by Eva Luxe
But I’m not going to change my mind about this date.
I’m not going to back down. It’s time to face my fears head on.
“I just wanted to wish you and Wesley well,” Dad says. “I hope you have a good date, Sweetheart.”
“Thanks Dad,” Chelsea says, and rolls her eyes.
“Ready?” I ask her.
“Definitely,” she says. “But I think I should be the one asking you that question. Are you ready?”
“Definitely,” I say.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to do it.”
“I’m sure, Chelsea. I’ve never been surer of anything in my fucking life.”
“Hey. Watch your language,” Coach Thompson cuts in.
“Dad, you’re not supposed to be here anymore. Don’t you and Sherry have something to do? Wedding planning or something?”
“All right, all right, I’m leaving. And the wedding isn’t for a year. What’s the rush? We’re already two old people. Have fun today, guys.”
“I don’t know if ‘fun’ is the right way to describe it,” Chelsea says. “But we’ll definitely have an exciting time.”
Chapter 54 – Wesley
Half an hour later, we stand in line waiting to get into the amusement park as paying customers. Then we walk through the park and stand in line again, this time to ride The Beast.
It still looks menacing, towering over our heads, but I’m not nearly as scared as I was before.
“You’ve already warmed up for this by riding The Rattler,” Chelsea says, as we near the beginning of the line.
“Chels, driving up to the lake cabin with your dad, wondering what had happened to you and if you were okay was the scariest experience of my life. If I can get through that, I can get through anything.”
“Little did you know I had it handled,” she says, grinning.
“Yes you did.”
I grab her, and kiss her before I resume talking.
“And I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I…”
“Hey, Lovebirds,” shouts one of the ride operators. “Break it up. Time to get on the ride, if you really wanna go.”
“We really wanna go,” I tell him, grabbing Chelsea’s hand and pulling her onto the ride.
He had really bad timing in interrupting what I wanted to tell Chelsea, but I know that there will be another chance soon.
“Wow, you really do want to ride this ride with me,” Chelsea says with a laugh, as we sit down and buckle ourselves in.
“I really, really, really fucking do.”
My heart quickens its pace as the ride starts, but it’s more like pleasant excitement than sheer terror. We grab hands and there’s an immediate drop— no nice warm-up portion like on The Rattler.
“Oh. My. God!” We yell together.
It’s scary. It’s exhilarating. It’s perfect.
It’s everything that life should be.
It’s everything I love that I have with Chelsea.
And as the roller coaster comes to an end, I look at her. Her hair is blown all over the place, her cheeks are red and the wind is still hitting us.
I’m glad I didn’t say it back when we were in line.
This is a much better time.
“I love you, Chelsea.”
She looks like she might cry.
But then she smiles and says, “I love you too, Wesley.”
We kiss again, and ignore the same operator who yelled at us to get onto the ride, who is now yelling at us to get off.
“Hold on,” I finally tell him, when I come up for air. “Give us a minute, will you? I just went on the ride of my life. And I fucking loved it. I don’t ever want it to end.”
Chapter 55 – Chelsea
It’s late, and Wesley and I have been at the amusement park all day. We’ve ridden so many rides and eaten so much food that I feel like a little kid.
“I still can’t believe you actually rode The Beast with me,” I say, as we hold hands and walk around the park.
“It just goes to show that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” Wesley tells me. “I’d even come rescue you from a bad guy who has you tied up, even if you didn’t need me to do it.”
“It’s amazing how we can laugh about that now,” I say. “But it sure was scary at the time.”
“It definitely was. And I’m so glad you’re here to make me ride scary roller coasters with you. That was a really close call.”
“So, what do you want to do now?” I ask. “Have you had enough of my favorite place in the world?”
It really is now that he’s ridden The Beast with me.
“Not quite,” he says, and pulls me in the direction of the games. “I still need to win you that fucking stuffed animal that got me into a huge fight last time.”
“Oh yeah,” I agree. “Just try not to get kicked out before you can do it this time.”
“I won’t. If anyone grabs your ass, now I know you can handle them for yourself,” he says, as we approach the game.
His aim seems to have improved a lot, because he wins me a stuffed bear right away.
“It’s red and orange,” I tell him, impressed. “Our school colors.”
“I’ll give you one of my jerseys to dress your teddy bear in,” he says. “Now let’s get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”
“On that note. There’s one more thing I think we should do,” I tell him.
“Do you still want to do it under that old, yucky abandoned roller coaster?” he asks. “You naughty girl.”
“We’ll save that for next time,” I tell him.
“There’s a next time?”
“There’s definitely a next time. Don’t think you can get out of riding The Beast with me again and again.”
“All right. Sounds good to me.”
He shrugs.
“But right now, I think we should do something even more risky,” I say.
“Such as?”
“I think my dad is at Sherry’s,” I tell him. “And I need to christen my own bed.”
