How the Stars Saved Valentine’s Day

A series of snippets of the holiday of love, including Harry isn’t all too pleased with having to spend Valentine’s Day at Anna’s ex-lover’s wedding.

The gold stitching on the upper left hand side of the plush white robe Anna was lounging in would have been itchy…if they weren’t staying at the most prestige hotel in North Carolina. She sat cross-legged on the middle of the king sized bed, the early morning light filtering through the floor to ceiling windows, casting life to their extravagant suite.

Presently, she was flipping through the Valentine’s Day gift from her husband – a scrapbook documenting Part One – as he called it – of their love story. The man was more romantic than he admitted to be.

Harry was grabbing a quick shower while she found herself get distracted by the beautiful gesture instead of finishing getting ready. Before she had flopped down, she had reasoned with herself that all that was left to do was get dressed – makeup dolled on her face and hair straightened had already been done. And those took the longest. She could spare a few minutes, reliving their story.

She sighed happily, a girlish giggle following when her smiling eyes landed on the memories of the early stages of their whirlwind relationship. She couldn’t believe Harry had most of the things that meant something to them saved, nevermind printed or pressed.

Their back and forth flirty emails. Screenshots of text messages. Pressed peach petals. Song lyrics surrounding several pictures of them.

Looking through it now, the excitement swirled in her belly – the same feeling she had felt whenever she caught him staring at her during those days. Although, it was true that to this day, he still brought her butterflies.

“Oh, Harry.” The last page was a portrait of them on their wedding day, big smiles pointing at the camera, happiness and love radiating off of them.

“What?”

Her head spun around to the direction where her husband stood, a towel wrapped around his waist while he towel dried his hair with another. “Jesus, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” Harry chuckled in apology. Then his eyes landed on what she had been doing and his brow quirked in amusement. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

Anna jutted out her chin in reply. “I’m nearly ready.” She glanced down at them on their wedding and felt the corners of her lips tug up. “I got distracted.”

“Ha! Not surprised; not even the slightest bit.”

“Shut up and give me a kiss.”

Harry shook his head and strode over to the bed. Leaning his upper weight on his hands that were flat on the duvet, he sucked in his cheeks to form fish lips. Anna giggled and tipped to the side, stretching to reach his mouth with her own fish lips.

After sharing a laugh at their equally silly selves, Harry resumed getting ready, having to wipe off the gloss from his mouth that she left behind. Anna stayed perched on the bed, this time laying back on the pillows to fondly watch him move about the bedroom suite.

“It’s so strange not having Bets under my feet,” Harry mused, sliding his boxer briefs over his hips and reaching for his recently pressed trousers. “I keep looking down to check where I’m stepping before I remember she was ripped away from us the second we got off the plane.”

Her hearty laugh was infectious. “I know. I did the same when I was putting my makeup on. She’s like a little kid watching her mom get ready. I used to do that too when my parents had date night.” Anna revealed, toeing the scrapbook that she had tossed to the foot of the bed. “That reminds me. My mom sent me a picture while you were in the shower of the two of them sharing a croissant.”

Harry let out a small laugh. “Did you tell her breads aren’t on the prescribed list of foods she’s allowed to have?”

“Yep. She sent back a thumbs down emoji with a bunch of food emojis.”

This time, Harry’s laughter filled the suite, causing a grin to move across his wife’s face. “She’s a riot.”

“I’m almost positive Betsy’s going to be fifty pounds heavier when we get back home.”

Harry turned to face her at the mention of home, folding the collar of his shirt over his undone bow-tie. “Speaking of-” She groaned and his voice rose a few octaves. “I know, I know…we promised no work or engagement talk this weekend.. but we have to discuss it.. Unless you want to be completely unprepared…”

“You know that I don’t,” she retorted, biting the corner of her lip when her eyes swept over his handsome features and very fit physique.

Harry hummed, doing the buttons of his shirt before tucking the hem inside his trousers. “Exactly. So, there’s that meeting planned with my Gran and Pa on Wednesday where you’ll be formally introduced to a few people that will be handling the announcement behind the scenes.”

