Chapter 10

CPOV

The flight home is quiet. Ana and Kate sleep almost the entire flight home, only waking up for us to land. Once we are on the tarmac and our luggage is out we go our separate ways with Kate, Ethan, and Ana heading back to their apartment together. Taylor is in the SUV waiting to take us back to my apartment. Mia and Elliot decided to stay at my place since it is late and they don't feel like driving home.

Monday morning I am up and out before Mia and Elliot are awake. Elliot has off this week so he can help Kate with last-minute wedding things. After the wedding, they are headed to Barbados, where they went when they were first dating. They wanted to take a longer honeymoon but Elliot has a project he needs to get done.

The workweek was uneventful but went by quickly. I was in back-to-back meetings so I didn't have much time to think about what happened with Ana in California. But, I dreamed of her every night. On Friday morning I went with Elliot to pick up the rings and a wedding present he got for Kate. He got her a locket with their childhood pictures inside. He had her mom help him with it without Kate's knowledge.

As he is settling everything for tomorrow with the jeweler I see a pair of earrings that would be perfect for Ana. They are rose gold drop earrings with morganite surrounded by a halo of diamonds. I check to make sure Elliot is otherwise occupied and quietly purchase the earrings, stowing the box in my coat pocket. Now I just have to figure out how to give them to her.

APOV

It's Kate and Elliot's rehearsal dinner tonight. I arrive at the Kavanagh's house where we will spend her last night as Katherine Kavanagh. I come in the front door and am greeted by Ethan. "Kate's upstairs getting ready. Do you want me to carry your bags up for you?"

I give him a chaste kiss on the cheek, "No, I got it. Thanks, Ethan." I go up to Kate's room and she's standing in front of the mirror fussing with her hair which is up in a classic twist with strawberry blonde tendrils framing her face. "Kate, that dress is gorgeous and those shoes are totally you."

"Thanks, the dress is a Monique Lhuillier floral sleeveless v-neck cocktail dress and the shoes are Gianvito Rossi flora ruffled suede lace-up sandals."

"You know, anyone else would pick black heels to go with this dress but only you would choose cherry red." I've always admired Kate for her ability to be able to stand out in a crowd. If I stood out in a crowd it would only be because I probably tripped and fell on my face.

"What are you wearing?" I open up the garment bag to show her the Kay Unger satin wrap effect cocktail dress in berry red and the Sam Edelman Eleanor heels that have a black background with different colored flowers and red poppies on them. I normally don't dress this flamboyantly but this is a special occasion.

"Ana, you are going to look so sexy in that! No one will be able to take their eyes off you." Kate's green eyes sparkle as she gives me a mischievous grin.

"What? No… no, the spotlight should be on you tonight. I should wear something different." I didn't think when I bought this dress - it's Kate's night, not mine.

"Are you kidding me, Ana? I already have my guy. It's time we get you one too!"

"Katherine Agnes Kavanagh, you are terrible!" We finish getting ready in plenty of time to get to the party. Kate and Elliot aren't actually having a rehearsal but Elliot's parents insisted they stick to tradition and host the party anyway.

We ride with Ethan to the Greys' house in Bellevue with Mr. and Mrs. Kavanagh following in their car.

The party goes off without a hitch and everyone has a great time. Elliot's parents' home is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like an English manor house I would read about in one of my novels.

I didn't get to socialize too much since we were doing a lot of last minute preparations for tomorrow. Kate asked Mia if she wanted to stay with us tonight but she decided to stay with her parents. Ethan is staying with us too. He's not showing it but I think he's a little emotional now that his 'baby' sister is getting married.

We get to Kate's room and change into our pajamas. Both of us are snuggled in her huge four-poster bed and are just talking. We reminisce and laugh. "Kate, I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow." I finally say to her in awe. Not that I didn't think she was worthy of getting married but she was always so strong and self-reliant.

"You're telling me, Steele. I thought you would be the first of us to get married. Yet, here you are still a virgin." Kate laughs and snorts at her joke. She loves to tease me about that since she knows it gets to me a little. Just because I am 22 and still a virgin doesn't make me a weirdo. I'm just… particular.

I elbow her, "you jerk!" but I am laughing with her just the same.

"You don't know what you're missing. Sex with Elliot is amazing. When we were first dating the only reason we stopped screwing was because my hoo-ha got sore."

"Kate, I did not need to know that." I roll my eyes and act like it bothers me but it doesn't. I'm used to it now, Kate has always been very open with me about it.

"Seriously though Ana, why didn't you ever have sex before?" Kate has never made fun of me for it but we never really discussed my reasons in depth mostly because I never really dated anyone while I was in college.

"I don't know. I guess seeing my mom give her body away so easily and freely because she thought she was in love made me want to take it slowly. I guess I am old fashioned - the first time I have sex I want it to be with someone I love. And, no one I've met so far has been worth it." I shrug at my answer. It's the first time I've really thought about it. "Plus, can you imagine how Ray would be meeting my boyfriend for the first time?"

"Oh my God! He'd be like one of those bad jokes sitting there cleaning a gun and staring the poor guy down. I think you're going to be a virgin forever." Kate and I both burst into hysterical laughter. After a little more girl talk we settled in for the night hoping for a good night's sleep before her big day.