𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 | ✓

26 (𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝)

My hair is still damp, and Julia's mood is still sour from an hour ago before I escaped to shower. I take a small sip from my whiskey as I watch the skyline visible from the glass window. The lights of other buildings take up the stars' responsibility in this polluted city.

My mind wanders off to far places... places it should not visit, like the first time Gracie came here and how she looked out at the city lights with wide eyes.

She probably already knows, but she has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen... I don't recall ever telling her that back then. I should've though.

I sigh and shake my head. No use thinking about the past. Even though after kissing her, that's all I've been thinking about.

As exhaustion slowly makes it harder to stay focused and unaffected to intruding, spiraling thoughts, I find myself wondering about Gracie way too many times. If I could've lived with the mortification of it, I might have even admitted I miss her like crazy from the second we got out of her private jet and she left with her driver.

If only I could feel her and touch her again, even a mindless caress...

"Yesterday I spoke to Amanda," Julia starts, snapping me out of my reverie.

I quizzically look at her and lift a brow.

She shifts on the armchair and crosses her legs. "She said they're planning to set the wedding date about two months away from now, she doesn't want it to be in the middle of winter."

The wedding. I gulp and I glance down at the glass in my hand. Two months only? That's too soon.

"You do want to marry me, right?"

I close my eyes and inhale deeply through my nose and count backward hoping to curb the sudden flare of irritation.

Each time, when your first instinct is to lash out, or show any irrational behavior as your instant reaction, and you hold yourself back, you're restructuring the neurons connected inside the brain. With each of these decisions, one bridge weakens as another one forms, shaping and reshaping one's personality.

During these few weeks, ever since Gracie has re-entered my life, I'm damn sure at this point, probably half of my brain's neuron connections have been broken and reconstructed.

When I open my eyes, I'm somewhat in control of my tempter and manage to utter in a steady voice, "We've been through this, Julia. Of course, I want to marry you."

She purses her lips. I hold back a groan. It's clear as a day she's not willing to give up this damn conversation just yet. Doesn't she get tired of repeating the same shit day in and out?

"Well, it doesn't look like that. At least not to me."

I heave a sigh and place my glass on the coffee table a few paces away from me before shifting to face her directly. "Why's that?"

"Did you see your ex during this business meeting?"

Incredulously, I stare at her. She plants her wine glass on the coffee table and holds my gaze expectantly.

"Not with this nonsense again," I groan and lean back to the seat. "I'm not cheating on you." I fix my eyes on our bedroom door.

"Fine then, who did you meet? What did you discuss?"

I rub my forehead and glare at her. "Have I ever asked you what you do during your business meetings and the countless trips you've gone on through these three years?" I straighten on my spot and push my glasses up. "Have I ever asked you who meet?"