Wounded But Not Scarred (New Adult Rockers 2)

by Vega, W. H.

  It has been a spring filled with happiness, and that has done wonders in helping me cope with the loss of my grandma, which was the one dark blemish among all our joy.

  I smile now as I think of Grandma, and I pull up to our new home’s gate and enter the code. I drive my car up the sloping driveway which is lined by lush trees and I’m amazed all over again as my new home comes into view. I don’t know if this feeling will ever wear off. I pull up to the front of the house and park the car. I unload my bag, grab my keys and let myself in.

  I take a deep breath and smile. The house still smells of fresh paint and I take a long look around as I admire the house we lovingly decorated together. I’m tempted just to walk slowly through the house, marveling at each room, but I’m on a tight schedule today, and I need to get back into town to pick up my mother.

  I climb the winding staircase that leads upstairs, and I walk into our master bedroom. The soothing blue tones of the room calm my soul and before I can make my way into our large bathroom, I see a beautifully wrapped package lying on the bed.

  “Blake!” I say to myself, skipping over to the bed. I sit down and carefully pick up the heavy card lying next to the package. The card looks hand pressed and it’s made from thick paper.

  Baby,

  Tomorrow you are going to make me the happiest man in the world. I love the life we have created together and I love you.

  Always and forever,

  Blake xoxo

  He is so thoughtful! I place the card down and gingerly open the package. I pull out a gorgeous looking hand-dyed silk caftan.

  “Oh my goodness,” I murmur to myself. This is going to look amazing while we are on our honeymoon. I rub the luxurious material against my cheek and squeal with excitement.

  Knowing that I don’t have time to linger, I quickly pack the gift up and go to put my toiletries in our bathroom. Taking the package with me, I make my way out of our house, taking one last look before I pull the door closed. It will be two weeks before I step foot back inside.

  Throwing the package in the back of my car, along with my other bags for the day, I hurry back out of Belle Meade and make my way towards my mother’s house.

  I have to admit that I have been thoroughly spoiled since my mother moved to Nashville two months ago. After my grandma died, my momma and I talked in length about her moving back to Nashville. We both knew that I would never return to Bristol, and momma had enjoyed living in Nashville while she had attended a boarding school and while she was married to my daddy.

  And not only would a move to Nashville mean that momma and I would be living in the same city, but she would also be closer to her new boyfriend Jackson. I was so thrilled when Momma put her house up for sale and began looking for a new job. Her house sold first, and then a few weeks later, she found a great job. While she and Jackson weren’t quite ready to move in together, they were doing great, and Momma had the cutest little town home I’d ever seen.

  I pull my car up outside Momma’s house and I see her peek out the window, before the door opens and she comes hurrying out. We’re spending the afternoon at the spa before we head over to the rehearsal and dinner. Being famous now does have its perks, and Momma and I are going to be getting the royal treatment at Nashville’s premiere spa, La Mer.

  “Oh my lord! I can’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow!” my mother cries as she gets in the car.

  I laugh. “Hey momma,” I say, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, sweetie! I am just so darn happy for you!”

  We make our way towards the spa in town, talking excitedly about the wedding. One annoying part of the planning was taking into account the paparazzi that would be trying to get shots of Blake and I. We were doing what we could to minimize disruptions and hopefully that would pay off.

  I'd settled on a beautiful old mansion just outside of town called Cedarwood. It has gorgeous rolling lawns, idyllic trees, and colorful gardens, perfect for all our pictures. It also has that southern charm that I love about Nashville. The weather is looking beautiful for tomorrow, so we're planning on having the ceremony outside under the trees. The reception will move inside to the mansion, with some of the overflow spilling out onto the large patio.

  “You’re going to make such a beautiful bride,” my momma says, tearing up.

  “Momma! No tears! Come on! We’re about to spend the afternoon getting pampered at the spa! I’m not about to cry.”

  She laughs, wiping at her tears.

