by S. M. Shade
Justus excuses himself to go to the restroom, and I take a seat, downing a glass of ice water. A man wearing a dark suit coupled with a fedora approaches me and smiles. “Hi, is this your first time here?”
“Is it that obvious?” I laugh.
“Not at all. I was just wondering if you’d like to dance. I can show you a few steps.”
I hesitate for a second. There’s nothing wrong with dancing with a guy, right? I mean, Justus can hardly judge considering he dances for women. “Sure, I’d like that. I’m Sadie.”
“Ronald.”
“Nice to meet you.”
I follow him out to the dance floor, and he shows me a simple set of steps. After a few tries, I have it down. “See, nothing to it,” he says.
“I could get good with some practice I think. If I can drag my boyfriend back here again.”
“I have the same problem with my boyfriend,” Ronald says, tilting his head toward the bar where an older dark headed man sits nursing a drink.
I see Justus return to our table and sit down, propping his foot on his knee. Through the rest of the dance, he never takes his eyes off of me. I can’t tell if what I see burning in his gaze is anger or lust. As soon as the song ends, and a slow song begins, he gets to his feet and heads toward me. Pissed or horny? I guess I’m going to find out.
“Can I cut in?” he asks, his eyes daring Ronald to refuse.
Ronald just smiles. “Of course. Thanks for the dance, Sadie.”
Justus takes me in his arms and pulls me close, moving to the music. This kind of dancing we can do. “I can’t leave you alone for a second, can I? Didn’t take two minutes for Capone over there to move in.”
“Are you seriously jealous?” His lips tuck in, and his silence is all the answer I need as I gaze up at him. “You realize how hypocritical that is, right?”
A small grin blooms on his face. “Yes, which is why I didn’t come over here and rip his arms off for touching you.”
“Hmm, can’t say I hate giving you a little taste of your own medicine.”
His breath warms my face as he murmurs, “Were you trying to make me jealous?”
“No, if I was, I wouldn’t have chosen a gay guy.”
Laughing, he spins me around, planting his lips on mine before I even know which way I’m facing. My entire body goes limp in his arms as he kisses me until we’re the only two people in the room, hell, in the universe. “I need to get you home and naked.”
“Yes,” I sigh, and he grabs my hand, leading me out of there.
* * * *
The next few weeks pass without any major problems. Justus attends family therapy with Hannah, and she seems to be doing well. Although he won’t admit it, it’s been good for him to have someone to talk to as well. Maybe he hasn’t gone through the horror that Hannah endured, but growing up in foster care with no one who really cared about him has to leave some scars.
Fall has arrived bringing its cooler temperatures. It’ll be winter before we know it, so I want to try to get everyone together for a day of some outdoor fun. When I see an ad for a new place that’s just opened up which boasts an expansive outdoor paintball arena, I jump on the phone to Ayda.
From the first time he mentioned loving paintball, I wanted to try it, even though I know I can’t shoot for shit. This year has been filled with so much drama, so many ups and downs, and we need some fun. It takes a little planning around everyone’s schedules, but with Zoe and Ayda’s help, I manage to get all the guys together, plus Zoe, Ayda, and Dare’s sister, Leah. Zoe’s best friend, Frannie, is here as well, although I’m not sure whether Zoe invited her or Jeremy did. We tried to invite Hannah, but she declined, choosing to stay in the air conditioning at Justus’s place.
We’re just about to suit up when I notice the ring on Ayda’s finger. Her shy smile blooms as I grab her hand. “Ayda?”
She nods. “Dare asked me this morning.”
“You’re getting married!” I squeal, hugging her hard.
“And soon, too. I want to be married before the baby comes.”
Everyone congratulates her and Dare, trading hugs and pats on the back. “Wait, is it even safe for you to play paintball when you’re pregnant?”
Laughing, she replies, “The baby is about the size of my thumb at this point, and I have body armor, so yes.”
“All right. Let’s do this,” Dare says.
