32. Katrinia
32
Katrinia
A fter we finished unpacking the booth at the convention center we made our way back towards the Las Vegas STRIP. Walking hand in hand down a little alley of shops, restaurants and a music venue it’s hard to believe we are still in Las Vegas and not some beachfront tropical paradise somewhere.
Cooper stops at a food cart and grabs us two churros before we get in line for the High Roller, a massive ferris wheel that has enclosed pods allowing you to overlook the entire city.
Standing in front of the window I look out in amazement at how the lights of the city twinkle and gleam against the night sky. As I take a big bite of the crunchy cinnamon dusted desert, Cooper comes to stand behind me.
“It’s kind of beautiful isn’t it?” He whispers as I meet the stare of his reflection in the glass.
“It is. You can almost forget about the debauchery taking place beneath those neon lights from way up here.” I tease and the corners of his eyes crease as he grins.
“I almost moved here once.” He admits taking a seat and laying his arms across the back of the booth, looking out the window as we cusp the top of the wheel.
“Oh yeah?” I question taking a seat next to him. My tone encourages him to go on as I take another bite of my churro.
“After the second time I came out for a convention. I thought I wanted to try to escape everything that reminded me of you. I thought if I moved here I could keep going on pretending but I just couldn’t do it. It didn’t matter how bad it hurt, I couldn’t be in a place or live a life that didn’t remind me of you.” His eyes gloss over as he takes a sip of his slushy drink from his casino cup.
“Oh Coop.” I scoot closer to him and he turns me around so I’m cuddled with my back against his chest.
“Rarely has there been a minute go by where I haven’t thought of you Trin. You don’t know what it means to me to have you back. I’m really glad you’re here.” He reminds me again, with his chin resting on my shoulder.
Not knowing what to say and feeling a bit choked by my own emotion all I manage is “Right back at ya big guy.”
Rarely has a moment gone by in the past eight years I haven’t thought of him either.
I never once worried Cooper would cheat before. The thought never even crossed my mind. The idea wasn’t even something I could fathom.
Not in school.
Not during senior year when he had projects and his teacher always partnered him up with girls.
Not when his football team would travel away to games with an endless parade of more than willing cheerleaders.
Not even when he had a job at the mall and girls would linger outside the music store and whisper to each other while they watched him stock CD’s.
Cooper had girls throwing themselves at him with endless possibilities but he never once entertained any of them. Even when I was bullied and teased constantly for being the theater geek with the football star boyfriend he always defended me.
The idea of him cheating never once crossed my mind when he held me in his arms and kissed me desperately until he almost missed his bus, after enlisting the army.
Never for a minute did I ever question Cooper’s love for me or his commitment to us. The distance, yes. The fears he would get deployed and never make it back to me, always.
But cheating? Never.
So when I walked in on him with a naked blonde in his bed, barely covered by a tasseled sheet, my entire view on reality crumbled right before my eyes.
The idea I had of the life I thought I lived, that we lived together, came crashing down around me like I was the punchline in a sitcom where everyone was in on the joke but me.
I second guessed everything after that.
My own existence included.
Made myself sick reliving every single moment where he could have cheated and I blindly trusted him. I drove myself nearly mad, replaying every little interaction in my head. I spent months hunting through my memories for something I may have missed.
But I found nothing.
As I sit here wrapped in his arms I feel secure. I can feel his love like it’s a physical energy that blankets me in his warmth. It’s hard to imagine him wanting to even be with anyone else when he looks at me.
Though I’ve seen it with my own eyes, the girl in the bed and the video of Jenna. In those moments he didn’t seem like my Cooper. When I sat in the surgeon’s office and watched the video attached to the social media message Cooper wasn’t touching her like he touches me. He slammed into her carelessly almost like it pained him to do so as he looked up at the ceiling with his hand wrapped around a bottle of whiskey he had sealed to his lips.
As the ride comes to a slow halt the door opens and we step out, nodding to the operators as we make our way back down the alley towards the chaos of nightlife on the Las Vegas STRIP. I can’t shake the desire to finally believe him and truly move on from the past.
“Coop.” I still as he continues forward another step before he turns around to face me. There’s something I haven’t said that I suddenly feel the need to say out loud.
“What’s wrong, dorogoy?” Concern creases his brows. His eyes search mine as I try to think of what I want to say but only three words keep coming to mind.
“I forgive you.” I whisper as I take a single step towards him.
People walk past us, coming and going, laughing and fighting as we stand still in the crafted illusion of a boardwalk. Cooper takes a long hard breath as he searches my eyes and I feel all the pent up pain and resentment I’d harbored for the last eight years fade away into the sinful city sounds around us. Once again we are in our own little bubble and we are the only people that exist in the world.
He cups my face and runs his thumb across my cheek. He takes a deep breath as my lips part at his touch. My eyes flutter and I hear his exhale before his lips meet mine in a kiss that breaths life into the desperate flames of faith and forgiveness.
Pulling away he rests his forehead against mine as he tugs me close. “vykhodi za menya?” He speaks in perfect Russian as he asks me to marry him.
My heart pounds violently against the walls of my chest and my palms begin to sweat, but I can no longer fight what feels so right in my soul. I take a deep breath before I whisper, “da, lyubov’ moya.”
Cooper’s eyes go wide as the realization of me finally agreeing to marry him hits him like a slap to the face.
“Don’t tease me.”
“I’m not teasing. I’m finally agreeing to marry you. For Christ sakes you’ve asked me enough.” I roll my eyes before my feet are suddenly lifted up and off the ground. Cooper spins me around and I squeal with joy.
Placing my feet back on the ground he raises his cup and yells, “We’re getting married!”
The crowd around us cheers as people turn to stare. Strangers clap and raise their glasses from where they dine on patios in the nearby restaurants causing my cheeks get instantly hot with the sudden attention.
Cooper takes my hand and spins me before his lips meet mine again. He peppers my entire face with kisses as he smiles ear to ear.
When we start walking again, I snatch his drink from his hand and sip large gulps of the icy beverage that’s full of sweet liquor. Once we get back to the STRIP Cooper hails down a taxi.
Slipping into the back seat he tells the driver to take us to the Caesars.
“We’re staying at the Wynn, what are you doing?” I ask and his smile turns voracious.
“We are going shopping.”