Just an Illusion - EP

by D. Kelly

  Watch and wait

  Our vows freely spoken

  The rings are exchanged

  We kiss through our tears

  We take our places

  As Mr. and Mrs.

  What a blessed day

  Always remember,

  Our love is timeless

  Our fears were for nothing

  This time we will bloom

  You’re my Mrs.

  I’m your groom

  My true love

  This song is for you

  Holy hell. I’m a crying mess, along with most of the crowd. Even Sawyer is wiping away a tear. I can’t believe he wrote and sang a sappy, anti-rock, wedding song for me. Eli places my hand in Sawyer’s before taking his seat. Sawyer squeezes it tight before reaching up with his free hand to wipe away my tears.

  “Will you sing that to me when we’re alone tonight?” I whisper, still in awe.

  “Anything for you, Princess.”

  Nate is standing next to Sawyer beaming proudly as he holds his ring bearer pillow. As the minister begins to speak, I notice there is a ring missing from the pillow. We weren’t going to let Nate have the actual rings but Sawyer insisted we have some faith he could handle it.

  “I’m sorry, can you give us a moment?” I say to the minister and then whisper the problem into Sawyer’s ear.

  His eyes flick to the pillow and back to me and he shakes his head. Then he turns to our guests. “If everyone can stay seated for a moment we’re missing a ring and need to do a little backtracking to see if we can find it.”

  Sawyer walks back up the aisle and shrugs when he gets there and comes back down. “What do you want to do, Mel?”

  Wyatt, Darren, J, and Anna have come closer to see if they can help. I turn toward the crowd and something catches my eye. The odds are impossible. Wyatt notices it when I do and we both practically race off the gazebo, stopping in front of Mama at the same time. She’s holding Noelle and the diaper bag is at her feet.

  My trembling hands clutch Wyatt’s arm. “What are the odds, Wyatt? We’re being crazy!”

  He lifts the bag into his arms and starts digging through it. “No, crazy would be if we actually find the ring in this bag. That would be crazy.”

  After emptying everything into my arms and not finding the ring, we put everything back. When he turns the bag sideways, I’m reminded of Nate’s favorite pocket. “Wait, Wyatt, check that side pocket. Nate is always tucking his cars and juice in there. It’s his secret spot.”

  Wyatt puts his hand inside and pulls out Sawyer’s ring. “I’ll be a son of a bitch,” he whispers as I clutch his arm with trembling hands. The memory washes over me, and I’m certain he’s remembering, too.

  “Wyatt, at Mel and Sawyer’s wedding, tell them not to worry, it’s in the bag.”

  A sob escapes me as Wyatt pulls me close and hugs me through my temporary lapse of mental faculties. We never told anyone about our talk, but Anna knew, and the way she’s covering her mouth next to Sawyer, she’s remembering right now, too.

  “Come on, Mel, if this isn’t a sign I don’t know what is. Get married first and then tell Sawyer.” He leads me back up the steps as I wipe away my tears.

  “Are you okay?” Sawyer’s concerned tone washes over me, filling me with love.

  “I’m fine. In shock, but completely fine. Marry me now, I’ll explain later.”

  “Deal.”

  The minister begins again and Sawyer keeps my hands in his as he speaks. We decided to make this wedding as different as could be from my last one, so we’re exchanging our own vows.

  “Sawyer, you may begin your vows,” the minister says, and Sawyer’s eyes meet mine.

  “Amelia, it’s taken us a long time to get where we are today. You are the only woman I’ve ever met who has challenged me, and you continue to do so each day. It’s one of my favorite things about you. The past four years have been full of ups and downs but through it all, getting to know you and love you has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. We are blessed with two beautiful children, a wonderful home, an amazing family, and two guardian angels who watch over us and keep us safe. You’ve always been my Princess but today you become my Queen. I’m going to love, honor, cherish, and worship you, all the rest of my days. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “I will,” I say as he slides my rings onto my trembling finger.

