Renewed (The Fractured Series Book 3)

by James, Holleigh

  He pulled close to me and gave me a firm hug. “They would have adored you, you know.”

  “Well, I adore you.” I looked up at his face. I kissed him and tried to mute his sorrow.

  “Let’s do something,” I said. I wanted to keep his mind occupied.

  He looked at me. “I want to go to our spot.”

  After I cut up the bagels, placed them in a Ziploc bag, and stored them in the freezer, we drove to my house and parked the car that Rob bought me for Christmas. I had to keep it a block away so Dad wouldn’t see that it was me who was driving. I couldn’t tell him about the lessons Rob had secretly been giving me, or the Driver’s Ed class I signed up for through school until I took my driver’s test, which was scheduled for the Thursday after Easter. I knew it would throw my father over the edge. Not that I should care about what he thought, but I did.

  We held hands as we walked down the dirt-beaten path until the familiar sight of the creek came into view. It was the first time we had come back since the fall. The sprouting buds on the trees promised another beautiful canopy for the summer. Small shoots of grass started to push up through the dirt. New moss blanketed the rocks I loved to sit on and draw.

  “Every time I come here, I’m amazed at how beautiful it is,” he said walking forward toward the water. “I’m so glad you’ve shared this place with me.”

  “I love it here.” I walked up behind him. My arms found his waist.

  He pulled me around so I was in his embrace. He stared into my eyes. His still had evidence of his sadness reflected in them. The ability to control my limbs left me, and my heart hammered inside my chest. A finger caressed my cheek. He reached behind me and plucked the clip that held my long strawberry locks in place. I took it from him and pushed it into my pocket. Long fingers combed through my hair. His touch was electrifying. I felt it in every synapse.

  Waiting as long as I could, the tidal wave of emotion took over. My mouth pressed on his. We kissed, but it wasn’t enough. The fire inside of me got hotter. I wanted him, and I could tell he wanted me. I wondered if the animals that lived in the woods would mind if I had my way with Rob in the middle of their sanctuary.

  Without warning, rain fell. The leaves weren’t mature enough to keep the drops from hitting us. I thought my skin would sizzle when the cool water hit it. We could have easily run back to the car or my house, but Rob’s smile turned mischievous.

  “Come on,” Rob said, grabbing my hand. He pulled me through the woods. I tried to keep up with his long strides as we ran deeper and deeper into the thick wall of trees. Bright green plants tried to grab our legs, but we moved too swiftly for them to catch us. The rain fell harder, pounding down on us. My hair stained dark. It was heavy, and the curls stuck to my face. Rob kept running, pulling me with every step. We didn’t stop until I couldn’t breathe without gasping.

  His halt was sudden. He pulled me close to him as the rain teemed down on us. It camouflaged us from nature’s light fighting to break through the clouds and the canopy of trees. I blinked to keep the rain out. His body was warm against my cold skin. I looked at his face. His dark, wavy hair hung over his eyes.

  The rain was relentless as it poured from the sky. Our clothes clung to our bodies. The contours of his strong shoulders appeared through his wet tee shirt. Gentle hands cupped my jaw. I was no longer in the forest, but lost in him. A curtain of heavier drops rained down. It was hard to see through them, but I didn’t move or look away. He was beautiful. Fireworks exploded inside me as he moved closer, and then… he kissed me in the rain.

  It was magical. Romantic. Wonderful! Energy ran rampant through every molecule of my body. The rhythm of my heart kept time with the raindrops pounding against the ground. Despite the cold water drenching us, his lips were soft and warm. He didn’t stop until the rain did. He pulled his face back to look at me. I didn’t care about the streaks of black mascara that must have been running down my cheeks, or the wet strands of hair pasted to the back of my head. He looked at me as if I was the most beautiful girl on the planet. The two of us were drenched, but I didn’t care. He kissed me again. I felt the urgency in his mouth. He looked at me, my face still in his hands, and he said, “Mandy, I love you.”

  I kissed him again and silently hoped for more rain.

