Category:

SEVEN YEARS AGO

I open my eyes to a face entirely too close to mine. I can't take in the full picture, but I catalog the features I see. A large nose. Morning stubble. A firm mouth that's partly open, releasing small, warm breaths that puff against skin.

The room is dark, but there must be light filtering in from somewhere because it's reflecting off of something. Glitter. Specks of gold. Something that sparkles in a streak down the curve of his throat.

A very attractive throat.

I register the too-warm blanket on top of us, or maybe it's the heat radiating off of him. His leg's thrown over both of mine, and my body's tucked against his, his hand resting on my hip.

I don't want to move. I want to stay here, all wrapped up in him. But my eyes are so dry it hurts to blink. And my mouth tastes like cotton.

Water. I need water.

I squint in the direction of the nightstand, spotting the half-empty, very crinkled plastic bottle sitting there.

As I reach for it, light bounces off of something else, but it's not glitter this time. It's...a ring.

A diamond ring. I pick it up off the table, running my thumb across the solitaire. I suspect it's not real, and when my nail accidentally scrapes the metal, pieces of gold varnish flake off, confirming my suspicion.

Who knows where we got this from? Last night is a blur. Maybe it came out of a slot machine. Maybe it was a prize. Some cheap, plasticky bauble. I set it back down, but at this angle I notice there's a bit of engraving on the inside.

I peer closer, raising it higher to get a better look. I read it once. Then read it again.

And my stomach turns to lead.

Viva Las Vegas. On their own, those words would be fine. My memory's coming back to me in pieces. I know we're in Vegas. And I know the man beside me is the man I'm falling in love with, but that doesn't mean I'm prepared for the two words that follow.

Wedding Chapel.

"Nikhil," I whisper, shaking his shoulder gently. "Nikhil."

His eyes are hesitant to open. They flutter a couple of times, his body fighting for more sleep, before finally giving in. He blinks in confusion, and then a moment later, recognition sparks.

As he meets my gaze, his mouth curves in a warm, lazy smile, and I feel it low in my stomach. Desire pierces through my panic, curling within me like smoke.

"Good morning," he says, his voice all gruff and hoarse. He always sounds like this when he first wakes up, and it's quickly become my favorite alarm. I love the way he whispers in my ear. The way he follows it by brushing his lips along my cheekbone.

I've never known anyone like Nikhil. I've never been known by anyone like Nikhil. I've never had anyone see all the broken, scared, awful parts of me and choose me anyway. This summer should have been the worst of my life with all my anxiety surrounding preparation for the bar exam. And there has been plenty of that. Nikhil saw me at my lowest when I was studying. Crying and stressed and unsure. But somehow, he made it better. Just by being with me. Listening to me. Making me take breaks. Forcing me out of my room and into the sunshine. Cheering me up with his smiles. His jokes. And just...his presence.

Being around him makes everything better.

"Morning," I tell him. The panic that disappeared a little while ago has fully returned. I have to know what happened. I have to know if it's true. "Do you...do you remember anything about last night?"

His brows crinkle. "Not much. We had dinner with your friends and then...I remember saying goodbye to them, and after..." He frowns. "Did we come back here? I think that's what we were going to do, but...I'm not sure." 

"Okay," I say. "Okay. Umm, don't freak out." Really, that message is for me as much as it is for him. "But do you remember anything about this?" I grab the ring, showing it to him.