Twist Tied

by Guimond, Heather

  I nodded, trying to absorb his words. I’d messed things up so royally and hearing the depth with which I’d hurt him was like a knife in my heart.

  The question remained. Had I screwed things up past the point of repair? Could I still be all those to him and was he willing to be the man I realized I needed? I knew if the situation were reversed, I’d have a hard time forgiving and forgetting.

  “I’m sorry, Wyatt. I could say it a million times, and it would never relieve the guilt and regret I feel for being so stupid. I want to beg you for a second chance, but I know I don’t deserve it.”

  He was quiet for a while longer, still swaying back and forth with me though the music tempo had picked up without either of us aware of it. Finally, he drew back, keeping my hand in his, and leading me off the dance floor. I cast a worried glance at Rae, afraid he was going to lead me back to my seat and say farewell. She smiled at me reassuringly when Wyatt pulled me in the direction of the ballroom doors.

  “It’s quieter out here,” Wyatt said once we were in the hallway. “I don’t want either of us to miss a word of what we say.”

  “I think that’s a very good idea, but I’d rather not be interrupted by people coming in and out. There’s a small alcove around the corner that overlooks part of the atrium.” I took his hand back in mine and led him to a small seating group. We sat together on a small sofa, our bodies turned to face each other.

  “First and foremost, Clarisse, I forgive you. You’re not the first person in the world to mistake fantasy for reality. I know as part of the behind-the-scenes book world, you think you’re more aware than the average person, but it’s not hard to get caught up in worlds that are so richly written. If anything, it’s a compliment to the authors you read that you think the things which come from our imaginations are so realistic and believable. I don’t fault you for that. I just wish… well, I wish what was real and true had been more vivid and obvious for you.”

  I went to interrupt, but he stayed me with a lift of his hand.

  “I’m not finished. I don’t want you to get confused again. I know there’s a part of that world that still calls to you. You need to understand that it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. You can still have the parts that appeal to you without having to go to the extreme of being someone’s pet. You and I have done some incredibly marvelous and satisfying things together. We both have more than a bit of adventure in us. All possibilities are open to us. Do you see that?”

  Why did I feel like Wyatt was the one making a case for us to be together again when I was the one who should be doing it? He put it better than I ever could though. Clearly his thoughts had been far less jumbled than mine over the last week because he’d combed out all the tangles in my thinking and said everything I would have said if only I’d been able to.

  “You’ve put it so much better than I ever could,” I replied. “Until now, I still didn’t have a firm grasp on how I got so twisted up, but everything you’ve said is true. The question is, do you still want that? With me?”

  “I do. I want to know if you want it with me,” he said, looking down at his lap. “I’m miserable without you, Clarisse. I wanted to blame you for being so fucking stubborn, and while you were, I accept that about you. Gage told me to give you space, and you’d find your way in time. I’ll always try to give that to you when we have misunderstandings, but please… try to be quick in coming to your senses, okay?”

  The smirk he gave me made me want to throw myself into his arms, so I did. I held him tightly before kissing his face repeatedly.

  “I vow that I’ll do my best. I don’t ever want you to regret your decision to give me another chance.”

  “I won’t even if you fuck up again. You’re worth the risk, Clarisse. Besides, I’m sure I’ll do my fair share of screwing up.”

  “Just try not to make a habit of it, okay?” I said tongue in cheek. He reached down and slapped my ass before giving me one hell of a kiss.

  * * *

  After spending some time just holding each other and exchanging a few kisses, we decided it would be bad form to just skip out on the rest of the reception to celebrate our reunion. We walked in just as Stacy was trying to corral all the single women to the dance floor for the bouquet toss. I did my best to try to hide, not wanting to be part of the usual stampede for the flowers, but Rae zeroed in on me right away and dragged me out there with her. Sandwiched between her and Alexis, I tried to look unassuming and inch my way behind them. We were settled in the middle of the crowd which had me hoping Stacy would make a short throw.

  The group was tittering with excitement, so many women hoping to be the one who’d be expected to be the next one married. On a loud count of three, Stacy threw the bouquet high in the air. My eyes widened as I watched it sail right in my direction. I took a step back, hoping someone would dive in front of me, but as luck would have it, it hit me square in the chest. Not wanting it to plop to the ground, my hands instinctively came up around it. Without thinking, I immediately turned to Alexis and thrust it toward her. What ensued was a rapid game of hot potato, she and I pushing it back and forth between us. On one last great heave toward her, I took a few steps away, hiding behind Rae as Alexis fumbled, trying not to let it drop. Everyone cheered when she finally got it under control and realized everyone had backed away, essentially declaring her the winner.

  “Aw, hell,” she swore, a resigned but funny expression on her face. She held the bouquet high in the air and took a bow, conceding the win. Everyone cheered as she smiled and surprisingly blushed. People started to wander away, ready to resume dancing as Gage and Stacy prepared to say their goodbyes to their guests.

