My Misery Muse

by Betzold, Brei

  She sat at the table taking one of the bagels, but tearing it apart instead of eating it. “Well the band is relocating to Dallas,” I started off with; she jerked her head up and stared at me. “We’re also are making some changes with our touring schedule. We’ve decided we’ve been going hard for 3 years, it’s time to slow down some, take time to have a life.”

  “Oh,” she whispered.

  “We’ll still tour of course, but we won’t be gone for more than six weeks at a time now, with a 2 week break, in between. We’re also taking a hiatus after this tour, taking a year off, we’ll work on a new CD some, play some still, but our main focus isn’t going to be the band.”

  She stared at the table. “Devi?”

  She shook her head, I put a finger under her chin and made her look at me, tears were streaming down her face. “Baby?”

  “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  I nodded, “Marry me, Devlin Shaye,” I then reached into my pocket and pulled out the velvet box her father had given to me and sat it on the table in front of her.

  She stared at the box. “I… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, Seth,” she whispered.

  “About what, darling?”

  “Us,” she said quietly looking down at the table. “I want us to try, I realized I don’t think I can really live my life without you in it.”

  I stood up and walked around the table, and kneeled down in front of her so I could see her face. “Is that a yes?”

  She nodded.

  “No, Devi I need to hear it, is that a yes?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes Seth, I will marry you.”

  I pulled her out of her chair into my lap and hugged her to me tight, “God I love you Devi,” I murmured into her hair.

  “I love you too.”

  I reached up and grabbed the box off of the table and opened it, pulling the engagement ring out of the box but leaving the wedding band, I slipped it on to her finger and she stared at it.

  “Is that my grandmother’s ring?” she asked quietly still staring.

  “Yea.”

  “How did you get it?”

  “I asked your father for it.”

  “Seth Taylor, I love you,” then she kissed me a slow, languid kiss.

  Epilogue

  “Will you zip me up already?”

  “I’m trying, not my fault you gained weight since your last fitting Dev,” replied Mags.

  “Shut up,” I snarked back.

  “Well if you kept your legs together around Seth this wouldn’t keep happening to you,” she snarked back.

  “Ha like your one to talk, when are you going to tell me who the father is Mags? I am worried about you.”

  “Well,” she mused, “I should probably decide whether to tell the father or not first.”

  “Oh you are telling him, you bitched at me for months about telling Seth about Jaks.”

  “Yea but that was different you two were meant to be, me and this guy not so much,” she replied.

  “He still deserves to know Mags,” I replied.

  “I know, and I will tell him, I think, but I want to make sure you know, I don’t want to tell him then something happen.”

  “I get it,” I replied.

  “I still can’t believe you’ve made it this far without anyone knowing Seth knocked you up again,” she said trying to change the topic again.

  “You know we don’t want anyone to know until after the wedding, we want this day to be about us not Seth and his super sperm.”

  She snorted, “Super sperm.”

  “Well, what do you call it when I get pregnant twice by the same man and both times on the pill?”

  “True.”

  We both glanced towards the door when there was a knock.

  “Come in,” yelled Mags.

  “Damn Devi you look beautiful,” said Drake when he walked in.

  “Thank you.”

  “Mags,” said Drake, “not too bad yourself.”

  “Nice monkey suit,” she replied.

  “No, not today you two can play nice for one day or so help me I will duct tape both your mouths shut,” I replied.

  They both grumbled but nodded in agreement.

  “You about ready sis?”

  “Yea let’s get this over with.”

  “Mags snorted. “Yea it only took you a year to get here, and now you want to get it over with.”

  “Hey, you know we wanted to wait until after the tour was over, sorry if I would like a honeymoon that’s not on a fucking tour bus.”

  “I know, I know,” she grumbled .

  I rolled my eyes at Mags then looked over at Drake, “You ready to give me away big brother?”

  “No, not really, but Seth knows I will hurt him if he hurts you.”

  “Ah I love you too Drake.”

  “Ah Dev don’t start with all that crap,” he grouched.

  Mags and I shared a look then headed out so I could marry my Seth.

