Chapter 12
PETAL
Sweat is dripping down my neck and my eyes are burning. I open one and then the other, and realize I went to bed without closing the blackout blinds on my hotel room window.
Rookie mistake.
And now the Vegas sun is baking my poor, hungover brain.
I push myself up in bed and my stomach roils. Thank God I put a bottle of water on the nightstand before I went to bed. I grab it and chug the whole thing, dribbling some down my chin, which I wipe with the back of my hand.
That’s when I notice I’m still wearing my dress from yesterday. I went to bed in my dress? And then I see Rake sprawled in a reclining chair with a blanket pulled up to his chin, his mouth open, lightly snoring.
What the fuck?
Why is he in my room?
You know that moment when you first wake up in the morning, when your mind is blank and there is nothing yet occupying your thoughts? Like you’re starting life with a clean slate and everything is wonderful?
And then reality smacks you in the face, and you’re no longer in the blissful state of slumberland?
Yeah. That’s where I am right now.
I look down at my hand, the left one, at the cheap yellow plastic ring squeezing the shit out of my fourth finger. A googly-eyed smiley face grins back at me.
Holy fuck.
What have I done?
I pull on the ring, then jump out of bed as if that will give me more leverage. I pull on it again. It doesn’t budge.
Why do I have a bubble gum machine ring on my finger? The wedding ring finger? And why is Rake asleep in my room?
I tiptoe to the bathroom, where I lock the door and start running water on my hand, hoping that will get the ring off. When it doesn’t, I grease my finger with soap. Still nothing.
A snort comes from the bedroom, so I open the door, just a crack. I peek out to see Rake’s still sleeping, having somehow wedged himself in sideways in the too-small chair. If I wasn’t so weirded out, I’d take a picture, that’s how hilarious he looks.
I retreat back into the bathroom, trying to remember the events of the evening and, painful as they are, I can’t deny I just fucked up. Big time.
I accidentally got married.