  All eyes turned toward the sound of a disturbance. Kent Kingsley was pushing through the remainder of the crowd to get to Alexis. She looked at him curiously, then in astonishment as he dropped to one knee.

  “I meant to do this later tonight, but I’m taking you winning the bouquet as a sign.” He reached into his pocket and produced a small, black, velvet jewelry case. A gasp went through the guests, everyone turning to watch the scene taking place before them.

  “Kent,” Alexis said through gritted teeth. “Get up. Don’t steal Gage and Stacy’s thunder.”

  Kent looked over at Gage and Stacy, both wearing beaming smiles of amusement. Neither one looked at all surprised or displeased.

  “Not a chance, princess. Humor me for a moment, will you?”

  Alexis sighed and crossed her arms, obviously embarrassed and maybe even a little irritated at Kent’s untimely proposal.

  “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. You make me laugh, you make me scream in frustration, you keep me on my toes. There’s never a dull moment with you, you always keep me guessing, and there’s a surprise waiting around every corner of our lives. It’s only fitting I surprise you now.

  “Please tell me you’ll agree to be my wife. Make an honest man out of me, finally?”

  Alexis looked around the room, the first time I’d ever seen her flustered and out of her element. She gave Stacy an apologetic look, then turned back to Kent.

  “Of course I’ll marry you, you idiot. Now, please, get up off the floor,” she said, motioning to him with the bouquet. He stood, pulled her into his arms, then dramatically dipped her back, giving her a long, passionate kiss I’d bet had every woman under eighty’s toes curling at the sight. When he finally let her up, everyone clapped and cheered. Wyatt nudged me in the side.

  “That could have been you if you hadn’t been so quick to get rid of the bouquet.”

  “Like you’d even propose after everything we’ve just been through,” I said with a snort.

  “Hey, you never know. I’m just as crazy as you are. I have the past to prove it.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay?” I said, leaning into his chest and playing with the buttons on his shirt.

  “You’d have to admit, it’d be one hell of another twist in our story.”

  “I th
ink I’ve done enough fantasizing for now. Maybe next year.”

  “I’ll mark my calendar,” he said, winking at me.

  The End

  * * *

  If you enjoyed this book, be on the lookout for Off the Board, Jasper Kingsley’s story, coming Summer 2019.

  Thank you for reading my book, whether I am a new-to-you author, or one of your one-click favorites. I’m a reader, just like you, so I know the joys a good book can bring.

  If you liked this one, please consider leaving a review with your favorite outlets, so other readers might take a chance on me, too. (Plus, I read them all. I really like knowing what you think, what you enjoyed, what you didn’t. It helps me bring more enjoyable content to you!)

  The Perfection Series

  Shattered Perfection

  Fighting Perfection

  Beautiful Imperfection

  Just Perfection

  Chasing Perfection (Novella)

  Flovers and Lovers

  Fireball and Fiascos

  A Love Between the Pages

  A Novel Experience (Novelette)

  The Novel Approach

  Quick Dirty Luck

  As always, there is a multitude of people to thank for helping bring this book to life. Each one played a pivotal role in helping me get to the last page, and I’m deeply indebted to each of them.

  First and foremost, I must thank Trenda L. for her unwavering support and belief in this story, especially when I struggled so hard with it. If it weren’t for her, this book would never have been finished at all. Her advice is always spot-on, and she made a world of difference in Twist Tied. It’s as much her book as it is mine.

  Thanks to AnnMarie B. for answering the call when I begged her to beta read. Again, without her wisdom and guidance, you’d never have read this book.

  As always, deep thanks to my editor, Sandy E., for fixing my atrocious typos, haphazard use of commas and always confusing lay, lie, and laid. You always make me look like I know what I’m doing far better than I actually do.

  Super-special thanks to my boo (and soon to be road-trip buddy) Natasha H. for pushing and pimping everything I write, reading on demand when I’m dying to know if something works or if it’s funny, and for generally helping me keep my sanity. Plus, she’s a kick-ass assistant who makes sure I stay on top of my word count goals, prize list and calendar.

  Finally, my greatest thanks go to my husband and children for letting me reach for my dreams. I’m so grateful for all the slack you cut me, especially considering I’m an O.G. slacker to begin with. I love you.

  Heather Guimond is a Los Angeles native, a fact she's abnormally proud of. When she's not trying to write something that will make people laugh or rip their hearts out (or both!) she's either reading or doing her best to crack the whip on her three home-schooled teenagers.

  She loves all things witty and wise-cracking, as well most varieties of smart-assery. Other favorites include French roast coffee in copious amounts and the dirtiest Dirty Martinis she can find. More than anything, she hopes she writes books that stick with the reader long after the pages have been read.

  Get to know me by joining my Facebook readers group, Heather’s Dirty and Flirty Harlots!

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