Page 84 of The Suite Life
‘I think that’s how you know you’ve moved on,’ he replies. ‘It’s good that you’re through it and above it. You don’t give yourself enough credit, you really don’t. When most people go through a break-up, they don’t have to keep seeing their ex all the time – they definitely don’t have to be in a wedding party with them. But you’re doing this for your sister, and, boy, was she ready to go to war for you too.’
‘I know,’ I say with a smile as I unlock the suite door. ‘I know her, and she knows me, and she and Rick will talk it through, and they’ll be fine. And hopefully, Nathan and Sunshine will figure it out, and the wedding will go ahead as planned – well, as planned, but with a significantly better guitarist.’
Donnie smiles.
‘Well, I’m assuming you’re better,’ I joke. ‘I’ve just realised we’ve never heard you play.’
‘I did a rehearsal yesterday with Lucy,’ he tells me. ‘While you were on your date.’
‘He was engaged, you know,’ I confess. ‘He took me to his room, left his computer open, and I saw messages from his fiancée.’
Donnie shakes his head.
‘Would you believe me if I said we weren’t all bad?’ he asks.
‘Yes,’ I reply simply.
We’re standing in the living room together, next to Donnie’s makeshift bed, still in relative darkness as we look into each other’s eyes. I feel my heartbeat speed up, my breathing quicken, and my thoughts racing at a million miles an hour, but they’re all in agreement: I should kiss him.
I open my mouth, hoping the right words will come out. Instead, there is nothing so I just laugh. I smile at him, staring into his eyes, begging him to read my mind. He moves closer to me slowly – so slowly I wonder if it’s just wishful thinking at first, that I might be imagining it but, no, he’s definitely stepping closer.
He cocks his head curiously and smiles. Can he read my mind?
He reaches out and takes my hands in his, locking our fingers together. We swing our arms gently in the small remaining space between us for a second, almost dancing on the spot.
Kiss me. Kiss me, I am begging you.
‘Okay,’ Donnie says, catching me by surprise.
He lets go of my hands, but only to wrap them around me, pulling me close, placing his lips on mine.
God, I have been waiting for this moment – probably since before I even realised I was waiting for this moment.
Now isn’t the time to be goofy, or shy, or whatever it is I have been. Now is the time to be confident, to go for what I want, to move on. Now it feels right.
I jump into Donnie’s arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.
‘I think you can probably sleep upstairs tonight,’ I whisper into his ear.
‘I don’t think I’m going to get much sleep,’ he replies.
39
I wake up in bed with the cool breeze drifting in through the open windows, the sunlight casting a warm glow through the net curtains, and Donnie’s arms wrapped around me.
For a moment, I’m scared to move. This moment is perfect – too perfect, perhaps, almost like any little thing could ruin it. I feel like I’m in a dream, like all my senses are satisfied. I feel so safe in Donnie’s arms, and the world seems like such a soft, gentle place. It’s so soothing.
I lie still, savouring the tranquillity of the moment. The room just smells like Hawaii, there’s no other way to define it, and the gentle rustle of the curtains practically tickles my ears. Donnie’s sleepy breathing is calm, and I can feel his heartbeat against my back, and the sheets are cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth coming from his body. Everything just feels so good.
I steal a glance at the clock, and I know that we’ll have to move eventually. But right now, in this moment, everything feels still, like the world outside has paused just for us.
Of course, in typical Gigi fashion, my mind is racing ahead, asking a million questions, none of which I can answer right now. What does last night mean? Does it mean anything? CouldI have a future with Donnie? I don’t want to seem like the kind of girl who sleeps with a guy on holiday and then seemingly falls head over heels in love with him, but I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think there could be something more.
I’m still scared to move, although I know I’ll have to soon – it’s Lucy and Rick’s wedding day, after all.
Suddenly, a loud banging noise interruptseverything. It sounds like it’s coming from the suite door, so I jump up, inadvertently waking Donnie with a start.
‘Is everything okay?’ he asks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
