by Jenni James
Gregory was all smiles as he pulled me closer to him. “Yep, she’s our hero.”
Taylor grinned and turned to a girl behind him, then gently pulled her to his side. “Here’s Chloe.” I watched his face light up as he smiled down at the pretty redhead a moment before addressing us. “We were just talking about how Amanda saved Kylie’s life. You remember Amanda, don’t you?”
Chloe’s smile included everyone. “Yeah, vaguely. You were a senior this year, right?”
“Yes.”
“I heard about what you did for Kylie in Moab—that was really amazing. Were you sacred to death? I would’ve been.”
“Oh yeah, we were both scared.” I looked up to include Gregory. “He was there too and actually helped a lot.”
“Yeah, right,” he said. “You know I hardly did anything.” He looked at Taylor and Chloe. “Don’t let Amanda fool you—she’s the real champion.”
“I heard Collin was there, too. Is that right?” asked Taylor.
“Oh yeah, he was awesome!” I looked up at Gregory. “I don’t think either of us expected him to be as wonderful as he was in that situation. Seriously, he totally kept his cool the whole time.”
Chloe shook her head “I just can’t believe he and Kylie are getting married. I mean, it floored me—well, both of us—when we received invites to this party. Has Kylie changed a lot since the accident?”
Gregory and I both nodded. “Yes, a lot,” I answered. “You haven’t talked to her in a few months, have you? Just wait. She’s a new person. I think that falls and near-death experiences must have a way of changing people.”
“Well, I was amazed just to be included on the invite list,” Chloe explained. “But I was anxious to see her and get to know her again. I don’t know if you heard, but she and I didn’t hit off this year.”
Taylor laughed. “That’s an understatement.”
Chloe shook her head. “It’s not as bad as he makes it sound. Kylie liked Taylor—Taylor liked me. End of story. Besides, in the end she was the one who got us together, though she probably doesn’t know that. So I have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to her.”
“Well, there’s nothing for you to worry about now,” Gregory remarked. “She is definitely head over heels in love with Collin. And the funny thing is, I’m grateful to Kylie for almost the same reason you are, Chloe.” He grinned down at me.
Twenty-Five: Always & Forever
After Chloe and Taylor had gone off to chat with other people, my stepsister walked in the Wentworths’ front door. My heart sank.
“Well, were you going to answer the door, or what?” she grumbled at Gregory.
Ever since I had told her that he and I were together, Sydney had been more horrible than ever. “Sorry, we didn’t hear the doorbell ring,” I said.
She spun around to face me. “You know what, Amanda? Shut up, okay?”
I flinched from her glare, but Gregory lost it. He took two firm steps forward and hissed, “Sydney Ellis, let’s get one thing straight right now. I have kept silent for as long as I can, and I’m through. You will step up and act like a decent human being, or you’re gone. I will personally kick you out of this house. Do you understand me? No one—not one of my guests—needs to witness your tantrums. If you don’t like something, suck it up and deal with it!”
“But I—”
“No buts! You disgust me, and if I didn’t love your stepsister, you wouldn’t have been invited here in the first place. She is the one who insisted that you come. And another thing, if you so much as look rudely at my girlfriend—whether she’s your stepsister or not—you will answer to me.”
“A–are you threatening me?”
“You better believe it. I love her. Period. And I will not tolerate someone hurting the person I love. You got that? You’re comprehending, right? I don’t want there to be any more misconceptions between us. As of right now, the line has been drawn. You cross it, and you will lose whatever tiny hold and status you have over this town, and Sydney Ellis will become a nobody. You won’t be included in anything or invited anywhere, and no one will remember you.”
The doorbell rang. With a sneer, Sydney stormed out of the room.
Gregory looked at me, anxiously scanning my face for my reaction. I was still in such shock I couldn’t even respond. No one had ever told Sydney off before. No one had the guts to!
“Uh, Andy, I’m sorry,” Gregory said. “I didn’t mean to lose my cool like that. I know she’s your stepsister and . . . and do you hate me now?”
“Hate you? No. Surprisingly, I feel relieved.”
“Relieved?”
“Yeah.”
“Relieved is good.”
I smiled. “Yeah, um—thank you. It’s nice to have someone to fight my battles for me.”
The doorbell chimed again.
“Grr.” Gregory reached for my hand. He opened the front door, and there stood Collin, carrying Kylie in his arms.
“Hi, guys!” she beamed. “Collin insisted on carrying me, instead of wheeling me around in my wheelchair. I told him he was crazy, but he wouldn’t listen.”
Gregory and I chuckled and stepped back to make way for them.
“Kylie’s here!” someone called out. All of a sudden there were squeals of delight and a swarm of people around us as everyone greeted her. Gregory and I stepped farther back to allow the people who hadn’t seen her yet to say hello. I felt bad for Collin as he tried to make his way through the crowd. Kylie didn’t weigh much, but she had to get heavy eventually. At last, through the midst of well wishes and congratulations, he set her on the chair Gregory’s parents had decorated for her.
