“We both are,” I tell her through a laugh.
“You’re serious,” she says, almost breathless.
“As a heart attack.”
“Your mom hates me.”
“So the fuck what? She’ll get over it. I love you, more and more every day. I don’t need to wait a year or two to know how I feel now isn’t going to change, but if you ask I’ll wait on you for ten.”
Her face is soft yet stoic and for the first time ever I think she’s speechless.
“When?” she asks breathlessly. When? Is she saying yes?
“Does that mean you’re saying…”
She nods slightly but the most amazing smile I’ve ever seen spreads across her face.
“Tomorrow. Devin and Shauna are going to Vegas to elope. Let’s make it a double wedding.”
“You’re serious?” she asks again, her enthusiasm showing.
“We're doing this babe,” I tell her, and she pulls me into a frenzied passionate kiss, our tongues fighting, my hands everywhere on her.
“We’ve got to get in the car babe, or we’re going to get arrested,” I mutter against her soft lips, carrying her off the hood. I fumble with the car door and we fall into the back seat. Our clothes are off in seconds and I’m inside her, and I think of my fourteen-year-old self who would shit himself knowing I had the girl of my dreams naked, legs spread, me inside of her, having her scream my name in the back of my favorite car.
“You know, I really don’t appreciate you crashing our secret wedding,” Shauna bitches as we make our way through the airport. Shauna is Devin’s fiancé—hot as hell 5’9”, Hershey-colored skin, same color as Devin’s, and eyes like a cat—Devin’s wanted to marry her since the day he met her. I thought he was stupid, joke’s on me.
“Blame your can’t-keep-his-mouth-shut boyfriend,” I tease back as we all make our way through the hotel to our suite.
“After all of the jokes and bad mouthing about me being a pussy and wanting to get married, I’m laughing my ass of right now,” Devin says for the fifth time since I told him.
“And that’s why he’s buying us all drinks the whole weekend,” Alana interjects playfully.
“I guess that sort of helps,” Shawna relents.
“House, house drinks only,” I remind them.
“We didn’t agree to that, did we bae?” Devin asks Shauna.
“Nope, I don’t remember that deal at all,” they tease me.
“It’s okay babe, I’ll make it worth your while,” Alana whispers in my ear and for that promise I’ll damn near spring for a suite. Thankfully Devin had already booked one at the Palms Place.
“You have to tell me how you got him to bite the bullet in less than a year when Devin here sat on his ass for almost three.”
“Hey, we’re right here,” Devin reminds them.
“Damn Devin, comedy shows pay you this much?” I say, looking around the large suite. It’s gorgeous and looks way too expensive for us to be staying in. The floors are all marble-colored in cool greys. There’s no wall—only fucking windows. I’ve never thought much about being rich but this sure makes you want to have a taste of money. Devin chuckles as Shauna clings to his neck.
“Who said he paid for it?” she teases.
“My American Express does,” he asserts.
“Our American Express does,” she corrects him before pulling him into a kiss. I spot Alana out on the balcony, her hair blowing in the wind. I grab my camera and head out to her. She blows me a kiss when she sees me and begins to pose. I roll my eyes; she knows I like natural shots. She relents as I take her picture.
“We’re here. We’re really here Ian!” she squeals, her eyes lit up in delight, her enthusiasm contagious.
“We have a fucking marriage license. Us!”
“I know,” I tell her, taking in the gravity of the moment. Her wide contagious smile softens and she walks over to me and rests her head on my chest.
“You’re okay?” I ask her solemnly, holding her in my arms.
“I am. That’s what’s so scary. I can’t think of a time where I’ve been okay like this. Not okay, happy. Truly and unquestionably happy. I’ve never been happier than when I’ve been with you.”
I hold her tighter.
“Don’t screw it up,” she says playfully.
No. If there’s only one thing I get right, I plan for it to be this.
I’ve always known Alana was beautiful. I knew that from the first moment I laid eyes on her. I have to keep my attitude in check at the lustful glares she gets from men every night at work and the inconspicuous ones on a regular everyday basis. There is no question she’s one of the most beautiful women on the planet but seeing her in this simple white dress, her hair pinned up, with two white flowers in it and holding a bouquet just for me, she has never looked more beautiful to me. Her smile wide and magnificent the way it goes from small and nervous to relieved once we’re only inches apart.
“You ready for this?” I ask her again quietly. It’s the only out she’ll ever get from me. The rest of her life she’s stuck with me. She’s only mine.
“More than anything,” she tells me. I take her her lips in mine before a vow is spoken. There’s nothing anything can say to make her mine. She already was from the moment I saw her, from the moment she said yes. The rest of it is all for show. She had my thoughts since we first met, my lust since our first kiss, and my love as soon as she accepted it. It’s us against the world for a lifetime and come hell or high water, I’ll go against the whole damn world for her.
Chapter 7
Megan
My throat is so dry and my head is throbbing. My vision wobbly. How much did I drink? I look around for a water bottle. We usually keep them by the bed. And my heart clinches. This, this isn’t my room, our room…where the hell am I? My body starts to tremble when I look down and see that I’m naked, just a sheet covering my body. I scan the room for my clothes.
What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck?
Blue.
Red.
Purple.
Yellow.
I’m going to throw up. I dry heave but nothing comes out other than stale air. How did I get here? Did someone kidnap me, no. I’m not tied up? Was I drugged? Possibly.
I finally spot clothes, a black t-shirt and jeans. I grab them and frantically put them on. The room isn’t really big. There’s white paint on the walls, the bed I was just in, a TV mounted on the wall. But it’s nondescript other than that, almost like someone just moved in.
“No. No. No no no no.”
Tears are falling down my face. Think! What is the last thing I remember? I was with Kam at his family’s charity gala. Shit. I eye the door and the window, terrified of what to do. I grab some shoes near the bed. They’re men’s shoes, black Air Max, but I don’t care. I put them on and tie them tightly.
I’m going to run.
That’s what I’m going to do as fast as my legs can carry me. I approach the door, trying to turn my anxiety into courage.