Paper Bride ✔️ (Book 4 - DP Series - COMPLETE)

49. Pack Your Bags

The last few weeks have been incredible, to say the least. Seth and I haven't been this sweet on each other since before we got engaged. It's like experiencing all that swooning and belly exploding excitement from the beginning. It's a beautiful thing.

Now that we're solid on where we stand with each other, we've been doing everything possible to keep our relationship strong. We spend plenty of time together, we go on dates, we joke, we love, we live... and we talk. A lot. When I'm pissed, we talk. When I'm hurt, we talk. When I'm happy, we talk. And the same goes for him... though, he doesn't have quite the roller coaster of emotions that I do. Half the time, I feel like I have to pull emotions out of him, because he's not even aware of his own.

I'm officially finished with work and have been spending a horrendous length of time searching job options online and in newspapers. A few seem promising, but then after the interviews, I never hear anything. It's becoming a little bit frustrating. But, I'm finding that I feel most frustrated that I haven't heard from any of the three jobs that I actually want. I guess it just takes time, and I'm trying not to feel too overwhelmed.

The sound of the front door shutting snatches my attention away from my computer screen. I close my laptop and saunter from the bedroom out into the living room. There's Seth, a smile stretching across his hopeful face.

"Pack your bags," he says before I even get a chance to greet him.

"What?"

His smile only grows, as he sings, "You'll see."

Well, this is new. Seth's been trying extra hard these days to please me, but never has he done something quite this spontaneous. If this isn't his way of telling me he absolutely adores me, then I'm not sure what is. I feel my heart kick me in the chest and joy jumps into action.

I've got my bags packed before Seth can even tell me what I'll be needing on this little trip. I just decided to throw in everything, in case. With sunglasses propped on the top of my head, I practically skip out the front door, glad to give my job hunting a break.

As the hours stretch on and the scenery becomes familiar, I begin to put the pieces together. It isn't until we pull up in front of the small cabin that I turn a smile in Seth's direction. He quickly jerks the gear shift into neutral, pulling the safety break before shutting of the truck and turning to face me.

"I figured we needed a do-over," he explains with a simple shrug.

I'm barely aware of my own actions before I'm flinging my body into Seth's arms. He stills at first, shocked by my explosive behavior, and then wraps his arms around me, nuzzling his face into my neck as he chuckles. The vibration sends waves of warmth through my body and I want nothing more than to make this the best late birthday experience of Seth's life.

"You deserve a do-over," I say, pulling away enough for Seth to see the grin on my face. "I'm sorry for screwing up your birthday weekend so horribly."

"Eh." He shrugs again, a gleam of teasing on his face. "The way I see it, I'm getting two birthday getaways. Let's just hope this one ends better than the last."

Memories flood me instantly. Not only did our relationship crumble the last time we were here, but that was also when I received the news about my mom. I can still remember that moment perfectly. I remember the dread of hearing my dad's voice. The sensation of knowing what he was about to say before he uttered the words. The thick gloom of grief that hovered around me for days after. It was absolute hell.

"I think this weekend could go horrible," I start to say, "and it'd still turn out better than last time."

He laughs, but it lacks a certain realness. I glance up to find his eyes on me. He's watching me close, reading me, probing for answers without uttering a word. When I just cock a brow at him, he finally speaks.