  We pull up to the spa, and I take advantage of the valet parking. The spa is expecting us, and we’re ushered inside and shown upstairs to the quiet and more private area.

  “We are so excited to have you here, Ms. Lawson!” the owner, Bridgette exclaims.

  “Well, thank you!” I say. We start off with a light lunch in their spa dining room, and then we spend a half hour in their aromatherapy pools. Afterwards, my mother and I are each led to private rooms for our massages, full-body scrubs and facials.

  Nearly three hours later, we emerge, each of us grinning in that foolish sort of way when you’re so completely relaxed that it should be illegal. We sink down into two comfy chairs in a tranquil waiting room and sip cool water with cucumber slices.

  “That was heavenly,” my mother sighs, running her hand along her plush, white bathrobe.

  “Oh my gosh, I know. I need to come back here more often.”

  After relaxing for a bit, we’re led to the private upstairs salon, where we each have our hair washed and blown out, are given manicures and pedicures, and then finally have our makeup applied.

  “Well, that’s it,” I declare, “I have never felt so pampered before!”

  Bridgette, who is checking on us, beams. “I’m so glad to hear it!”

  An assistant hurries in with our garment bags, and my mother and I step into a dressing room where we can change. I glance at my phone and see that we have only forty minutes until the rehearsal is to begin at Cedarwood.

  “Oh boy,” I whisper, “we need to hurry.”

  I pull my dress on and zip it, then slip my feet into my heels. I take a quick look in the mirror and my mother comes up behind me, smiling.

  “Beautiful,” she breathes.

  I’ve chosen a royal blue tea-length dress, and the color gives the retro dress more of a modern feel. There’s a sheer panel at the top of the dress, which incorporates the sleeves. The stylist left my hair simple and only curled it down my back.

  My mother looks stunning in a simple black and white dress that hugs her curves just enough to show off her trim figure without being too much.

  “Alright, Momma. I think we’re ready. We need to head out of here.”

  We thank everyone for their help and I promise to come back for more services in the future. La Mer is just the kind of place I should visit when I’m feeling stressed out and overworked. I sure could have used one of their massages when I was busting my butt back in the fall.

  We get back in the car and make our way out to Cedarwood. We have a short rehearsal there and then our rehearsal dinner will be about ten minutes away at a beautiful home generously offered to us by one of Daddy’s clients. Not only is the home beautiful and situated on a private lake, but there's also more than enough room for our twenty guests and the grounds are completely secure. The client, a successful bluegrass singer, happens to be on vacation all month so we won’t be interfering at all.

  We arrive at Cedarwood, and I see a few people from our wedding party milling around. While we have nearly 150 guests, I'd kept the wedding party small. Of course, I also don’t have many friends, so that worked perfectly for me anyway. I actually had made a few new friends over the past months, but I didn’t feel right asking people to be in my wedding as soon as we were becoming friends. I asked Jami and Becky to be my bridesmaids, and that worked out well because Blake is sticking with Ben and Ryan. Even though they're band mates, they are also like brothers and I know Bl
ake is closer to those guys than any of his other friends.

  “Now look at my gorgeous fiancé.”

  I turn around at Blake’s voice and I plant a big kiss on him.

  “You look pretty hot yourself,” I murmur, stepping back to admire Blake in his dark suit.

  He grins. “Wait until you see me in a tux.”

  “Oh, I cannot wait.”

  We hold hands as we walk inside and we find everyone else waiting on the back patio. The pastor is talking with the event planner, and once they see Blake and I, they call for everyone’s attention.

  The pastor explains how the ceremony will work, and I’m glad that Blake and I have decided to keep it short and simple. We’re going to have a couple short readings, a song, and then we’re going to say our own vows before the more traditional ones. All in all, it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes.

  The pastor motions for the guys to follow him, and Blake gives me a quick kiss before he, Ben and Ryan go out under the trees where we’ll be married. The guests that aren’t involved in the actual ceremony mill around the patio, while the few who are reading or singing hang out by the trees.