“Okay,” Anna nodded, a pang of anxiety filling her chest. “Wait, aren’t you working Wednesday?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, his brow creasing in confusion. “I told you this was your meeting with them.”

A look of horror flashed across her face. “I have to meet with them alone?!” She sat up in bed with eyes wide as saucers. “Harry, I’ve never been alone with them before!”

His hand froze on the last top button as he looked on incredulously at her mini panic. “Anna… we’re already married. They’re your family. What did you expect was going to happen?”

“No, I know that, but-”

“There are going to be thousands of times where you’ll be alone with them. Hell, you’re going to be going on engagements with them without me sometimes! This can’t be news to you.”

“It’s not,” she stressed with her brows drawing together, becoming agitated at his tone. “I just didn’t think it would be this soon. Jesus, ex-cuse me for being nervous about it. I am so sorry; it’s totally uncalled for.”

Harry sighed at her sarcasm. “Are we seriously going to fucking fight on Valentine’s Day? After I just gave you an incredibly thoughtful present. And right before we’re off to your ex-boyfriend’s bloody wedding?”

She scowled. “He wasn’t my boyfriend.”

Harry laughed dryly, then dug the hole deeper. “Right, because ex-fuck buddy is just so much fucking better to admit out loud.” He regretted it the second the nasty words passed his lips.

Anna slid off the bed and stormed towards the closet where her dress was hanging, not bothering to adjust the robe that had opened to reveal the tops of her naked breasts.

Harry hung his head in frustration and guilt. “Okay, I’m sorry. That was rude of me to say and I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Whatever, Harry,” came Anna’s still angered response.

She hastily pulled her bra on, not bothering to make sure they were on the correct hooks. Then she unzipped the back of the dress, cursing when she dragged the zipper down with a little too much force. Harry was rustling through the drawer where he kept his wallet, hotel room key, and watch. Hearing him get ready to leave made her even more peeved. She stepped inside the middle of the undone dress before pulling it up, shimmying her hips when it didn’t go up smoothly. Once it was on, she sighed in relief that it still fit; that would be the last time she went shopping months prior to any event. The dress was very festive for the holiday, a deep red color with a plunging neckline. It would’ve made her feel pretty, and she would’ve twirled around to feel the fabric dance around her knees – if she wasn’t fuming mad.

“Come on, Anna. I don’t want to do this today.” A guttural noise vibrated in his throat when silence met him. He stalked to the closet where she stood ignoring him, and the breath caught in his throat.

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Wow.”

Anna felt her scowl crack the second she drew her eyes to his and caught the stunned admiration shining in his blue orbs. And the more he stared, the more her sour expression melted, and a small smile ended up on her lips. She tried to fight it, she really did, but the truth was that she wasn’t even really angry to begin with; she used anger to mask the other emotions coursing through her.

Hurt. Nerves. Hunger.

“I’m sorry, Anna,” Harry began, reaching to thread his fingers through hers. He smiled when she let him. “I wasn’t implying anything negative about your value. My words came out wrong; I should’ve thought them out.”

She shook her head. “I’m not even pissed about that, Harry. I know you don’t judge me, and it’s more my issues with the whole ordeal. I used him to cover up my sadness, and I hate that.”

As much as it killed him, he grit his teeth and said, “Maybe you should discuss it tonight…with him.”

“No. His wedding is hardly the place to talk about that.”

Harry waited a beat before probing. “If that’s not why you’re angry with me, then what is it?”

“I’m not angry at you, per se. Just annoyed that you automatically think it’s stupid for me to not get nervous about certain things.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she rushed before he could utter a single syllable. “I know it’s part of marrying you. I know have to get comfortable around them without you being there.  But, God, can you just let me have a moment to process that? I feel like this whole meeting was sprung on me-”

“It wasn’t, though,” Harry argued, squeezing her hand to sweeten the blow. “I told you about the meeting the other day when I told you to write it into your calendar.”

