Page 156 of From Rivals to I Do

“No, ma’am, I left my phone at home.”

“And you say nothing is wrong? Have you done something wrong to my daughter?”

“No ma’am, I’ll never intentionally hurt Rayne or Charlee,” I repeat my promise to Charlee.

“Hmmm, I see. Here, you can use my phone,” she says, tossing me her phone.

The last dialed number is Rayne’s. I put the phone to my ear and let it ring. She finally picks up on the fourth ring.

“Rayne, where are you?” I splutter out.

“Errr, she is at a bar, dead drunk,” a masculine voice responds.

“What?! Can I have an address, please…OK, thanks….I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I end the call, return the phone, and bid everyone goodnight.

I check my watch. It’s 7:30 pm. Who gets drunk at this time of the day?

The drive to the bar feels longer than the drive to Queens. I hope she is okay. What have I done? I can’t help but let my mind wander over different scenarios as I drive.

I arrive at the bar and scan the room for Rayne. My heart sinks as I spot her with her head on the table, seemingly passed out. I quickly make my way to her and

the bartender, who hands me her phone with a look of disapproval.

“She only had one cup of beer and passed out,” he tells me. I thank him and turn to Rayne. I gently lift her onto my back, feeling the whole weight of her limp

body. As I walk towards the exit, I can’t help but feel a sense of protectiveness over her. I place her in the car, making sure she is comfortable, and wind down

the window to let the cool night air blow on her face.

The drive to her place is quiet, except for the occasional sound of her breathing. I keep a watchful eye on her, making sure she is breathing. When we finally

arrive at her place, I carefully lift her out of the car and then inside.

I lay her down on the couch, tucking a blanket around her to keep her warm. I sit beside her, watching as she sleeps and wondering what would have happened

to her if I hadn’t shown up. What is worse is that I know I’m the reason she is in this position.

“So much for not doing anything that will hurt her,” I say to myself.

***

Rayne

I slowly open my eyes, feeling disoriented and confused. As I look around, I realize that I am back in my living room. Memories of the last few hours start to return, and I feel a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

As I try to piece together what happened, I notice Leonard sleeping in an uncomfortable-looking chair next to me. I feel a pang of guilt for putting him in this position. I grab the blanket covering me and gently place it over him, hoping to make him sleep a little more comfortably.

The movement seems to stir him awake, and he looks up at me with tired eyes. For a moment we just stare at each other in silence, neither of us sure of what to say.

“Hey,” I finally manage to say, my voice hoarse with sleep. “Thank you for bringing me home and staying.”

He rubs his eyes and stretches, still looking a little groggy.

“You’re welcome,” he says. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I feel a rush of gratitude towards him for being there, for coming to pick me up because I’m sure that is how I got home.

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