  The girls and I, along with my father, mimic walking down the aisle. Then the pastor walks us all through the ceremony.

  The rehearsal is over quickly and everyone makes their way across the lawn laughing. Daddy has directions for anyone who needs them. My mother branches off to ride with Jackson, and Blake walks over with me to my car since he got a ride with Ben earlier.

  “Any second thoughts?” he teases, as we drive to dinner.

  “None whatsoever. And I’m not even going to ask you because it’s too late now!”

  “I don’t want out,” he says truthfully. “I want to be stuck with you forever.”

  “Good!”

  I’m in a state of shock when we pull up to the house for the dinner. It’s much larger than I had imagined, and there are beautiful candles lining a stone path that wraps around to the back of the house.

  “I guess we follow the path,” Blake says, helping me out of the car.

  We follow the path around the house, and I’m shocked to see that the large patio out back has been transformed with flowering arches and candlelit tables. The best part is that the patio extends almost all the way to the very edge of the lake. We will be overlooking the water as we eat.

  “Daddy!” I exclaim, hurrying over to my father.

  “Do you like it?” he asks. “Jeb said we could do whatever we wanted out here. Blake’s mother really outdid herself with decorating.”

  She certainly had.

  “The bathrooms are inside,” he says, pointing back to the house, “and anything else we might need in here.”

  I shake my head in amazement and join Blake who is talking to his parents.

  “This is really too much,” I say, shaking my head.

  “Oh, don’t be silly!” Mrs. Evans laughs. “We wanted to make this beautiful.”

  I notice a bar set up on the far end, closest to the water, and I’m happy to see that some people are already getting their drinks. There’s also music playing in the background.

  Blake hands me a drink and then I’m swept up in the evening. We spend the evening holding hands and talking with our friends and family and then eating a delicious meal of seafood and fried chicken. It all goes by way too quickly and before I know it, people are kissing us goodnight and saying goodbye until tomorrow.

  “It just went by so fast,” I protest, as Blake leads me out. Everyone is almost gone now except for our own family, and the clean up crew has swooped in and are busy clearing the tables.

  He pulls me into the shadows of the house and kisses me hard and deep. I forget all about the dinner coming to an end, and instead I groan softly, kissing him back as I wind my hands around the back of his neck. He kisses me passionately, and my body feels like it’s on fire as I feel my need for him blossom. Just as I’m about to lose my mind, Blake pulls away.

  “No fair,” I whisper, unable to hide my panting.

  He chuckles softly. “Just a little something to get you by until tomorrow evening.”

  I pout, even though he can’t see me in the dark. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you too. But after tomorrow, there won’t be any more living apart.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  He pulls me back out into the candlelit path and walks me to my car. He gives me one more kiss.

  “See you tomorrow,” he says huskily.

  “Can’t wait.”

  He laughs and then meets up with his parents to ride home with them. I give my father and Daisy a hug, before going over to my mom and Jackson. My mother says good-bye to Jackson, and then we get into my car.

  I can’t believe it’s my last night as Paige Lawson.

  I manage to sleep some at my mother’s, though I spend a lot of the night tossing and turning with excitement. My mom and I have a quiet breakfast on her deck, and she can sense my nerves.

  “It’s okay to be nervous,” she says kindly.

  “It’s not that I’m scared-nervous,” I explain, “I’m just excited. I’m anxious. I just want everything to go right!”

  My mother laughs. “Of course you do – it’s your wedding day. Things will run smoothly. And the little hiccups that might occur along the way, won’t even be remembered.”

  I nod and see that we only have a half hour before we need to head over to the salon where we’re going to meet up with Becky, Jami, Daisy and Mrs. Evans. I also notice a text from Blake.

  I can’t wait until you’re my wife. I love you.

  I smile to myself, and hurry to change my clothes and grab my things. The salon is open early just for us, and I see that they’ve set up a mimosa bar and have a few breakfast foods out.

