by C C Monroe
“You make me mental.”
“I have since we were younger.” Dragging my nails up and down the dark ink on his smooth skin, I rest my head against the back of the seat and watch him watching the road with that cute little smirk he wears.
“Fifteen years tomorrow, to be exact,” he adds, and I swear my heart about pops out of my chest.
“You remembered. I was waiting to see if you would notice.” I bring his large hand engulfing mine to my lips and leave an open-mouthed kiss.
“I can’t forget. I’ve been chasing that heart since the day you basically stole mine.”
“And tomorrow, I’m gonna steal your last name, my king.”
He growls, dropping my hand from his and gently but forcefully grabbing my head of hair to meet me in the middle for a kiss, his eyes only leaving the road for less than a second. “You fucking better believe it. I own that sass, ass, and, damn it, that fucking heart.”
“You do, and I own that ass too. That cute little bubble butt.”
“My ass isn’t cute, Lana Lynn. That shit is sexy, fucking juicy.” He winks. Rolling my eyes, I bite the side of his hand that I joined with mine again.
Just like that, our little man starts crying in the back seat, waking up from his nap, and I reach back to calm him. Never could I have imagined a life so peaceful.
“Seriously? You are such a sourpuss. You ruin everything, you big toad!” I hear Shayla scolding Kingston outside the bedroom door.
I chuckle, clasping Princeton’s onesie back up after his diaper change. “Here comes Thing One and Thing Two, monkey.”
“Name-call me all you want, sis. I ain’t letting you have her for the night. Take option one or two.” Kingston enters the room, with Shayla hot on his heels, barely visible behind his bulky beast like frame.
“Ugh, you are such a jerk. Trey let me and Lana have the night before.”
“Cause your husband is sane.”
“Ah-ha! So you admit it! You are insane.”
He picks up his suitcase as Shayla pokes his back, placing her hands on her hips. Both of them are too lost in their world to even acknowledge me. I watch them, amused. Shayla looks proud.
“Fuck yeah, I am. I’ve been admitting this for years. You guys just didn’t want to listen. So...” He drops his suitcase on the bed and turns on Shayla, mirroring her pose, hands on hips and eyes pointed narrowly at her, challenging her. “Will it be the four of us and a movie, or just Lana and me holed up in the room?”
I snort, shaking my head.
“All right, fine. Movie night. But once you are finished trapping her in a secluded cabin and taking advantage of my poor best friend, I get a girls day with her. Promise?” She pokes his chest, and he shrugs.
“Maybe.”
“Ugh! Kingston, you’re pissing me off!”
I know he’s pulling her chain, and you would think after twenty-four years of being his sister, she would be able to blow it off.
“All right! Knock it off, Kingston. Stop being a shit, and Shay, we will have all the girl time in the world.” I kiss Prince’s cheek and pass him to Kings.
“Fine, but we’re watching the most chick flick movie alive.”
“Perfect, chick flicks make her all touchy-feely and shit. I’ll be her big teddy bear tonight.”
“Gross. Let’s go.” Leaving us in the room for a moment, she heads down to the living room of Pops and Kathy’s place. God rest his beautiful soul.
“Can you stop pulling her chain? She’s missed me. This past year, she’s been without me. I have been neglecting her and work and our friendship. She just got me back, like you did, but you need to share sometimes.”
Massaging our son’s feet, he looks back and forth between us two. “You’re asking me to let you have tonight, aren’t you?” he questions.
As much as I want to spend time with Kings, he gets me alone in a cabin on our honeymoon for three days. I want and need to give this to her and me. “Yes. I am.”
Rolling his eyes, he puffs his chest up, followed by a heavy release through his nose. “What do I get out of it?”
“Oh, Daddy, just you wait and see what I have packed in that little black suitcase for the weekend. You won’t be able to pick that jaw up off the floor without my help.”
“Challenge accepted, because you won’t be able to keep those little legs closed when I get you in that cabin.”
