"Star, would you ever forgive me?"
The words made me pause, my hands still under the running water. Morning light slipped through the kitchen window, glinting at the soapy dishes in the sink.
Lena stood beside me, towel in hand, drying the dishes I passed her. It had been a week since the party, a week since I had last seen her face. She had called every night since then, her voice always shaky through the phone, asking if I had forgiven her. I told her yes every time, but she still needed to hear it again and again.
Today she had shown up unexpectedly with an apology gift, a bag of bread that I figured we would have for lunch. Then she offered to help with the chores.
"It's just that even though I was trying to help, I made things worse, you know?" she said softly, her voice wavering.
I handed her another plate. "Lena, it's fine."
"You know, I couldn't even look at you until I built enough courage to come here today," she said, setting the plate down a little too quickly. "I just kept thinking I let you down, Star."
She blinked fast, her eyes glassy. "Were you able to get home okay that night?"
"I did." My voice came out stiff. I wished she would stop bringing it up. I did not want to remember that night anymore, which was why I had kept myself busy all week. Maybe that was why I secretly appreciated the texts and calls from her. It was better than seeing her in person, her voice ringing in my ear about things I did not want to think about, rubbing salt in my wounds.
Was I a bad person for that? I mean, she did seem pretty broken up that night.
"Oh my gosh, your hands!" she gasped suddenly, grabbing my wrist.
I pulled it back, hiding it behind me. "I hit it. You know I'm clumsy, Lena."
The bruise on my hand was nothing compared to the one on my back. I'd hit it harder than I'd realized. I didn't go to the hospital; I didn't want anyone to think it was something else. It was just an accident.
"Be more careful, Star. You don't want to go around hurting yourself," she said gently.
"I will," I murmured, handing her the last plate before walking over to clear the dining table.
"By the way," she began, "are you and Adrian good—"
The front door opened. We both froze.
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The familiar footsteps. The sharp, clean scent of his cologne.
"Adrian, oh hi—" Lena started, her voice bright.
He walked past her without a glance, a bouquet of roses in his hand. He stopped in front of me.
"I got these for you, Star," he said, smiling.
I blinked, certain I was dreaming. I even pinched my arm, waiting to wake up. Come on, Star. Snap out of it. Wake up. But it hurt. I was awake. The heavy bouquet in my arms was proof enough.
Then his lips brushed mine, soft and unexpected, almost tender. I froze, my breath catching.
"Huh?" The sound escaped me before I could stop it.
"What's going on?" I asked, looking over at Lena. She looked just as shocked, no, more. Her face had gone pale.
I turned back to Adrian. "I don't understand."
He smiled like nothing was wrong. "I'm really sorry for being such a jerk lately, Star. Please forgive me."
He pulled me into his arms. Normally, I would have stiffened, worried he would feel the roll of back fat I always hid under baggy clothes, the parts of me I hated the most. But this time I didn't care. For a moment, I was too happy, too stunned to think about any of it.
"I got you a necklace too," he said softly. "Turn around."
I did as he asked. The cold touch of metal brushed against my neck, making me shiver. I didn't care. The tenderness in his voice was enough to make my chest ache.
"Thank you," I whispered, still dazed.
"Oh, you're so adorable, Star," he said, his tone warm and familiar, like the old days. A blush crept up my cheeks.
His gaze shifted and finally landed on Lena. "Oh, hi, Lena. I didn't realize you were here."
She laughed, the sound light but forced. "You two are so cute. I'm glad you're not fighting anymore."
Adrian smiled and reached out to pat her shoulder. "Thanks, Lena."
"Oh, I just remembered I have somewhere to be," she said quickly, grabbing her bag.
"Wait, Lena, I thought you were staying for lunch," I called after her.
"I'm sorry, I really have to go," she said, already halfway to the door. She was gone before I could stop her.
Silence filled the kitchen. It was just him and me now. His hand brushed my arm, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Did I do that?" he asked, glancing at the faint bruise.
I pulled away gently and shook my head. "It's nothing."
"I'm so sorry, Star," he whispered, pulling me into another hug.
For a moment, I let myself sink into it. His warmth, his voice, the way he held me. It felt unreal.
Was this heaven? I thought.
"I'll never do that again, no matter how angry I am. I'm such a terrible person, Star."
"No, you're not. I don't think you are. Please believe me," I muttered, his hand brushing through my hair.
He went quiet for a moment, his fingers still in my hair. I could feel his breath against the top of my head, steady and soft.
"By the way, Star, I have something to confess about why I've been acting like an asshole," he said finally, leading me toward our bedroom.
I twiddled my thumbs as I sank down onto the bed, wondering what it was he wanted to tell me. I looked at him as he sat beside me, his shoulders tense, his face drawn.
"The company's been going through a rough time," he confessed, the stress lines on his face deepening. "I promised I'd take care of it, but I've been ruining everything. I couldn't face you, so I just acted like an ass instead."
"Oh, Adrian, I wish you'd just told me. I don't blame you. I don't blame you one bit. Isn't that what life is—going through hard things together?"
"You're such a wonderful person, Star. I don't deserve you."
"I don't deserve you either, Adrian. I love you, with all my heart."
"You do?" he asked quietly.
"Of course I do," I said, a little hurt that he could ever doubt it.
"I need your help, Star," he said after a pause, his tone softer now. "I need you to sign something for me. I need more shares in my name, or they'll kick me off the Board of Directors."
"Is that all?" I asked.
"What?"
"All I have to do is sign some papers?"
He nodded slowly, his hand brushing over mine. "Yeah."
"Of course I'll sign anything you want me to sign," I said quietly. "We're a team, right, Adrian?"
He smiled, that same charming smile that always made me forget where I was. "Of course. We're the dream team."