsuit on, do you?", he asked once we found a parking spot.

"No, why would I?"

"Never mind. We can just take a walk or something," he suggested.

As Tyler and I made our way down to the beach, he brought me up to date on the latest news concerning his teammates.

Reilly Smith and his long-term girlfriend were moving in together. Lucic and his wife were the proud parents of two more kids, both boys. But the biggest surprise was that Brad Marchand had gotten married.

...Wow, I sure missed out on a lot over the years.

"And what about you? Have you been in other relationships after we broke up?", I asked Tyler.

"Me? Not really. They were mostly just one-night stands," he replied truthfully.

"Oh god," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Christine, I was sleeping with those girls so that I could try and forget about you."

"Well, none of this would've happened if you hadn't cheated in the first place."

"I know," Tyler said, letting out a sigh.

By the time we walked back to his car, it was nearly five. The hours sure flew by whenever I spent them with Tyler. In fact, the whole time, it did feel as though we were still dating. I guess he was right after all.

"Are you hungry?", Tyler asked as we were driving away from the beach.

"A little."

"How does homemade pasta sound?"

"Wait, you can cook now? Since when?", I exclaimed.

"Well...let's just say that ninety percent of the time, my food ends up burning. But I make a pretty mean tuna casserole," Tyler said proudly.

"So about that pasta...shrimp scampi sounds good," I quickly interrupted. God knows how much I hated tuna casserole.

"We'll need to stop at the grocery store. I only have noodles at home."

"Ok, let's go then."

Tyler and I stopped at Whole Foods on our way to his house, splitting up to find everything that we needed to make the shrimp scampi.

When we finally arrived at his neighborhood in Winchester, I couldn't help but get emotional as I recalled the unforgettable memories we'd made in the past.

The last time I'd been here, Tyler and I had gone for a swim in his pool before spending the rest of the night in bed, making love until the break of dawn.

No, I couldn't do this. Not to Damon. Who knows what would happen once I stepped foot into Tyler's house?

There wasn't anything left for me to do in my dorm anyway, so in the end, I just told myself that everything would be fine. I was perfectly capable of making sure that things stayed in control.

Tyler and I carried the bags of groceries up to his front door and I waited for him to open it. The minute he switched on the living room lights, a warm feeling swept over me. It felt as if I had gone away on a long business trip and finally returned home.

Tyler's house was just like I remembered, only it had become more furnished over the years. I set the bag of groceries down in the kitchen before making my way around the rest of the first floor.

Sitting on a shelf near the guest bedroom was a picture of me and Tyler at my first Red Sox game six years ago, the week before college had started. I couldn't believe that he still kept it.

"Remember the fly ball you caught that day?"

My heart jumped as I turned around to see Tyler standing behind me, looking down at the picture over my shoulder.

"God, you scared me! And yes, I do," I replied, staring into his eyes.

Tyler searched my face to see if there was any sign of emotion before directing his gaze to my lips. He made the slightest attempt to lean in when I quickly spoke.

"We should go make that pasta now."

"Right. I'll go get the boiling water ready," Tyler said hastily, walking back to the kitchen.

Whew, that was close.

I went to use the bathroom and came back to hear the sound of loud barking. Immediately, I rushed to the kitchen to find Tyler opening the back door, letting both of his dogs in.

"Marshall, Miller! How are my two favorite boys?", I greeted as Miller jumped on top of me, licking my cheek.

"Looks like they remember you," Tyler remarked with a grin.

"Of course they do. My, how you've grown," I said, running my fingers along Miller's back.

I noticed how Marshall wasn't as playful and active as he used to be. Old age was getting to him no doubt. But man did I miss those two.

***

"What ever happened to your apartment?", I asked Tyler as we walked his dogs in the neighborhood after dinner. The pasta had turned out great and there was still leftovers to eat another day.

"I sold it after Freddy moved out. He lives with his girlfriend in Springfield now," he replied.

"Oh, I see."

When we got back to his house, Tyler went to make us some drinks. I was totally unaware of how late it had become, forgetting that I needed to leave for New York in the morning.

I headed out to the pool, sitting down on one of the chairs as I thought about how much fun I had today with Tyler. Even after three years, the attraction between us was still there.

My thoughts were interrupted at the sound of the back door opening. Tyler walked over and handed me a tall glass of what appeared to be vodka mixed with some kind of fruit juice. I took a sip, slightly scrunching my face at the taste of it.

"What do you think?", Tyler asked with an amused expression.

"It's good," I replied.

"Really? 'Cause from the expression on your face, it sure doesn't look like you enjoy it. But if I remember correctly, you never were fond of alcoholic beverages."

"Oh Ty, you know me too well," I said with a genuine smile.

We sat there by the pool, talking and sipping on our drinks as the sun set. It was then that I realized how late it had gotten.

I quickly stood up, feeling dizzy for a slight moment. Instead of walking in the direction of Tyler's house, I turned towards the pool. The last time I drank this much vodka, the same thing had happened and I nearly got ran over by a car.

"Christine, what are you doing?!", Tyler exclaimed.

I stumbled on something hard and to my horror, fell right into the pool with a loud splash. Shit!

The cold water immediately awakened my senses and I looked up to see Tyler standing there, laughing his face off. Oh, so he thought this was funny?

