“These are for you.” He pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. My eyes widened at them. They were my favorite too, yellow lilies.
“You didn’t have to,” I whispered as I grabbed them.
“Well, seeing as no one else did, does this mean I am your favorite?” he joked.
“You are definitely my favorite, Dyl.” I pulled him into a tight hug.
“I thought I was your favorite?” Gage asked, making me pull away from Dylan.
“You didn’t buy me flowers.”
“If anyone is her favorite, it is me,” Luke said, shoving past Gage to stand in front of me. “I am her brother after all.”
“Yeah, right, we all know it is me. Hello, I am her best friend, practically her sister.” Macey pushed Luke to the side and smiled at me.
“Who is the one who bought you paint supplies for Christmas almost every year?” Ethan butted in. I looked at all of them as they started to argue with one another about who was my favorite. I smiled, shaking my head at them.
I took a step back as they moved closer to one another. Leaving the circle, I stood off to the side watching them. A pair of arms wrapped around my waist and immediately I knew it was Gage. I leaned back into his hold.
“I may not have gotten you flowers, but I have a surprise for you after this,” Gage whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
“You do?”
“Yes. And it will be a lot better than flowers, I promise.”
***
The art gallery was a hit. The entire room was filled with people raving about my paintings. Every time I passed by someone complimenting something, I felt as if were dreaming. I was even told by Mrs. Perkins that a few people wanted to buy some of the paintings. When I heard that, I had to hold onto Gage so I wouldn’t faint.
It was nearing 9:30, and everyone was starting to leave. Most of my family had already left, having to go home and rescue the babysitter from their kids. My parents had just barely left, leaving Luke, Macey, Dylan, and Ethan. It was only us six left in the gallery now.
“Ms. Miller, you can head on home. I can close up here,” Mrs. Perkins said, showing up.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. This was a big night for you. Go out and celebrate.”
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Perkins, for all of this.” She just waved me off.
“I just know a good artist when I see one. Have a good night.”
“You too.” Smiling at her, I laced my fingers through Gage’s as we all left the room.
“Thank you, guys, for coming,” I said once we left the building.
“Like we would miss this.” After we all exchanged hugs, Gage grabbed my hand.
“We better get going.” As he said that, I remembered he had a surprise for me. Feeling excited, I nodded. Waving goodbye to my friends, I noticed my brother and Ethan giving Gage a nod. Dylan winked at me. Macey smiled, but her eyes looked like they were watering. I wanted to ask what was going on, but Gage pulling me toward the car made me forget.
“So where are you taking me?” I asked the moment he started driving.
“I’m not telling. It is a surprise.”
“Not even a clue?” I whined.
“No.”
“Please! Please!” I placed my hands together and looked at him, pleading.
“One clue,” he said, and I nodded quickly. “We have been there before.” Yeah, cause that is a lot of help. We have been to a lot of places in New York.
Huffing, I fell back in my seat, and Gage just chuckled as he continued driving. The remainder of the ride, I tried to think of where he was taking me. It could literally be anywhere. A restaurant, the bowling alley, the diner we go to by campus, the aquarium, home, the new gym. The options were endless.
When he finally stopped the car, I looked outside my window. Because it was dark and the windows were tinted, I couldn’t see much, but it looked familiar. I waited as Gage came around and opened my door. Clasping my arm in his, I finally got to see where we were.
“The Empire State Building.” I breathed out.
We hadn’t been here since we first met years ago. I remembered it clearly. Gage had finally stopped being a jackass to me, and I was trying to come up with someone to take a picture of for my art class portfolio. He ended up bringing me here, up to the top of the Empire State Building. I think that was the moment I saw Gage as someone other than what others said he was.
Only when Gage started toward the elevator instead the building, did I realize how late it was.
“Gage, can we be here right now? Isn’t it kind of late?” I asked, looking around. There was no one around. This did feel like last time. We snuck up to the top of the building, but that was during broad daylight.
“Have you forgotten, princess? I am kind of a big deal around here now,” Gage boasted as the elevator dinged open.
“You? A big deal?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Yes. I help run a multi-million-dollar company and have Ashton and Layla Miller’s daughter as my girlfriend,” he stated.
“Using me for my title, are you?” I teased. I knew Gage would never do that. He never cared about who my father was or the fact that my mom was a best-selling author. He never cared about anything like that, and that was what made me fall in love with him. He never treated me any different.
“Why else would I put up with you?” I stuck my tongue out at him. “See?” As he tugged on my arm, I fell into his body. His arm came around me and held me against him. My hands came to rest on his chest as I tilted my head up to look at him.
“You know, this reminds me of the day we came here all those years ago. Although then we tricked the guard and ran up all those stairs. Still surprised we didn’t get caught.”
“I never get caught.” I scoffed but didn’t reply. The elevator rose silently.
“By the way. Why are we taking the elevator when we had to take the stairs last time?” I asked.
“Because I got permission to be here this time. But we will have to go up some stairs because the elevator won’t take us all the way up.” I glanced down at my high heels. A minute later the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.
Gage led me out of the elevator, past the beautiful set of windows that overlooked the city, to a door off to the side. Taking out a key I didn’t know he had, he unlocked the door and held it open of me.
