Chapter 34 #3
“Cameron knew this was going to happen. He can deal with it.” Rory stepped out from behind me, holding my hand. “Well, this has been very fun, guys, but we’re gonna go.”
“What?” I spun around to face him. “What happened to let’s dance and try not to grope each other?”
“Baby, we’re not doing that.” Rory smiled, amused with himself for saying “baby” in front of everyone. He held my surprised stare.
I glanced over at my friends, and they all awkwardly looked down at their drinks, attempting to avoid eye contact. I looked back at Rory.
“They know we’re leaving together,” he said. “We know we’re leaving together. It’s time we finally leave together, Ellie.”
Maddy looked up at me. “Oh wow. I’m so excited for you right now.”
I couldn’t blush any harder.
Rory began giving out goodbye hugs. “Happy birthday, Zoe.”
I dragged my hand down my face and mouth, trying to stop myself from smiling. Or crying, maybe? I actually had no idea what emotion was about to pop out of me. I was feeling too many.
“Well, it certainly went better for you this time around, didn’t it, Rory?” Zoe teased.
Rory chuckled, accepting the light ribbing.
“Wait, are we seeing you before we fly out tomorrow?” Hannah asked as she and Rory hugged.
“I’ll bring Ellie back to you ladies in the morning. And I changed our itinerary when you were all at dinner, so Orson and I are on the same flight as you now.”
“You guys are in first class, aren’t you?” Kara sulked.
Rory lifted his shoulders, his response a mix of “oopsies” and “oh well.” He captured my hand again and squeezed. “Let me go settle everything up.”
“No, absolutely not. You’re not paying!” I interjected. This night was for Zoe’s birthday, and Rory had only met her twice.
“No, Rory, don’t . . .” Kara faux-whined as she mimed pulling out an invisible wallet from her purse, making Hannah and Maddy laugh.
“No way,” Zoe argued alongside me. “These are my contacts; you need to let me show face here.”
“Zoe, forgive me and forget it, because this isn’t a negotiation. You’re the birthday girl. I’ll be right back.” Rory gave my hand a quick kiss before jogging to the bar to try to flag down our table’s host.
My heart was expanding and pressing into every other organ in my body.
Once Rory was gone, Hannah looked at me, wearing her big sister hat.
I could tell she was balancing a few precarious emotions.
Elation, fear, worry—I could see them all behind her gray-blue eyes.
“Be careful, Ellie.” She tapped my chest, right above my heart.
“I’m worried about this little ticker of yours. ”
“Hannah, it’s Rory.” I still wasn’t fully processing the weekend.
“Exactly.”
“I’m okay, sissy.” I hugged my sister, then turned to Orson. “It was so good to see you, Orson.” I hugged him, but could feel his trepidation.
“Wait. Hannah, I know you’re worried about your sister’s heart.
I get that. But I’m worried about Rory’s, and Cameron and Blair will kill me if I don’t at least say something.
” Orson turned to me. “Ellie, I know he’s hurt you, but you’ve hurt him, too.
Rory’s been in love with you since you were kids, and even after everything that’s happened between you two, he still is.
It took him a long time to find himself after you moved away. Don’t hurt him again.”
Everyone was quiet.
“I won’t.”
Rory jogged back up to the group, oblivious as to why everyone was staring at him. “Okay, we’re good to go.”
Everything came into focus. My sun. My gravity.
His force, pulling me toward him. My eyes inspected Rory’s beautiful face.
I ran my fingers across the side of his cheek, and my thumb stroked his scruff.
I brought his head down to me and gently held his jaw to kiss him.
He smiled against my mouth, and I pulled away to look into his dark-brown eyes.
“You’re the love of my life. Only you.” I said it right there, in front of everyone, as clearly as I felt it. I needed to say it, so I did.
Once the words passed my lips, they hung heavily in the air, but I didn’t care.
Let them hang. I had made too many mistakes.
There had been too many missed connections.
Too many almosts. Too many regrets. Too many times that I didn’t grab the moment when my heart screamed for it, and my heart screamed for Rory.
My love for him had never gone away. It had never diminished. It had dissolved into my body. Everywhere I went, Rory was always with me, holding my heart. It felt like he was never close enough, because our bodies were always in the way. But our past, our future, our love lived inside me.
Rory looked back at me. I heard him suck in a breath and let out a short exhale. He searched my eyes and pressed his thumb into my bottom lip. “You’re the love of mine. Always you.” Rory’s smile tugged his lips downward. He tilted his head. “Let’s go.”
He put his arm around my shoulder and walked us out of the club, leaving behind our friends, who were once again staring at us, gobsmacked.