by Hunter Rose
First up is my father, and then my mother. Then a lifelong friend of Anthony’s, and two women who stood up with Bree. Guests applaud after each speech, and the drinks dwindle down to almost nothing.
And then after them is the person I least want to hear from again in my life.
I know it’s coming. It’s inevitable. In so many ways, they only have each other, so I can’t expect Talon to not stand up and say something to his aunt on her wedding day. I’m just dreading it. I don’t want to look up and see him so handsome in his suit. It was hard enough not being distracted by him during the ceremony. I don’t want to hear his voice or look into his eyes.
When he finally walks up and takes the microphone, my heart pounds in my chest. I have to look down at the table to hide the sting of tears in my eyes. I wish I could escape, but everyone would see me. An unfortunate effect of being family of the groom: you’re seated at a table clearly visible to everyone else in the room.
Talon looks out over the guests and waits until they recover from the last speech and quiet down to listen to him.
“Hi, everybody. I promise, this is the last speech, and then everybody can get back to eating and dancing and celebrating Bree and Anthony. There are just a few things I want to say. For those of you who don’t know, I’m Talon, and Bree is my aunt. At least, that’s what people say. In reality, she’s so much more. Bree has always been there for me my entire life. When I was just a little boy, she was there to play with me and read me stories. When I got older, she was there to protect me, from everything around me, and from myself. And now that I’m even older, she’s still doing all those things. She has never hesitated to tell me exactly what she’s thinking and give me the type of advice other people might not want to.”
He looks over at his aunt, who smiles, pride and love beaming in her eyes.
“My mother died when I was 9 years old, but because of her little sister, Bree, she’s never been fully gone. Bree has always made sure I remember my mother and the times we spent together. She’s devoted herself to making sure I always knew I was loved. In so many ways, she is my mother. And I have never been happier for anyone then I am for her and Anthony. That’s because they found each other. They reached out into what can be a frightening and devastating world and discovered each other, and together they will experience what can be wonderful about it.”
There’s a whoop from somewhere in the crowd, setting off a gaggle of laughter. Talon clears his throat and continues.
“There’s one more piece of advice my Aunt Bree gave me. Today, actually. It’s an important lesson that I had to learn. I will be the first to admit I haven’t been good at love. I have my reasons, but they don’t matter right now. Actually, I don’t think they matter at all anymore. Because I realize all the times I said I didn’t believe in love or in relationships; I was really saying I was afraid of it. Now I see Bree and Anthony together, and I realize I am afraid of it. I’m absolutely afraid of it. But that’s when you really know. Love Is big and intense, and yet focused and steady. It means being willing to change and to give up so much about yourself so you can welcome the other person in. That isn’t sacrifice, or dismissal of the other person. It’s molding your shape to match the other and expecting them to do the same for you.”
He turns his blue eyes directly to me. I freeze. People murmur and turn their heads. I feel like I’m back on stage at the theater. Like a spotlight came and illuminated me from the dark.
“I made a mistake. An astronomic mistake. I’m not going to keep going with more descriptions; it’s enough to say I made that mistake. And that mistake hurt someone incredible. I want that incredible woman, and everyone else, to know I will make more mistakes. I’m going to do things that are stupid. I’m going to forget things and overlook things that matter. I’m going to stay out too late and plan on washing my cereal bowl only to leave it in the sink until after dinner. There will be mistakes, but never again like what I did to you.”
I can’t stop the tears already falling.
“That’s the advice that my Aunt Bree gave me about love today. And she knows that because she has found an amazing love of her own. And I want that kind of love, too. Wren, I love you. I love you more than I could ever put into words, and I want to stand up here in front of everybody to tell you this because you deserve to know. Also I want to ask you to please, officially and without anything behind it, be my girlfriend.”
I can’t breathe. My mouth moves, but I’m not hearing any sound coming out. Every part of my body tingles, and a rush like I’ve never experienced before pushes me up to my feet. Talon puts the microphone down and comes toward me. He stops a few inches away and reaches out for my hands. I rest them in his palms, and he lightly brushes his thumb over them.
“I’m sorry,” he starts, but I shake my head.
“No. That’s enough. I don’t want to hear that you’re sorry anymore. I just want to tell you I love you, too.”
Talon smiles and gathers me into his arms. He curls around me, enveloping me with his strength and warmth. There’s a big chorus of cheers and applause, and the music starts up again, but I barely hear it. All I can hear is Talon’s heartbeat as he leads me out onto the dance floor. Our bodies touch as he guides my arms up around his neck, then loops his around my waist. We barely sway, letting the music inspire us, but wanting each other far more.
“How long were you planning on doing that?” I ask.
“I didn’t plan it,” he admits. “I talked to my aunt today, and what she had to say just gave me the clarity I need.”
“It’s about time,” I smile, kissing him deeply.
“I love you, Little Bird. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. I knew you were going to be something truly incredible. But that’s what stopped me. You were so different than anyone I’ve ever known, any girl I’ve ever met. From that first moment, everything in me was devoted to you. But I didn’t know how to talk to you. I didn’t know how to cope with someone as extraordinary as you. I’ve been afraid for so long that I was going to end up like my father, and I didn’t want to risk hurting you. I wanted to protect you, and it was so much easier to just push you away. It was so much easier to never let you in. But I promise, I’m done with that. I want you to know every part of me. I can’t hide anymore. I want to face this life with you by my side. I love you.”
There’s nothing for me to say. No words would be enough right now. I run my fingers through his hair, then kiss him on either cheek. I kiss the bridge of his nose, then rest my forehead on his.
He wraps his arms tight around me and pulls me close. Our mouths find each other’s, and we kiss deeply, finally giving ourselves over to each other and what we felt all along.
My heart was too fragile, always at risk of breaking. His was too hard, like a wall of cold stone. But together, we found a way to mold our hearts to each other. And now, like birds, our hearts will rise together in flight.
More By Hunter Rose
A Free Gift For You
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Older. Dominant. And brutally handsome.
Jackson is so much better than he was years ago.
As my older brother’s best friend, he turned me down.
And, I vowed to never feel anything for him after that. But now he’s thrust back into my life…
I won’t let my old feelings for him resurface.
My resolve weakens when someone starts stalking me, and Jackson makes it his mission to protect me.
And when things get more and more dangerous, I find myself falling for Jackson even harder.
Will I be able to survive the danger looming and my feeling for Jackson?
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About the Author
Hunter Rose is a Contemporary Romance author who found his love for literature at an early age. Reading everything from Edgar Allen Poe to Nora Roberts, Hunter’s love for reading quickly turned into a passi
on for writing. After writing in a few genres, Hunter became intrigued by Contemporary Romance being the hopeless romantic that he is.
When he is not writing, Hunter finds inspiration through travelling across the world and meeting new people. Although he enjoys spending time with others, Hunter also appreciates some alone time displaying his creativity in his carpentry workshop with a glass of aged Whisky on the rocks.
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