  “This is so nice!” I gush, as Jami hands me a mimosa.

  She winks and we all spend a few minutes chatting, until we’re each pulled off into chairs for hair and makeup. Time is flying by, and as much as I want things to slow down so I can savor and enjoy every minute, I find myself being spun in front of the mirror once the finishing touches have been put on my hair and makeup.

  “Oh my gosh,” I gasp.

  I look like a fairy tale princess. Becky grabs my veil and gently slides it into my updo.

  “There,” she says, “perfect.”

  “Alright, it’s time to go,” Jami says quietly, pulling me from my reflection. I look outside and see the limo that is taking us to Cedarwood.

  “Holy crap, this is happening.”

  My mother laughs, and we all pile into the limo, making sure not to mess up our hair or makeup. We arrive at Cedarwood before the guests or any of the guys, and we’re quickly whisked upstairs.

  We have an entire dressing room to ourselves and we start spreading out our clothes and shoes. The photographer arrives and begins snapping photos and a quick peek out the window lets me know that Blake has arrived; his truck is parked to the side.

  I begin to hear strains of the string quartet playing on the patio and I feel like I’m living in a dream as I gingerly step into my wedding dress with the help of my friends and family.

  “Oh my goodness, Paige.” My mother quickly blots at her eyes with a tissue. I slowly turn towards the mirror and I have to admit that I look perfect.

  At first I was going to choose a dress off the rack, but Becky had convinced me to have one custom made, and I’m glad that I listened. The dress has just enough of a country vibe, but also an ethereal look. The lace-covered gown is sleeveless, with a tasteful v-neck and tiny buttons down the back. The empire waist gives away to an a-line silhouette, and there's a small train that adds just enough glamour. The dress is romantic, which was my ultimate goal, and my softly pulled back hair and makeup complete the entire look beautifully.

  “This is really happening,” I whisper to myself. The photographer grins and snaps some more photos, and soon we’re summoned to take our places downstairs. For some reason, I fee
l strangely calm now. This is what I was always meant to do; Blake and I were always meant to be together.

  Daddy is waiting at the bottom of the steps, and I watch as my mother and Daisy are led out to their seats. The strings begin to play Can’t Help Falling in Love and the girls begin to walk across the lawn.

  “Ready?” Daddy asks, holding out his arm.

  “Ready.” I whisper, linking my arm through his.

  Twenty Eight

  Blake

  As I stand under the trees where Paige and I will marry, I turn my head to watch as Becky and Jami begin to walk across the rose-petal strewn lawn. The strings sound great, and I glance over at Ben and Ryan who are both grinning. Ben gives me the thumbs up sign.

  Becky and Jami take their place along the opposite side, and I watch my cousin’s young daughter, Maddie, our flower girl, bring up the rear of the procession.

  The music changes to She by Elvis Costello, a song that Paige and I both love. The doors to the back of the mansion open, and Paige steps out, looking radiant on Kenny’s arm. They begin to walk across the lawn, and the closer they become, the more beautiful Paige appears.

  Her lace-covered gown skims along the ground, and she mesmerizes me as she walks. I’ve never loved her more than I do in this moment, and I feel my eyes begin to water as I watch her walk down the aisle to join me. Forcing myself not to cry, I smile at her and see Paige laugh and cry at the same time as we lock eyes.

  Kenny and Paige arrive next to me, with Kenny in the middle and then he gives Paige over to me at the request of the pastor. Paige steps towards me, taking my hand and I know that we're meant to be together forever.

  The pastor speaks, and our family reads, but I can’t recall much of what was said. We’re asked to say our own vows, and I pull out the wadded piece of paper from my tux.

  “Paige,” I start, feeling all eyes on me, but only caring about Paige. “The first thing I remember about you is your long blonde hair and blue eyes. You were the first friendly face I saw when I moved here, and I knew right away that you were special.”