realized then that they never really did. And I was only ten, but I remember wondering that night if the couple in the park was strange, or if my parents were.”
It was a moment before he spoke, the low timbre of his voice penetrating the silence. “It’s not a matter of one couple being strange and one being normal. Or even one being happy and one being unhappy. Maybe they both had exactly what they needed. Maybe they were both happy with what they had.”
Andie closed her eyes and nodded softly. In all the years that memory had plagued her, she had never thought of it that way.
“Did you ever ask yourself the real question, though?” he asked.
She opened her eyes and rolled her head to the side to face him, and as soon as she did, she wished that she hadn’t. Their faces were a few inches apart, his green eyes intense as they connected with hers.
“What’s the real question?” she managed, her voice soft.
“What do you want, Andie? Which of those scenarios would make you happy?”
She needed to look away, but she couldn’t. And if he wanted to, it didn’t show. He kept his eyes on hers, the air heavy with unspoken words as he waited for her answer.
The sharp sound of her phone ringing pierced the silence, and Andie jolted upright, fumbling in her purse for it as her heart crashed against her ribs.
“Hello?” she said as she brought the phone to her ear, her voice somewhat shaky.
“Hey, babe.”
“Colin,” she said, his name sounding more like a statement than a greeting. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chase sit up slowly, running his hand through his hair as he looked off in the opposite direction.
“Where are you? Are you almost here?” he asked.
“Um, well, not quite. It’s gonna be a few more hours,” she said as she sat up straight and smoothed out her shirt.
“Really? What happened?”
“We hit traffic.”
She saw Chase turn to look at her then, and she caught his eyes for just a moment before she looked away. But in that instant, she saw in them exactly what she herself was thinking: they weren’t doing anything wrong. What they were doing was completely innocent, wasn’t it?
So then what reason did she have to lie?
By the time they got to the hotel in Tampa, it was after eight, and as they walked into the lobby of the Westin Tampa Harbour Island, the place where the wedding would be held the following evening, Andie lingered near the front desk where Chase approached the concierge. She knew Colin was in room 516. There was no reason for her to go to the front desk, and no good reason for her to wait.
Yet she found herself doing it anyway.
Chase glanced over at her, forcing a tiny smile. “You can go up. I still need to get a room, and then I’m probably gonna hit the bar and have a drink.”
“Oh…okay,” Andie said, taking a tiny step away from him.
“Go ahead,” he said, nodding toward the elevators. “I’m sure Colin can’t wait to see you.”
Andie nodded. “So…I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Chase nodded with a smile. “Good night, Andie,” he said before turning his attention to the concierge as she started asking him for information. Andie began walking over to the elevators, wondering if he was watching her leave and fighting the urge to turn around and find out. She hit the button and waited anxiously for the elevator, and as soon as she was inside and the doors closed, she exhaled heavily, her shoulders dropping as she leaned against the mirrored wall. She turned then, catching sight of her reflection.
“What’s happening to you?” she asked her likeness softly, just as the doors dinged open. She stood up and adjusted the bag on her shoulder, taking a deep breath before she stepped out into the hallway.
Andie approached the door of room 516 and knocked gently. A few seconds later, the door swung open and Colin smiled widely.
“Babe,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She turned her face into his neck, breathing in the scent that was him, wanting it to bring her back to a place where she was sure about everything in her life.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, bringing his mouth to hers for a brief kiss before taking her bags. He placed them in front of the closet before lying across the bed and propping his head