\u201cI have never heard of that store,\u201d Felicia admitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither have I, and that is the whole point,\u201d I said, feeling the panic rising again. \u201cCallum has never mentioned that place, and we usually tell each other when we buy socks.\u201d<\/p>\n
I heard the bedsheets rustling on her end as she apparently sat upright in her bed. \u201cValerie, listen to me carefully because I know how your brain works when you get overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am completely fine,\u201d I claimed, trying to sound composed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not go back into that room and shake him awake in a panic,\u201d she warned me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was not going to do that,\u201d I lied.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were absolutely going to do that,\u201d she countered.<\/p>\n
I laughed, but the sound came out forced and tight in my throat. \u201cOkay, I admit that I was going to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk him calmly after you have some coffee,\u201d Felicia advised me patiently. \u201cDo not accuse him of anything, just watch his face because Callum is a terrible liar, and you know he could not even keep our surprise party a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich is exactly why this is so weird,\u201d I pointed out. \u201cHe cannot keep secrets, yet here we are dealing with one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means either it is something big and awful, or it is something big and not awful at all,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth outcomes are completely possible right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared down at the small key lying in my hand. It was far too small for a normal house door and seemed designed for a tiny lock, like a jewelry box or a small cash drawer.<\/p>\n
\u201cFelicia, what if I just married a man that I do not actually know?\u201d I asked softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou dated him for four long years, so you know who he is,\u201d she insisted firmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople manage to hide huge things for years all the time,\u201d I argued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know Callum,\u201d she repeated with conviction.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe not this version of Callum,\u201d I whispered back.<\/p>\n
\u201cValerie, come on, you know it is not like him,\u201d she said, trying to reassure me.<\/p>\n
I wanted to believe her with all my heart. I wanted to walk back into that suite, slide beneath the warm covers, and pretend I had never checked the pockets of that tuxedo.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot wait until we reach Costa Rica to ask him,\u201d I said into the phone. \u201cI cannot sit on a long flight with this sitting in my bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen do not wait,\u201d Felicia urged me gently. \u201cBut remember to ask him, not declare things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk, do not declare,\u201d I repeated to myself as a reminder.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly,\u201d she confirmed through the receiver.<\/p>\n
I nodded my head even though she could not see me through the phone line. \u201cAnd Felicia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, what is it?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever the truth is, I will call you right after we talk,\u201d I promised her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not care if you are crying or laughing, I just need to know you are okay,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI promise I will call,\u201d I said before hanging up the phone.<\/p>\n
For a long moment, I remained standing in the empty hallway, holding the warm key in one hand and the receipt in the other while my new wedding ring caught the light overhead. Then I stood up straight and decided it was time to face my husband.<\/p>\n
I slipped back into the quiet suite, easing the door shut with extreme care. Callum was already sitting up in the middle of the large bed, looking around the room.<\/p>\n
His hair was sticking out in every direction, and he blinked at me sleepily before offering the lopsided smile that had won me over years ago. \u201cThere you are, because I woke up and found the bed cold, so where did you vanish to?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI went down to the ice machine,\u201d I said, the lie slipping out of my mouth before I could stop it.<\/p>\n
He raised one eyebrow in confusion as he looked at my hands. \u201cYou went to the ice machine wearing a robe with no ice bucket in sight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI simply forgot to grab the bucket on my way out,\u201d I claimed quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh-huh, if you say so,\u201d he replied with a slight grin.<\/p>\n
I tried to laugh, but the sound came out far too high and strained. My hand remained buried deep inside my robe pocket, holding the key and note tightly.<\/p>\n
Just then, a knock sounded at the door as room service arrived with breakfast. I had ordered coffee earlier, and I was deeply grateful for the interruption because it gave me a moment to breathe.<\/p>\n
We sat across from each other at the small table with hot coffee between us. I tried to act like a normal person who was not silently falling apart inside.<\/p>\n
Callum buttered a warm croissant as if nothing in the world was wrong. \u201cSo,\u201d I began casually, \u201cdid you remember to empty your tuxedo pockets last night, since it needs to go to the cleaner?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I took care of it last night, so everything is all good,\u201d he answered smoothly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you completely sure about that?\u201d I pressed further.<\/p>\n
He looked up from his plate with a puzzled expression. \u201cValerie, I checked them myself, so the vow book and hotel key are taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest tightened as I listened to his confident answer. \u201cThat is weird, because I found something else in there this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Callum stopped chewing his food instantly, and I watched his face carefully for any reaction. \u201cI found a receipt from a place called Sterling & Sons,\u201d I added.<\/p>\n
The change in his expression was subtle, just a quick blink and a slight tightening around his jawline. It was not exactly guilt, but he definitely looked guarded.<\/p>\n
I placed the tiny key, the handwritten note, and the receipt on the table between our coffee cups. Callum became completely still as his eyes fell upon the items.<\/p>\n
He did not reach out to touch them. He simply looked at them for a long moment, then raised his eyes to meet mine with a serious look.<\/p>\n
I watched him do that familiar thing where he chose his words with extreme care, as if every syllable mattered. \u201cOkay,\u201d he said very quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay?\u201d I repeated, feeling my frustration rise.<\/p>\n
\u201cValerie, I need you to trust me for just six more hours until we reach the airport,\u201d he requested softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSix hours?\u201d I asked, unable to hide my disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, just six hours,\u201d he repeated calmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cCallum, we have been married for less than half a day,\u201d I pointed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know how long we have been married,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe share phone passwords and bank accounts, and now you want me to sit on a secret for six hours?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, please, sweetheart,\u201d he asked, looking directly into my eyes.<\/p>\n
I stared at him across the table, feeling a wave of confusion. He did not look like a man who had been caught doing something terrible, but rather like someone who was hurt that I doubted him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is R?\u201d I asked directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cValerie, please,\u201d he groaned softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is she?\u201d I insisted, leaning forward.<\/p>\n