It’s my jaw that drops, and my plan to saunter away and leave him speechless backfires as I watch him walk away, leaving me breathless.
My core clenches with instant arousal, and my knees nearly buckle. Holy hell, that man is fire and ice all at once.
I pull myself together and spend the night with Shayla, girl talking and cuddling. It’s almost childish, the carefree way about it all; we are two young girls again. We aren’t talking about the nights where Joel hit me. I am not crying on her shoulder, but instead, we’re two best friends celebrating the first real and only love I’ve ever had.
I don’t think I’ve ever dressed up this snazzy before. A three-piece suit, with a rose gold tie matching Lana’s ring. I fix the lapels on my form-fitting jacket, looking myself over in the mirror. I check out my fresh crew cut; my buzzed sides and slicked back mane looks styled to perfection, because it is. I’ve put great detail into every part of my appearance today in order to distract my-fucking-self. There’s a twitch in my palm, a nervous shake that never leaves, as my entire life is about to change—in a way that I’ve fought to have for years. So why the nerves? Because this is un-fucking-real.
“It’s the big day. You finally fucking roped her in. You tamed the untamable, bro.” Trey enters the guest bedroom I dubbed as mine.
“Whatever.”
“All right, so Mr. Funny Guy’s on vacation. I get Mr. Deep in Thought. What’s going on?”
I give him an incredulous look. How can he not fucking get why I’m a mess? “I don’t think you understand what today is, because you had it so easy.”
“Easy? You think Shayla and I had it easy?” he scoffs, leaning against the wall.
“You went through some shit, some rough shit, man. Don’t mistake that for what your love was.”
“True.” Instead of fighting, he goes along with everything.
“It’s almost fucking comical to think about us getting married, isn’t it?” I laugh in hysteria, bordering on the line of complete madness.
“No, I think this is a true testament of real.”
“We are real, and maybe that’s why this feels like a dream. I’ve wanted her for so long now that it seems surreal. How can we feel normal, when everything has been such chaos for the past eight years? We have nothing to fight for anymore, and the silence is both deafening and a relief.”
“Dude.” Stepping within a few feet of me, he crosses his arms and takes my full attention. “You have more to fight for now. You have to fight to keep that love raw and new. You have to fight to keep her forever now.”
“I don’t want her to ever doubt us or run from me again.” I refer to all the times Lana and I have fought, lost each other, and then come back together again, repeatedly.
“Kingston, she ain’t running. Shit, she’s been tripping into your arms over and over again.”
I ponder that thought, sip it in and swish it around. “You’re right. I think it’s the ‘too good to be true’ type of thing. We’re finally here, and I can’t tell my head from my fucking ass.”
“I can. They are both as fucking big as your ego. Now, let’s do this. We’re late, and yes, before you dig for a compliment, you look like a stone-cold pimp.”
Fist bumping, I jump on the balls of my feet, bouncing up and down and getting the blood flowing through my stiff body. “All right. Fuck.”
We make our way through the house, out into the backyard, and down the stone pathway to the garden, where our families and some of our friends we’ve made over the years sit.
The set up looks amazing, simple, but very much the touches of
Lana. She has us standing underneath some arch covered in lilies and moss. The white chairs are wrapped in white satin bows, and the white rose petals lining the path that will carry Lana to me, set the perfect scene.
There are speakers hidden somewhere, and light music plays as my father, Trey, and I talk, waiting for Lana. Becky and Kathy make small talk, and Ben sits with his new wife, Sadie. That shit was unexpected; I swore he would never settle down. But then again, I was convinced I never would either, and here I am.
The song changes, and I see my sister in her beautiful strapless, formfitting, rose gold bridesmaid dress coming down the walkway. Smiling, she walks slowly with Princeton on her hip, and we share a look, our bond bringing me some peace of mind.
My little man looks handsome, matching me in a small three-piece suit. He is lively and alert, making little noises as he passes the people in the small crowd. When he sees me, he lets out a high-pitched scream with a smile, his little teeth showing.