  “Amelia, you may now begin your vows to Sawyer,” the minister says, and I keep my eyes locked on Sawyer’s.

  “Sawyer, you fell in love with a paranoid mess.” He grins at me, giving me the courage to keep going.

  “You say I challenge you, but you are the one who continuously challenges me. You’re constantly encouraging me to step outside my comfort zone to find the woman inside I’m meant to be. You taught me how to be a mother and how to love with reckless abandon. You gave me the strength to move on after the darkest days of my life. You covered me in a love so strong and secure I found my way out of the darkness and into the light once again. Every time I think I have you figured out, you surprise me in all the best ways. Life with you is never boring and never predictable. Even greater than your love for me is your love for our children. Your love and patience for them has no bounds. You are the best father, partner, and friend I could imagine. There’s no one I’d rather be secret-keepers with than you. I promise I will love and honor you all the rest of my days. But I will also continue to challenge you to the best of my ability, be your best friend, your favorite secret-keeper, and no matter what you call me, I will forever be your Princess. Would you do me the absolute honor of becoming my husband?”

  “I will,” he says solemnly as I slide his ring onto his finger.

  The sight of a wedding ring on Sawyer Weston’s finger does something to me. He was always the beast who could never be tamed. That’s what Belle used to say. It’s not true at all. He’s a man who wanted someone to love him in spite of his reputation, and I’m the lucky one who gets that honor.

  As the minister speaks, I allow myself to get lost in Sawyer’s eyes. I completely tuned out the rest of the ceremony but as Sawyer’s mouth closes over mine, I don’t worry about it. This is the best part anyway.

  Once we receive hugs and congratulations, Sawyer pulls me into the house. Oddly enough, he parks us right in front of our photo wall. I let Sawyer choose which photos to put here and he surprised me by putting up quite a few of me and Noah. He said I was right and Nate needed to feel his parents’ love. All of his parents. He also hung up that photo of the three of us right in the center of the wall.

  “What happened out there, Mel? Before the ceremony?”

  How do I even explain this to him?

  “Come on, Sawyer, there’s something you need to know,” I say, pulling him into our living room and sitting next to him on the couch.

  I fill him in on the night Wyatt came over and all that he told me. I never wanted to tell Sawyer this because I felt like this secret should be kept. I should know better, though. Secrets have a way of coming out and I can’t expect him to share secrets with me if I don’t with him.

  “Are you telling me Noah predicted our future?”

  “I don’t know, babe, all I know is he was right. Maybe it was a fluke, or maybe it was fate and Noah got a flash forward before he died.”

  Sawyer leans back against the sofa and exhales. “Wow.”

  “I’m sorry I freaked out back there. I wasn’t sure how to process something like that and since I hadn’t told you about it, I felt even worse.”

  “It’s okay, Mel. Technically, this was Wyatt’s secret. God knows me and Darren kept a ton of them from him and Noah. I’m not angry with you, but I do feel like somehow Noah just gave us his blessing … for real.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Here you two are. I wanted to give you something and was hoping to catch you in private,” Sam says as he walks in carrying a wedding pres
ent.

  “Hey, Sam. Sorry, we had something to talk about but we’re all set now. You want us to open your present now?” I ask.

  “If you wouldn’t mind.”

  Sawyer looks at me and motions for me to do the honors. I open the box and fold back the paper to a hardback book—my new book that’s supposed to be coming out next month. Bastards and Dangerous, The Story of Us, by Amelia Weston.

  I flip open to the first page and run my fingers over it as I read it... In my mind, this is the most important page in the book.

  For Noah,

  As promised, this book is for you.

  Thank you for teaching me to breathe.

  Thank you for showing me how to love.

  Thank you for making me to believe in fate.

  Thank you for leaving me with a piece of you. He reminds me daily all the ways in which loving you, and being loved by you, have blessed my life.

  Most of all, thank you for saying it was okay.