“Okay,” she said, a slight edge to her voice, “and that’s my fault for not fully comprehending. I didn’t know you were saying it was only my meeting with them and the staff. I thought we were going to go through this whole wedding stuff together. I thought you were going to guide me through all this royal stuff.”

“And I will, Anna. I have been. But you can’t expect me to hand your hand at every little meeting or engagement-”

“I’m not-” she sighed, exasperated. “Harry, that is not what I am saying!”

“Alright, hold on.” Harry took a single step back, recognizing the argument escalating with the way their communication was going. Bringing her hand to his mouth, he brushed his lips against her soft skin. “Let’s just take a moment without saying anything to gather our thoughts here; otherwise, we are never going to leave this room in good spirits.”

Anna pursed her lips, ready to shot his idea down. If she didn’t finish putting on her shoes and retouch her makeup, they’d never get to the breakfast bar where her family waited for them in time. But she knew he was right. This was not a good time to be at odds with each other. For one, it was Valentine’s Day and he had given her something very special; she was waiting for the evening to present hers to him – of course, full of sexy things that was clearly a win-win for her, too. And then there was that little detail that they were about to head off to an ex lover of hers wedding instead of celebrating the holiday with each other like they had previously done.

So, she obliged. And they stood holding hands inside the walk-in closet, neither of them speaking. Over a minute went by and Harry shot her a questioning look, to which Anna nodded her readiness to begin communicating aloud again.

“I understand that you’re nervous. And you will be nervous with every meeting, every introduction, every engagement. You should be; it’s all very new to you. I get that.”

Anna was grateful – and now less nervous – at the sincerity behind his speech. “Thank you. And I don’t expect you to hold my hand like I’m some delicate flower that can’t handle anything alone. I know I can handle it. I know I can get through it by myself. I’m just nervous because, like you said, it is new to me. And I do need your guidance.”

He nodded, agreeing. “And my guidance you will and do have. I promise you that.”

She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a whole lot better about everything now. She swung their clasped hands back and forth, a smile tugging her lips up. “Can you promise me one more thing?”

His reply was instantaneous. “Of course, baby.”

“I know today isn’t going to be easy for you, and – shit – I’m really sorry to do this to you because I feel like it almost ruins our Valen-”

“It doesn’t.”

“-tine’s Day. But can you promise to be nice today?”

He chortled, then smirked. “Are you saying I am not normally nice?”

She tugged on his hand, then stretched up to kiss his unsuspecting lips as he fell forward. “Promise me.”

Sighing heavily, he rolled his eyes playfully then murmured what she wanted to hear.

=====================================================

“You’re being an asshole.” Anna was not amused by Harry’s guilty grin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, darling.”

They sat alone at the table, the family members coupling together on the dance floor while her mother and grandmother conversed animatedly with the bride and groom on the other side of the rented club space.

Anna threw him a disbelieving look, snatching the champagne out of his grasp before he could bring it up to his lips. “You promised you would be nice, Harry.”

Harry laughed – he actually had the audacity to laugh, then reached for his drink back before downing it in one swig. “I haven’t even met the guy!”

No, he hadn’t. But that didn’t stop Harry from hating the twat with an intensity that made him clench his fists whenever he saw the groom looking their way. His brothers-in-law seemed to like the dude, sharing stories all night about the stupid shit they’d get into because of Chase’s rebellion streak. He had been mostly mute, downing enough champagne to make his feet feel like he was floating when he shared a few dances with his wife and mother-in-law.

Anna flung another disapproving look in his direction before setting her eyes on Luke awkwardly swaying side to side with his wife. She hid a grin behind her flute. He had always been the black sheep of the family; the only one who didn’t have a rhythmical bone in his body.

A sigh came from beside her, but she ignored it as she continued to enjoy the entertainment provided by her loony family. It had been nice being around them again, reverting back to their cuckoo antics and never ceasing banter that drove innocent bystanders up the wall.

Another sigh blew the strands of her loose hair in her face. Still, she ignored it.