“After you, m’lady,” he said in a fake British accent. He even did a little bow. Grinning, I grabbed the skirt of my dress and curtsied back to him.
“Why thank you, good sir.” I swept past him and up the stairs. My heels clicked along the stairs as I made my way up. Gage trailed behind me and occasionally I would feel a pat on my butt, making me look over my shoulder to see a smirking Gage.
It took us a good five minutes climbing the stairs before we reached a familiar door. The same door we’d gone out of years ago. Before I opened the door, a hand on my arm stopped me. I looked at Gage questioningly, but he didn’t say a word. Instead he opened the door himself and swept an arm out. What I saw next made me gasp.
The entire balcony was covered in candles and rose petals. There sat a table that held covered plates, two empty glasses, a bottle of what looked like wine in an iced cooler, and some more flowers.
Once I looked past all the decorations, I noticed the skyline of the city. Everything was lit up, and being this high up you could see past all the clouds and fog and actually see the stars above.
My eyes moved away from the view to land on Gage. My breath was caught in my throat and I felt my eyes water a bit. He stood there smiling softly down at me.
“Surprise.”
“Y-you did this for me?” I squeaked out. Everything looked so amazing and beautiful.
“Of course. Anything for you.” Gently grasping my hand, he pulled me toward the table that sat there waiting for us. It was set out perfectly and I wondered what was under the lids.
Like a gentleman, Gage pul
led out my chair for me. We were seated right where you couldn’t feel any breeze from being up so high, for which I was thankful for; I had no jacket with me. Sitting down, I looked around us. All the rose petals on the ground, the hundreds of candles lit. It all looked so beautiful.
“Would you like some wine?” Gage asked as he took a seat. I nodded, all my words stuck in my throat. I still wasn’t much of a drinker, but a glass or two of wine I didn’t mind. Over the years I had gotten used to the taste of alcohol, but that didn’t mean I drank every night.
I stared at Gage as he poured two glasses of red wine. I wasn’t sure what to say about all of this. It was so unexpected and so romantic. Out of all the places to take me after tonight, this was the best.
After taking a few sips of wine and watching Gage, I finally spoke.
“What is all of this for?” I asked.
“Well…” Gage trailed off. He seemed to be thinking of something and cleared his throat. He looked nervous and ran his hands through his hair a few times before he spoke again.
“Carter. You have been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know that when we first met, I was an ass to you. I was absolutely terrible, and I wish I could go back and change how I treated you. But no matter what I did or said to you, you kept coming back. You kept pushing at the walls I built around my heart over the years. In a matter of weeks you knocked them all down.
“Before you, I wasn’t a good guy. I didn’t care for other people’s feelings and I didn’t care for anyone beside my grandma and Dylan. Once I got to know you, I realized I was missing something in my life. I was missing someone who actually cared about me. Who didn’t see what was on the outside, but on the inside. You made me feel like a whole different person—a person who could one day love someone they way they should be loved.
“Carter, you changed me for the better. If I hadn’t run into you that very first night, I don’t know where I would be right now. I know I would not be half as happy as I am right now. I would not have found Ethan or had a whole new family. You have given me a life I didn’t think I deserved. So…”
My eyes went wide and my body started to shake as Gage stood up. I watched him, frozen, as he moved around the table until he was right next to me. He slowly dropped down onto one knee, a hand going into the pocket of his suit jacket. When he pulled out a red velvet ring box, I almost fainted.
This was definitely not what I thought would happen tonight.
“Carter Miller…will you marry me?” He opened the ring box and my breath caught in my throat. It was the most beautiful wedding ring I had ever seen. At the sight of it, my eyes started to tear up. I could do nothing to stop tears from rolling down my cheeks.
I looked into Gage’s brown eyes and saw uncertainty in them as well as fear. Fear that I would say no to him. How could I refuse him? How could I not agree to marry the love of my life?
I nodded before I finally spoke.
“Yes!” I choked out. “Yes!” This time it was louder, but my voice was wobbly. Gage’s face lit up like a Christmas tree at my answer. He grabbed my shaking hand and pulled the ring from the box. I placed my other hand to my mouth as tears rolled down my cheek, watching him slide the ring on my ring finger.
The ring was silver with diamonds all along the band. Right in the middle was a single circular diamond. The band itself looked almost like rose gold. It fit my finger perfectly as Gage slid it all the way on.
Once the ring was on, I wasted no time in launching myself at him. I basically tackled him as my arms went around his neck, his own going around my waist to steady me, and my lips crashed onto his. Good thing he was sturdy or else we would have fallen backwards.
I kissed him harder, letting my affection show him exactly how I felt about him. My heart was beating a million miles per hour in my chest. I kissed Gage for all I was worth, until we had to break away to breathe.
I rested my forehead against his as I panted. My eyes were once again tearing up as I opened them to look at him. I never thought I would see the day that Gage and I got engaged. I never thought that the moment I laid eyes on this man that I would fall so deeply, madly in love with him. But here he was, holding me to him, giving every single piece of him to me, and promising to always be mine.