Kylie deserved every bit of this, and I was so happy for her. She looked really pretty—as pretty as I’d ever seen her—and she simply glowed. After all she had faced the last few weeks, it was nice to see that so many people had come to support her. I think she was surprised, too. Earlier that day, when I’d helped her choose her outfit, she’d been worried no one would come to the engagement party.
Silly girl! See how much you are loved, I thought. Look how many people are here to celebrate that you are alive.
“She looks happy, doesn’t she?” Gregory said to me.
“Yeah, she looks almost as happy as I am.”
“Come here, you!”
I giggled as Gregory pulled me back into a now-empty receiving room and kissed me. My knees were a little weak by the time he was done. Wow.
He chuckled and leaned his forehead against mine. “I feel much better—I hadn’t got to kiss you for a good two hours.”
“Has it been two hours?” I teased. “Are you sure?”
He kissed me quickly on the lips again. “Yep, I’m positive. I was having withdrawals.”
“Withdrawals? That sounds serious—we’ll have to do something about it.” I peeked up at him from under my lashes.
“Excuse me, Amanda.”
I turned. It was Collin. “Oh, is it time for Kylie’s song?” I asked.
“Well, yeah, if you don’t mind.” He looked a little nervous about interrupting us.
“Okay, I’m right behind you.” Reluctantly, I pulled out of Gregory’s arms and looked up at him.
“You ready for this?” He grinned down at me.
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think so. Kylie’s so going to freak out when she hears it.”
“You’re going to be amazing. So don’t worry about anything, okay?”
I nodded my head, not nearly as nervous as I’d thought I would be.
Gregory held my hand and walked me through the crowd of people to the piano bench. Sitting nearby, Kylie looked at me funny. Then Collin picked up the microphone Gregory had hooked up for him.
“Excuse me, everyone,” Collin’s voice boomed through the house. “There’s a little something I would like to dedicate to Kylie. This is a song I wrote for her. Amanda Ellis has graciously helped me arrange the accompaniment. I hope some of you old-timers aren’t too thrown off by
its rock sound, but I really wanted Kylie to see how much she means to me—and how special she is—by creating something that is, in a sense, a piece of me. Here’s to you, Kylie, the most awesome girl in the world.”
With that he gave me a nod and I began playing the song in a slow tempo that would eventually morph into a rocked-out chorus. After the intro, I made sure Collin and I were on the same beat when he started singing. His gruff, harmonic voice glided easily over the lyrics, and it still amazed me how well he could sing.
Funny how some things we think will last forever,
Like friendships, laughter, and dark, stormy weather.
But what we don’t realize is nothing is here to last,
And soon all of it will be memories in the past.
Soon it will all be gone
Like fires and things gone wrong.
Soon nothing will be left
Except that kiss, the mem’ry, the feeling you were
blessed.
You came into my life—I thought all was lost,
And you stayed by me not thinking of the cost.
With talks of angels and happily ever after,
You made the world seem bright, like it would last
forever.
Soon it will all be gone
Like fires and things gone wrong.
Soon nothing will be left
Except that kiss, the mem’ry, the feeling you were
blessed.
If I could keep your happiness by my side
To cheer me through my pain, my grief, in its stride,
I’d try to find words to thank God for the gift you are,
To speak, to sing, to pray you’re in my life.
Your joy spreads far.
Ev’rything I’ve thought is wrong.
You’re my hope, you’re my song.
It will last, I have no fear,
Like the kiss, the mem’ries, and the feelings right here.
It’ll always be there for us.
With you I lay my trust.
By the end of the song, Kylie was in tears. I had never seen her so emotional before. Of course, if a guy had just sung like that to me I would probably be in tears, too. The whole room exploded in applause, and I searched the sea of people for Gregory.
“You were wonderful!” I heard him say.
Happily I turned to find him by my side. “Didn’t Collin do such a good job?” I began to clap with the audience.
“Yes.” Gregory almost had to shout so I could hear him. “The whole thing was really cool.”
We laughed along with everyone around us when Collin scooped Kylie up in his arms and kissed her. They were so sweet together.
The collective “ah” from the audience was exactly what Kylie needed. Collin lifted her up closer to his chest and spun her around. I heard her shrieks of laughter as Gregory pulled me into another room, away from everyone else.
“I know this is Kylie’s night, but I wanted to give you something, too.”
“You’ve got something for me?” Good grief—I didn’t get anything for him.
“Yeah, here.” From a nearby table, Gregory picked up the largest bouquet of red roses I had ever seen. “These are for you.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Well, since this is your first real concert and all, I thought I’d better get you something to celebrate it. I mean, how would it look if I wasn’t the first person to give you flowers? Soon you’ll be so famous, people will be throwing them at your feet after you play the piano.”
I laughed. “Whatever!”
Hours later I was still in a daze as I helped Gregory’s family clean up after the party. I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed in just a few short months.