So maybe she was being a bit harsh on him. He had been perfectly polite throughout the ceremony, keeping his comments to himself when the bride and groom exchanged vows they wrote themselves. She knew what he was thinking – their wedding was far better. And she happened to agree with it, biased or unbiased.

Everything about his good behavior seemed to shift as the day wore on. He was becoming antsy, his leg bouncing up and down under the table while they ate the grilled salmon with rice and mixed vegetables. After all the champagne she had consumed, the vibration next to her was making her dizzy but he refused to stop, even when she placed a firm hand on his thigh. Then, he kept grunting before chugging flute after flute of champagne that just kept on coming around. She realized it was after every retelling of a Panty-Chaser story. But she let that slide, too; even she was getting annoyed by her brothers reminiscing inappropriate pastimes in front of her mother and grandmother.

It was when they danced that she became really annoyed with him. He was pawing at her, letting his hands travel dangerously low and even sneaking a grope or two – meanwhile, she could see the groom growing uncomfortable at the display.

And that’s when it dawned on her. Harry was doing it for show. To let the loser who had gotten into his wife’s knickers long ago know that she was his now – and only his.

“Will you stop it?!” Anna roared, snapping her head to the side to glare at him when another puff of air went through her straightened tresses.

“I’m not doing anything!” Harry denied, rather moodily.

“I told you to be nice.”

“I am being nice. I don’t know how many times I have to defend myself with your false accusations.”

“And I don’t know how many times I have to tell you they’re not false. You practically mauled me while dancing to show Chase I don’t belong to him.”

“I was simply having a few close dances with my wife. Sorry if the cheap champagne has gone to my head.”

“See!” She cried, swatting his arm. “There you go now with the comments.”

His brows furrowed together. “What comments?!”

Anna dropped her voice, poorly imitating his, “Sorry if the cheap champagne has gone to my head.”

Harry couldn’t help what happened next. He busted out into laughter and leaned in close, his arm thrown on the back of her chair for support. “Baby..”

Anna hated how for the second time that day, he was able to make her smile from ear-to-ear when she really wanted to stay annoyed with him. “Don’t baby me,” she said with a little giggle.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Which really could only mean one thing: Anna’s period would make an appearance in a matter of a couple days. He always seemed to be apologizing for one thing or another days before, picking up on it after a year of dating. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop. I’ll behave.”

She clicked her tongue in reply, then flashed him another toothy grin before saying playfully, “Have another cheap drink to shut that foul mouth of yours.”

Harry leaned in closer to whisper darkly in her ear, “I love it when you talk dirty.”

Anna pushed against him with her shoulder when she caught a glimpse of her returning mother and grandmother, trying to dismiss the shiver that traveled down her spine. “Behave, my mom and Nana are walking this way.”

Harry pressed a kiss against her hair, before he released her and sat up straight in his seat.

His playful mood turned sour once again the minute her mother raved on and on about how charming Chase was. A grunt escaped him, and this time he grew grumpy at the elbow he received from his wife instead of feigning innocence.

He had to get the hell out of there.

======================================================

“I was in love with you.”

The admission was unexpected and Anna almost fell over to the side. “What?” She gaped at Chase.

This was not the way she thought things were going to go when she made her way across the room to have a small chat with him before leaving. She had promised Harry five minutes, just to say her congratulations and wish him well. She had gotten wind of the mumbled profane name he had used to call Chase just as she walked away from their table.

Now, twenty minutes later, and she was on her second glass of champagne in her old friend’s company.

Chase smiled sheepishly, swirling the bubbly drink in the narrow glass. “I was for a while. Even before we hooked up.”

Anna smacked his chest, her eyes sweeping around them to make sure nobody nearby had overheard his confession. “Shut up; you were not.”

“I was,” he insisted. “You were smart…beautiful…kind of quirky, but I liked that about you.”

“So I’m none of those things now?”

He chuckled. “I didn’t say that.”

“Using past tense indicates otherwise.”

Chase groaned. “See. Too smart for your own good. What I’m saying is that I was in love with you….and you weren’t in love with me.”