I could not have picked a better man to marry. Smiling, I once against kissed him with everything I had.
***
Eight Months Later…
“Hair, done! Makeup, done! Dress, done! Flowers…where the hell are the flowers?” Macey screamed right in my ear. I flinched as she stomped past me to figure out where my flowers were.
Once she was gone, I was able to breathe for a second. I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror in front of me. I ignored everyone moving busily behind me. Today was the day and I was more nervous than I had ever been about anything in my life.
I thought opening my own photography business was nerve-wracking or having my art work displayed at multiple art galleries in New York was bad. No, none of those were as nerve-wracking as this moment was. I wanted everything to be perfect on my big day. I didn’t want to ruin anything or be walking down the aisle only to see it empty. That was my biggest fear. Although I knew Gage would never do such a thing to me.
“Okay, got the flowers!” Macey screamed once more. “Okay, now where is Carter’s veil?” I watched Macey through the reflection as she looked around the room, glaring at everyone, wondering where it was.
“Uh, Mace? I am not wearing one, remember?” I called out. She looked at me almost like she didn’t hear me before she started to nod.
“Right.” Coming up next to her, my aunt Kacey, Macey’s mom, placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Honey. Everything looks amazing and is going fine. Relax.” I guess making Macey my maid of honor might not have been the best idea. I mean, she was doing a great job making sure everything was in order and going smoothly, but she was taking it very seriously. You so much as breathed, and she was down your throat about how loud you were being. I needed her to calm down a bit.
My own mom, Layla, came up beside me. I turned and smiled at her. She reached out and pushed a piece of my hair away from my face. I decided on leaving my hair down in soft curls since that was how Gage liked it.
“You look so beautiful, sweetheart.” I could see tears welling in her eyes and I forced myself not to do the same. I could not ruin my makeup again. I did not need Macey or even Aunt Kay to yell at me again about having to re-do it.
“I cannot believe my own baby is getting married.” My mom continued touching my hair and my face. I placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Mom, I will always be your little girl. No matter what.” That made her start to cry. Even though Macey told me not to do it, I pulled her into a hug, not caring about my dress at the moment.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t be crying all over you. I can’t ruin your dress.” My mom pulled away from me and touched my dress.
“Mom, it is okay. No worries.”
“Carter!” Macey yelled once more. I took a deep breath, which my mom grinned at, before turning to Macey.
“You have five minutes.” Trying hard not to sound demanding, she sent me a smile. At the mention of walking down the aisle in five minutes, my eyes went wide.
I can do this. I can do this! I turned back to the mirror and smoothed my hand down my dress. I smiled softly at the gown. It was beyond gorgeous. Simple, yet perfect for me. I didn’t want anything too out there or too fancy. It wasn’t me. My makeup was the same way: simple. Courtesy of Aunt Kacey.
That was why Gage’s and my wedding was simple. Instead of having the wedding somewhere fancy, we decided on doing it at my family’s beach house in the Hamptons. It was a wedding on the beach, every girls’ dream wedding.
Even though I didn’t want a lot of people to be here, my mom insisted I invite at least a hundred people. At least I knew most of them, but some were people my parents knew and invited. It was a lot, but I only cared about one
person—my fiancé.
“Okay, Carter, it is time,” Mom called out. Taking a deep breath, I turned away from the mirror and faced everyone in the room. My bridesmaids—Macey; Amy; and Elizabeth, Macey’s younger sister—were with me. Amy came all the way from Australia to be here, something I was very thankful for.
They all looked beautiful. We all decided on them wearing a cute yet simple peach strapless dresses. In their hands they each carried a bundle of peach-colored lilies that matched their dresses.
Macey handed me my own bundle of flowers. I forced a smile, getting more nervous by the second. A hand on my elbow directed me to look over at my mom.
“It is okay to be nervous. I was a mess when I married your father.” My mom grinned at the memory. “It is only natural you are nervous, but once you see Gage standing there waiting for you, it will all go away.”
“Okay, okay, people, we need to get going. Can’t keep the guys waiting.” Macey clapped her hands. Getting smiles from everyone, I waited back as they all trailed out of the room. Closing my eyes, I tried to relax. In just a minute I would see Gage and everything would be fine.
Not wanting to keep anyone waiting, I finally left the room. I held my dress as I walked down the stairs until I reached the doors leading outside. Everyone stood there talking. I wasn’t wearing any shoes because who wants to walk in heels on the beach? Hearing the swish of my dress, they all stopped talking and looked at me. I smiled as they all looked at me.
“Care-bear.” Dylan was the first to speak. He pushed past everyone and yanked me into a hug. “You look gorgeous,” he said, pulling away and looking me up and down.
“Thank you.” I blushed. He started to say something, but he was pushed aside by my brother.
“My little sister is getting married.” His hug was tight. “And I gave Gage the brotherly talk, don’t worry.” I raised an eyebrow at that.
“You gave him what?”
“You know the brotherly talk. The don’t you ever hurt my sister, or I will hunt you down and kill you.” He puffed his chest out as he spoke. We were all silent for a moment before I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore.
Silent Love Part Four_Forbidden Series Page 18
