Loves Me Not

SEVENTY TWO

BEFORE
CATALAINA KITTRIDGE

I spent every single second of Monday just waiting to hear from Will. If I thought the thrill of having an affair with Dominic was good, then this was one hundred times better. It was exhilarating. Especially knowing that after all these years, we had finally found our way back to each other.

After he kissed me in his car on Sunday evening, we stayed in there and talked for a long time. I'm sure we could have talked for the entire night into morning, but we both had homes and significant others to get back to. He kissed me one more time to say goodbye, and I drove home feeling on top of the world.

Kissing Ben was warming. Kissing Dominic was electrifying. But kissing Will was everything I needed to feel complete.

I went to work on Monday with a smile on my face, ready to take on another day. The hours didn't seem to go by as slow, and I didn't take a single second for granted.

Monday evening went the same as it usually did. Ben came home from work. I cooked us vegetable fajitas for dinner. He brought out ice-cream for dessert. Then we watched TV on the couch.

Before we went to bed, Ben was in the washroom brushing his teeth. I glanced at the clock, wondering if I'd have time to sneak out and meet Will after he fell asleep. I contemplated this as Ben appeared from the washroom and climbed into bed next to me. He gave me a kiss and his head fell softly to the pillow.

I waited at least thirty minutes to ensure I'd be in the clear. I listened to his breathing become steady, then I slowly moved the blanket off of me and emerged from the bed.

Tip-toeing down the hall, I made my way into the spare bedroom and closed the door behind me. I reached into the bookshelf, powered on the burner, and checked the phone for any missed calls or texts. There was only one text message earlier in the day from Will's number. It said, "I had a patient today who had just returned from a trip across Europe. I thought of you." I smiled to myself, then began typing out a response.

Are you awake?

I waited a minute, staring at the phone. Then I began pacing the room, hoping he'd answer. The phone beeped and I looked down.

Maybe.

Can you meet tonight?

Don't think I can. Juliette has me watching soap operas with her.

Barf. Can you make an excuse and sneak out?

Don't think so. Not tonight, sorry.

Fine. I'll just go to bed and see you in my dreams.

Lol. I will see you in mine as well. Goodnight CK.

Night, WS.

_____

The entirety of Tuesday went pretty much the same as the day before. Wake up, eat breakfast, go to work. Come home from work, make dinner, spend time with Ben. Since when did my life become so fucking boring?

I went for an evening walk by myself to clear my head and get some exercise. The weather was so warm that night, I was comfortable in just a t-shirt. I watched the people walk by as I made my way down the street. A couple was crossing the road, holding hands. A woman was walking her dog, a golden retriever on a pink leash. I wondered if perhaps I could be a dog-person someday. After all, I had become quite good at shapeshifting and adjusting to specific lifestyles. I envisioned what kind of life Will and I could have together, free of societal constraints. We could live in a big house in the suburbs, or a tiny reclusive cottage in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, I'd have preferred the latter. I didn't need materialistic things like big houses or fancy cars, expensive jewelry or designer clothes. All I needed was Will. No matter where we were or what we had, I'd be perfectly content as long as I had him.