Just an Illusion - Encore

by D. Kelly

  As she slides down onto my length, I grip her hips. “Virginal, obviously not. I just want to be able to sit on my ass without wincing and everyone knowing why.”

  “Fine, I’ll give you that, but if you think they’re not all fucking in the—”

  “Sawyer, shut up and kiss me.”

  Our bodies move together in a familiar rhythm, and when our tongues meet, she whimpers into my mouth. She rides me harder, and I pull her as close to me as I can while lowering my hands to her breasts, but our mouths remain fused. One of Mel’s favorite way to come is with my tongue in her mouth, but my tongue in her pussy is a close second.

  “My God.” She speeds up her movements and clenches around me. It’s only a matter of time before she goes over the edge. I pinch her nipple, and she cries out, “Sawyer, yes!” And when I do it again a second time, she tugs my lip ring between her teeth and I sit up while she rides me. The shift in position gives me better access to her neck and her ear. Moving my lips to the shell of her ear, the pulsing around my cock increases.

  “Come on, Princess. Let me feel you come all over my cock.”

  “Sawyer,” she whimpers softly.

  “Nah, Princess. You can do better. Scream my name, and when you do, I’m going to come inside your sweet fucking pussy.”

  “Sawyer!” she screams as she rides me, fingers scratching my back, her mouth taking mine in hers as she rides the wave of her orgasm while I drown in her desire.

  “Fucking hell, Princess,” I nip her ear as I come down from our sexual high.

  “I love you, Sawyer, and I have a surprise for you tonight. We’ll call it your wedding present, and I can’t wait to give it to you.” Excitement dances in her eyes.

  “Well, whatever it is, if it makes your eyes light up like that, I hope I get to keep it forever.”

  “Uh no, it’s temporarily on loan. You’ll have to figure out other ways to light me up.”

  “I’m sure I can think of a few,” I answer as I pull her into a kiss and, hopefully, round two.

  Dinner has been over for a while, and my parents, Diane and Rob, Veronica, and all the kids are now gone. We had dinner in the backyard of the beach house, and Mel had a little stage set up for everyone to give their speeches. No one even used it; we were all too busy having a good time to worry about speeches and shit.

  The whole night has been perfect except Eli keeps stealing glances at Rory, and she keeps sneaking glances at Darren. I’m not sure what the dynamic is there, but I know Darren isn’t one bit interested in my sister. And he never will be if he knows what’s good for him.

  “I still can’t believe my best friend is getting married tomorrow.”

  Anna waddles to my side, and I pull her into a hug. “Well, I can’t believe you’re about to have baby number two. Just don’t let him interrupt the ceremony tomorrow. The reception I can handle, but I don’t want to wait any longer to get married.”

  “You finally got what you wanted.”

  “What’s that?”

  Anna smiles up at me. “The girl who gives you the good smiles. Take care of each other always and your marriage will last forever.”

  I’m pretty sure we were teenagers when I told Anna the smile theory the first time. “We’ll do that. I love you, Bethie.”

  “I love you too, Sawyer.”

  “Everyone, can I have your attention?” Jordan steps to the stage, and I’m surprised. He likes to stay out of the limelight. Mel joins me, and I wrap my arm around her waist. “Now that the grownups are gone, I feel like I can speak freely.” That earns him a few chuckles from the crowd. It’s strange to think we’re the grownups now.

  “Anyway, we’re all family here, but since I’ve been Sawyer’s brother the longest, I wanted to say a few things. The most awkward but most necessary is a message for you from Noah.”

  Tony gives J a subtle nod, and I wonder how much this is going to make me cry. Mel clutches my hand, and I’m not sure if it’s to give me support or because she needs strength, but I squeeze it right back.

  “Last week, I got a letter from Tony’s office, and inside it was a letter from Noah. I didn’t want to risk something happening to the letter, so it’s in my safe. Forgive me as I read this from my phone.”

  Mac brings two chairs over to Mel and me, and we take a seat.

  Jordan clears his throat and begins. “Dear Sawyer, I bet you wonder what makes you so special that I keep leaving messages all over the place for you. Don’t worry, this is the last one. After this, it would probably start to get creepy. All I want to say is, congratulations. I’m going to keep my speculation to myself as to who the woman who finally stole your heart is because I might be wrong and that could make for a really uncomfortable speech that Jordan has to give.”