“Wow, that really is risky,” he says. “Does your house even have an attic I can hide in this time?”
“No,” I laugh. “But we’ll be fine.”
“Okay. If you say so. But if things go south, let it be noted that this was not my idea.”
When we get back to my house, I’m relieved that my dad isn’t here.
“I’m so fucking nervous,” Wesley says. “I feel like a high schooler.”
“Good. That’s the whole point.”
When we get to my room I hide the stuffed animal that Wesley just won me under the bed, along with the one from my mom. I don’t want to ruin their innocence.
“We’d better be fast,” Wesley says, taking his clothes off and looking around as if he’s waiting for my dad to show up any minute.
I admire his abs, chest and tattoos again before taking off my own clothes.
He pulls me down onto the bed and starts working my clit with his tongue.
“This feels even better than the thrill of getting you to ride that roller coaster with me,” I tell him.
I shift my position so that I can put his cock in my mouth. I lick it up and down as he licks my pussy.
“Fuck yeah,” he moans. “This is what I’m talking about.”
He’s shoving his cock into my mouth and I’m riding his face.
He takes my clit in between his teeth and gently sucks on it until I’m going wild.
“I’m coming,” I say— or try to say— but my mouth is completely full of his large and throbbing cock.
“Hold on,” he says, as soon as I finish. “I want to come inside you.”
He gets on top of me and looks down at me, his brown hair spilling over his handsome face.
Missionary style. This is the position I’d always assumed I’d be in when I lost my virginity. But somehow it feels right to only now be doing it with Wesley.
“I love your body and I
love the way you suck my cock,” he says, as he pushes himself inside me.
I wrap my legs around his hips and feel him deep inside me.
“I love your wet, tight pussy,” he continues. “And your perfect breasts.”
He takes my breasts in his hands and squeezes them, and my nipples tingle along with my clit.
“You’re going to make me cum again,” I tell him.
“Good,” he says, as he rides me hard and wild. “Because I love to make you come. I love when you make me cum.”
I feel a huge wave rush through my body and I know that he’s feeling the same thing. His cock pulsates inside me.
“I love everything about you,” he moans, as we come together. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I say, with what little energy I have left. “I’m so fucking tired now. I just want to fall asleep.”
“Well let me get out of here before you do,” he says, kissing me on the top of my head. “Because I’m still scared of your father. He still holds a lot of power over my career.”
“You’ll be fine,” I tell him. “I’m pretty sure he knows what’s up.”
“But I don’t want to rub it in his face,” he says. “Plus, it’s fun to have to keep some parts of our relationship a secret. You’re still the coach’s forbidden daughter in some ways. And that’s hot.”
“You’re hot,” I say, as he throws his clothes back on— to my chagrin— and heads out the door in a hurry.
Even though I’m tired, there’s something I want to do. I reach under the bed and pick up my two stuffed animals.
I put them on the bedside table, knowing it’s the last time I’ll ever talk to the one from my mom again.
“Thanks for always being there for me,” I tell its beady eyes. “But I don’t need you any more. I know my mom will always be here with in spirit. And I have Wesley here for me now too.”
I feel a little guilty, so then I add, “Don’t worry. You have the bear that Wesley won me to keep you company now. There’s no need for anyone to feel lonely anymore.”
Epilogue – Chelsea
My dad’s and Sherry’s wedding reception has been a big hit. The food is delicious and the drinks are flowing. Taylor is dancing with her two sisters, Shayla and Becca, and she looks so happy for her mom.
And, I’m happy for her. Something has been nagging at me— the way that, when we were fighting, she’d mentioned she’d been hurt before and was trying to protect me from having the same thing happen. I’m determined to find out what she means, because she has never told me.
But now is not the time. She is positively glowing, like a kid on Christmas, and I want to bask in the same happiness. Wesley pulls me in close for a slow dance, kissing me and saying, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I tell him. “Everything is really perfect.”
“Yeah,” Wesley says, breathing me in. “I just wish Hayley had shown up. I invited her but she says she’s shy and doesn’t really know people. I just worry that something more worrisome is up. I hate when she closes herself off from me.”
“Well, let’s go see her,” I suggest. “We’ll find out what’s up with her. And if she needs any help, we’ll help her.”
“Good idea,” he says, smiling widely. “You always know just how to cheer me up.”
“I try.” I smile back at him.
He’s helped me so much that the least I can do is return the favor often.
“And now we have a very special dance,” the DJ announces. “It’s a father-daughter dance, between the groom and his daughter Chelsea.”
The spotlight is on Dad and me now, and all of his and Sherry’s wedding guests cheer. My brother is here, which is great because I haven’t seen him in quite a while. I decide I’m going to apologize for the past and try to get things back to the way they used to be between us, when we were kids. Thanks to Wesley I’ve learned to value relationships even more and be less self centered.
