Come for Me

by Ford, Mia

  “What is all of this?” Savannah gasps while clutching her hands to her mouth. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Jayden wants to marry you!” Peter blurts out. “He told me so.”

  We all laugh since it was only an accident and he hasn’t exactly spoiled the surprise anyway. Savannah already knows that I want to marry her and to me, it’s very obvious that’s what’s happening here. It’s the perfect set up for a romantic proposal, just like I promised her it would be when I asked properly.

  But I quickly take her hand and I drop to one knee before anyone else can say anything else. I still want to be the one to do most of the talking today. “Savannah, I do want to marry you. I’ve wanted to marry you for over a decade, everyone knows that. You have always been the shining star in my life, the woman that I want to love and cherish forever. I want to grow old with you and to have the happiest life with you that both of us can imagine. I couldn’t imagine ever finding a happiness like it again. It will always be you.” I open the ring box and show her the princess cut diamond that I specially picked out for her a few weeks back. So, what do you say? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  “Yes,” she gushes through the tears. “Yes, of course I will. Nothing would make me happier. I love you too, Jayden. Oh my God, I love you too.”

  As I embrace her and everyone else joins in with the hug, wrapping their arms around the two of us, I really feel like this is the fresh start that we all desperately need. The proposal and the wedding that will follow will be about all of us, not just me and Savannah, and I really hope that we get an amazing life out of it.

  35

  Savannah

  One Year Later…

  “Do I look okay?” I ask Pippa nervously while twisting from side to side. “Does it fit me okay?”

  “Doll, you look incredible. The best I’ve ever seen you. That dress is amazing on you.”

  I run my fingers down the ivory silky material while smiling to myself. I do want to look good for Jayden, especially today more than any other day. That’s why I spent such a long time agonizing over each and every dress in all the stores around to make sure that when I finally landed on one, it was the right one.

  The slim-line fit, the sweetheart neckline, the lace detail, it’s all a million miles away from the first time around I did that, but that felt like a dream and not in a good way. This is my incredible reality.

  “Okay, thank you, Pippa. I just can’t help being nervous. It’s a big day today.”

  “I know. It’s the first day of the rest of your life. Trust me, you’re going to be fine.”

  I breathe out a big anxious breath and nod. Then I flip the veil over my face and I steel myself. “Okay, I think I’m ready. I think it’s time. Can you go and grab my dad and tell him that I’m ready?”

  Pippa leaves the room and I gasp a couple of times to myself while I wait. I spend so much time with other people these days it’s weird to be alone. With Bryan, I always felt like I was by myself, alone, lonely, now I don’t have time for that emotion and it’s the loveliest feeling in the whole damn world.

  “Are you okay, Mommy?” Peter flies into the room looking absolutely adorable in his suit. “You look nice.”

  “Oh, thank you.” I bend down to my knees as much as I can to stare into his eyes. “That’s so kind of you to say and you look lovely too. Where’s Jayden? Aren’t you supposed to be standing with him?”

  “I am. I’m the best man,” he tells me with absolute pride. Just like he has done every single time he’s talked about the wedding. “But he said I could come and say hi. Tommy is with him anyway, so he’s fine.”

  Me and Peter have an even deeper bond than before these days. The terror that struck us during that horrible mess with Bryan has brought us even closer, the aftermath too. But we’ve spent the last year since the trial was done rebuilding and growing closer together. I couldn’t be more proud of my boy, he’s done so well.

  “I’m doing well, baby. As soon as Grandad comes here, I’ll be out in there anyway, so you think you can wait for me with Jayden? I’m looking forward to you standing up there, making me proud as my big boy.”

  He nods and leans his head against me for a couple more moments. “I love you, Mommy.”

  “I love you too, baby. I always will. You know that.”

  With that he takes off at the speed of light, leaving me in a trail of dust behind him. My dad wanders around the corner only seconds later chuckling to himself. “That boy never stands still for long, does he?”

  I shake my head and rise. “No, but it’s good. After all that time locked away, he needs to run.”

  Dad holds out his arm to me and I take it. “I know, but today we’re really putting all of that behind us, aren’t we? I know we pushed it to the back a while ago, but today it’s done forever.”

  “I know, it is and I’m glad. This is the fresh start that all of us need.”

  “Speaking of which…” Pippa’s head pokes around the corner. “Every one is waiting. It’s time to go.”

  We haven’t invited many people to our wedding, I want this one to be the polar opposite to the last one. Jayden has his family and work friends, I have my dad and some of the new people that I’ve met at college, then of course, we have our closest friends in the wedding party. It’s only right since they helped us get to this point. It’s only the important people, which is perfect. I don’t want to share my love with anyone else in the world.

  “Right, I’m ready. I’m nervous, but I’m still ready. Let’s go.”

  Pippa goes ahead, followed closely by me and Dad. We walk all the way to the hall in which the wedding ceremony is being held and I gasp with sheer delight as I see it. It’s decorated beautifully, just the way I wanted it, with pale pink and white flowers, and twinkling lights everywhere. Like a dream, but in a good way.