  Anna laughs through the tears streaming down her cheeks, and as I look around, everyone seems just as emotional as we are. Mel laces her arm through mine and leans her head on my shoulder, giving me all the comfort I need.

  “I wish I could be there to give this speech myself but since I’m not, here’s what I would say. To the woman marrying my brother, you must be someone special to have captured his heart. Welcome to our family. In case you haven’t already learned, Sawyer can be a bit hot-headed and stubborn. Forgive him. It’s the artist that resides inside him that makes him act a fool at times. Love him as deeply as you can because that’s the only way Sawyer knows how to love and it’s what you’ll always get in return. If you’re not already, become his best friend. Sawyer’s loyalty knows no bounds, and as his oldest best friend, I can guarantee you he may falter at times, but he’ll never let you down.”

  Mel is sobbing, I’m crying, even poor Jordan has tears streaming down his cheeks, but having Noah’s love surrounding us tonight is the best present I could have ever been given.

  “Forgive each other when you want to give up, love each other harder when you feel your anger rise, and talk about everything because the best secrets we can keep are the ones we share with our other half. Sawyer was my other half all my life, and now it’s your turn to take my place. Above all else, be kind to each other and everyone around you. If you do that, maybe the love, kindness, and security that holds the Weston family together will one day rub off on the rest of the world. Congratulations to both of you, and may your every happiness come true.”

  Jordan takes a drink and wipes his eyes as the rest of us collect ourselves. I don’t think there’s a dry eye out here, and I’m thankful J waited until Mom left, although I wish Diane could have heard it.

  “Okay, now I’m going to get real here for a minute since this is already awkward as fuck. We all know Noah knew Sawyer was going to end up with Mel. When this note showed up at my door, I was beyond excited. We’ve all danced around the obvious tonight because the past is sad and a bit of a touchy subject, but if one person was ever meant for two people, Amelia is that person. Tonight, we’re celebrating the happy couple, and because Sawyer is my brother, he probably thinks my toast should be about him. Can we be honest for a minute? We’re all tired of talking about Sawyer, right?

  Everyone laughs and releases some of that emotion. J sure does know how to work a crowd. Maybe he should have been the famous one.

  “All right, everyone, raise your glasses to toast the happy couple but also raise those glasses for Amelia. Thank you, Mel, for loving both of my brothers when they needed you most of all. You’re one of a kind. Thanks for staying in the family. It would have sucked if you would’ve married someone else.”

  Mel cracks up, and Darren tosses a wadded-up napkin at Jordan. “You suck at speeches, dude.”

  “I don’t know, I thought he was kind of on point,” Wyatt quips.

  “Aw, leave J alone. I think he did a great job.” Rory claps, and Eli follows, earning him a beautiful smile from my sister.

  Mel stands and makes her way to the stage as she wipes her cheeks. “Well, that was unexpected. Not Jordan, I knew the speech was coming, but Noah’s contribution. I think that
surprise alone would have made Sawyer’s night, but my surprise may top it.”

  “You’re pregnant again?” Warren calls out, and Mel’s eyes widen.

  “Bite your tongue, Uncle Warren, or I might just promote you to grandpa if you curse me again so soon.”

  “I’ll take Grandpa, or even Gramps,” Sam offers and receives Mel’s smile in exchange.

  “Noted. You two decide who is Gramps and who is Grandpa. Your new titles are officially in effect. Now, back to Sawyer. My soon-to-be husband has a fetish for all things dirty. No comments from the peanut gallery, please.”

  I laugh, but I have no idea what in the world she’s got up her sleeve.

  “For a while, there is one person Sawyer has been a fan of, someone he also not-so-secretly wants to get to know on a more intimate level. Mind out of the gutter, I’m not going to be that kind of wife. When we lost Noah, although it seems minor, one of the things we lost was the ability to go back to Utah. It’s too hard, at least it has been, but maybe one day that will change. Unfortunately, since Utah has been off the table, so has Sully’s.” Her eyes meet mine.

