Page 56 of It's Only Make Believe

TIA

I’ve just got into my car to head home from work. I’m looking forward to a weekend of chilling out in my pajamas, watching movies, eating junk food and wishing I was with Luke. I know it’s kind of pathetic at this point, but I just can’t let go of him. It probably doesn’t help that I work at his company, but we really don’t see that much of each other there and when we do, we speak to each other like we’re strangers and God that hurts me. I would rather Luke shout and scream at me and tell me how much I hurt him than him just be cold to me. But I brought this on myself, and I understand that I don’t get to tell him how to handle it. I just wish I could make him be mine again, but it’s probably too late to even try now. Even if he somehow decided he could forgive me, he probably has a new girlfriend by now.

I can’t stand the thought of that, but it’s still likely a reality. I turn the radio on and blast the music to try and drown out my thoughts and I put my car in drive and head home. I stop off ata fried chicken place and get a bargain bucket and then I drive straight home.

I go inside and go to my apartment. I change into my pajamas, put some chicken and some fries on a plate, and then I go and choose a movie to watch while I eat. I want to watch something scary or an action style movie, but I find myself drawn to the romantic comedies, another rather annoying side effect of my breakup. I’m turning into such a cliché. I might as well just give in, buy a tub of ice cream, and eat the whole thing while crying.

I’ve just about finished my food when my cell phone pings. It’s a text from Louisa. I open it and read it.

“Hey you. No more moping. I’ve left you to wallow in self-pity for as long as I can. There’s a party on my building’s rooftop. Nothing too wild, just some friends having drinks and relaxing and you’re coming. Meet me up there at eight or I’m coming to your place to drag you here,” the text says.

It’s typical Louisa and my instinct is to reply telling her I don’t want to come to a party, I don’t feel ready for a party, I know she won’t accept no for an answer when she gets to this stage, and she will go through on her promise and come and get me and drag me there if I don’t show up. In the long run, it will be easier and much less embarrassing to just go. I can show my face, have a drink or two, and then make my excuses and leave. Or maybe I can actually just stay and have fun. That’s probably pushing it a bit. Another text message pings in.

“Dress to impress. Love you.”

“I’ll be there. Love you too,” I send back.

Considering it’s only supposed to be a few friends chilling with a drink, I fail to see why I need to dress up. Oh yes, because Louisa is lying. Her building’s rooftop parties are always packed with people.

I poke my last French fry into my mouth and chew it slowly and then I check the time. It’s almost seven o’clock and so I get up and go and shower. I dry my hair and put my makeup on and then I debate what to wear. I choose a short black dress with a puff ball bottom and shiny black heels. I add silver earrings, necklace and bracelet to the look, and spritz myself with perfume and I’m good to go.

I get a silver purse from my closet and then I go to the living room and transfer my wallet to the purse. I call a cab and then slip my cell phone into the purse. I leave the apartment and add my keys to my purse, and I’m good to go. I go downstairs to the lobby to wait for the cab. I don’t have long to wait.

We pull up outside of Louisa’s building and I pay the driver and get out. Louisa’s building is a lot better than mine, and it even has a door attendant. He knows me now and he smiles a greeting and releases the door lock for me.

“Good evening, Tia,” he says. “You look nice tonight.”

“Thanks Stan, good to see you,” I say.

I go to the elevator and get in and I hit the button for the roof. The elevator goes up and up and up, eventually pinging open on the rooftop. The air is chillier up here and I shiver slightly but I will soon warm up when I get a drink or two into me. It’s that thought that makes me realize I’ve stepped out of the elevator onto an empty rooftop. There’s no music, no bar, no people. I step away from the tower where the elevator shaft resides and look around.

Behind me, the rooftop is covered in pretty white fairy lights. I wonder if Louisa is hosting this party, and she has asked me to come early to help her set up. I start to walk toward the fairy lights and soft music starts to play.

From seemingly nowhere, but obviously from the shadowy edge of the roof, a figure emerges. For a second, I think it’s Louisa, but it’s not, it’s Luke. He’s dressed in a suit and a whiteshirt and it’s not like his work suits. It’s a proper black tie style suit. He comes towards me, and I stop, not knowing what’s going on or what I’m meant to be doing.

He closes the gap between us some and when he’s a few feet away from me, he gets down on one knee. I gasp and put my hand over my open mouth.

“Tia, my love. I am so sorry for the way I have treated you these last few weeks. I know it’s not an excuse, but I think it took me so long to get over what happened because I care so deeply about you, and I had to be sure it was real. And it is. I love you more than life itself. Will you marry me?” Luke says.

Tears spring to my eyes and I nod.

“Of course I will marry you,” I say.

Luke gets to his feet and fumbles a small, red velvet box from his pocket. He opens it and I gasp again. Inside the box is a large diamond sitting atop a golden band. The diamond is a solitaire cut, and I know straight away Luke asked Louisa to help with choosing the ring as well as setting this up, because I have shown her variations of this ring for years telling her it’s my dream engagement ring.

Luke slips the ring onto my finger and then he looks into my eyes. I try to look back at him, but my own eyes are full of tears and he’s just a blur of color. Luke leans down and kisses me and nothing else matters in that moment. I wrap my arms tightly around him like I never want to let go, and when we stop kissing, Luke keeps me in his arms and starts to waltz me slowly around the rooftop. I let him lead me and I lean back a bit so I can look up at his face.

“I will never lie to you again, I promise,” I say. “I love you too, and this has made me the happiest woman alive.”

“I’m glad you said the happiest woman and not the happiest person, because we would have had our first argument as anengaged couple if you’d said that, because I have already claimed that title,” Luke says.

We kiss again and my body responds to Luke’s kiss like it always has, only this time, I don’t try to hold back when I feel the attachment and I realize something that I should have known all along. Being in Luke’s embrace feels like coming home.

Epilogue

TIA

Two Years Later

---