Chapter 4

There were times when I was lost and didn't think I could go on…

You've been by my side even though I know I've done you wrong

There ain't no mountain too high

There ain't no river too wide

There's nothing I wouldn't do

Forever now until the end of time I'll spend my life with you

Alex Hook "Walk into the Night"

Erin woke up feeling like her head was caved in.

She struggled to open her bleary eyes and realized she was looking at a wall that she didn't recognize.

She blinked her eyes several times and forced herself to sit up and put her feet on the floor.

Her head was pounding.

I have no idea how much I drank last night. She thought wearily.

She got out of bed and turned around trying to determine where in the heck she was.

But then she saw him.

Anthony's figure under the sheets.

He was wearing a white wife beater shirt and was sound asleep. Looking quite peaceful actually.

Erin's mouth dropped to the floor.

She grabbed for her shirt since she was merely wearing her bra and undies and pulled it on.

As she struggled to piece the events of the prior night together she suddenly noticed large windows on the other side of the bed.

The sunrise was coming up and she thought

I have no idea what city I'm in.

Suddenly she noticed a familiar sight beyond the buildings.

It was the desert.

She was in Las Vegas.

With Anthony.

In the same room. In the same bed.

She sat down on a thick plush leather couch on the other side of the room and tried to think.

They had gone for drinks for the second time.

Which had strangely turned into this weird game of Truth or Dare. Like that Arrested Development episode with Job.

Anthony rolled over slightly and Erin held her breath.

She wasn't ready to talk to him just yet.

Ok let's piece this together. We were playing Truth or Dare at the bar.

Then suddenly one of us dared the other to get on a plane.

The other had said, "Well you can't go alone."

A 5 and a half hour flight from NYC to Vegas and they had cheated time a bit rolling in on a red-eye around 1am Pacific time.

Where they had some more drinks and lots of laughs. Anthony joking about the impossibility of the two of them trying to squeeze into the bathroom lavatory.

Erin smiled for a moment at that.

Then Vegas.

Which had escalated quite quickly to..

Oh my good Lord…she thought she saw a glimpse of something as Anthony's hand moved over the sheet.

Something shiny.

And gold.

Ohhhhh Fuu…..she thought sensoring her own thoughts.

Her mouth still gaping wide open she looked down at her own hand.

Yep. Well that confirmed it.

She was wearing one too.

A gold f-ing wedding band.

She let out a very audible gasp once she realized it.

Which woke up Anthony. He sat bolt upright reaching for his weapon on the nightstand which wasn't there, as they had to leave such things behind, getting on a plane and all.

He looked over at her, "Whaat? What is it, Erin?"

Erin looked at him like a deer in headlights. She shook her head, unable to speak and merely held up her hand with the wedding ring.

He blinked in surprise for a moment and looked down at his own hand.

He laughed uproariously. "Oh yeah…right."

Erin finally found the words, "Anthony, what the hell did we drink last night?!"

Anthony shook his head as he rubbed his eyes, " I have no idea."

Her mind went backwards again and this time she saw further.

In Vegas, hitting the craps table where Anthony had rolled a big win.

A really big win if Erin remembered correctly.

So excited to collect the earnings he had proposed to her in the middle of the casino.

Amidst cheers. She remembered people clapping wildly.

And she had…she had suggested they got married right then and there. Because they were in Vegas.

Because clearly she was out of her own mind. Under the influence of who knows how many drinks.

She put a hand to her head feeling completely overwhelmed.

And after their fly-by-night wedding they had ended up in this gorgeous penthouse suite thanks to Big-Money Anthony.

Erin's face flushed as she remembered her and Anthony becoming intimate then.

Anthony sat in the bed studying her, his arms leaned over his bent knees.

He patted the bed beside him, "Why don't you come back in? Water's fine." he teased her.

Erin's face turned beet red. "Anthony!" She hissed at him. "What…what did we do?"

Anthony smirked at her. "Well uh it was a fun night to say the least…"

He realized Erin wasn't laughing and he got out of the bed to come over beside her.

He was wearing boxers thankfully.

Erin slid over as he came and sat on the couch with her.

He put his strong arm around her and looked in her eyes, "Hey, you ok?"

"Anthony..this…this was a mistake." She looked back at him.

He stared back at her for a moment, not saying anything.

"I mean, you get that, right? Like we were out of our minds or something…" Erin trailed off when she realized Anthony was not agreeing with her.

He sighed heavily and dropped his arm, "Look Erin…we are sane people. And sane people don't do things they don't mean to do. Whether they've been drinking or not. But…if that's the way you feel…" he stood up looking out the windows across the room where the sun was beginning to stream in brightly.

"If that's what you feel this was. A mistake. Then so be it. I'll do whatever you want." He said quietly as he stared out the windows not looking at her.

"Anthony…" Erin began standing up feeling vulnerable in her half-dressed getup.

She had expected him to fully agree with her.

That the night before actions needed to be undone.

She had definitely not expected this.

Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do.

She put a hand on his broad shoulder. He was warm.

But his demeanor had changed. It had gone cold.

"I'm gonna jump in the shower," he muttered.

"Anthony…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - "

He was walking over towards the bathroom when he turned suddenly and said, "Look I get it. Why would you wanna marry a schmuck like me anyway?"

Erin shook her head, "No I -"

He kept going, "But look. We came all the way out here…let's just have a nice day together. We'll take care of this mess or whatever you wanna call it," he held up his hand with the wedding band on it "and we'll fly home in the morning."

She nodded in agreement. "Ok." That was the least she could do.

She hated seeing that pained look in his face when she had called their marriage a "mistake".

She never wanted to hurt him like that again.

How could I have made such a mess of things? She felt like the blame was mostly on her and resolved to do whatever he wanted to with their day in Vegas.

As he went into the bathroom suddenly her mind drifted back to the night before again.

Anthony's strong arms around her. His kisses. His firm touch on her body.

Her on top.

His hands through her hair. His mouth on her everywhere.

He had been a fantastic lover.

Attentive to her needs.

Her face felt hot and she felt the feelings of desire from the night before rise up in her again.

He was her best friend.

Her lover.

She had felt so incredibly safe in his embrace.

And another memory came to her then.

Anthony had been nuzzling her neck in the dark and then she had heard the vibrations against her skin, "I love you, Erin."

Even in her inebriated state she remembered not replying and being somewhat in shock.

It had been easier for her to get married than to tell Anthony the words, "I love you" back.

Was she throwing away just marriage to Anthony or everything about the man who truly loved her?

And deep down she knew that she likely reciprocated that love to him.

A/N: Ok share your thoughts! Was this chapter a complete surprise? I'm really having fun writing this one. :)