When we moved in with him, I was expecting it to feel like a monumental change, but it wasn’t. Life went on as it always had. Phoenix started school, and I walked to work every morning. Even though Alex insisted we get a second car, it sits in the garage unless I go to the grocery store, and that’s the way it will stay.
It felt like nothing had changed between us. He’d never left. I’d never been angry and hurt. In fact, things were better than they ever were. I was learning to trust him, and Phoenix was as happy as I’d ever seen him. They hang out all the time. They have a special bond that I can’t even begin to describe.
It’s not father-son or even brothers. It’s more like they’re best friends.
They spend Saturdays in the game room they’ve been slowly putting together over the last few months, and Sundays are family day, a tradition Alex’s family started long ago and we’ve implemented in our life. The only difference is that we all participate, whereas Alex’s parents never did.
“I think she knows it’s going to take a small miracle to be in your life again. To be in Phoenix’s life. And no matter what, she has to go through me to get there. Her options were limited, and if she hadn’t agreed, she wouldn’t have had any other option but to go back to Vegas. I was prepared to do whatever it took to not let her take Phoenix with her.”
“You realize she can file a petition to take him at any time, right?”
“According to my lawyers, because she never filed a missing person’s report, she has no legal standing. She can try, but she won’t get far.”
I always assumed she had talked to the cops and told them I took Phoenix. Assumed someone was looking for us. They weren’t. We were always safe.
Not that it matters.
“Thank you,” I finally say, raising my head so I can see his reaction. “It’s not what I would have done, not what I wanted, because I didn’t want to deal with her. Because of you, she might actually get the help she needs.”
“Well, I figured if you decide to forgive her, you might want her at the wedding.”
This again.
Every night for three months, he’s hinted at getting married. Every night, I’ve avoided acknowledging his comments. He’s even gone as far as leaving the ring box on my bedside table.
I haven’t opened it.
The moment I do, I know I’ll breakdown and say yes, and I’m not ready yet.
“Maybe. You never know,” I reply, rolling away from him only for him to pull me back, tucking my back against his chest.
“One day you’re going to say yes,” he whispers in my ear confidently.
“One day,” I echo, “you’re going to actually propose to me and not just talk about it.”
“You’re right. When the time is right. When I’m sure you’re not going to turn me down. That’s the day I’ll propose and not a moment sooner.”
Closing my eyes, I fall asleep to the promise of Alex’s proposal. To thoughts of him down on one knee, asking me to be his wife. To spend the rest of my life devoted to him.
When I wake, my heart is beating rapidly in my chest. Alex isn’t in bed, laughter coming from down the hall. Looking at the time on my phone, it’s close to noon.
I never sleep this late, though I’m also not normally as mentally exhausted as I was last night.
Setting my phone back on the table without looking, I accidentally knock the ring box off, causing it to skid across the hardwood floor and under the bed. Letting out a sigh, I push the covers back and drop to my knees, reaching under to retrieve the box so I can put it back in its place.
One day, I think to myself.
Maybe that day should be today. Maybe I’m ready.
Alex isn’t perfect, but he’s mine. There’s no one else I’d rather be with. No one else that I trust with my life and Phoenix’s.
Why wait any longer?
Why not today?
But how do I tell him? I can’t just walk up to him, hand him the box, and say “I’m ready,” can I? That feels wrong. Far from the romantic proposal I want.
As I roll the little black box around in my hands, the answer to my question smacks me across the face. Setting it on the table, I snag my phone before bouncing down to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee as I mull over what I need to do today to put my plan in motion. To make it a success.
To stake my claim on Alex and ensure he’s mine forever.
“Are you boys about ready to eat?” I ask, sticking my head into Phoenix’s room.
Everything is a different shade of blue. The walls, the curtains, his bedding. If it weren’t for the white ceiling and oak wood floor, the room would be dark and cave-like. They’re each sitting in a bean bag chair, staring at the cards in their hands, looks of determination mirroring each other.
“One second. I’m about to kick his butt,” Phoenix says, carefully selecting a card and placing it on the discard pile.
Alex has been teaching him how to play poker, much to my dismay. Poker reminds me of home, and home reminds me of my mother. Thinking of her tends to lead me down a path I don’t want to take. I prefer to keep those memories locked away.
“That’s what you think,” Alex states, snagging Phoenix’s discarded jack of spades and laying down a full house, jacks over tens, for all to see.
“Nice,” Phoenix replies, “but not as nice as this.”
Four of a kind. The kid beat him.
“Seriously?” Alex asks, looking between Phoenix and the cards.
“Yup. I was going for a full house and drew another three. Best hand ever!” he announces, bouncing out of his chair and then rushing over to give me a high five.
I like seeing them like this. Ribbing each other. Competitive. It’s nice to see them enjoying each other’s company.
My knees bounce under the table as Phoenix tells me about every hand he lost today and the few he won. Alex is smiling proudly as he listens, adding to Phoenix’s story when called for.
My two favorite people in the world.
The light of my life and the owner of my heart.