  And then I see my dream man at the end of the aisle, looking absolutely incredible in his suit. He actually takes my breath away he looks so amazing. He’s giving me that beautiful smile, the one that I feel in love with ten years ago, and seeing it again just makes me grin right back. I have to restrain myself so I don’t run down the aisle to greet him. Already, I feel like I’m in a desperate rush to hold him in my arms again.

  “Hi,” he mouths at me as I get closer. “You look beautiful.”

  “So do you.”

  I slip my hands into his as my dad gives me over willingly and I feel an intense rush in my chest. Lust and love swirls around me, I can feel it touching me everywhere intensely. This is where we need to be.

  “We are gathered here today…”

  I tune out as the vicar goes through all the usual spiel related to weddings. I’m not bothered about that part, I’ve heard it all before, what I’m really excited to get to is the real part. The vows. We’ve written our own and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say. I’m also excited to say my piece as well.

  Luckily, I don’t have to wait too long. “Savannah Donald, I am so glad that we’re here today and you’ve finally agreed to be my wife. I promise you now, that isn’t going to be a pleasure that I take for granted ever. I will love you, take care of you, and make you happy forever more. I will be sure to make you breakfast in bed every morning, to kiss you every night before we go to sleep, and keep the hell out of your way if you’re doing your college work.” A titter of laughter breaks out in the crowd and I join in. Maybe I haven’t been taking it a bit too seriously, but I want to get it right this time. “Basically, I intend to make you the happiest woman alive.”

  I gulp down, suddenly realizing that I have a thick ball of emotion lodged into my throat. His words got to me more than I thought they would. His sweet little promises, which I know mean bigger things too, make me feel incredible. I suck back and prepare myself to get my own vows out.

  “Jayden, you are my super hero, you know this. You have saved me from so many things, more than anyone knows, and I love you for that. I love you so much that I never wan
t to be without you. You’re mine and I’m yours forever more. I will always love you. Until death do us part and all that.” I get some laughter of my own. “I don’t have any specific promises to make you, such as breakfast in bed, but I will be the best wife I can be to you. I will do what I can to make you happy every single day.”

  We smile brightly at each other, drowning in one another’s words. It feels great to know that we’re finally here at this place where we’ve always wanted to be.

  “Do I bring the rings now, Mommy?”

  I turn to smile at Peter before beckoning him forward. This is all about him too since we’re bringing Jayden into our little family. Luckily, us all living together has been amazing so far. It’s only been a couple of months but I just know that it’s going to be awesome. We all love one another so much.

  I crouch down with my arm around my son as we exchange the rings, swirling in happiness. This is it now, the future that I’ve always wanted. It was a rocky path to get us here, but we’ve made it and now we can get through anything. I’ve found my happy place, my happy ever after.

  It’s the start of a brand-new era in my life and I love it so much.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife.” Never have I been so happy to hear those words. “You may now kiss the bride.”

  As Jayden crashes his lips down onto mine, I fill with hope and promise.

  Everything is perfect.

  Part – 2

  Come for Me – Side Characters HEA

  Blurb

  One night of fun

  That’s all it was meant to be

  Well, with me, that’s all it ever is.

  My ex had cheated on me

  Humiliated me all those years…

  And since then, I had vowed never to fall in love again.

  I won’t let a night’s fun get into my career

  I enjoy my work and it allows me to run whenever I want to

  I will simply never ever get tied down.

  I don’t know what’s so special about Pippa

  She keeps getting under my skin

  And makes me feel so different

  But, didn’t I just say “I won’t ever get sucked in again?”

  36

  Pippa

  “God this place can be boring,” my fellow journalist, Jim, mutters in disgust. “Sometimes I wish I could work somewhere like New York where there are gruesome crimes all the time. They get a choice of story.”

  “Hmm, it’s not always boring, you know. Sometimes things do happen around here.”

  “Oh, right.” His face stains a funny shade of red as he realizes who he’s talking to. He stuffs his hands awkwardly into his pockets and turns away. “Of course. I’m sorry, Pippa. I just forgot. I didn’t mean to…”

  Even though it was two years ago now, no one can forget the time I was heavily involved in a news story myself. A kidnapping plot which also unveiled years of blackmail, faked deaths, and extortion. Of course, it wasn’t me directly linked, but my best friend, so I was a part of the rescue team who stopped it all.

  That was a mental time of my life, one I don’t think I’ll ever fully move past. Especially on the long and boring days that have followed. It’s not that I miss the drama exactly, I wouldn’t ever want to be involved in something like that again, it was just the high emotions that ran through us all at the time. All four of us…

  “Erm, how is your friend these days? She’s doing much better, I imagine? Her little boy too?”

  “Oh yeah Savannah is great, and Peter is doing amazing as well. She and Jayden are doing really well, actually. They’ve just found out that they have a baby on the way so there’s a lot of happiness on that front. I’m really pleased for them.”