Justus smiles at me as he dons his paintball goggles, and I laugh, shaking my head at the man who somehow crawled his way into my heart. The day we chose turned out to be a hot one, a rarity for our area this time of year. It’s almost ninety degrees out here, and he’s dressed head to toe in camo fatigues while everyone else is dressed for the weather. He can be so goofy, but it’s one of the things I love about him. Like me, he doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks.
After a lot of good natured arguing about teams, we decide to just pair up as couples. Since Tucker and Leah are the only two not attached, they get stuck together, and by the look on Dare’s face, I’m not sure he’s cool with it. I doubt he has anything to worry about. Tucker has nearly ten years on Leah, and I’ve never seen him with a woman. I think he may be gay and just not ready to let the rest of us know, though I know no one would have a problem with it.
“That part of your stripper wardrobe?” Landon teases, gesturing to Justus’s clothes.
Ayda laughs. “Oh hell, tell me they aren’t breakaway pants!”
Justus pulls me to his side. “For your information, Sadist and I have an agreement. No getting naked outside of work unless she says it’s okay.”
“Thank fuck,” Tucker grumbles, and everyone laughs.
“Awe, can’t we have a little peek, Sadie?” Frannie teases.
“Maybe later.”
“If everyone is done ogling my luscious manly body, can we get to shooting? I want to make Dare’s hair pink,” Justus speaks up.
We each have a different color so we can see who hits who, though no one really cares about keeping score. It’s a gorgeous day and I’m just happy to be outside with the man I love and all our friends.
We split up into our teams and scatter throughout the course. Justus turns and shoots Dare in the ass before the starting buzzer sounds.
Dare shoots him a dirty look and Zoe laughs, “What are you, twelve?”
“On a scale from one to ten.” He beams at them and we take off. The course is massive, filled with obstacles and random items to hide behind or climb on.
I’m climbing up a stack of hay bales when a sharp pain darts through my arm. A quick glance tells me it was either Zoe or Landon who nailed me since the paint is green. Wow, that hurt a little more than I expected. Good thing we agreed on two shots to kill or I’d already be out of the game. Now, I need to get them both.
Justus has already reached the top of the stack and he extends an arm down to help me up. “Sweets, they got you already?”
“It’s kind of hard to dodge when I’m climbing.”
“Outlander! You shot my woman!” Justus yells. “She still lives!”
“Seriously, Children of the Corn? And that’s not even the quote,” I laugh.
A whoop rings out from one of the guys, probably Dare, but I can’t locate him. We lie on our stomachs, gazing down on the course. It’s a great spot, so high up they can’t hit us when we’re flat, but low enough to reach them with our paintballs when they get too close.
The faint sound of approaching footsteps puts a smile on Justus’s face, and he lays a finger to his lips before peeking down over the edge of the bale.
Jeremy and Frannie stand just below us, whispering and making plans, completely unaware we’re watching them. “You take Frannie. I’ll get Jeremy,” Justus whispers and I nod.
They only get about two steps away from us before we both fire. Frannie yells as my pink paint splats on her back, and Jeremy is hit on his shoulder blade. The instinct to run doesn’t kick in quick enough, and I manage to get Frannie again in the leg w
hile Justus nails Jeremy in the thigh.
Justus lets out a war cry that makes me laugh until tears stand in my eyes. “Oh! That’s right!” he gloats. “Can’t fuck with me or my girl!”
“You know, I hate campers when I’m playing Call of Duty, but this just works,” I giggle.
“Not for much longer. If they’re smart, they’ll team up and surround us.”
I motion to a bunker about thirty yards away. “Want to try to run for it?” I ask.
“Run in a zig zag,” Justus cautions, and we drop to the ground. There’s a thin forest surrounding the field. If we can make it to the bunker, we might be able to make it to the tree cover from there.
I can’t stop a giggle as we dart across the field in a zig zag pattern. This really is fun. A shot flies past me, barely missing Justus as well. He jumps down into the bunker and I’m a second away when a purple stain appears on my shoulder, accompanied with a dull pain.
“Damn it! I’m out!” I laugh, jumping into the bunker. “Tucker or Leah got me.”
