Just for Now

Prologue

Around Two Years Earlier

Cole was throwing rocks at Alli's window.

He knew it was tradition for the bride and groom to not see each other the morning of the wedding... but technically, it wasn't the morning yet. He still had a bit before the clock struck midnight. Cole had tried to just go to sleep, but it was useless. He just didn't sleep the same when Alli wasn't in bed next to him. All he wanted right now was to see her.

Cole was supposed to be in his brother's hotel room right now, but he couldn't relax. The two of them didn't plan on going to these extremes, but everyone insisted. Which caused him to resort to sharing a bed with his younger brother for the night. He snuck out of the hotel room while Sam was in the shower, knowing it would've been nearly impossible to leave at any other point. Luckily, his brother took absurdly long showers. He had time.

The hotel had a different set up than other places he had been to. There were suites separate from the main building that were right on the water. His and Alli's room was there, which was a bit of a walk from where he was meant to be. He thought about knocking on the door, but where was the romance in that? Besides, Cole vaguely recalled Alli mentioning that she loved when people did that in movies. 

He was trying to throw the rocks as gently as he could. Really, he was.

But he was running out of small pebbles, and no one was coming to the window.

Maybe he shouldn't have thrown the bigger rock, but before he could second guess himself, the sound of glass shattering was already filling the air and a familiar shriek followed.

Cole's eyes bulged from his head and it felt like his heart was trying to burst from his chest. He gaped at the hole in the window and didn't dare to move a muscle until he saw someone appear. Alli's gaze darted from the shattered window, to Cole, and then back to the window. Her jaw was slack and Cole was sure that he had never seen her so at a loss for words. It wasn't exactly like he could blame her, either.

"Oh my god," Alli remarked simply, nodding as she said it like it was helping her brain comprehend what just happened.

Then she turned from the window, and walked away from it.

Cole blinked. "Alli?"

A few moments later, the door to their suite was opening. His fiancé gawked at him incredulously as she tiredly made her way towards him. Neither said anything as she stepped next to him. In perfect sync, their heads tilted slowly, taking in the damage.

"Oh my god," Alli repeated, finally turning towards Cole expectantly. "What... what the hell?"

"I... I just wanted to say hi," Cole explained lamely, shrugging so harshly that his shoulders reached his ears.

"By throwing a rock at me?"

"No! No, not at you," he corrected hastily as he tried to find the words. "Just... just at... you."

Cole winced as he repeated the words. Alli groaned and her head fell into her hands. "Oh my god. What do we do?"

"Deal with it in the morning and say it was a bird?" Cole offered feebly.

Alli laughed, shaking her head in awe. "You know, I always wanted a guy to throw pebbles at my window."

Cole nodded frantically, pointing at her. "That's why I did it!"

"And they say romance is dead," Alli commented teasingly. She placed her hand behind his head, pulling him down gently to kiss him. Pulling back, she let out a gentle laugh at the dazed look on his face that Cole always got when she kissed him. "But I'm going back to bed, okay? I'll see you in the morning."