  ¯¯¯

  I looked up towards the doors when Eli started to play his acoustic guitar waiting for Devi to walk out the French doors of our new home. We decided to buy a new house, after a fight and a lot of making up, not far from her old house, nothing elaborate but perfect for us. I glanced over at Jaks who was acting as my best man with Sam as his keeper. We kept our wedding simple with close friends only. Neither wanting to deal with media today, plus I was concerned with her safety, never realized I could be even more possessive over her. But when she told me she was pregnant a month ago, I realized quickly that I am more of a caveman than I ever knew.

  Mags walked out into the backyard and down the aisle through the small group of people here to watch me pledge my life to the only woman I have ever loved. She gave me a small smile then took her place at the front. I looked back to the doors waiting to see Devi, starting to get a bit nervous that she had changed her mind.

  Then there she was and all the breath in my body was gone, she looked gorgeous. Drake walked her down the aisle and I couldn’t take my eyes off my pixie, knowing that after today no one or nothing will ever be able to take her from me again.

  I took her hand from Drake’s and watched him kiss her cheek then give me a look that I knew well, if I hurt her again I could expect more than being punched in the face. I had no plan to ever hurt her like that again though.

  I looked into her eyes and saw my past, my future. The civil servant started the vows and I barely heard her, all I could do was look at Devi. She had to nudge me when it was my line, gaining some laughs from our friends, then I was finally told I could kiss my wife. I took her beautiful face in my hands and planned to give her a slow kiss but she had other ideas. What I had started as slow and sensual quickly turned hot and fast.

  “Daddy, not again,” came from Jaks and finally broke us apart.

  “Huh, Jaks?”

  “No more kissin’ Momma, I want cake.”

  We all laughed and I reached over and picked up my son,and grabbed Dev’s hand. “Well, little man let’s go get you some cake.”

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to everyone who has helped make this dream become possible. Without all the help I have received from different authors, friends, and family along the way, I would have never been able to make this book into what it is today.

  Thank you, Shey Stahl, for reading My Misery Muse and encouraging me to continue with it as well as all the advice you have given me along the way. Katie Ashley, for answering questions I’ve had about copyrights and publishing. I look forward to continue building the friendships we have started.

  Tanya Keetch aka The Word Maid, thank you for being willing to go through and help me correct the many grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the book, I know there were many. Also, thanks for always answering my questions; giving an honest opinion of the book, and not strangling me at points. I look forward to working with you again soon.

  Sarah Hansen, the goddess of book covers, as always you did a
beautiful job. I look forward to working more with Okay Creations to create covers that are works of art.

  To all the people who have read My Misery Muse along the way and have given your opinions, encouragement, and at times, the push I needed to get this book finished, thank you.

  To my husband and son, thanks for not disowning me through this process, for not complaining too much about all the pizza and Chinese food we had delivered, and for keeping me well stocked in coffee. Most of all, thanks for not suffocating me with a pillow after one of my many sleepless nights, which made me bitchy the next day, I know you wanted to at times. I love you both and I couldn’t have done this without you.

  About the Author

  Brei Betzold is a stay at home mom to one very interesting little boy. She has been writing since 7th grade when her English teacher turned her onto poetry and never stopped. In high school, she had yet another English teacher inspire her to start writing short stories where she found her first true love, turning words into something so simple yet complex that it can move other people to love it or hate it, but in the end to feel emotions about something she created.

  You can contact Brei Betzold at:

  mymiserymuse@gmail.com

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brei-Betzold/124156631073209

  http://mymiserymuse.blogspot.com/

  * * *

  [TK1]The next 2 pages are blank.

  [TK2]This page is blank, not sure if that was intentional.

  [V3]I removed ‘I mean’ to distinguish Seth’s speech from Dev’s, since she says that. What do you think?

  [V4]Just a suggestion, but could we use lyrics here instead of words?

  [V5]The change I made here is just a suggestion. It just needed to be clarified.

  [V6]I would suggest changing this to say: but if the two of you would just cut the bullshit, you’d make it.