She cringed, the guilt resurfacing. “I’m sorry. What I did…that was really selfish and shitty of me. I…used you.”

“Hey,” he shrugged. “It’s fine. I understand.”

“I never…I mean, wow… I had no idea, Chase.”

“You couldn’t have known. Not with all that was going on at the time. And even before Ben died, you were either caught up in your studies or wanting to be one of the guys that you never noticed all the ways I tried to get you to notice me.” He paused. “Besides, Ben would have kicked my fucking ass…”

Anna snorted while nodding. “Ain’t that the truth,” she agreed. “Hey, listen. I know you say it’s fine and it’s in the past but I really do hope you know how sorry I am about the way I treated you. And I never said a proper thank you for being there for me during…everything.”

Chase waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. That’s what friends are for.”

Half-shrugging, she smiled politely. “Still; thank you.”

He nodded, then drew the flute to his lips for another drink. “So..” Anna watched his eyes flick to where she knew Harry sat with her family, most likely fuming with smoke coming out of his ears as he kept a close eye on them conversing. “Your boyfriend has been shooting daggers at me this entire time. Put on quite a show on the floor, too.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m actually stunned he hasn’t found his way over to take a piss on me, really.”

Chase tipped his head back and grabbed his chest, shaking with mirth. “You really are something else, Annalisa Caro.” Wales, she corrected in her mind. “He’s a very lucky man. I hope he knows it.”

Her lips twitched. “Oh, he knows.” They shared another laugh. “In all seriousness, I’m the lucky one. I just love busting his balls when he’s acting this way.”

“Well,” Chase smirked, leaning in close. “I’m not exactly blaming him. I could steal you away right now if I really wanted to.”

Her face twisted in distaste. Yep, he was still a player hidden underneath the new wedding band. “Really, Chase? Are you really playing that douchebag card right now?”

“What?” He asked innocently, a glint of humor in his bright green eyes. “I’m only messing with you. Like the good old days.”

“Except-” She rose her brows, no trace of amusement on her face as she looked evenly at him. “In the good old days, you weren’t just married and I wasn’t completely smitten with my fiancé”

His eyes lit up in surprise and he backed away from her until he was at a respectable distance. “Whoa! Fiancé?”

Fuck. Anna didn’t reveal the panic that was quickly rising in her throat. “Yes, I’m engaged.” She announced with confidence, her back straight.

Chase’s curious eyes went to her bare hand. “I don’t see a ring. Cheap bastard.”

She pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing, recalling Harry’s cheap champagne remark. Instead, she cleared her throat and the explanation rolled off her tongue, “Well, I can’t very well wear it when any pap could easily snap a picture. It’s safe and sound at home until we make the announcement.”

“Wow, I had no idea. Well, congratulations to you, then.” He nodded towards her reserved table. “Shall I head on over and introduce myself to the lucky asshole?”

It took everything in her not to cause a scene and fling the rest of her champagne in his face. Not that she was upset. She knew Chase was doing this deliberately to piss her off. He had always loved doing so in all the time she’d known him. But she wanted to let him know he had no power over her and she had a new confidence that could and would knock him down a peg.

Also, she desperately wanted to smack the smug grin on his face. She always hated that look on him.

“I’d rather you didn’t. Besides, I only came over to offer my congratulations to you before we head out.”

“What?! Leaving so soon? Come on, Ann. The night is young!”

Now she was the one grinning smugly. “I promised my fiancé I would make it up to him if he made it to the cake without pummeling your ass.”

Chase’s laughter was drowned by the rambunctious guests that surrounded them. He raised his glass towards her. “Never change, Anna Panda.”

Her nose scrunched up at the nickname she always despised. “I hope you do, Panty-Chaser. For your wife’s sake.”

Chase doubled over, smacking his thigh as another round of laughter found him. “God, I haven’t been called that in years!”

“Funny, because my doofus brothers are very fond of still referring you to the godawful nickname.”