  We’re trying to be okay together each day, because of you.

  You’re the angel who showed two beautifully flawed people that it’s necessary to love and accept love in return.

  You are our heart and soul and we miss you every day.

  I can’t stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks. “Maybe we shouldn’t publish this. Maybe it’s just supposed to be our story,” I sob, and Sawyer wraps his arms around me.

  “It’s your call, Mel, I’ll do whatever you want. How about I leave you two to talk it over?” Sam says, kissing the top of my head as I continue to cry into Sawyer.

  “Is that what you want, Princess? I’m with you all the way. We’ve gone around and around. It’s our story as much as it is yours. I thought you decided it was worth it since the proceeds are going to charity.”

  Everything is right with the world when I’m wrapped in Sawyer’s arms. “It is. God, I’m being so ridiculous today. I feel them here with us, is that crazy?”

  “No, I feel them, too, and I’m glad for it. They should be here, Mel. This is a happy day and they would be happy for us.”

  “You’re right, and the book looks beautiful, doesn’t it?”

  “It does,” he says, standing and helping me to my feet. “Come dance with me, Mrs. Weston. Let’s eat cake and spend the night under the stars with our family. What do you say?”

  “Lead the way, Mr. Weston. The sooner we say goodnight, the sooner you can whisk me off for our honeymoon, where we can work on baby number three.”

  He pulls me against him and slides my hand down to his cock. “You always know the right things to say to get me excited.”

  “Well, I am your wife, it only makes sense I know best.”

  “Fuck,” he groans as his erection becomes even harder. “Say it again, Mel.”

  “I’m your wife … Mrs. Sawyer Weston.”

  “Come on,” he says, pulling me quickly toward the door. “We need to wrap up this party so I can have my way with you again, and again, for the rest of my life.”

  “Who is teasing who with a good time now?”

  He pulls me close and brings his lips to mine. “I am. Always and forever, Amelia.”

  Hey Slammed Family,

  It is with a heavy heart I announce this will be my last post to this blog. I’ve held it hostage long enough and it’s time to pass the torch to someone who will run it the way Belle intended all along. Slammed Magazine has an amazing blogger ready and anxious to take over this space and she’ll keep you updated on all things entertainment. Trust me when I say Belle would approve.

  As for me, this past year has been a crazy ride. Cadence and Nate are both four years old now and growing like weeds. Noelle recently turned a year old and she’s a Daddy’s girl through and through. Sawyer, Darren, and Wyatt are working on music again, both for fun and in an official capacity. Weston Brothers Records is now officially open and looking for new indie bands who need a little help getting noticed. Noah, Sawyer, Darren, and Wyatt have always been brothers in every sense of the word, and now they’re in business together once again.

  It’s my personal hope that one day they let us all hear their voices in new music. They’re all much too talented to stay away from the spotlight forever.

  Since Sawyer and I got married nine months ago, a lot has changed. As you know, I released our story and it was an instant best seller. We received so many supportive messages after the release and Sawyer and I were both incredibly happy that you seem to understand our relationship a bit more now.

  I’m enjoying life as a mom and an aunt immensely; that’s partially why I’m giving up this blog. Talking with you all got me through some dark times, and I’m thankful you stayed around to follow Belle and Noah’s legacy. I think this is the last step in healing, finally letting this blog go. A lot of you follow me on Instagram. If you want to keep seeing pictures of the kids, you can follow me or any of the guys there.

  Before I go, I wanted to give you one last update. Sawyer and I are expanding our family from a family of four to a family of six. You heard me right. I’m six months pregnant and the twins are due at Thanksgiving. Talk about a blessing. My little Noelle is going to steal the official title as Daddy’s girl because she’ll be officially outnumbered when her twin brothers arrive.

  Thank you, Slammed Family, from the bottom of my heart. Your comments over the past four years have helped get me through some tough times. In my last official signoff, I’m going to take this blog back to the spirit in which Belle intended all along.