The entire football team is also in attendance, including Wesley of course. Last season the Wildcats were football conference champions and this season is already shaping up to be even better than last year.
As Dad and I dance to “Butterfly Kisses,” I swear I see tears well up in his eyes. That’s a rare thing, because he almost never cries.
“It was a beautiful wedding ceremony, Dad,” I tell him, not mentioning his tears. “Everything was absolutely perfect. And now this reception is rocking. Good job.”
“Thank you for your support,” he says. “I know it was hard to get used to the idea of Sherry and me being together, and I would never want to replace your mother…”
“I know,” I tell him, squeezing his shoulder.
And it’s true. I was filled with joy at the wedding, seeing him happier than he’d been since my mom was here with us. “
“And I know that mom would be glad that you’re happy, just like I am,” I tell him.
I adjust the boutonniere he’s wearing. It’s a daisy, my mom’s favorite flower, in her honor. There’s one in my hair, too. And I read a Pablo Neruda poem during the ceremony.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
It felt like an homage to the way the relationship started out between my dad and Taylor’s mom. And also the way that my relationship with Wesley started out. Now we can all have public relationships, but they began as something to be cherished privately.
As dad and I dance, I think about how happy I am that everything has turned out even better than I could possibly hope for. When the song ends, the DJ clears his throat.
“And now the groom’s daughter and the bride’s daughter would like to pay tribute to their parents,” he says. “So they’ve prepared a surprise.”
“What?” My dad asks, his mouth open.
“Come on,” I say, leading him over to a chair beside Sherry.
Taylor is already walking over to the DJ’s booth to collect the pompoms we had hidden there prior to the reception starting. “
“You know that Taylor and I have a flair for the dramatic,” I tell him. “You had to be expecting this.”
“Y’all ready for this?” blasts over the speakers, and Taylor and I begin the routine I’d choreographed, which is an Evolution of Dance sequence that goes through songs reminiscent of my dad and Sherry.
Taylor and I start with “My Girl,” and then our entire squad joins in for “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Treasure” and “The Way You Look Tonight.”
They do a fantastic job, but I’d expect nothing less. We ended up winning Nationals, and this year with a strong crop of new cheerleaders joining us— and the return of Mandy, who successfully completed physical therapy and rehab— we’re an even better squad that will undoubtedly win again.
Everyone was very supportive during Christian’s trial, and he’ll be locked up for a very long time. Testifying was difficult because it forced me to remember and relive that awful day but I’m glad that all of that ended before my dad’s wedding, so that now I can just relax and enjoy it.
Finally, Taylor and I finish up with rewritten words to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air song that we rap while the rest of our squad members dance. At the end, we do the victory cheer we always perform after the Wildcats win, which is also switched up to be personalized for my dad and Sherry.
Let’s go Thompson
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
He’s Coach Thompson
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
And she’s Sherry Hudson
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
Way to go Thompson
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
Way to marry Hudson
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
We’ll go to their wedding
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
They’ll live happy ever after
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
Let’s go Thompson
(Clap,
clap, clap, clap, clap)
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
Go on your honeymoon
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
And to your happy ever after
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
We kick our legs and throw our pom poms in the air, and Mandy does a backflip for the grand finale.
“Thank you, Sweetheart!” My dad says, as all the wedding guests join us in clapping.
“That was lovely,” Sherry agrees.
Later, after a fun night full of lots of dancing, toasting and celebrating, it’s indeed time for the newly married couple to leave for their honeymoon in the Caribbean.
“Wait,” says Sherry. “I have to throw my bouquet first!”
The DJ starts playing “All the Single Ladies,” and a bunch of us dutifully lineup behind her.
“One, two, three…” she says, and then tosses it over her head.
As it arches perfectly straight in my direction, I know it’s meant to be, but I still feel rather nervous and embarrassed.
“Chelsea! You’re next!” Sherry says, as she turns around and doesn’t seem surprised at all that I caught it. She winks at me.
“No pressure,” she tells Wesley.
“Have a great honeymoon!” I tell her and my dad one last time, to change the subject.
Taylor says the same thing, and then my dad and Sherry run off to their limo.
“I still can’t believe your dad and my mom got married,” Taylor says, scrunching up her face in mock disgust, and looking like the little girl I knew when I was eight years old.
“Me neither,” I tell her. “But I love you. And I guess we really are sisters now.”
“I love you too,” she says, and hugs me.
Wesley’s standing beside me, still looking shell shocked by the fact that I caught the bouquet, I guess.
“How mortifying,” I tell Wesley. “Don’t worry. It’s just a silly wedding tradition.”
But then he’s down on one knee, looking up at me with an excited grin and I realize what his expression had been about.
He looks even more nervous and excited than right before we rode The Beast for the first time. We’ve been there quite a few times in the year we’ve been together since then.
