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Briana
The achebetween my thighs the next morning matched the ache in my heart when I opened my eyes to my empty bed. It wasn't that Dorian had escaped in the middle of the night. No, I left his room of my own volition before things had gotten weird. I was sure that something major had changed between us, but I was still feeling confused and anxious about what the morning would bring. It was just easier to face the morning alone.
But that didn't stop the loneliness from spreading through my limbs like cold, oozing molasses. I held my blanket close to my chest, even though the air-conditioning wasn't up far enough to warrant it. I just needed to hold something for a moment.
I missed Mikala. Whenever I was sad, I'd cuddle her in my arms. She always made me grateful to be alive. Because no matter what kind of shit I'd had to put up with in the past, I always had my baby girl.
But today I didn't have her. And I didn't have Dorian. What I did have was a fluffy white duvet, which served as a poor substitute. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and called Gwynne.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it's Briana.”
“Oh hey, Briana.” Her voice instantly took on a sunnier tone. “How's it going?”
“Good. I was wondering if I could talk to Mikala for a bit?”
“Absolutely.”
There was some shuffling as the phone was passed over, then my daughter's voice came through. “Mommy! I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too, baby.” My eyes stung, and I felt absolutely ridiculous. I just missed her so much. I'd never been away from her for more than a full weekend, and even then, she'd at least been in the same city. “How's Disney?”
“You wouldn’t believe it!” she cried. “There's so many people, and everyone's smiling, and I got to hug Winnie the Pooh, and Mrs. Averill got me an ice-cream that had pineapple in it, and I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but now it's my favorite thing in the whole wide world.”
Even missing her couldn't stop me from smiling at her excitement. “Your favorite in the world, huh?”
“Except you, Mommy,” she informed me, her voice taking on that serious tone that only a precocious child could manage. “But you're not a thing.”
I laughed. She told me that I was her favorite thing in the whole wide world not long ago, and I'd reminded her that I was a person, not a thing. Apparently, it had stuck.
“I'm so glad to hear you're having fun, baby.”
“I'm having so much fun! I miss you a lot though. Mrs. Averill said it's normal.”
I made a mental note to buy a thank you gift for Gwynne. “It is normal, but that doesn't make it any easier. I miss you too, like crazy.”
“I miss you more.”
“No, I miss you more.”
“I miss you more times infinity, no take backs!” she declared.
“Well, I guess I can't fight that,” I said, my heart squeezing. “Be a good girl for Gwynne, and I'll make you that pineapple ice cream thing when you get home. Then you'll have a bit of Disney whenever you want it.”
“Really?” She let out a squeal. “I can't wait!”
I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat. “I can’t wait either. I’ll see you soon.”
I didn’t feel much better after getting off the phone. Instead of feeling comforted, I just ached more. Talking with Mikala reminded me of why this little infatuation with Dorian was misguided. Last night had made me feel things that I hadn’t felt in a long time, and never that strongly. I wasn’t sure it would be so easy to say goodbye to him when this trip was over, even though it was inevitable. And I knew he couldn’t possibly feel the same, which only made it worse.
I needed to stop thinking about last night, so I decided to get up and get dressed instead. Then I listened to my grumbling stomach and headed down for breakfast. There was nothing pancakes and bacon couldn't fix.
Except when I walked into the dining hall, I saw something that even the world's best breakfast couldn't help.
Dorian, in all his dark-haired, chiseled-jaw glory was sitting alone at one of the tables in the dining room. I considered turning around and going back to my room. I could always order room service. Just as I began to turn, he saw me and stood, gesturing for me to join him. I gulped hard and walked over.
“Good morning,” he greeted, eyeing me cautiously. “Did you sleep well?”