  “No way,” I say, and she nods.

  “Oh yeah, baby. I may not be able to take you to Sully’s, but I was able to bring Rhymin’ Rieanne to you. Enjoy your wedding present, Sawyer.”

  Ryan brings Rieanne out of the house, and everyone looks as surprised as me. I can’t believe she pulled this off. When Mel comes off the mini stage, I pull her into my lap. “God, I fucking love you.”

  “I know, but you can show me how much later.”

  “Hey, guys, I’m Rhymin’ Rieanne. I just want to say I’m honored to be here.”

  What the hell? She sounds normal. Where is the little mousey-voiced chick from the bar?

  “When I got Amelia’s call, I was shocked, but I wasn’t about to turn her down. I’ve always been a Bastards and Dangerous fan and when you all came into my bar that first night, I just wanted to do something funny that might take the visibility off you guys. You probably don’t know this, but Rieanne only comes out to play on nights Bastards and Dangerous are at Sully’s. I’m happy to know I made an impression on you all because you guys always made one on me.”

  That’s crazy. I would have never guessed. Now I’m even more excited to know all about her.

  “Tonight, I’m going to do a little number for you called Bridesmaids. I wrote it just for this occasion.”

  She begins her normal beatboxing, and we’re all immediately sucked into her presence.

  Always a bridesmaid

  Never a bride

  Boo hoo hoo

  Why fucking whine?

  Always a bridesmaid

  Means more dick

  In a closet,

  A stairwell,

  Behind the pulpit

  Always a bridesmaid

  Yay for me

  I’ll fuck him,

  And suck him

  And bring him to his knees

  Always a bridesmaid

  Oral sex yes, please

  The open bar does the trick

  And leads to ecstasy

  Always a bridesmaid

  Means no leash

  No ball and chain

  To restrict my pussy

  Always a bridesmaid

  Means sex with no strings

  Just don’t fall for the groomsman

  Or you’ll end up with a ring

  One thing about a bridesmaid

  That isn’t a bride

  She has someone to call her one

  While you drink alone and cry

  Rieanne bows and gets a standing ovation with catcalls and whistles. It wasn’t as dirty as some of her stuff, but it was special because she wrote it for us.

  “Congratulations, Mel and Sawyer. Thank you for having me here. Mind if I get out of this costume real quick?”

  Mel rushes her inside, and when they return a few minutes later, I almost don’t believe my eyes.

  “Wow, you’re unrecognizable. Where did my Velma dominatrix go?”

  The pretty blonde in front of me laughs. “Your what?”

  “You’ll have to excuse Sawyer. He’s had so many questions he’s wanted to ask you.”

  I pull Mel close and kiss the top of her head. “One of the times I saw you, you were with this sweet Poindexter kind of guy, and you reminded me of Velma from Scooby Doo. But another time you were dressed sexier and were with this big guy and I kind of pictured you as this dominatrix. With your … interesting lyrics, I always wanted to know your story.”

  “Wow, that’s completely flattering.” We move to the table with our friends, and I introduce her to everyone before she continues with her story.

  “It’s crazy to me that you’re this totally famous guy but you want to know about me. I’m just a girl who owns a bar in the middle of nowhere.”

  “You own Sully’s?” Wyatt asks, as surprised as me.

  “Yup, I inherited it when my parents passed away about twelve years ago. I wasn’t even old enough to run it then, but my aunt helped me get by until I was.”

  “Wow, that’s crazy,” Jordan says, and Rieanne looks at him quizzically. “I inherited a bar from my Uncle. He took me under his wing when I was a teenager and taught me how to run it. My parents died when I was a kid. My aunt and uncle—Sawyer’s parents—raised me after it happened. We’re technically cousins, but he’s my brother, and they’re my parents now. The uncle who left me the bar was my sperm donor’s brother.”

  “That is crazy! What a small world. Also, before we go any further, you guys should know my name isn’t Rieanne. Well, Rieanne is my middle name, but my first name is Aria.”

  “I love your name!” Anna exclaims.

  Wyatt reaches over and rubs her belly. “Let’s try for a girl, and we can borrow it.”