Justus grins and pulls me against him. “Quickie in the bunker?”
The loudspeaker rings out. “Player six has been eliminated. Please leave the field.”
“Guess not,” I reply, and he gives me a quick kiss. “I’ll see you at the concession stand.”
Jumping out of the bunker, I raise my hand to signal I’m already out so no one will shoot me.
“I will avenge you!” Justus yells, and I hear a female giggle to my right.
Frannie and Jeremy laugh when I find them lounging at a table. “See, that’s what you get for taking us out,” Frannie says.
“Has Justus been hit yet?” Jeremy asks.
“Nope, want to bet on who will win?”
“Loser buys dinner?” Frannie suggests.
“You’re on.”
“So, I assume you’re betting on Justus?” Jeremy says.
“Fuck no. He’s a madman. Tucker’s got this. He was a marine.”
Jeremy groans. “I forgot about that. I’ll take Zoe.”
We all laugh as Dare, Ayda, and Landon approach, all streaked with purple and pink paint. “Tucker took you all out?” Jeremy asks.
“Tucker got Landon and Ayda. Justus got me,” Dare says, taking a seat.
Grinning, I point at Jeremy. “If Tucker wins, Jeremy has to buy us all dinner.”
“And if Zoe wins, dinner is on Sadie.”
Ayda snorts. “Zoe doesn’t have a chance. Tucker is a soldier.”
We sit around laughing and talking until Justus approaches, purple paint splashed down his chest. “Tucker?” I ask.
“Fucker came out of nowhere. He was hiding up in a damn tree!”
Zoe follows soon after and I cheer while Jeremy groans. “Dinner is on Jeremy tonight!”
Leah and Tucker emerge from the woods, a rare smile on Tucker’s face. He’s such a broody guy, but he obviously had fun today.
“Who decided to bring the Special Forces guy?” Justus says as they join us.
“I’m not Special Forces,” Tucker replies, grabbing Justus’s drink and draining it.
“I spit in that,” Justus says.
Tucker shakes his head and gazes at the cup. “Hmm…I always took you for a swallower.”
Everyone laughs, and Justus grins up at him. “Rematch?”
“You’re on.”
Epilogue
Justus
“I can’t believe my bridesmaid dress is covered in blood,” Sadie giggles.
Hannah sits up and flips down the sun visor in my car, checking her makeup in the mirror. “I’m the one with an eyeball stuck to my cheek,” she points out.
It’s Dare and Ayda’s wedding day, or rather, wedding night. Only those two would choose to get married in a graveyard at dusk, with all their guests dressed as zombies. It’s fucking awesome. Now, I’m going to have to step up my game when it comes to my wedding. If she says yes.
The ring I put on her finger months ago waits in my pocket. I want it back on her finger, marking her as mine, only this time for real. I’ve been trying to find the right moment to propose for days.
Hannah and Sadie laugh together, and I take a moment to just listen to them. The two women I love, acting happy and carefree. After the year we’ve had, I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am that things have ended up this way. It’s been six months since I found Hannah, and though we’ve had some really low points, she has rebounded amazingly well. She and Sadie have become good friends, and she has become friendly with Zoe, Ayda, and Leah as well.
A few months ago, Hannah took her High School Equivalency Exam and she’s getting ready to start classes at a nearby college to become a teacher. She still has nightmares and days she can’t pull herself out of bed, but the good days are outweighing the bad, and she’s strong-willed enough to struggle through and keep going.
“You both look beautiful,” I tell them as we park at the cemetery. I swear they found the oldest one in our area. No one has been buried here in over forty years, and most of the tombstones are crumbling, the names and dates of the long dead inhabitants faded and illegible.
Hannah hops out and rushes over to where the women are gathered, but Sadie glances around like something is going to jump out and grab her. Oh, is my fearless girl afraid of a cemetery?
I can’t resist. Laying my hand on the small of her back, I put my lips to her ear and drop my voice. “They’re coming to get you, Sadist.”
“Stop it!” She laughs and shoves me.
She squeals as I grab her hips from behind. “They’re coming for yooouuu.”
