Page 116
Bruce
Jola stirs in my arms. She does her usual, leaning closer to me, listening to my heartbeat and gently touching my face. I feel her ring, but I know it is not registering with her just yet. She raises her head, and I know the headache hits. She groans and drops her head back onto my chest.
“Ohh, why didn’t you stop me?” she complains, groaning at the same time.
“I tried. You didn’t listen,” I answer and try to pull her closer to me. She knocks my hand away.
“You should have tried harder,” she says, remaining on her back, her curls spread across her face.
I reach to pull the hair away and look at her. My wife, I whisper inward to myself.
I turn to my bedside table and grab the bottle of water and painkillers I set there last night, knowing this would happen.
“You need to take this,” I say, handing her the pills.
She sits up, pops the pills into her mouth, and drinks the water. She lies back down and palms her face. A grunt escapes her.
“At least the conference is over, and I don’t have any events.”
“Good.”
“I had this weird dream that you and I got married, and I was falling all over you. Ice was laughing at me,” she says with a loud groan.
“Really? Anything else?” I can’t help but smile. Clearly, her subconscious is active.
“No, just that. You carried me bridal style, and we came to the room.”
She sits up fast and rushes out of bed to the bathroom. I am right behind her, pulling her hair back as she throws up before dropping down to sit on the floor. I fill a glass with water. She gurgles and spits it out.
“I’m never drinking again in my life,” she groans, my shirt barely covering her. She is a mess.
“You said that the last time,” I remind her.
“This, I promise, is the last time.” She puts her hand out to me, and I take it, pulling her up.
She staggers to the sink, brushes her teeth, and rinses her face. As she wipes her face with the towel, the ring gleams when she lifts her hand. Her eyes widen in disbelief as it catches the light.
“Why am I wearing a diamond ring? Did I rob a store or something?” Her voice shakes.
“Not that I’m aware of,” I say calmly.
“So why is there a beautiful diamond ring on my ring finger?” Her groan shifts into visible panic. Her chest rises sharply as anxiety sets in.
Fuck.
I quickly pull her into me to steady her before she tips too far.
“Breathe. You are fine.”
It takes a moment, but her breathing evens out. I guide her back into the room and sit her on the bed before kneeling in front of her.
“We got married last night, Jola. You asked me to marry you, and I said yes.”
Her eyes widen.
“No, no, no, that can’t be.” She starts shaking. “No, no, no.”
She gets up and begins pacing.
