A big burly guy suddenly appears at Seth’s elbow.
“What’s going on, Eddie?” Seth asks.
“There’s been some kind of breach. Sir, we need to get you out of here until–”
Just then someone bursts into the theater. A woman screams as the door knocks her backward. People start running for the other exit. Eddie and some other huge guy who appears out of nowhere are suddenly standing between us and the door.
“Anya! Where are you?”
The sound of my name makes me peek my head around the big guy in front of me. Law is standing in the middle of the aisle, looking around the room frantically. He’s dressed in a tux but it looks like he found it in the bottom of a trash can and his hair is standing on end. There is something dark smeared on his right cheek.
Basically, he looks terrible.
“Oh my god. Law?”
The big guys move forward at once and I realize they’re going to grab him. Seth suddenly moves around them holding his arms up.
“He’s with me, guys. It’s okay.”
The security personnel who came from the back of the theater glance over at Law skeptically.
“Sir, are you sure?”
While Seth handles the security, I walk down the aisle toward Law. Now that he’s no longer being pursued, he collapses into the closest theater seat.
“Law, what are you doing? And why do you look…” At a complete loss for words, I gesture up and down his body, just now noticing that he’s also missing a shoe.
“I’m sorry. I forgot my wallet and those goons at the front wouldn’t believe me when I told them I was on the list!”
Seth had mentioned the security would be tight. Any event he’s publicized to attend requires heightened security. Now I’m starting to understand why. Obviously Law doesn’t mean him any harm but if he got in here, someone who was dangerous probably could as well.
“That’s not what I meant. I am kind of curious how you got around security but I meant why are you here? You could have just texted me later.”
“No, I couldn’t. I had to come before it was too late.”
Suddenly I’m aware of a strong fishy odor. My hand covers my nose. What is that? I look around searching for the source and notice there is a hole in the toe of Law’s sock. Did he step in something gross?
“Too late for what?”
He shakes his head. “I had it all wrong. Marriage didn’t make Liz a different person. She was always that way I was just too dumb to see it. Labels don’t make someone shitty.”
“I’m glad you realize that, Law. But what does that have to do with me? We want different things. I want different things.”
“You want love.” He stands and walks toward me. When he’s close enough, he reaches out and takes my hand. “I love you.”
My throat is so thick with tears I can barely breathe. This is the first time he’s ever said the words and the impact reverberates through my entire body. I try to pull my hand back but he holds tight.
“Don’t say that. It’s not fair to say things you don’t mean just because I’m moving on.”
“That’s not why I’m saying it. The last woman I gave those words to threw them back in my face along with my ring and my trust. I actually thought if I didn’t say them, I wouldn’t feel that way again.”
The people around us have fallen back giving us space. The music has stopped. If you’d asked me how I thought this day would end, I never could have predicted this. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen Law do. I can’t believe Mr. Straight and Narrow is making a scene. For me.
Oblivious to everyone staring, Law pulls me closer.
“I love you. I have for a long time. That doesn’t change because you slap a label on it. Pretending not to be your boyfriend didn’t change my feelings. Calling you my wife won’t make our love disappear.”
Even though I don’t want it to my heart flips hearing him say the word wife. Just as quickly I tell her to take a seat.