Broken Promises and Ripped Dresses

Before the Wedding

Chapter 21. Before the Wedding

 

The next morning I woke up in a very soft and comfortable bed that wasn't mine. I sat up and rubbed my eyes so that I could see where I was more clearly. I realized that it was Marks room when I saw the familiar pictures of his family and the ones of us on the walls.

 I looked to his bedside table to find a photo of Mark and I on Christmas Eve underneath his Christmas tree. His arm was over my shoulder and we were both grinning at the camera. I smiled at the photo. It was one of my very favorites.

Now that I was less disoriented I remembered why I was here in the first place. Last night I had decided to just spend the night at his apartment instead. I'd spent two hours crying and telling Mark everything that had happened in the past few days. Then I collapsed in his arms in exhaustion and instantly fell asleep. He must have carried me to his bed.

"Mark?" I called out, tilting my head to see out the door.

His head popped in the doorway a moment later. "Hey, you're awake," he said, smiling at me. "I'll be right back."

He came and went so quickly: I didn't even have time to open my mouth to speak. But a minute later he came back with a mug in each hand.

"Coffee for you, and coffee for me," he said. He sat down by me on the edge of the bed, and handed me a pretty mug with a rose on it. My cup that I'd left in his kitchen permanently since I came over all the time.

"Thanks," I said, smiling up at him as the cup warmed my hands. I took a sip. "Mm, perfect. Just the way I like it."

"Yeah, I remembered: just a splash of creamer with a spoonful of sugar," he cheered.

"Whoa there, don't go all Mary Poppins on me," I joked.

He laughed. I liked his laugh, low pitched and hearty. "Oh hey," he said, setting his mug down and holding his hands out to me. "What do you think of my nails?" He fluttered his eyelids and let out a girly giggle.

"They're beautiful," I laughed. I took one of my fingers and glided it over his thumbs smooth surface. "Definitely much nicer than mine. I'm sure any girl would love to have you as their man."

 

He chuckled, and kept his hands where they were. I was still gripping them, admiring his nails, but I took my hands away, and his dropped to the bed.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, pulling his hands back and picking his mug back up.

"Good. Really good. But you shouldn't have put me in your bed, I wouldn't have minded just staying on the couch," I replied.

"And how chivalrous would that have been?" he asked, grinning. "I've already got better nails than you, I at least need to have the manly chivalry of letting you sleep on the bed. But seriously, the couch is just as comfy."

"Ok... whatever you say." I took another sip of the coffee. "I really love that you have that picture by your bed," I said, pointing to the one on the bed stand. "It's one of my favorites."