There was a time when I thought I didn’t deserve Alex. That time has passed, a distant memory. Not only do I deserve him, but I deserve our life. I worked hard to get here. Struggled and scraped. I’m no longer the Vegas trash I always thought I was.
That feels like a lifetime ago.
I gave myself a second chance. I earned the right to sit at the table with these two amazing men, and I’m hoping things will stay this way for years to come.
“What’s got you looking so frazzled?” Alex asks as he begins clearing plates.
“Nothing,” I reply quickly, taking the plates from his hand and standing. “I made dessert. Sit down.”
“I can help,” he offers.
“No!” I practically scream. “I mean, no thanks. I got it. I’ll be right back.”
Quickly exiting the room, I can feel Alex’s eyes on my ass until I’m out of view. Placing the plates on the counter, I then fumble around in my pocket until I have the ring I bought Alex this afternoon between my fingers. After pulling it out, I admire it for a moment, the onyx band catching the light and bringing a smile to my face the same way it did when I first spotted it in the store.
Alex has always admired my hair. He’s said on more than one occasion that it was the first thing he noticed about me. Right before he caught sight of my ass. It was only fitting I buy him a ring that will always remind him of my hair, the color strikingly similar.
I reach into the cupboard, then pull out the package of Oreos I hid from Phoenix. After gently prying the top of one off, I place the ring in the cream before arranging them on a plate. I’m hoping Alex will get a kick out of my choice of dessert. It reminds me of the first night he came over for dinner.
A plate of store-bought cookies as his contribution.
It was sweet. It made me like him even more than I already did, and I hated him for it then. I didn’t want to feel anything for him. It was dangerous.
T
onight, I’m hoping the fond memory brings a smile to his face.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I mentally prepare for what I’m about to do. I know he wants to marry me, but I have no idea how he’s going to react. I’m asking him instead of the other way around. No matter what, there’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to say yes.
I’m only two steps in the room before Phoenix spots the cookies. He jumps out of his chair and snags three off the plate before I can stop him. Thankfully, he didn’t grab the one meant for Alex.
Offering Alex the plate, he goes to reach for the cookies when he spots his surprise. Setting the plate aside after he grabs the Oreo, I drop to one knee and start the speech I’ve been rehearsing all day long.
“Alex, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I may not have wanted to fall for you in the beginning, but there’s no denying you captured my heart. I loved you long before I was ready to admit it to myself, and marrying you is inevitable. Will you—”
“Stop,” he says, cutting me off before I can ask him the question I’ve been dying to get off my chest all day.
“But—”
“Harley, I love you, but this is not how I planned for this to go.” Turning to Phoenix, he holds out his hand, and my brother drops something into his palm. “This,” he continues, holding a beautiful white-gold band with a large diamond in the center, “is how it was supposed to go. I’m supposed to ask you to marry me. Tonight.”
“You were going to ask me tonight?” I ask, my eyes unable to look away from the ring between his fingers.
“Yes. About ten seconds after you dropped to your knees. I knew you were ready this morning. I saw it in your eyes. If I had known you were planning this, I would have asked you hours ago.”
“Ask me then,” I quip, my sassy side coming out.
“Sit your beautiful ass down and I will,” he retorts, standing and offering me his chair.
Once I’m seated, he kneels in front of me but doesn’t get nearly as far as I did in his speech. I’m screaming yes as soon as he says my name, falling into his arms.
The happily ever after I never thought I would get… it starts now.
Epilogue
Alex
* * *
I wasn’t surprised when Harley wanted a small wedding. Not that there were many people we wanted to share our special day with. Aside from my mother and sister, we only invited Vivian and a few people Harley worked with. Phoenix invited his friends, of course, so he had someone to “hang out with” instead of old people.
What did surprise me is that she decided she wanted to wait and see if her mother would keep her end of the bargain. Sadly, she couldn’t. To her credit, she completed rehab. She cleaned herself up and was able to stay clean for almost six months. When she fell, though, she fell hard.
I’d moved her into my old apartment. Helped her find a job. Made sure she had money coming in and was able to provide for herself. We met at my work once a week. The first time she didn’t show up, I knew she was gone.
There was a note on the counter in the kitchen with my name on it. Next to it, a stack of papers I’d given her the day she got out of rehab. Her signature was scrawled across the bottom line of the last page, barely legible.
Harley was now Phoenix’s legal guardian. She’d signed away her rights.
She went back to Vegas. Back to the man she had tried to say was Phoenix’s father but we knew not to be true. She hadn’t listed anyone on his birth certificate, which only helped with the quick processing of the paperwork.
Seeing the hurt and disappointment on Harley’s face almost broke me. She’d come to terms with the fact she wasn’t interested in a relationship with her mother, but she wanted to support Phoenix in whatever decision he made. When Cherry completed rehab, we started talking to him about it. He wanted to try if she was willing to stay clean.
The pain on Harley’s face was for Phoenix. He was never going to get the chance to know her. She took the decision away from him the moment she turned to her old ways.