Again, he gazed at their table and waved to the guys he had many crazy memories with. “I miss those days. Your family has always been so good to me; so welcoming.” He cleared his throat, smiling wistfully at the woman who could have changed his ways long before his new wife had. Then he awkwardly leaned in and gave her an one arm hug. “Thanks for coming. It really is good to see you happy. Ben would’ve wanted it.”

Anna closed her eyes to conceal the tears that were beginning to form. “Thanks, Chase. He would’ve wanted the same for you, you know.”

“Yeah…I know.”

After another embrace – a full on hug this time – they shared watery smiles and said their goodbyes.

=====================================================

Walking along the pier late that evening is what Harry and Anna found themselves doing after leaving the Caros behind at the reception. It was better – much better – than sitting there with a brooding husband, and an ex that had confessed some rather unsettling news.

Curling her fingers around his more firmly, she let out a long breath to watch it puff out of her mouth like smoke and evaporate before her eyes. She would wait until tomorrow when they were enclosed on a plane surrounded by people to tell Harry what had happened. There would be no possible way for him to start a scene, and given the long duration of the flight, she had plenty of time to cheer him up before they landed in Wattisham.

For right now, she just wanted to salvage the holiday and enjoy the gentle waves of the sea beside them, while being in the presence of the man she loved more than life itself.

It was a beautiful night, the sky sparkling like diamonds, the crescent moon shining down brightly. Anna couldn’t ask for a more clear night – her last night breathing in her native country’s air.

“I loved it here.”

“Mm?” Harry tilted his head to the side to peer down at her, missing what she had murmured by the bewitching scene of the full night sky. A smile crept on his face when he found the content sigh leave her own smiling lips.

“I loved it here,” she echoed before carrying on. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the Carolinas-” The shift in her accent when she uttered Carolinas made him chuckle with fondness. “-but I remember it having some of the best beaches and piers.”

“You do love the water,” Harry mused quietly. He followed her when she tugged on his hand, coming to rest at the wooden railing that kept them secure from the sea below. Allowing her to step in front of him, he wrapped his arms around her middle.

Anna instantly melted against his chest, laying her head over his beating heart as they looked out at the expansion of the water. “My dad used to take my brothers and me to this very place to fish. Man, I was horrible at it.” Her eyes fluttered when Harry began to sway them, side to side, as she continued to relive a sweet memory of her father. “And I remember the first time we came here, I got so pissed when Ben caught a big pounder within, like, two minutes of throwing his line in. God, he was always so good at…everything. I hated and admired that about him; stupid-head.”

Harry snorted, his nose buried in her frizzing hair. “Sore loser.”

She laughed lightly, no sense in denying it. “I really am; god, that’s awful. But my dad – bless him – let me have my pouting moment, never told me to knock it off while I just kept on sputtering every complaint I could think of…and then – after all that – he treated me to an ice cream cone. Honestly, the promising ice cream was the only thing that kept me coming to the fishing trips.”

The snack shop, Harry thought. The very one that they had strolled past that closed at 7pm during the winter hours. Harry lifted his head and glanced down at his watch, his arms still holding her to him. It was eight minutes until then.

Releasing her, he pat her back that was covered by his tux jacket. “Come on.”

Anna whipped around, pulling the lapels of the fabric that had fallen open. Harry was already making his way down the pier in long strides. “Where are we going?” She called out to him, confusion etched across her features.

Harry turned, walking backwards with a splitting grin. “Getting you an ice cream cone, stupid-head.”

Nothing could ever, ever make her stop loving this man as much as she did.

Anna looked up and threw a thanks at the stars for somehow bringing such a kind, gentle soul her way to keep…forever.

The last thing Harry heard was his wife’s infectious giggles before she squealed and jumped on his back – even in her short dress. He carried her piggyback style the whole way to the snack bar, laughing like two lovesick teenagers when he broke off into a sprint.

The next morning, Harry was the first to wake up, and he took a turn thanking his lucky stars for the dazzling woman who lay peacefully sleeping in his loving arms.

Valentine’s Day hadn’t been a total disaster.