  ***

  “The two of you are soaked,” Mom said when we walked into the house. “Mandy, bring him upstairs and give him some of Bryan’s clothes. I’ll make some hot soup with dinner tonight.”

  “You don’t have to go to any trouble, Mrs. Stewart. I can go home to change.”

  “Nonsense. I’ll throw your clothes in the dryer and you can change back after we eat. Now go.”

  Rob chased me up the stairs and into my room. When the door closed, he grabbed me by the waist. Our wet bodies clung together like bits of paper to an electrically charged, plastic comb. He kissed me again. The same feelings I had in the woods started to re-emerge. I reached to the bottom of his wet shirt and peeled it over his head. Then I threw it on the floor.

  He imitated my actions with my shirt. He leaned his head close to mine. His breath was sweet, and my mouth searched for his. My hair dripped on the carpet and I shivered, but it wasn’t because I was cold. In fact, I was very, very hot.

  I struggled to shed my pants. I stood in front of him wearing just my bra and panties.

  “Oh, my God. Do you want to give me a heart attack in your parents’ house? Your father would kill me if he could read my thoughts right now.” He stepped forward to put his arms around me. He was wet and cold. I didn’t care. It was exhilarating.

  “You should take your wet clothes off.” I pointed to his pants.

  Without hesitation, he pulled the pants down to his ankles and stepped out of them. He resumed his advance, reaching his arms around my waist. He jumped back when he heard the front door slam downstairs.

  I grabbed my bathrobe from the closet and said, “Wait here. I’ll get you some dry clothes.” I kissed him quickly before I walked out of the room. I returned a few seconds later with a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt from Bryan’s room. They weren’t much, but they were clean and dry.

  I watched as he plunged each of his muscular legs into the pants, sorry to see some of his best features being covered up. Then he pushed his head through the top of the dry shirt. I helped straighten it so he could get his arms in the right holes. As I pulled the top into place, he put his arms around me.

  “At least now, if your father walks up here, he won’t catch us with no clothes on. There’s no way I can hide what I’m feeling right now.”

  I looked down to see how tight Bryan’s pants were on Rob. He pressed his lips to my devilish smile.

  “Can I brush your hair?” he asked.

  I handed him the purple brush from my end table. He sat with his back against my headboard. He spread his legs slightly and patted the space between them. I hopped up on the bed and he began to run the brush through my wet tangles.

  There was a knock at the door, but Dad didn’t wait for me to tell him to come in. He leaned in, no doubt expecting to find something other than Rob brushing my hair. I’m sure he was surprised.

  Redness washed over his face. “Mom said dinner is ready.”

  “Thanks. We’ll be right down,” I said, and he left, closing the door behind him.

  “See?” Rob said. “Aren’t you glad we got dressed?”

  “Not really, but I guess it beats getting my dad angry.”

  Mom made some of her minestrone soup. She always keeps extra containers frozen in the basement. It felt good to eat something hot after being in the cold rain, even if I was warm being near Rob.

  “I hope it doesn’t rain on Saturday,” Mom said in between spoonfuls of soup. “I don’t want the wedding to be ruined.”

  “The forecast says it’ll be a sunny, beautiful day.” Dad tried to be a positive part of the conversation, even though his tone was flat and even.

  “Well, you know what they say about
April showers.” She continued to worry.

  “It’s just the ceremony that’s outside,” Bryan said. “Then we’ll be inside for the reception.”

  “Still, I want it to be perfect for you and Jennifer,” Mom said.

  Rob helped clean up as usual, and then we spent the next hour saying good-bye.

  “I’ll call you at nine.”

  “I wish it were nine already.”

  I tried to busy myself with school projects until it was time for Rob’s call. I answered the phone on the first ring. It was even difficult to say good-bye over the phone. I finished my homework and went to bed thinking of Rob.

  My hair was heavy with water as the rain beat down on me. I walked through the forest until I saw Rob. He was waiting in the middle of four large evergreens, wearing nothing. As I walked closer to him, I began to remove my clothes, tossing each garment onto the plants and growth on the ground.

  When I was out of clothing, his strong arms opened for me to walk into.

