Riley helped Lacey up and walking, her friend a little to drunk to do anything alone. She could feel the alcohol she'd drank on her face and in her legs, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
It was only a buzz, barely even that.
She heard the piano and the laughter of people as they danced on the deserted floor. The man dipped the girl on his arm and kissed her, causing her to grab his jacket to pull him closer.
"Riley," Lacey called out.
Riley felt the tears in her eyes. She missed Kyle, even after everything, he was her husband. She loved him.
"Yeah, sorry." She said, wiping the tears gone, not wanting her to see.
"If you need a minute, I understand." Lacey said, suddenly sober. "I can get myself to the cab."
"No, I'm coming. I'm okay." She smiled.
"Don't lie to me Riley. You were thinking of him and it's udnerstandable. This gala was something you always went to." Lacey explained. "You don't always have to rock solid, you know."
She looked back again and thought of just last year, of how happy they were. Of how happy they always were at this gala, laughing, drinking and dancing the night away.
"Will you sit with me?" Riley asked, pouring herself a glass of whiskey since the bartender wasn't around.
"Of course," Lacey sat beside her.
As she brought the glass to her mouth, her wedding ring caught the light. She wasn't quite sure why she was still wearing it. Everyone had kept their opinions about her wedding ring still being on her finger to themselves and she was glad. She already had to deal with everyone's opinions on Kyle.
She shouldn't still be wearing it. She supposed she was still wearin two renasos. First off, she didn't want to admit that the perfect life she'd spent so long building, that she'd been living for nearly a decade was over.
The second reason? She couldn't bare to break the vow she'd made, even after Kyle did.
The whiskey went down smooth and she capped off the glass, standing.
"Alright, let's call it." She smiled at her friend, touching the gems on her band.
She glanced at the couple again, and this her heart didn't ache to be with Kyle, so she left with Lacey.
Evan drove her home and for the most part, it had been enjoyable. They sang to the radio and her spirits were up, until she got out of the car.
She walked alone to her home, her thoughts buzzing around in her head about Kyle. About how she was going to get through this without him. How would she raise their children without him? The door closed behind her after she walked inside and she leaned against the door.
She thought about the first year they went to the gala. They'd drank so much wine, that they'd gone back to Kyle's apartment, barely making it out of the elevator with their clothes on. She'd lead him down the hall, like she'd done so many countless times before, his lisp crashing againsts hers as they made it to his door.
Once it was opened, they crashed througg, knocking into a dresser and nearly knocking over a lamp. They'd made so much love that night, her lips twisted up into a smirk at the thought. He'd promised her he'd marry her that night.
She was only 21. Him, almost 25. She loved him so much already and so did he.
She was convinced, even to this day that was when they concieved Travis. Her beautiful baby boy.
She came back to reality as she stared at her ring, her tears flowing over her cheeks. Thinking of how good they were in the beggining, even just last year, made her so angry. How could he do this to her and she still love him?
The room turned to moonlight and shadows and there was this indescribable feeling in the pit of her stomach as she stood alone. Her head slowly tilted against the front door and seconds slowed down to nothing and ther was a moment where there was no sound, no outside world, no snow, no apartment, just her.
"I'll never stop loving you," she whispered into the moonlit dark, almost too loud in the muted quiet.
She closed her eyes and pulled the bands from her finger, setting them in her palm and opening her eyes. She looked at them and knew this was for the best. He didn't deserve her love. They went from strangers to friends to lovers, then right back to where they started.
A/N: I know this is short, but it was exactly what I wanted it to be. Supermarkey Flowers by Ed Sheeran is a must for this :) I hope you enjoyed xx Mariah