I nodded. I had made such a colossal mess of things. It would be a long time before I touched tequila again.
“I’m not good at this stuff.” He shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “But I don’t want you to think last night was about you. Any other time and I would have been all over you. I woke up this morning thinking that the last few weeks you might have gotten the wrong idea.”
I looked into his eyes. They were strong and certain, as if he was trying to tell me more than what he could with his words.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s my leg. It hurts all the damn time.”
“But I thought you were feeling better?” I stared at the brace that was wrapped on the outside of his jeans. It looked constrictive.
“Yeah, I was, but since I’ve been on it a few days, it’s hurting all the damn time.” He winced as he moved it to the side. “If I so much as think about touching you.” He stopped. I didn’t think he would finish his explanation. “I can barely move as it is.” He shook his head. “I can’t do anything else. That means nothing in bed, the shower, the office…” He watched me closely.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” It all made sense. For the first time in weeks, I was relieved, but at the same time, I was irritated Grey hadn’t been honest about the pain he was in.
“I kept thinking I could get past it. I didn’t want to stay away from you, but it just seemed easier that way. Last night, it hit me what I had been doing was hurting you more than my damn leg.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, ignoring the throbbing pain in my temples. I could take aspirin later. “Thank you for telling me.” I inhaled the minty scent of his aftershave. It felt like there was balance in my world again as I lingered against his neck.
“We good?” he asked before peeling me off his torso.
I nodded. I wasn’t ready for him to go to work. I wanted to figure out how we could work through this. We needed each other, and without physical intimacy, we lost part of our ability to communicate. I knew there was more to us than sex. I didn’t doubt how strong our feelings were, but there was no denying we thrived on the fiery side of our relationship. It was an important part of who we were as a couple.
“What if I stop in for lunch today?” He pulled a crunch under his arm and balanced on his good foot.
“Sounds good. But Taylor will be there.” I wondered how she was feeling this morning.
“I’m glad she’s here, darlin’. I know you need your friends.” He kissed me on the cheek then stacked the crutches to move forward.
“And I’m supposed to help Marin with wedding stuff today, too, but that’s not until later. I think Taylor is going with us.” I hoped my hangover faded fast. Marin would be high on satin and lace.
“I’ll call you and see what you want me to pick up.” He hobbled out of the room.
I picked up the cup of coffee he had brought and took a sip. My head might hurt, but already this morning was turning around.
Taylor pulled wide sunglasses over her eyes as she walked into the sun. She looked worse than I felt. It seemed unlikely we would order any more pitchers at Pete’s while she was here.
“How long do you have to work today?” she asked.
I led her to the pool gate and let her in, noticing how loudly it squeaked. “Not very long. Grey’s coming by to bring us lunch, and then we have wedding planning with Marin.”
I tossed a few pool towels on an open chaise for my friend.
She lowered herself onto the first one as if she was worried the world might tip. “Ok, good, so I can just veg here all morning?”
“Yep. Veg away. I’ll text you before lunch.” I headed to the gate.
She pulled a bottle of water from her beach bag. “I’ll take a little nap, catch some rays, and—” She stifled a yawn. “—relax.”
“Have fun. You know where to find me if you need anything.” I pointed to the office.
My step picked up as I crossed the parking lot. If I could knock out a couple hours in the office, I’d be free to spend the afternoon with my two closest friends. The two had never met and I had a few reservations about them hanging out together. I brushed that aside. It would be fine. Marin was getting married. That would be the focus.
Swirly cursive letters read Maria’s Bridal Boutique. Marin parked in front of the windows lined with wedding dresses. I had never ventured into this part of Brownsville. Taylor looked skeptical.
“I can’t wait for you to see the dress.” Marin pulled the keys from the ignition. “This is my second fitting, so I’m hoping I don’t have to have any more alterations done.”
Taylor and I followed her into the store.
Half of the boutique was bordered with assorted cocktail and prom dresses, while the other half was like a sea of white frosting. I had never seen so many wedding dresses in my life. Satin, tulle, lace, taffeta. It was everywhere.