  “Not on your life. Two boys is plenty enough kids for the two of us. He thinks he’s going to change my mind, but I don’t think I was meant to have a daughter, and if I ever feel the need for a fix, I’ve got Cadence and Noelle, Saylor, Emme, or Daisy to satiate the need. My cup runneth over already, Wyatt.”

  Wyatt smiles indulgently at her, and even though Anna can be stubborn, I think Wyatt could eventually get his way if he pursues this. I hope he does. I need another Bethie in my world.

  Darren leans closer to Aria. “So who were the guys? Poindexter and the beefcake?”

  With an easy smile, she answers his question. “Poindexter, or as I know him, Max, is my best friend. We tried going out a couple of times, but it wasn’t in the cards for us. Beefcake, a.k.a. Stewart, is an ex, but that’s been over for a long time.”

  “Is there anyone special in your life now?” Mel asks with a quick glance to Ryan who hasn’t taken his eyes off of Aria.

  “Not at the moment. I’ve been busy with the bar. Actually, I’m in the process of deciding if I want to sell it or hire a staff to run it. Your call came in at a good time.”

  “Why? Sully’s is the best?”

  Aria flashes me a beautiful smile. “It’s time to move on. It was fun when we had surprise guests popping in and out, but it’s been a while since that’s happened. It’s a great place for the locals, and that’s why I’m considering keeping it, but I’m ready to begin the next chapter of my life. That’s one of the reasons I came. I wanted to check out some houses while I’m here.”

  “You felt obligated to stay this whole time?”

  Aria turns to Jordan and his date. “Yes, is that how you felt too?”

  “No, my bar saved me time and again. I always knew it’s where I wanted to be. I understand how it must feel, though, if it was never your dream.”

  Wyatt is rubbing Anna’s feet. Poor thing is exhausted, and we’ve still got a big day tomorrow. “We should probably get going,” Wyatt says as Anna yawns. “But I do have a question. Why did you go to such extremes to pull the attention away from us? To make us comfortable?”

  “This is going to be hard for you to believe, but it’s the truth as
it’s always been told to me. When I was a little girl, there was a band traveling through, and their bus broke down pretty much right outside of the bar. My parents huddled together and talked, then they went and knocked on the bus. They offered the band a safe haven, a place to come inside and not be treated any differently than any other person in the bar.”

  Aria pauses and looks at Mel, locking eyes on her before continuing. “It was a couple, and they had a little girl. I was a few years younger than her. We were maybe three and five, or four and six … I’m not sure. We played in the back room which was my playroom amongst other things.”

  Mel’s eyes widen, and Aria smiles at the memory. “I only have the vaguest memories from that day. I think mostly what I remember is from hearing the story many times over. It took almost a full day to fix their bus. As the bar filled closer to the evening hours, my dad stood at the door and told everyone, ‘What happens in the bar from this day forward stays at the bar.’ I think he realized sometimes people need a place to be themselves. He meant it too. There was never a time that word ever left the bar when someone famous had been there. It became a safe haven.”

  “It was us,” Mel whispers as she grips my hand. “That bus, it was my parents.”

  Aria nods. “It was. I always wondered what happened to you after they passed away. After your accident, I realized I’d seen you at Sully’s with the band but had no way of knowing it was you back then. I’m sorry you all have gone through so much in the past few years. I can’t imagine how difficult it’s been. I’m happy to see you all finding happiness again.”

  “Thank you,” Mel says sweetly, “We’re in a good place now.”

  “This is crazy,” Darren replies, and I think we all seem to agree.

  “Or maybe it’s fate,” Anna states simply.

  A silence settles around us, and the only sounds are the light music and the ocean lapping against the shore.

  “Well, anyway, Joey and Iris did a sing-along that night, and the bar went wild. Before Joey left the bar, he told my dad he should make it a rule that no one leaves Sully’s without singing a song. The next day, that sign went up over the stage, and it became sort of a karaoke haven. My mom and I came up with some ridiculous themes and songs to sing so on nights when celebrities came in, the crowd would focus on our outrageousness and not focus on the people who were trying to blend in. After my parents died, I went a little overboard, but the first time I ever brought Rhymin’ Rieanne out to play was a night you guys were there. It went over so well that I just kept her up.”