Chapter 34
BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH
VICTORIA
The sun sets on the horizon as I get ready for what will be a special night.
The sky is already bathed in the typical hues of a summer sunset, and inside my bedroom at Gardenias, the only sound is the rustling of the palm trees as they sway in the wind.
It’s been two days since Elena and I made love in her office, two days during which my heart has danced to the rhythm of a bachata.
I still can’t believe this is happening, but it’s not a dream—it’s real—and no matter how hard I try, I can’t keep those butterflies at bay as they flutter freely inside me.
This morning, the guys made plans to go out for dinner.
Carolina had gotten it into her head to do it on a sailboat out in the middle of the sea, spend the night under the stars, drink, and have a little party.
But while they were arguing, I was having a conversation with Elena and asking her out on a date.
The last time I organized something like this for her was shortly after we got married.
We were right in the middle of a sweet, romantic phase, and everything flowed effortlessly between us.
After she said yes, I got to work organizing an evening full of surprises she doesn’t even expect to enjoy.
First, dinner at one of our favorite restaurants by the beach, with candles and the murmur of the sea in the background.
Second, a few hours under the stars on the rooftop with a bottle of champagne, something sweet, and a blanket to shelter us from the island’s humidity.
What I’m most looking forward to is for this day to mark a turning point, to show her that our relationship wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment thing, that it isn’t crazy, and that it should have happened a long time ago.
With my makeup done, I hurry to get dressed and go catch a taxi at the hotel entrance.
There’s no danger of the guys finding out because they left a few hours ago, and I’m glad, since I don’t want to have to face Carolina’s questions or Ana’s hateful glances.
It was Elena who asked us not to tell anyone about this until I’d sorted things out with Joana, and I think it’s better this way because I want to enjoy her without anyone having an opinion on it.
These past couple of days, we’ve gone back to being that pair of teenagers who lived miles apart and texted each other nonstop.
I know she’s a little stressed about the final wedding details, that she hasn’t stopped thinking about me, that she’s been dreaming about me, and that she’s dying to make love to me again.
I don’t know how Carolina hasn’t noticed how happy I am.
I guess the wedding has her so distracted that she’s missing details she wouldn’t normally overlook.
The taxi ride feels long, and when I arrive at the port, it doesn’t take me long to spot Elena in the distance.
She’s dressed in white, her hair is pulled back into a small ponytail, and her smile lights up her face; I’d forgotten what it feels like when your heart flips in your chest, and I need to take a deep breath to calm myself.
She doesn’t even realize I’ve arrived until I cover her eyes with my hands and plant a kiss on her neck.
“I wonder if you do that on purpose,” I whisper in her ear and brush her skin with the tip of my nose. “You look beautiful, my love.” She smiles, and though I can’t bring myself to look her in the eyes, I know they’re shining with surprise and excitement. “Have you been waiting long?”
“Just a little, long enough to watch the sunset over the sea.” She turns and looks me up and down. “You don’t look half bad yourself, huh? Although…” She leans close to my ear and, after a little nibble, whispers, “I liked the club dress a whole lot better.”
“That…” I don’t know how she does it, but my cheeks suddenly burn, and for the first time in years, she’s made me nervous. “We’d better get going, or I’ll make you get in the taxi to go back to the hotel.”
Elena takes my hand, and after kissing her on the cheek, I pull her toward the restaurant. The sun hasn’t set yet, and the sky is a canvas painted blue and purple. For some reason, I feel like time has stopped, trapping us in a bubble full of love from which it’s impossible to escape.
“May I ask where you’re taking me?” she asks as she intertwines our fingers in a gesture of complicity. “You’re making me a little impatient.”
“You really have no idea? Think for a moment and look where we are.” Without saying a word, I let myself be carried away by nostalgia.
One of the times Elena and I were here was when we celebrated our engagement.
That very morning I had proposed to her during a stroll through the Las Dalias market, and it was one of those moments that marked a turning point in our lives.
“You’ve always had a knack for finding the most romantic spots, and I wanted tonight to be special. ”
“Are we going to…?” The sparkle in Elena’s eyes threatens to blind me when she realizes where we’re going, and I confirm her thoughts with a smile. “It’s one of my favorite spots…”
“And there was no better place to make our relationship official,” I add, kissing the back of her hand as I quicken my pace a little.
I can’t wait to get there, to let ourselves be carried away by the lull of the sea and enjoy an evening that ends just as Monday did, with the two of us embraced under the white sheets of my bed.
“Before we get there, I want to tell you something.” Elena, nervous, slows my steps, and when she looks at me, the joy in her expression keeps me from getting annoyed.
“I didn’t tell you the other day, but… I’m willing to fight for us, too,” she murmurs so softly that I have to move a little closer to her to hear her clearly.
“I don’t want you to think you’re the only one who has to show interest in things.
I’m not going to give up. No matter what happens, okay? ”
I’ve carried the guilt of what happened between us these past five years, and the fact that she’s willing to fight alongside me, to not give up, and to do whatever it takes to make this work fills me with happiness and leads me to believe that the future ahead of us will be full of wonderful things.
“I’m not going to give up either, and…”
“I know, but don’t promise,” she says, and I stroke her cheek before kissing her. “Now come on, we still have most of the night ahead of us and plenty of surprises in store for you.”
“That many?” she asks, surprised.
“Enough to make sure that beautiful smile of yours never fades,” I reply confidently.
Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and my heart beats and dances in my chest, ready to overcome any obstacle that stands in our way.