The Heart Wants What It Wants: The Sequel

13

The next day when she woke, the sunlight was streaming through her window. Her first thought was of Draco.  She snorted lightly and pressed her palm to her face, wondering how long she was going to fight this.

She peeked through her fingers at the beckoning pretty weather outside before sitting up in bed, and then pushed back the covers and threw her feet over and onto the floor.

She padded into the kitchen to pour some orange juice she'd picked up a couple of days ago and was surprised to see Michael and his boyfriend, her hosts, sitting at the island. She'd forgotten that they'd mentioned having plans with friends today, and was touched when they invited her along.

"You're gorgeous, I know there'll be at least three straight men there.  And honey? You could have them all fighting over you. Now who needs moping when you can have your own Bachelorette show for a day?"

She smiled and sat down with them, eyeing them over her glass.

"As tempting as that is, and I appreciate the sweet offer," she paused, "I can't."

"Can't, as in 'I'm too shy' or, can't, as in 'there's someone else'?"

She simpered and quickly finished her glass of juice.

"I asked my ex to dinner last night and I had a really nice time."

Her hosts began quizzing her immediately.

"Is he still into you?" Thomas asked, leaning forward and propping his elbow on the island.

"I'm almost positive he is."

"And you still felt something last night?"

"I was still in love with him while with my ex-fiance'.  Anyway, I love him and I always will."

"And you had dinner with him last night," Thomas clarified as she nodded.  "And he's still into you."

She nodded again with a growing flush in her cheeks.

"Was the sex good with him? Because if it wasn't, you can fall in love with someone else."

"It was very good."

Michael smiled knowingly. "All that craziness wears off in time. I mean we've been together for six years now and we're already noticing that things have settled down quite a bit in that area. At the end of the day, being in love with your best friend is the best."

"We've totally had knock-down-drag-out fights in our early days, and we always came together again. You make mistakes, you learn, and you do better. Forgiveness and respect and trust," Thomas paused, shooting Michael a fond look, "and a lot of laughs. You gotta be able to laugh things off."

"You really don't want to waste any more time, do you?" Michael asked.  They both stared at her curiously.

A surge of courage shot through her.

"I guess I need to make a call then," she smiled, taking her glass to the sink and washing it out.

When she turned to go get her phone, Michael called after her.

"Do it in here and put him on speaker, and I'll do your dishes for a week."

She grabbed her phone and returned to the island.

"You don't have to do my dishes but you have to be quiet no matter what.  No laughing."

"We promise."  They both held up their hands, as though they'd just been deposed.

She put Draco on speaker, as promised. When he answered, she expected him to sound sleepy. Instead, he sounded energetic and pleased to hear from her.