Page 56 of Somewhere Only We Know
He nods because he’s probably realizing he feels like ass too. “Yeah. Okay.”
“I’ll be right next door. If I’m not back in an hour, come over.” I turn from his nodding form and push out into the hallway. Seriously. What happened? I pull my room key out of my small clutch and push into my room. Tossing my things on the other bed, I head straight to the shower to feel somewhat put together. While the water warms up, I undress and then stare at the ring on my finger. Even in his drunken state, Nate knows me better than any man. The oval cut engagement ring is framed by smaller diamonds wrapping halfway around the band. Maybe he remembered me talking about what kind of ring I would want? But that’s impossible as I said it offhandedly and we were still in the friend zone. Shaking my head, I slide the ring off and set it on the vanity before washing the night away.
There is no way he remembered this was my dream ring, I say to myself as the warm water washes over me. There’s no way.
Someone knockingon the door when I’m finishing up my skincare routine has me jumping on the spot. I place my moisturizer on the counter and wait, thinking someone got the wrong room. Only it continues until I check the peephole and open the door.
“Jax! Oh my God! Where were you last night?” Kamryn asks when she flies into my room like a tornado and then turns to look at me. “Are you just now waking up?”
“Nate and I went out after you all ditched us to play games and must have lost track of time.” I tell her and take the towel off my head. My curls are back in action after a deep conditioning session and I’ve never felt more like myself. While Kamryn loves her blowouts, I for one hate going to the salon for anything other than a trim. Last night was an exception to the loose curls that swept to the middle of my back. I toss the wet towel back into the bathroom and move sit on my bed.
“You and Nate? You and your ex-boyfriend? Hung out? Like all night?”
“Yes. Did you think I’d walk around Vegas by myself? Have you seen the earlier seasons ofC.S.I. Las Vegas? No thank you.” I attempt to joke with my sister but it falls flat when I see said joke failed to land and I sober up. “I’m sorry. I should have called you. Or at least sent a text. But then my phone must have died and I didn’t even realize it.”
Kamryn moves and sits on the other bed across from me. Dressed in a black bodysuit and dark wash jeans, my sister is the definition of collected. I admire her confidence and resilience more than she’ll know. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Did you two do anything fun last night?”
Got married, I say to myself but I’m not ready to tell my sister Nate and I got married and that neither of us remember it. So I settle with, “Not really. We people watched mostly and he took me to the Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio.”
“That was sweet of him,” she observes with a tilt of her head because even she knows that the Botanical Gardens is one of my favorite places to visit.
“Don’t give me that look.”
“What look?”
I give her aget reallook. “Don’t think we both weren’t onto what you guys were planning,” I call her out for their blatant need to push us together.
“What? We just gave you two the push you needed.” Kamryn stands up from the bed when she sees I’m alive and well and turns towards the door. “But I am glad to know you two got through last night unscathed.”
Just married.“Me too.” I say and walk with her towards the door. “Have Sophie and Chance said anything about today’s plans?”
She shrugs. “No clue. I lost them after they ran off to the Blackjack table.”
Opening the door, I make a note to text Sophie and see Nate strolling down the hall in a pair of black joggers that mold to his muscular thighs and a matching black hoodie.Drool.
“I heard you two had fun last night.”
Nate looks at me and I widen my eyes, slightly shake my head indicating that Kamryn doesn’t know everything.
“Just a bit of people watching,” Nate says. And I’m glad he unknowingly said what I told my sister.
Kamryn looks between us as if she can read what we’rehiding. But we give nothing away. If Nate and I are indeed legally married, then what? We get a divorce? An annulment? The thought of going through that process makes me nauseous.
“Okay. You two are acting weird. So, I’m gonna go call my husband.” She says happily and floats back to her room. When she turns the corner to go down the hall, Nate and I let out a breath as I let him into my room.
“I found something.” He tells me and I watch as his eyes trail down and land on my chest. Following his gaze, I see my robe has gaped open giving him a perfect view of my cleavage.
“I’m gonna get dressed.” I tell him and walk past him to my suitcase.
“Don’t change on my account,” he says cheekily and the dimple in his left cheek pops out.
I throw a sock at him and head into the bathroom. Pulling on a bralette and an oversized tee with loose, dark washed distress jeans, I feel more me than with the outfit from last night. I rake some leave-in conditioner through my hair and rub an oil on the ends, praying that the air drying Gods are in my curly hair's favor. I pause before leaving as I look at the ring on the vanity. Do I put it on? Put it in my pocket? The me at twenty-one would yell to put it on. But only if she knew that Nate and I went on different journey’s. Decision made, I put the ring in my pocket and head back out to my room.
“So what did you find?” I ask as I come to sit next to him on the couch, tucking my leg under me as I sit facing him.
Nate unlocks his phone and hands it to me. My eyes go wide as I see pictures of us with a marriage license, standing with Elvis, and showing off our rings. The signed marriage license is then placed on top of hisphone. And clear as day, our signatures are more legible than anyone in our possible inebriated states should’ve been.
“What the hell did we do last night?” I ask again for what feels like the hundredth time today.
