Loser, Whatever!
Decisions
I dressed carefully the morning of the combined shower. I think I had a right to! I was going to see the man I had never stopped loving for the first time in almost two years! He would be twenty-one by now. I debated on wearing my first green dress, but decided against it. Maybe if things worked out between us. Besides, Rick was downstairs waiting to see me off and he thought he had seen all of my dresses. He would wonder about that one and why I was wearing it now. I decided on a black flared, knee-length skirt and a long sleeved plain white top. I debated again on taking my engagement ring off, but I didn’t, if he noticed, he had a right to know.
I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. My short hair hung down almost touching my shoulders. I slipped my black ballet flats on and headed downstairs.
“You look nice this morning.” Rick commented when he saw me. I laughed nervously.
“You say that every morning.” I reminded him.
“But I mean it.” He stepped closer and kissed me.
“I should go.” I said when he was finished. I headed for the front door, grabbed the gift, pulled my coat on and headed outside, “Are you planning on staying here all day?”
“I’ll be here when you get home.” He promised. I wished he wouldn’t. He kissed me goodbye before I walked down the icy steps and apparated.
I took a deep breath as I walked down the path that led to Jered’s house. I half wanted to take my time and half wanted to run as fast as I could towards Oliver. I eventually made it to the door, inhaled and knocked.
“Bridgette! I’m so glad you made it!” Janna whispered. I could tell Oliver was already there. I handed her the gift. “Oh, thank you so much! I’ll take your coat, just be careful, okay? He’s not doing to well today.”
It felt like we were talking to a patient with Dementia. I peeked into the front room and sure enough, there he was. He was facing the opposite direction, but I could tell there was something different about him. He was paler than when I last saw him and his head was resting in one of his hands. Jered noticed I was here and he waved, then pointed to Oliver. I exhaled and made my way over. The room was full of people, but they all knew who I was. I recognized some of them from that Quidditch dinner and some of them were strangers. The room fell silent as I walked through, I got some smiles and some people patted me on the back. Oliver didn’t notice that the whole room seemed to be holding its breath. He was still facing the opposite direction. I realized I didn’t have a clue what to do. He didn’t notice me as I approached and soon, I was right beside him.
I did the only thing that seemed right. I took a seat next to him and took his empty hand in mine. That caught his attention. His head snapped around and our eyes met.
He seemed taken aback at first and I gave his hand a squeeze. His eyes lit up as he stood up, pulled me up into his arms and twirled me around the room. It was a good thing there weren’t many people close by and the room was so big. But that didn’t matter. He was laughing and I joined in. He put me down and pressed his eager lips against mine I placed my hands on either side of his face and he wrapped one arms around my waist and the other at the nape of my neck as he pulled me in as close as I could get.
Eventually, he had to let go so we could breathe, but even then, he didn’t take his lips off my skin. He continued kissing my cheeks, my neck, and my face...then I brought my lips back to his and he seemed eager to continue.
“Is it really you?” He breathed between kisses. I noticed his eyes were moist as mine were.
“Of course it is!” I answered.
“I’ve missed you! Why didn’t you come back?” He asked.
“My parents...” That was all I got in before our lips crashed together again.
“I suspected as much.” He whispered.
“Um, I hate to break this up, but we’re in the middle of a shower here!” Jered’s laughter rang throughout the room. Oliver smiled and he took my left hand in his right and we sat back down. He kept rubbing his lips along my neck and I placed my hand on his knee. All of a sudden the motion along my neck stopped. Uh oh.
He picked my left hand up to examine it closer.
“What’s this?” He demanded.
“Not here!” I whispered as Janna and Jered were opening a large present in the middle of the room.
“C’mon!” He hissed and he pulled me into a separate room. He turned so he was facing me and placed both his hands on my shoulders, “What is this?” He gazed at the sparkling ring on my finger.
“It’s a ring.” I answered.
“It looks an awful lot like an engagement ring. Did you get engaged without me?” He teased.
“Look, Oliver. My dad broke us up and sent me to Healing school. I met someone there.” I started. Understanding crossed his face.
“I should have known something like this would happen.” He groaned and pulled away from me, walking into a corner of the room. Looking around, I noticed it was a kitchen.
“Please, don’t be mad!” I tried to touch his shoulder. He brushed my hand away.
“Do you love him?” He whispered so low, I barely heard it.
“I could never feel the same way I feel about you with someone else.” It was the best I could give him. He turned to face me.
“I’m not mad.” He stated.
“You look mad.” I was worried.
“Who is he?” He asked.
“You know what, it doesn’t matter anymore. I promised myself a long time ago that I could never be happy with anyone other than you. I tried to trick myself into falling for someone else and it worked for a while. If I hadn’t woken up, I would have found myself utterly unhappy and without you.” I explained. The tears were welling up in my eyes again. He took me in his arms and held me tight. Ah! This was what I craved more than anything.
“You still love me?” He asked.
“Of course I do!” I answered.
“Good, because I never stopped loving you.” He whispered. We stood there for a while until the tears stopped.
“So, what are we going to do?” He asked.
“I’m going to call my wedding off.” I decided.
“Are you sure?” He asked.
“Of course! I could never be happy with anyone other than you.” I reminded him.