  The trees did little to protect us from the rain. But, I was uninterested in the weather. His mouth found mine and we kissed. The rain splattered on the rocks and plants surrounding us.

  He took my hand and led me to a small cleared patch on the ground. I laid down, and my wet hair clung to my neck. He reclined beside me and brushed my curls away with his soft hands. His kisses started where he moved my hair. They traveled. One thing led to another, and…

  Stupid alarm clock. I woke up before I could finish my dream.

  Chapter Nine

  The limousine picked me up at eight o’clock. The chauffer put the garment bag with my dress and accessories in the trunk, and we drove around to pick up the other girls.

  “I called him,” Courtney said.

  “Who?”

  “Eric Bowman.” Her face beamed with happiness.

  “So, what happened?” Liz asked. Each girl was focused on Courtney. We were all dying to know.

  “We’re going to go out next Saturday. He asked if he could dance with me today.” She bit her bottom lip to contain her giddy excitement. The other girls and I congratulated her and wished her luck.

  As we drove up to the reception hall, I saw tons of white flowers arranged in small vases along the masonry walkway.

  The Maitre‘d ushered us to a room where a cosmetologist and hairstylist took turns working on each of us. Mrs. Sutton came in, wearing a form-fitting, magenta evening gown. Diamonds dripped off her from every possible place. Her hair was perfect, as was her makeup and nails. Expensive slut.

  “Okay, girls. Who can I help zip up?”

  Courtney, Michelle and Tanya formed a line. The cosmetologist was still working on Liz. And it was my turn to be tortured by the hairstylist.

  By ten o’clock, we helped Jennifer get into her wedding gown. It was made of a beautiful fine satin, with a sweetheart neckline. The corset pulled tightly at the waist, and I could see that Jennifer could barely breathe.

  “It fit perfectly last week,” she whispered to me.

  “Well, you are eating for two these days,” I whispered back. I loosened the laces in the back, and Jennifer thanked me.

  The photographer pushed into the room where we were waiting and took several hundred pictures of us in various poses, including us helping Jennifer put her veil on. The florist distributed our bouquets of bunched pink roses before she excused herself to hand out the boutonnières to the guys.

  I was anxious to see Rob. I’d never seen him in a tuxedo, and I couldn’t control my thoughts when I imagined how handsome he would look. I remembered the image of his father in his parents’ wedding picture. I wondered if he was thinking about them.

  Jennifer sat on a chair. She looked pale. I pulled the Maitre‘d to the side and asked him to steal some fruit for Jennifer. I knew she had to eat. It wasn’t good for her or the baby if she didn’t. He returned with a full bowl and some napkins.

  “Jen, can I talk to you for a minute in here?” I pulled her into a side room and closed the door.

  “What’s the matter, Mandy?”

  I handed her the fruit along with a fork. “Here, you have to eat something. You don’t want to faint at your own wedding.”

  Mrs. Sutton knocked and then walked in, closing the door behind her. “Is everything all right?” The smile disappeared from her face.

  “Yes, Mom. Mandy just wanted me to eat something, for the baby.” Jennifer smiled at me.

  Without warning, Mrs. Sutton hugged me. It took me by surprise. I hugged her back, but I didn’t want to. My only thought was how she was ruining my parents’ marriage. I wanted her off me. “Don’t start crying.” I pulled back. “You’ll ruin your makeup.” Good job. That was quick thinking, Mandy. It worked. Mrs. Sutton backed away.

  “Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to my Jenny.”

  Yeah, even though my parents aren’t ‘professional’, and you’re ruining their marriage. Now, now, Mandy. Try to be mature.

  “Soon to be my sister-in-law,” Jennifer corrected.

  “That’s right,” Mrs. Sutton said. Tears collected in her eyes again.

  I held up a finger. “Tears. Makeup.”

  “You’re right. Okay, I’ll go round up the girls. We’ll be starting soon.”

  Some hotshot, German wedding planner lined us all up outside the chapel. Jennifer would be last, and I was ahead of her. Mom ran over to us from the ladies room. She was wearing a turquoise evening gown that didn’t leave much to the imagination.

