Vegas Knot (✔️) | Love Travels #1

Thirty-Seven

I race upstairs, leaving Carla and Lorena to fend for themselves as I chase Enrique down.

"Hey," I call when I reach his door, throwing it open with no regard for his answer. "What was that all about?"

"You didn't tell me you invited guests."

"Yeah, and? It's my house too isn't it? I'm not allowed to invite guests?"

"You— Of course you are allowed to invite guests I'd just have liked a little warning, you know? So I didn't race home after work and leave a whole bunch of things undone just to find my wife occupied with girls' night."

"I tried to tell you, but you are always at work. I never see you and I'm so lonely here, Enrique. I'm so alone."

"You're so alone? I'm here killing myself to get home to you and still it isn't good enough. I have no idea how to make you happy, Bianca. You say you want me around more, so I come home even though I have work left to do and I find you didn't really want me here, you just wanted someone here."

"I did want you here. I do want you here. I just also want to have friends."

"I want you to have friends, I just also want to spend time with my wife."

"How was I supposed to know that would happen today? You never told me."

"It was supposed to be a surprise, Bianca. I just—" He brushes his hand across his hair again. "I just wanted to make some time for us in all this craziness."

"And I'd love to do that, but I promised them girls' night. It's just a few hours and then—"

"Fine, I'll make myself scarce."

"You don't have to do that. You don't have to go."

"I think I do. Excuse me." He pushes past me, down the stairs, and out the door without saying another word.

"I think maybe we better go," Lorena says softly from the bottom of the stairs. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"You didn't," I say, rushing down the stairs. "I'll be right back, okay?"

I don't wait for her answer, racing out the front door in only my socks for the second time today. "Enrique, wait! Where are you going?"

"Back to school," he answers. "I have plenty of work to do if you're busy."

"I won't be busy forever. Come back in a couple hours and we'll have dinner?"

"Sure," he sighs. "Yeah, that's fine. I should have told you before I came home."

"I should have told you the girls were over."

"Yeah, I'll see ya."

All I can do is watch his back as he leaves, slamming the door to his car and driving off into the distance.

And now all that's left is to go back in there and deal with the fallout.

But when I get back inside, Lorena and Carla are already packed and ready to go.

"You don't have to leave," I say. "It was just a miscommunication. We'll hang out later."

"I know," Lorena says, pulling me into a hug. "But I think it's best if we leave you to sort it out, you know? We were only supposed to be here for another hour anyway and work wants me to run some overtime tonight and I need the cash so..."

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you next week?"

"Girl, you know it," Carla says, squeezing me in a bear hug. "This was seriously fun. I will never pass up an opportunity to come out here and stare at that."

"Me neither," I laugh. "It's really something."

I follow the girls to the door and wave them off as they pack into the car and drive off the same way Enrique had just moments earlier. And just like that, I'm alone in this big old house. Just waiting for Enrique to get home. Again.

And my phone has disappeared.

* * *

Determined to make the most of what is left of my evening, I take off my ring and tie it to the bookshelf before busying myself cleaning the house and preparing the fanciest dish I know how to make: chicken and mushroom fettuccine alfredo. I have to drag my work laptop out to pull up a recipe and then make sure I don't destroy the laptop trying to make dinner.

Throwing all of my energy into preparing the dish means I don't have a lot of time to think about what happened with Enrique, but it still creeps in. The look on his face when I told him I couldn't spend time with him.

Finally, the dish is prepared and plated and ready for him to come home, so I race upstairs and throw on a light, cap sleeve dress and wait for him to return.

But he doesn't come home.

I clean the kitchen, hoping that keeping myself busy will keep me from worrying, but it doesn't. It just makes me worry more. What if something happened to him?

I'm highly over dressed for a search and rescue, but I'm going to have to do it anyway. Because I still can't find my phone.

Finding two shoes that match well enough for me to drive in them is a challenge, but I manage to pull it off, with one blue flat and one orange one. Grabbing my keys, I speed out the door, wondering if I should stop and ask Mrs. Gallagher for a phone. A quick glance at my watch tells me it isn't a good idea.

I don't even get two steps out the door before I crash into a car I swear wasn't there before. It's big and dark and... Enrique's pacing beside it, muttering to himself and scrubbing his hand down his face.

My feet must be nailed to the ground or something, because I cannot bring myself to move toward him. Or away from him. I just stand and stare. Watching. Waiting.

Until he turns back toward me and his eyes drift up my legs until they reach my eyes.

And now we're locked in an impromptu staring contest as neither of us moves or speaks. Something large and furry moves in the bush nearby and even that doesn't make me flinch. I stare up at him, twisting the ring on my finger around and around as tumbleweeds roll through the empty space where my brain should be.

"My brother has informed me I am an idiot."

My brain has vacated the premises. What am I doing? My hands find the front of my dress, smoothing the skirt down over my thighs.

"I should never have left. I should have stayed here and waited for you to be done with your friends. I can't believe I was so selfish. I can't." He pauses and takes a step toward me. "I can't believe I was so wrapped up in everything. You deserve better than this, Bianca. You deserve better."

I deserve better? Damn right I deserve better. Wait. Is he breaking up with me or something? My eyes blink. My heart beats. The wind blows my skirt into my legs.

"I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out for dinner?" He takes a tentative step forward, tugging at the hem of his shirt. "I know that won't make up for it, but I can try."

"I made dinner," I whisper, hoarse voice croaking out between breaths. "I—" I gesture to my dress and strike a pose I think is goofy and aloof. Or maybe it's verging on come hither? I've never been very good at body language, and I admit I've never needed this particular skill set before.

"You did?"

I nod.

"Why would you do that?"