Chapter Nine: The Party Plan
446 Words
The cupcakes were gone.
Well, mostly.
There was still frosting smeared on the corner of Leia’s mouth, and crumbs littering the couch cushion between them.
He could have just closed his eyes and gone limp like a shot deer. But no.
“I’m so excited about Keeley’s engagement party!” she gushed, cuddling up against his side, practically vibrating with leftover sugar and joy. “It’s going to be amazing, Owen. You’re going to love it.”
Owen grunted.
Noncommittal.
The universal male signal for “I acknowledge your words, but I have no intention of participating.”
“You remember it’s Saturday, right? Two o'clock sharp.” She tapped his chest with one finger, like programming a toddler. “Not ‘Owen time.’ Real time.”
Owen shifted, letting his head fall back against the couch.
He stared up at the ceiling fan, counting blades to keep from rolling his eyes.
“I said I’d go,” he muttered.
“And you're wearing the navy shirt, not the black one," she continued brightly. "The black one makes you look like you’re going to a funeral."
Leia was on a roll now.
“You’ll wear the brown shoes, not the sneakers. I already cleaned them. And don’t let Keeley’s fiancé corner you about that crypto thing again—just nod and smile.”
Got it.
Should he also wear a name tag that said PROPERTY OF LEIA just to complete the look?
“Oh! And if you get stuck talking to Keeley’s mom—don’t argue about politics this time. Just say you agree with her and compliment her hair.”
Owen snorted under his breath.
“I’m not gonna lie to an old woman just to survive brunch,” he said.
Leia fixed him with a look.
“You will if you love me.”
He stared at her.
She stared back, deadly serious.
After a long moment, Owen sighed, defeated.
“Fine,” he muttered. He felt like a hostage being rewarded with a stale cracker.
It was right around the third retelling of Keeley’s engagement story that Owen noticed Leia’s voice getting... softer.
Slower.
She rubbed at her forehead, blinking hard.
“God, I must be more tired than I thought,” she murmured, laughing weakly.
Owen glanced down at her.
She was pale.
Sweaty.
Still smiling, but the edges of it were starting to fray.
She burrowed deeper into his side, tucking her head against his ribs, mumbling something about reminding him to buy a new tie.
Owen grabbed the remote, changed the channel to his favorite show without hesitation, and settled in.
Leia was asleep within minutes, breathing softly against him.
- Writer