Before Shayla hands Prince to Becky, I give him a kiss. “Love you, buddy. Let’s make Mama mine, yeah?”
“Mama,” he whispers, bringing his hands to his mouth. That was his first and most used word.
“Yeah, Mama. She’s ours, huh?” I teasingly pinch his cheeks then let Becky have him.
Shayla leans up on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “You got this, big guy.” She lingers close to my ear for a second longer, but I pull away when I hear a familiar song coming out of the speakers. Suddenly, my voice carries out, playing Lana’s song. I don’t know how she knew about it, since that night never happened.
“Did you tell her about this?” I ask both Trey and Shayla.
“Yes, what better moment?” Shayla replies.
Opening my mouth to speak, I see movement out the corner of my eye and give my full attention to the stirring figures.
Jeffrey is invisible when the vision of my wildest dream moves toward me. Her dress is stunning, but not nearly as breathtaking as the body that wears it. Skintight with a long train, all fucking lace and strapless, showing me her slim shoulders and tan collarbone. Lana is a goddess, and I’m standing in the light of her glory, where I don’t deserve to be.
The tears come on there own, and I let out a whispered, “My queen,” covering my mouth as I lose myself, not sure how not to. I use my knuckles to try to wipe away the tears, but they keep coming errantly. Lana starts to cry when she captures my reaction, and with each step she takes, my hands shake with the urge to reach out and steal her away. I don’t know how I’m going to get through a moment of this day without tears in my eyes.
“Fuck,” I whisper, my chin shaking uncontrollably as I try not to totally lose my shit.
“Man up, buddy. Come on. That’s your girl.” Trey pats my back, trying to help rein me back in, but it’s too late for that. I have waited a thousand forevers, touched the skin of an angel, and felt the love of a savior, and each day, I believed having it forever would never come. Now it has. The queen in white makes her way to me, and I can’t stop thinking this is all a vivid dream. And when I do realize it’s real—for a split second—it hits me again, and I lose it.
As they stand in front of me now, I don’t wait for Jeffrey to give her away. Practically stealing her rather than accepting the gift of having her, I pull her against me. Flush against my skin, my one hand firmly planted around the thin column of the back of her neck, and my other on her lower back, I drop my forehead to hers and she wipes away my tears.
“This isn’t fucking real,” I whisper.
“It is. This is real, Kingston.”
“Call me baby, then.”
“Baby, open your eyes and marry me.” My beacon in the dark pulls me from any doubt I had. This is real.
The preacher hasn’t said a word, giving us a moment, and Jeffery walks away with nothing but a grunt.
“This isn’t a marriage. This is me pledging my forever to you.” I lean in and kiss the dimple of her cheek.
“Then give me that forever and take mine,” she responds, mimicking my motion, kissing my cheek.
Nodding, our heads roll with the motion and we share a contagious smile, staying in our little bubble for a few seconds longer before giving our attention to the preacher. Only, I don’t let go of Lana; my possessive hand stays firmly clutching the back of her neck, and my other now moves to her hip. We make our promise, pledge our love, and when it comes time for our vows, I drop my forehead back to hers, shutting out the wedding party, whispering our love to one another only.
I speak first. “Queen. Baby. Lana. These dimples.” I kiss each one. “These tiny arms.” I tilt my head and kiss the soft tan skin of her bicep. “This heart.” I lean and kiss the top of her breast, above her fast-beating heart. “The soul inside you.” I pull her in closer, my bent frame still not able to get close enough.
“They are the cornerstones to my life. I never knew that when this day would come that I would be able to stand here and profess a deeper love than the love I had for you the past fifteen years, but that changed the moment you walked to me like a vision. I stand here a man more in love than poets love their words. More than the moon loves its stars. You’re everything to me and our children. You made us men of blessings.” I touch her belly, feeling the slight bump. “You made a boy a man. I will never regret what we went through in our weakest moments, in order to stand here at our strongest. Love me forever, baby.”