  Don’t forget – Live today, like there’s no tomorrow.

  Xs and Os

  Amelia

  Please join us in the Just an Illusion – EP reader group! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1916016678629629/

  Want to know what Sawyer was thinking and feeling? Just an Illusion – Unplugged will hopefully answer all those questions for you. Anticipated release – January 2018. Add to your TBR –

  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30833939-just-an-illusion---unplugged

  What’s next from D. Kelly? The Evolution of Us releases October 2017 – Add to your TBR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35442685-the-evolution-of-us

  Keep reading for the exclusive Bastards and Dangerous interviews by Amelia Greyson.

  For those of you who stuck with this series, especially after the first few chapters of this book, I’d like to thank you most of all. This story was personal to me in a lot of ways and difficult to write. These books are by far my personal favorites out of all my books to date.

  Releasing a book takes a village. Readers, bloggers, designers, editors, photographers, formatters, PAs, friends, PR teams, and anyone I may have forgotten, all contribute to a book’s release. The indie book world is an incredible village and I’m utterly blessed to be a part of it. Thank you for the pieces of yourself you give to me with every release. I appreciate you all so very much.

  I can’t even begin to thank everyone, but I’d love to thank my PA, Ashley Griffieth. She’s been with me since before my first book ever came out and I’m thankful every day that she was brought into my life.

  To my reader group, Dee’s Dirty Divas, you guys are the best. Thank you for being a part of my group and chatting away with me.

  To the original Diva’s, D’s Divine Divas, I love you ladies with all my heart.

  To the Side A and The B Side reader groups, you guys have been absolutely incredible. I love hearing all your thoughts and seeing your posts. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit scared to see what you say about EP, but I hope if there’s one thing you can take away from this book it’s that love still prevailed—even if, it wasn’t what you wanted or expected. Of course, you already know I’ve been filling the EP group with posts and I’m ready and waiting to talk to you all about it.

  To my family, thank you for supporting me and loving me through yet another release. I love you more than you know.

  To my husband, I know this isn’t the e
asiest career to support, but you love me in spite of it all. Thank you for constantly encouraging me and loving me.

  For those of you who are waiting for more of The Illusion Series, the plan right now is for at least three more books. The first, Just an Illusion – Unplugged, is tentatively scheduled for January 2018. If you’re dying to see Sawyer’s side and inside his mind, this is your chance. It will be mostly—if not all—new material. If you’ve read Catching Kate you know I don’t like to rehash material in the alternate POV if I can help it.

  The other two books will be Jordan’s and Darren’s. For those of you who aren’t in the group, a little-known fact is Jordan’s book was actually supposed to release first but I decided the story was better told this way. Hopefully, you all agree.

  Thank you all for reading, for your reviews, and for the many emails and messages you’ve sent me about this series. Based on your messages, these books made you feel. As an author, my ultimate goal is to write a story that pulls you in so deeply you feel it all.

  Until next time.

  All my love,

  Dee

  The most important thing you can do for the authors you love is leave a review and tell your friends how much you enjoyed their book. If you wouldn’t mind taking a few moments to rate and review this book, I would greatly appreciate it.

  Sincerely,

  Dee Kelly

  D. Kelly, author of The Acceptance Series, The Illusion Series, and standalone companion novels Chasing Cassidy and Sharing Rylee, was born and raised in Southern California. She’s a wife, mom, dog lover, taxi, problem fixer, and extreme multi-tasker. She married her high school sweetheart and is her kids’ biggest fan.

  Kelly has been writing since she was young and took joy in spinning stories to her childhood friends. Margaritas and sarcasm make her smile, she loves the beach but hates the sand, and she believes Starbucks makes any day better.

  A contemporary romance writer, D. Kelly’s stories revolve around friendship and the bond it creates, strengthening the love of the people who share it. For all things D. Kelly, you can visit her website: http://www.dkellyauthor.com