He wasn’t as upset as we thought he’d be. He knew he still had us, and to him, that was all that mattered. He was a happy kid. Liked his new life. Had friends. His mother would have been an addition to all that, not the center of it.
I couldn’t have been more proud of the way he handled everything.
Until now.
As he walks Harley down the red carpet runner covering the sand. His arm linked with hers. I’m not just marrying Harley today—I’m getting a family. A brother. In a way, a son.
And hopefully someday soon, Phoenix won’t be the only kid in the house.
Standing next to Harley during the ceremony, Phoenix smiles as we promise to love and honor each other. To take care of each other in sickness and health. To always tell each other the truth, no matter what the situation… our own addition to the traditional vows. And when the minister announces us as husband and wife, he holds Harley’s bouquet so I can kiss my wife properly, causing our handful of guests to whistle and shout.
“I love you,” I whisper, my lips still pressed against hers.
“Not as much as I love you,” she replies, bringing a smile to my face.
Harley is the light of my life. I was lost until we met at rehab, a story I tell everyone I meet because it gets a laugh out of them. Nothing has been easy, but anything worth fighting for normally isn’t. And for her, I’ll fight until the day I die.
“You still hate her?” I ask Daph as she hugs me after the ceremony.
“No, I never actually did. She was always nice to me,” she confesses.
“Ah, it was the lack of drugs talking,” I joke.
“Ha, ha. If that were the case, I’d hate her now more than ever.”
Daphne’s been clean for eleven months. She started community college last fall after getting her GED. Instead of following in the footsteps I was forced to, she’s forging her own path, and my mother is there to help keep her on track. They live together in Florida now. On the beach.
A rough life, I know. Still, I wouldn’t want to live with my mother, yet Daphne seems to enjoy it. They’ve grown close, having more a sister-like bond than a mother-daughter one. Whatever makes them happy and keeps Daphne from relapsing.
“I don’t think anyone could ever hate her. She’s too nice to dislike. You tried, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah. She’s perfect, Alex. You found a good one. I’m happy for you,” she says, her voice taking a tone of sincerity at the end.
“Alex!” my mother coos, pulling me into her embrace. “What a lovely ceremony. Harley looked amazing.”
Yes, she did. My wife would look gorgeous in a potato sack, though. Still, her ankle-length blush-colored dress stood out perfectly against her long ebony locks and matching black flip-flops. A combination only Harley could pull off.
“Thanks, mom. I’m glad you two could be here today. It means a lot to us.”
Wrapping her arms around me from behind, Harley’s entwines her fingers with mine as she rests her head against my back.
“You ready to head to the house?” I ask.
“Yes, I’m starving,” she states.
“Well, we can’t have that,” I reply dramatically, spinning in her arms and lifting her off her feet before she can protest.
“Alex!” she shouts. “You can’t carry me all the way back to the house.”
That sounds like a challenge to me. One I’m up for. Its two blocks. I’d carry her across the state if she asked me to.
“Watch me,” I say. “I’d carry you anywhere, Harley Jane Neil.”
Pulling me closer, she whispers against my lips. “And I’d let you.”
Planting my feet in the sand, I kiss my bride. My wife. The woman of my dreams. The person who restored my faith in love. Who showed me what it meant to be part of a family.
Every day for the rest of my life, I plan to show her how much I appreciate her. To chase her when she runs. To catch her when she falls.
To stand by her side even when she doesn’t need me to.
The rest of my life is devoted to Harley. She is my queen and I will work every day to prove I deserve to stand by her side as her king.
Worth The Fight
Chapter 1
Your best life comes from surviving your worst experiences. I'm not sure who told me that, but I brushed it off at the time. Didn't give it a second thought.
Why would I?
I was happy. Surrounded by the greatest friends and family a girl could ask for. In love. About to marry my high school sweetheart. I had just finished my first year of teaching at my former elementary school. Molding young minds. Encouraging them to be the best version of themselves.
My life was everything I dreamed it would be. Everything I ever wanted and more.
Until today.
What was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
And now I can't seem to catch my breath. Even hours later, I'm on the verge of hyperventilating. The brown paper bag Liam gave me is sitting precariously in my lap as I stare off into space, the moment my life was forever altered on replay.
"Cass, you need to stop thinking about it and try to calm down," I hear him say. He's sitting next to me, rubbing his hand up and down my back, yet I barely feel his hand against my exposed skin.
Skin that was sprayed a golden-brown yesterday.
Picking up the bag, Liam places it in my hand. "Just breathe."
Doing as he asks, I place the opening of the bag over my mouth, close my eyes, and breathe deeply. Once, twice, three times. It does nothing to calm my racing heart. To stop the heartache in my chest or the tears that continue to stream down my cheeks.
"What can I do? Please tell me," he pleads. "I'll do anything I can to help, but you have to tell me what you need."
Liam's been there for me since the day I was born. Two months older than me, we grew up together. Our fathers have been friends since college. That automatically meant we were destined to be friends. The kind of friends you consider family. You celebrate holidays together. Take vacations together.
Half Truths: An Opposites Attract Romance Page 23
