I belonged to another man. I was in the home of another man. I was in the bedroom of another man. And yet, there I was, my lips pressed to someone else.
"Thanks for the ride, Ari. I really appreciate you spending so much time with me on your day off."
"Um, what kind of friend would I be if I let you sit at home alone all weekend?" She asked as she pulled up to the gate at my driveway. As she scanned her employee I.D. and the gate lifted, I couldn't help but feel a bit saddened that she would be leaving so soon.
"I really wish you didn't have to go. It's so boring in the house alone."
"Wait," she said once we'd parked near the door. " Wilmer isn't back yet?" I shook my head.
"Nope. He was supposed to be home yesterday from his trip. And he hasn't called me once since he left! Not even to tell me he'd be back late, or anything," I ranted, feeling frustration build inside me.
There was a reason I'd fallen for Wilmer when I met him, and it was much more than his money. He was considerate, funny, and charming. He seemed to have it all together, and he enjoyed spoiling me to remind me that he cared. At times, he was even a bit over-protective, but in a way that reassured me that I was his. But ever since our fight, something was different. First he didn't answer my calls, then he let me leave an event alone, and suddenly he flaked on me for three days. Something wasn't right, and frankly, my anger was piling up into an intense disdain that I wasn't sure I liked on myself.
"Well, I guess I should head out," I said to Ari. After unbuckling my seatbelt, I grabbed my Dolce & Gabbana bag filled with my brand new shoes, and exited the car. "Thanks again," I shouted as I waved her off. Sighing then, I turned and walked into my front door.
I was excited to get into the house and try on my new shoes; I needed the distraction. As I stepped through the threshold, however, I was surprised to see ruby red rose petals scattered across the tile floor.
"What is this?" I mumbled as my eyes studied the path that led up the ballroom stairs and out of my sight. As I followed the trail lit by white tea light candles, I felt the corners of my lips begin to twitch up into a smile. I was beginning to feel like nothing before me was real; like I was some character in a cheesy romantic movie.
This had to be Wilmer. Who else would it be?
Suddenly, as his face appeared before me at the foot of our candlelit bed, all of the disdain I was feeling toward him completely dissipated.
"Oh my god!" I squealed at the sight of him. He sat there, in full suit and tie, looking as handsome as I'd ever seen him, with the largest bouquet of flowers I'd ever seen. Behind him sat three brightly colored gifts in varying shapes and sizes. I could feel tears of excitement spring to my eyes.
"Well, you're home," he said, standing once he saw me. "I missed you, dear."
"You did all of this for me?" I asked, my hands shaking with joy.
"Do you like it?"
"I absolutely love it," I said, laughing as I choked up.
Wilmer pulled me in then, stroking my face and kissing me gently.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
We sat together on the bed then, and he handed me the immense amount of roses. I was trembling so heavily I could barely wipe away my tears.
"Demi," I heard him say.
"Yeah?"
"I need to explain myself. Over the last couple of days, there's been a lot of tension between the two of us." He took one of my hands into his, and kept his eyes down. "The other night when we had our fight, things went too far. And I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you, Demi, I just . . . lost my temper."
"Wilmer," I began, recalling the incident that seemingly changed our entire relationship, "I don't think you understand how scary you were."
"I know," he rushed. "But Demi, you and I have two incredible years behind us. And I'm so crazy about you. I don't want to lose you because I got too angry one day. You and I are so much more than that."
I was feeling conflicted, and Wilmer seemed to notice it right away. In a blur, I watched him grab one of the perfectly wrapped gifts, and bring it to his lap.
"You and I . . . we're partners." Will pushed the present into my lap, and I set the bouquet onto the comforter. "Open it," he prompted.
Attempting to steady my shaking hands, I tugged at the ribbon atop the box, and pulled the string free. I removed the paper then, before finally lifting the lid of what was clearly a jewelry box. Inside was the most gorgeous diamond bracelet I'd ever seen!
"You did not!" I exclaimed, my heart racing. Wilmer smiled.
"I don't want this tension to stay any longer. I want us to go back to the way we were. Okay?"
I couldn't explain what I was feeling inside, but it was suddenly all clear to me. Will didn't want to hurt me, he just made a mistake. Maybe when I thought he was trying to control me, he was actually just trying to be a team, and I wasn't listening.
"I understand," I said, smiling at him. He stood then, grabbed my face, and planted a soft kiss upon my lips.
"I knew you would. That's how we work together." Wilmer reached for the second larger gift, placed it beside me, and gave me a flirty wink. "This one's for the both of us."
I laughed then and stood, wrapping my arms around his neck.