Her tears are small. Her smile is subtle but impacting, and I know she felt those fucking words.
“Forever.”
“Give me those words. Carry me away, baby.” We keep our foreheads joined, and I move my hands up to cup her face and catch her tears with my thumbs.
“King. My only everything. You loved me in the darkest moments, followed me into those shadows that promised us both more pain than happiness. But you did it willingly, because you love me. I begged you to give me forever and you did, even when it seemed I stole it from you at times, when you wanted to take it back. And you did, but you gave it back to me over and over again without hesitation, and I promise to repay you everyday, with more love and respect. With patience and time. With a house full of our children.” She bites her lip and I growl, knowing baby number two will not be the last.
“I will promise to love you forever, if you promise to keep me forever,” she whispers, her brown irises stealing my breath with their depth.
“Forever. You’re mine forever.” Granting us our kiss, I give her a soul-stealing one. The ending of our past and the beginning to our new future starts when our lips part. What a life to leave behind for a lifetime of promise and worth, beauty and light.
Lana will be my forever, and I will never regret the king she made me, the man she inspired in me. I was named Kingston at birth, but my name never earned its meaning until I found Lana—my queen.
I wore a stunning dress, and even in my scars, I felt washed clean of a life where I was drowned in misery. Kingston made a broken woman whole today, and just like he always does, he fought like hell to keep me. We pledged our love today, but we also gave our forevers to one another in the most intimate way.
His vows are tattooed onto my heart, his touch is imprinted on my skin, and his soul is now mine, as mine is his. I watch him dance with my mother as I dance with my father, listening to him talk about how much he loves me. I hear it even from feet away. I can feel it in the passing breeze.
Daddy doesn’t say much, already having said enough words of love and encouragement during his toast. Moments ago, when he stole me for a dance, he placed me on his feet and told me I will always be his, but now I will be a wife and mother, two of the hardest jobs he couldn’t find a more perfect fit for.
We fell silent again, and I lost myself in watching Kingston, now in only his vest and formfitting white button-up shirt. He looks edible, and tonight I plan to ravish him. All I want to do now that we are married is kiss him, touch him, hold his hand, and whisper I love you every second I get.
“Go t
o him.”
I look up at my father and his eyes glisten. He’s trying not to cry, because he knows I have found a new number one. My father will always be my first love, but Kingston is my real love, my most epic love.
“I love you. Please know that you will always be my daddy.”
He nods, kissing my cheek. “I know.”
I wipe his tear, lean, and give a gentle kiss to his cheek then let him go, watching one protector let me go as my savior takes a hold of me.
“Mama, can I have my husband back?”
“Well, I guess. I was enjoying this hunky man and his dance moves.” She winks, kissing his cheek.
“And this old dog is gonna smack that ass if you say something like that again.” My father pulls my mom into his arms and away from Kingston. Mama laughs as he spins her away, and I shake my head at the show that is my parents.
“Couldn’t stay away?” Kingston cockily asks, picking me up off the ground effortlessly, letting my feet dangle. I wrap my arms around his neck and giggle.
“Not a chance. Besides, I have a surprise—a wedding gift.”
“Oh, really? And what’s that?” He kisses my bicep just to the left of his face.
“What do we think about the name Charles? That sounds like a name for another king? All our sons can have names of royalty.”
“What kind of question is that?” Shaking his head, he bites the skin of my arm this time.
“I wanted to surprise you, but Baby Boy Donovan is coming in October.”
Halting his movements, we freeze in place. His eyes search me over, processing what I just said. I gaze at him and let him soak it all in. My smile is infectious, beaming and reaching ear to ear.
“You gave me another little man? Are you fucking serious?” He shakes me a little, and I chuckle.
“I sure am. The queen had to give the king another heir to his throne.” I wink, biting the tip of his nose.
“You little fucking minx!” He spins us, and my laugh goes uncontrolled. I feel weightless. I feel alive and human.
“Sissy, bring me Prince.” Kingston calls to Shayla.