I quickly swam over to the edge of the pool and climbed out, soaked to the bone. My tank top and shorts stuck to my skin as I heard the sound of my own teeth chattering.

"You try jumping into the pool with your clothes on. We'll see who's laughing then," I snapped at Tyler, coughing up water.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. But you gotta admit, that was pretty damn funny."

Tyler went to grab me a towel and I dried myself off before heading back inside. This was great...just great.

"What on earth am I going to do about my clothes?", I whined.

"Here, go to the bathroom and take a shower. I'll put your clothes in the dryer and meanwhile, you can wear one of my tshirts or something," Tyler proposed.

"I guess that's a good idea."

After I finished showering, I wrapped a towel around my body before going to find Tyler. He was in his room, his back to the door as he dug through the drawers.

But the thing was...he didn't have a shirt on. Or pants.

"I'm back," I announced.

Tyler turned around and immediately, his eyes raked over my body, burning right through the towel. The temperature of the room instantly got hotter as I stood there, my cheeks turning a deep red.

"Holy shit," he muttered under his breath.

Apparently, Tyler had just finished taking a shower too because his hair was still damp. The only clothing he had on was his boxers and let's be honest, I couldn't take my eyes off of him either.

"God, you have no idea how bad I want to ravish that sexy body of yours right now. And that towel isn't really helping either," Tyler spoke in a low, husky tone that sent shivers down my spine.

Already, I could see where things were headed. It took every fiber of my being to resist pushing Tyler onto the bed and have him make love to me right then and there.

But there was no way I'd allow myself to go that far.

"I-I should go," I stammered, quickly turning around to leave.

"Christine...," Tyler called.

He followed behind, his footsteps heavy against the carpet floor. All of a sudden, I felt him grab my arm as he spun me around so that we were facing each other.

Before I could even utter a word of protest, Tyler's lips crashed into mine. My senses went wild as I kissed him back passionately, the familiar sparks igniting between us as our tongues fought for dominance.

I could feel his fingers skim over my thighs, tugging at the bottom of my towel. A look of horror crossed my face as I realized what was happening. Immediately, I pulled away from Tyler, not daring to look into his eyes.

"No...how could I do this?", I whispered to myself as tears began to fall down my face.

"Christine, there is nothing wrong about what just happened," Tyler stated firmly.

"Yes it is! I'm an engaged woman!", I lashed out at him.

"Tell me that kiss meant nothing to you," he demanded.

I pushed past Tyler and walked back to the room, collapsing onto his bed as I began to cry. There was no denying that our kiss had been special- full of love, desire, and passion.

It made me remember the other times we've kissed in the past. He would always send sparks igniting throughout my entire body with just a simple touch or peck on the cheek.

But whenever Damon and I kissed, I had never been able to feel those same sparks that I did just recently. The truth was, no matter how long I lived on this earth, I could never love my fiancé as much as Tyler.

"Christine, what's wrong? You know I hate to see you cry," Tyler asked, sitting down next to me, his eyes full of concern.

"You will never have any idea how hard it was for me to let you go that day."

"Look, I made a huge mistake...,"

"For god's sake Tyler, I loved you!"

His body went numb as he stared into my tearful eyes, trying to process the words that had just escaped my mouth.

"Oh my god...Christine, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was going to until I found out that you cheated on me! But what good is it now? I've found someone else and you probably will, too."

"Christine, you're the only girl I'll ever want. And believe me, I could never forgive myself for hurting you."

"Well you certainly did, but you know what? No matter how much I hated you, sometimes, I'd pray that you'd come back so we could just fix it all...but you didn't. The truth is, I was never able to forget about you, Tyler," I said with a pained voice.

"Babe, I'm so sorry....," he apologized, reaching out to stroke my hair, his brown eyes full of regret and sorrow.

"What did I ever do wrong?", I whispered in a barely audible tone, staring down at my lap.

"Nothing. Christine, let me have you. Just for one night," Tyler spoke as his hand moved to cup my face.

"I can't," I replied, slowly shaking my head.

Tyler leaned in, placing his lips on my neck as my eyes widened with surprise. He gently sucked and bit at the soft skin before trailing kisses down my throat, causing an unwilling moan to escape my mouth.

Waves of pleasure immediately began to burst from my head to toe as I tilted my neck to give Tyler better access. He glided his lips across my collarbone before placing kisses on my shoulder, leaving me utterly breathless.

Inside, my mind was telling me to stop this. But my body spoke a language of its own, wanting more.

Oh dear god, help me...

I fell back onto the bed, pulling Tyler with me as he swiftly removed my towel, throwing it to the floor. I lay there underneath him, my body completely exposed to his lustful eyes.

We held each other's gaze as I ran my hands along the length of his muscular, tattooed arms, remembering how each one had got there in the first place. I stroked his firm chest and abs as a deep groan rumbled from his throat.

Tyler grabbed my left hand and toyed with the engagement ring on my finger before sliding it off. I didn't stop him and he ended up placing it on his nightstand.

"Ty, make love to me," I whispered, my chest rising and falling heavily.

"God, you have no idea how long I've waited for this," he growled before capturing my lips in a deep kiss.

I instantly let all of my walls down, surrendering my body to Tyler. In all honesty, I wanted him just as bad he wanted me. What we were doing was wrong, yet it felt so right. For tonight, I'd give him everything- my mind, body, and soul.