“Well, I’ve gotta hand it to ya, Amanda.” Gregory’s dad patted me on the back. “If Suzie and I could’ve picked anyone for Gregory, out of all the girls he’s gone with, we would’ve chosen you, whether it were three years ago or now. We’re just glad he was finally smart enough to see it, too.”
They’ve known all along? Gregory and I stopped what we were doing and looked over at Charles. I, for one, was pretty shocked, and Gregory looked surprised, too.
“What?” Mr. Wentworth chuckled as he glanced back and forth between us. “You’re kidding me. You honestly think Suzanne and I didn’t see how it was between you two? How it’s always been?”
Gregory’s mom began to laugh, really laugh. “You poor girl! Why did you think we invited you over to dinner? And why did you think I went on and on about people who love each other and never do anything about it?”
Gregory shook his head at me and laughed before glancing back at his parents. “To persuade us to admit our feelings. Man, I can’t believe you two—”
“Would love us so much!” I hurriedly interjected.
“—didn’t help us sooner,” Gregory finished. He set his broom against the wall and walked over to my side. Grinning, he caught my hand and held it. “You could’ve saved us a lot of heartache, you know?”
I smiled up at him. “But where’s the adventure in that?”
“Adventure? If you thought that was an adventure, just wait till you see what’s to come. I think our journey has just begun.”
“Finally!” I giggled before throwing my arms around his neck and squealing when he picked me up in his arms.
It boggled my mind to think that after three years of believing my life was over, it was actually just beginning. And all because of the love of a guy I foolishly let myself be persuaded to reject. Never again will I be persuaded to do anything I know in my heart is wrong. Who knows? Next time, I may not get a second chance.
About the Author
Jenni James is the mom of seven rambunctious children. They’ve lived in Portugal, England, and Utah, and now make Farmington, New Mexico, their home. When Jenni isn’t writing, she’s chasing her kids around the house and exploring the world to find new romantic stories to create. She is the author of the Jane Austen Diaries as well as the Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection. She loves to hear from her readers, and you can contact her at [email protected].
For a sneak peek at Emmalee,
the next book in The Jane Austen Diaries, just turn the page!
Emmalee
“Emmalee!” Mom’s voice brought me out of my reverie.
“What?” I hollered back. Our house was pretty large. Okay, it was huge, and trying to talk to people in other parts of the house was nearly impossible. Especially since I refused to use the intercom system my stepdad had installed. Talk about so 1960s and totally embarrassing.
“Come here,” was Mom’s answering call. “I have some news for you.”
News? Hmm. News is good. “Okay,” I answered as I logged out of my account. No reason my friends should think I was a total Facebook junkie. I tried to log out regularly, just in case they thought all I did was sit in my room and surf the site. Pathetic, I know, but ever since my best friend went away to college four weeks before, Facebook was all I’d been doing. I sighed. Senior year looked like it was going to be a little bleak. I was the only one left at home now. Sometimes it stinks being the youngest.
I turned off the lights as I headed out of my bedroom. “Where are you?” I hollered into the corridor. I glanced at some of the family portraits that lined the wide hallway. My mom had commissioned an artist to paint them from old photographs.
I was determined that someday I’d be good enough to actually paint portraits myself. Of course, my favorite portrait was of me grinning adorably, sitting on a fluffy white rug slash blanket thing, in a gorgeous, ruffled yellow dress with a huge bow on my head. How much cuter could I have possibly been? Mom’d also had a doll made to look just like the portrait. She called it her Emma doll. It was still sitting on a shelf right behind me in my bedroom.
“I’m in the upstairs parlor, dear,” Mom finally answered.
Upstairs parlor? Good grief. I turned left and followed the portraits of my ancestors�
��mostly from the ’30s and ’40s—that led to the room. Mom read a lot of Regency romance novels and liked to pretend we lived in Jane Austen’s time. Hence the portrait “gallery,” as she called it, and the upstairs “parlor.” She originally wanted to call it the “green room” or “blue room” like they would’ve back in the 1800s. Thankfully, since she was constantly redecorating the room and changing the color theme, my stepdad demanded that she stick to calling it the upstairs parlor instead of changing the name every year or so.
This year, the parlor would’ve been called the “pink room.” Shades of every color of pink, ranging from the palest blush to the darkest burgundy, were tastefully scattered around the ivory room. With plush silk accent pillows, elegant curtains, organza-covered lampshades, and artfully arranged pink knickknacks, it looked like it had come straight from the pages of House Beautiful. Knowing my mom, it probably did.
I paused in the doorway and looked at her. She was beautiful, strikingly so. Right then she had one perfectly manicured, diamond-ringed finger held up for me while she talked on her old-fashioned ivory-and-brass French phone. I watched as she laughed and flipped her long, smooth blonde hair. She moved the exaggeratedly curved phone receiver to the other ear and crossed one long, slim leg while she lounged on an antique cream and gold-leafed lounge chair. With fuchsia accent pillows, of course.