  I am, of course I am, but I can’t help being a bit jealous too. Savannah has been able to move on with her life because she has so many things keeping her going. I’m the one who’s left a bit… aimless…

  Career wise, things have been great, and of course it’s wonderful to have my tightknit group around me, but there’s one thing that’s missing, and it’s something that I haven’t ever been able to discuss never mind anything else. It’s the one aspect of that whole story that I cannot move past, no matter what I try…

  “Oh, Tommy, we shouldn’t be doing this,” I told him as my eyes rolled backwards. The sensations he had racing through my body at a million miles an hour had me already seeing stars. “This is wrong, you know that, right?”

  He nipped my neck before answering, making me squeal out as the pleasure pain sensation sent me spinning. “This is a celebration, isn’t it? We finally put an end to that bastard’s reign of terror. Why not enjoy ourselves?”

  At that, I allowed myself to be dragged under the waters of pleasure with Tommy because he was so right. We had been through a lot together, our bond had been sealed a while back, and to be honest I always felt like there was something subtle sizzling between me and Tommy anyway, even before we ended up in his motel room bed together, where he sent me flying to places I’d never been before. The three times that we had sex that night were unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. The pleasure was intense, overwhelming, powerful…

  I knew then that he’d changed my outlook on everything. I never would be satisfied in the same way again.

  But then I woke up the following morning, cold and alone, with only a note on the pillow next to me. As affected by the whole experience as I was I’ve kept the note. I still have it today in my bed’s side drawer.

  ‘Pippa, I’m sorry. I can’t give you any more than that, even if I want to. Tommy x.’

  He’d left me gone back to the army barracks without even a glance backwards. But, yeah we’ve seen one another again since that moment. With our best friends now married to each other, it’s impossible to avoid one another, but we just deal with it by never speaking about it. I’ve since learned that he’s been badly burned in the past which is why he won’t ever commit, and unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be something I can change, so I just have to accept it for what it is.

  Even if we were phenomenal together, even if I can still feel that chemistry burning between us now, we will always just be friends and never anything more. Not even friends, really, just associates.

  What I really need to do is stop thinking about him, so I can finally move on.

  “Hey, girl.” Janice, one of the news researchers, slides in the chair next to me. “How’s it going?” She doesn’t give me a chance to answer, but then she never does. “You know it’s my birthday today, right?”

  “Oh my God.” I smack my palm against my forehead. I vaguely remember signing a company card a few days ago, but I don’t even think I looked at who it was for. “Is it? I’m so sorry, I spaced out…”

  “No, it’s okay. I don’t want anything. I just wanted to know if you’d come out tonight for a few drinks.” She nudges me playfully and wiggles her eyebrows. “I hear that Gerard is going to be out. You’re dating him, right?”

  Urgh, Gerard. He’s just one of the few guys that I’ve been on a date with in the last couple of years to try and move past my one night of steamy passion with Tommy. I keep picking men that are perfect for me on paper. They are good-looking, hard-working, ambitious, kind, often funny… but none of them do for me what he did, and unfortunately, he’s ruined me. No man will ever quite match up and I kinda need that now.

  Damn Tommy with his rugged looks, his slight scar under his chin, his dark, brooding eyes, and scruffy blond hair. He’s the exact opposite of what I always thought I liked in a man, yet somehow it worked. I just need to keep on hunting until I find that chemistry again. It must be out there, there cannot only be one man to make me feel that way. I’ll have to just keep on trying and recover from every disappointment quick.

  To be honest, it probably doesn’t help that no man has even made it to the bedroom in the last two years. I have become a virgin again. I can usually tell just from the lack of banter, and very occasionally from the
kiss that it isn’t going to be what I want. Unfortunately, that included Gerald.

  “Nah, we didn’t quite work out.” I give her what I hope is a breezy shrug. “But it isn’t awkward or anything, so yeah, a night out sounds awesome actually. I could use a drink and a dance, it’s been a while. Since Savannah is now pregnant, it isn’t as easy to head out on a night of fun on a whim.”

  “Oh right, yeah. Well, I have lots of male friends anyway, so you might find your Prince Charming,”

  “Hmm.” Well, that’s one thing Tommy definitely isn’t, a Prince Charming. He isn’t about to come into my life again and sweep me off my feet. It’s more likely to be a damn fight, one that I can’t win. I need the try and view him as one of the frogs I need to kiss along the way rather than the end goal. “Yeah, here’s hoping.”

  “But you have to keep your hands off Alex.” She wiggles her finger at me, mock telling me off. “That man is mine. I have wanted him forever and tonight is the night where I’m finally going to claim him as my own.”

  I do hope that she does. Even if I cannot have the man that I want, I don’t want other people to be unhappy. I’ve never been like that. I offer her the brightest smile I can manage and I stand to move away.

  “Right, well I better get back to it, but I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight.”

  “We’re meeting at eight PM at The Stag. The theme is supposed to be cocktail dresses, but I highly doubt that will stick. It should be fun whatever though! I’ll see you then.”