  “Mom, you look fantastic!” And she did. I thought she even looked better than Mrs. Sutton. Boy, she’s come a long way in less than a year. I felt my smile get wider, and the wedding planner put her at the front of the line.

  In a thick German accent, the wedding planner gave us our instructions. He was shorter than most of us, in his crooked bow tie. “Zee men vill go furst. Zey vill valk out to zee altar at zee ent of zee chay-pel. Zee groom vill vait near the beeg bouquet of flow-eres. Zen I vill send zee ladies out. Goot?”

  We all nodded, but I don’t think we had a clue what he just told us. I just knew I had to wait for my cue.

  All of the guests must have been seated because the music changed. I shifted on my tiptoes, searching for Rob in his tuxedo. I was eager to see how handsome he looked.

  The wedding planner walked over to us after the men were in place. It was our turn. In his thick accent, he pointed to my mother. “Goh!” he said, and she walked through the doors that were held open by two of the staff from the reception hall. My father and Dillon walked down the aisle to escort her back to the altar. They both looked so handsome in their tuxes. One by one, the ushers came to escort the bridesmaids down the aisle. Tanya was ahead of me, and I saw Rob come to take her arm. He stopped when he caught a glimpse of me.

  The tuxedo made him look older than his eighteen years. A warm ripple coursed through my body. Although he was there to escort Tanya, he didn’t take his shining blue eyes off of me. A smile brought out both of his dimples. The wedding planner used his hands to shoo them away.

  When I stepped up to my starting point to wait for my cue, I looked up at the altar. My cousin Michael was Bryan’s best man. Under other circumstances, it would have been Jimmy, but he was in jail. I was glad for that, but sad for Bryan.

  I heard my cue. Hundreds of eyes were on me as I paced myself and walked slowly down the white runner. I know I should have been looking around at the guests, but all I could see was Rob. It was as if a light shone only on him. I held my gaze for as long as I could but my line of sight broke when I had to take my place on the other side of the altar, where the bridesmaids stood.

  Again, the music changed – this time to the Wedding March. The congregation turned. Jennifer appeared at the beginning of the white runner. She didn’t look pregnant at all. Her tight gown pulled so no one would question why the wedding was taking place so suddenly after the engagement announcement. Her mother had told her to hold the extra-large bouquet of white roses in front of her
at waist level. The excuse the Suttons used was they didn’t want the wedding to interfere with Jennifer and Bryan’s college plans. If the guests only knew the truth…

  On either side of her, Jennifer’s parents escorted her down the aisle to the sweet sound of a violin. Mrs. Sutton gloated with each step. They stopped at the altar, lifted the veil to kiss their daughter and passed her hand to my brother.

  The ceremony was romantic. Jennifer looked radiant in her gown as she recited her vows. I was very proud of Bryan, who looked as if he was enjoying himself every moment, and he beamed at his new bride when he said, ‘I do.’

  Once introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Stewart, the guests were herded into the reception area and the party began. Trays of food never ceased. Neither did the pictures or compliments. During their first dance as husband and wife, I knew Bryan would be all right. Rob invited me to the dance floor. It was the first time we were together all day.

  “You look incredible,” he said, eyeing me up and down.

  “You clean up pretty nicely yourself,” I said.

  He held me in his arms. He didn’t let go all night. And I didn’t want him to. Each moment was unforgettable. I could have stayed like that forever. But, the party had to end at some point. We waved good-bye to my brother and Jennifer as the limousine pulled away to take them to the airport so they could start their long-weekend honeymoon; a gift from Jennifer’s parents.

  Mom and Dad walked over to Rob and me hand-in-hand to tell me Dillon was going to my grandmother’s hotel room for a sleepover. I took the hint they wanted me to do the same at Rob’s.

  “Can you believe that? I’ve been kicked out of my house for the night.”

  Rob smiled. “I guess you’ll have to stay with me.” His voice was playful.

  When we got to his house, I kicked off my pretty shoes. Being in them all day was not my idea of fun. Rob sat next to me on the off-white couch.