“Do I get to meet this guy?” He asked eagerly.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” I reasoned. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Whatever you want.” He leaned in and kissed me one last time before we headed back to the front room to watch Jered and Janna finish unwrapping their gifts. Our hands never let go of each other’s and for the first time in a year and a half, I was truly happy.
I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. My short hair hung down almost touching my shoulders. I slipped my black ballet flats on and headed downstairs.
“You look nice this morning.” Rick commented when he saw me. I laughed nervously.
“You say that every morning.” I reminded him.
“But I mean it.” He stepped closer and kissed me.
“I should go.” I said when he was finished. I headed for the front door, grabbed the gift, pulled my coat on and headed outside, “Are you planning on staying here all day?”
“I’ll be here when you get home.” He promised. I wished he wouldn’t. He kissed me goodbye before I walked down the icy steps and apparated.
I took a deep breath as I walked down the path that led to Jered’s house. I half wanted to take my time and half wanted to run as fast as I could towards Oliver. I eventually made it to the door, inhaled and knocked.
“Bridgette! I’m so glad you made it!” Janna whispered. I could tell Oliver was already there. I handed her the gift. “Oh, thank you so much! I’ll take your coat, just be careful, okay? He’s not doing to well today.”
It felt like we were talking to a patient with Dementia. I peeked into the front room and sure enough, there he was. He was facing the opposite direction, but I could tell there was something different about him. He was paler than when I last saw him and his head was resting in one of his hands. Jered noticed I was here and he waved, then pointed to Oliver. I exhaled and made my way over. The room was full of people, but they all knew who I was. I recognized some of them from that Quidditch dinner and some of them were strangers. The room fell silent as I walked through, I got some smiles and some people patted me on the back. Oliver didn’t notice that the whole room seemed to be holding its breath. He was still facing the opposite direction. I realized I didn’t have a clue what to do. He didn’t notice me as I approached and soon, I was right beside him.
I did the only thing that seemed right. I took a seat next to him and took his empty hand in mine. That caught his attention. His head snapped around and our eyes met.
He seemed taken aback at first and I gave his hand a squeeze. His eyes lit up as he stood up, pulled me up into his arms and twirled me around the room. It was a good thing there weren’t many people close by and the room was so big. But that didn’t matter. He was laughing and I joined in. He put me down and pressed his eager lips against mine I placed my hands on either side of his face and he wrapped one arms around my waist and the other at the nape of my neck as he pulled me in as close as I could get.
Eventually, he had to let go so we could breathe, but even then, he didn’t take his lips off my skin. He continued kissing my cheeks, my neck, and my face...then I brought my lips back to his and he seemed eager to continue.
“Is it really you?” He breathed between kisses. I noticed his eyes were moist as mine were.
“Of course it is!” I answered.
“I’ve missed you! Why didn’t you come back?” He asked.
“My parents...” That was all I got in before our lips crashed together again.
“I suspected as much.” He whispered.
“Um, I hate to break this up, but we’re in the middle of a shower here!” Jered’s laughter rang throughout the room. Oliver smiled and he took my left hand in his right and we sat back down. He kept rubbing his lips along my neck and I placed my hand on his knee. All of a sudden the motion along my neck stopped. Uh oh.
He picked my left hand up to examine it closer.
“What’s this?” He demanded.
“Not here!” I whispered as Janna and Jered were opening a large present in the middle of the room.
“C’mon!” He hissed and he pulled me into a separate room. He turned so he was facing me and placed both his hands on my shoulders, “What is this?” He gazed at the sparkling ring on my finger.
“It’s a ring.” I answered.
“It looks an awful lot like an engagement ring. Did you get engaged without me?” He teased.
“Look, Oliver. My dad broke us up and sent me to Healing school. I met someone there.” I started. Understanding crossed his face.
“I should have known something like this would happen.” He groaned and pulled away from me, walking into a corner of the room. Looking around, I noticed it was a kitchen.
“Please, don’t be mad!” I tried to touch his shoulder. He brushed my hand away.
“Do you love him?” He whispered so low, I barely heard it.
“I could never feel the same way I feel about you with someone else.” It was the best I could give him. He turned to face me.
“I’m not mad.” He stated.
“You look mad.” I was worried.
“Who is he?” He asked.
“You know what, it doesn’t matter anymore. I promised myself a long time ago that I could never be happy with anyone other than you. I tried to trick myself into falling for someone else and it worked for a while. If I hadn’t woken up, I would have found myself utterly unhappy and without you.” I explained. The tears were welling up in my eyes again. He took me in his arms and held me tight. Ah! This was what I craved more than anything.
“You still love me?” He asked.
“Of course I do!” I answered.
“Good, because I never stopped loving you.” He whispered. We stood there for a while until the tears stopped.
“So, what are we going to do?” He asked.
“I’m going to call my wedding off.” I decided.
“Are you sure?” He asked.
“Of course! I could never be happy with anyone other than you.” I reminded him.
“Do I get to meet this guy?” He asked eagerly.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” I reasoned. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Whatever you want.” He leaned in and kissed me one last time before we headed back to the front room to watch Jered and Janna finish unwrapping their gifts. Our hands never let go of each other’s and for the first time in a year and a half, I was truly happy.