“Fucking wedding in a fucking graveyard at night. What the hell is the matter with her?” she grumbles, stomping toward the ladies.
“Relax, Sweets.” I throw my arm around her neck and walk with her. “I’ve watched every zombie movie and show there is. If any of these undead bastards tries anything, I’ve got your back.”
“Shut up. Zombies aren’t real.”
“What about ghosts? This is an old graveyard. Probably crawling with undead spirits watching us right now.” I jerk my head around as if a specter might be sneaking up behind us.
“Then the ghost can tell you you’re an asshole,” she laughs.
“Please, I don’t want them to notice me. It might be a female ghost, and then you know what’ll happen. It’ll see my awesome body and handsome face and follow us home. Then I’ve got to deal with some transparent bitch staring at my cock while I’m in the shower.”
Ayda huffs, overhearing my last sentence. “Just for one day, Justus, can we make it through one day without hearing about your cock?”
“Blame Sadist. She can’t get enough of it.” I drop a kiss on Sadie’s fake blood encrusted lips and head over to where the guys are waiting.
Landon, Jeremy, Dare, and Tucker are gathered around a stone tomb, beers in hand. Dare wears a shredded tuxedo covered in dirt and gore, while the others are dressed in random street clothes, also torn and filthy. Thanks to the makeup artist Dare hired, we’re all sporting multiple mutilations and wounds. Classiest wedding ever.
“What the hell are you wearing?” Dare laughs as I approach.
“What? You said wear anything as long as I zombified it.”
Landon stares at me, his lips twitching. “I don’t think a bloody My Little Pony is what he had in mind.”
Pointing to my head, I reply, “Note the horn, asshole. I’m an undead unicorn. Show some respect.”
“Says the guy in the blue tights,” Tucker snorts. Everyone laughs. He’s usually so quiet, an insult from him always comes as a surprise.
“They’re leggings. And the women at the club cream their jeans over this costume. You know, minus the broken horn and gore covering me.”
Dare slaps me on the back. “From Justus, I don’t expect anything different.”
Jeremy is eyeing Frannie, who just joined the other women. When he looks up and sees the smirks on all our faces, he asks, “How is Hannah doing?” As if
he was looking at her.
“Better every day. Now, are you and Frannie ever going to get your shit together, or are you still determined not to be tied down?”
A frown mars his face. “She’s seeing someone else.”
Oh shit. “Sorry, man.” What does he expect, though? He’s strung that girl along forever.
He shrugs. “No big deal.”
The officiant approaches and I can’t help but laugh. He even managed to get the woman who is marrying them to dress like a zombie.
It’s a small ceremony with only a few family and friends. The Reed Brothers and their significant others are here, along with Zoe’s brother and his boyfriend. It’s almost fully dark when the ceremony starts, but lanterns light up the blood soaked altar and the small space where we’re all gathered.
Landon is Dare’s best man and Sadie stands beside Ayda as her maid of honor while they exchange vows and rings. It’s all over in a few minutes, but by the expression on Dare’s face, it’s the best few minutes of his life. I can’t wait to do this with Sadie—minus the blood and gore. I can’t wait another day to propose and hear her say she’ll be mine forever.
Tonight, after the reception is over, I’m finally going to ask her. Drawing attention away from Ayda and Dare’s day would be a dick move, so I’ll wait until later tonight, but it’s happening.
The reception is being held at a local lakeside bar and grill and since it’s nowhere near Halloween, we get a lot of stares as we file in to our reserved room. The next few hours are spent partying and laughing with all our friends.
“Ah ah, Sweets.” I take the shot of whisky from her hand and give it to Tucker.
“Hey, just because you can’t handle the hard stuff doesn’t mean she can’t,” Zoe taunts.
“What the hell?” Sadie exclaims.
Wrapping my arm around her stomach from behind, I pull her back to my chest, and put my lips to her ear. “I have plans for you and I want you to remember every second. So, no Drunky Sadist tonight.”
“Hmm…sounds good. Let’s get out of here.”
