The Wrong Room III

The next morning, I woke up first. Soft light came through the hotel window. I felt warm and happy. Ryan’s arm was still around me, and his skin felt nice against mine.

I turned my head and looked at him. He was still asleep, and his face looked calm. I smiled and touched my lip. It was still a little swollen from all the kissing we had done the night before. Last night had been so good. I did not want it to end.

Then my phone buzzed on the table. I reached for it carefully and checked the message. It was from my cousin. “Good morning! Don’t forget the family breakfast at 9. The groom’s whole family will be there. Including his big brother Ryan. He just got in last night. You’ll meet him!”

My heart jumped. I read the message again. Ryan. Big brother. Groom’s family. I slowly looked at the man lying beside me. Is it same Ryan? The same guy who had held me, kissed me, and made me feel so good last night.

“Oh no,” I whispered.

Ryan opened his eyes. When he saw my face, he immediately looked concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Morning”, I greeted.

“Morning”, he responded.

I showed him the phone. He read the message, and then he laughed. It was a soft, low laugh. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s me. I’m the older brother.” I sat up, and the sheet fell a little. “You didn’t say!”

“I didn’t know”, he said. He sat up too. “I only knew you were at the wedding. I saw you at the rehearsal. You looked nice. I wanted to talk to you. Then you walked into my room by mistake. I thought it was funny. I didn’t think about the family part yet.”

I covered my face with my hands. Then I laughed too. “This is crazy.”

“A little,” Ryan said.

He gently pulled my hands down. “But not bad. I still like you. Do you still like me?”

I nodded. “Yes. A lot. But now we have to hide it. My cousin will go wild if she finds out I slept with the groom’s brother the night before the wedding.”

Ryan grinned. “Then we hide it. Makes it more fun.”

We got dressed. I put on the same clothes from the night before. Before we left the room, Ryan gave me a soft kiss. “Act normal,” he said. “No one will know.”

We walked to the hotel restaurant. The family breakfast was already starting. There were long tables with lots of people around them. Food was everywhere, including eggs, toast, fruit, and coffee. My cousin, the bride ran over and hugged me. “There you are! Come meet everyone.”

She pulled me toward a group of people. “This is Ryan. Big brother of the groom. He is the quiet one.”

Ryan smiled and shook my hand like we had never met. His hand was warm, and his fingers gave mine a tiny squeeze. Only I felt it. “Nice to meet you,” he said out loud.

“Nice to meet you too,” I said.

I tried to keep my voice calm, even though I could already feel myself getting warm inside. Before I could say anything else, the woman beside Ryan stepped forward. “And this is Emma, Ryan’s younger sister.”

Emma smiled brightly and held out her hand. “Hi, Ava. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

I smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you too.”

“And that’s Daniel,” she continued, pointing to a tall man standing beside Emma. “He works with Ryan.”

Daniel looked over and gave me a small smile. “Hey, Ava.”

“Hey,” I replied.

“And that’s Sophia,” the bride said, pointing toward the woman standing near the drinks table. “You remember her, right? She’s been my best friend since college.”

I laughed softly. “Of course I remember Sophia.”

Sophia turned at the sound of her name and smiled. “Look at you! It’s been forever.”

“I know,” I said as I walked over to hug her. “You haven’t changed.”

“Neither have you.”

The bride laughed. “See? I knew you two would start talking and forget about everyone else.”

I smiled, finally feeling a little more at ease. Then my eyes drifted back to Ryan. We sat at the table, but not next to each other. We were across from each other. I tried to eat, but I kept looking at him. Sometimes he looked back at me. Our smiles were small and quick, and we made sure they stayed hidden.

The talk around the table was loud. Everyone discussed wedding plans, clothes, and music. Ryan’s parents asked me about school, and I answered them with simple words. Ryan listened. At one point, his foot touched mine under the table. It was soft and quick, and then it was gone.

All morning, I thought about him. While they fixed my hair, I remembered his hands on me. While they put on my lipstick, I remembered his mouth. The memories made me smile for no reason.

My cousin noticed. “Why do you look so happy?”

I simply told her that the wedding was exciting. The wedding started in the afternoon. It was held outside in the garden, where there were chairs arranged in rows and flowers everywhere. Soft music played in the background. I sat with the other family members. Ryan stood with the groom near the front. He looked tall and nice in his suit.

When the bride walked in, everyone stood. I looked at Ryan instead. He looked at me too for one second before turning his attention back to the ceremony. The ceremony was short and sweet. There were rings, a kiss, clapping, and pictures afterward.

Ryan and I stood far from each other in the group photos. However, when the photographer asked for “cousins and brothers together,” we ended up standing close. Ryan’s hand rested on my lower back for a moment. No one saw it. The small touch made my skin tingle.

Soon, the music got louder, and people stood up to dance. My cousin pulled me onto the dance floor. We laughed and moved to the beat. Ryan watched from the side. After a few songs, he walked over. “Can I cut in?” he asked my cousin in a polite voice.

My cousin laughed and stepped back. “Sure, big brother.”

Ryan took my hand. We danced slowly even though the song was fast. His other hand rested on my waist, and he kept his touch close and careful. “You look pretty,” he said near my ear so only I could hear.

“You look good too,” I said.

“Hard not to touch you more,” he whispered.

“I know. Me too.”

…

Later on, I went to get a drink. Ryan was at the bar too. We stood side by side and ordered the same thing. When the bartender turned away, Ryan’s fingers brushed mine on the counter. The touch was soft and quick. “My room later?” he asked in a low voice.

I nodded once. “Yes.”