She squinted and walked over. “Wow, look at that bat-filled sky. It’s just… insane.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Cute excuse, a bat. Didn’t see that one coming.” She laughed. “Love you.”
The door closed.
With a curse, I glanced back at the window, only to see the bat sitting there again, freaking glaring at me like some demon-possessed creature. Swear, it’s eyes were even red.
“I’ll get you,” I vowed.
Really, that should have been my cue right there. Seeing a bat was like seeing a black cat, right? Because the next day… though I was convinced was going to go as planned…
Didn’t.
It just…
Didn’t.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Demetri
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN the cake’s missing?” I yelled hoarsely into the air. Somehow I’d managed to lose my voice that morning, on top of everything else that had happened. It had started with no hot water and had just gone downhill from there. On a brighter note, the bat was gone, but I was pretty convinced he was just biding his time before he pounced. “Cakes don’t just go missing.”
Jaymeson gave me a blank stare then lifted his hands into the air. “All I know is that Alyssa’s crying.”
“Shit.”
I pushed passed him and knocked on Alyssa’s door. “Baby, can I come inside?”
“Y-yes.”
My heart damn-near stopped when she answered the door. She had no makeup on, her eyes were puffy, and she had tears streaming down her face.
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her head. “It’s fine. Who needs a stupid cake anyway?”
“It was part of your g-gift!”
“Well done,” Jaymeson whispered behind me.
I sent him a seething glare then returned my attention to Lyss. “My gift?”
“It was a taffy-filled cake.” She sniffled, wiping underneath her eyes. “And now it’s missing!”
“Jaymeson will find it.”
“Right. Jaymeson will just go door to door…” he said under his breath.
“Really?” Another sniffle as she wiped her nose and looked at both of us with hopeful eyes.
“Absolutely.” I kicked behind me and came into contact with some important and tender part of Jaymeson, if his curse was any indication. “And everything’s going to go just fine. I promise.”
“Yeah?” There was that smile. “You promise?”
“Of course! What else could happen?”
Famous last words.
Two hours later…
“We have a big problem.” Wes ran his fingers through his hair. “As in epic.”
I rolled my eyes and put on the white linen jacket. “What? The punch is missing too?
Gabe burst through the door and slammed it behind him. “Did you tell him?”
“I was about to.”
“Tell me what?” I growled.
Wes and Gabe shared a look.
The door opened again. This time it was Jaymeson, only his shirt was ripped, and it looked like he had lipstick running down his neck.
“Uh, you and Pris get in a fight?”
“S-so many of them.” Jaymeson shook. “The yelling… the screaming—”
“The perfume.” Gabe shuddered.
“Like I said...” Wes nodded. “…huge problem.”
I sat, thinking if I didn’t, I’d probably lose my mind. “Okay, what’s going on.”
“The wedding location was leaked,” Wes said slowly. “Not sure how since security has been so tight, but there are people… everywhere.”
“Townsfolk?” I asked in a hopeful voice.
“Teens.” Gabe damn-near growled. “Everywhere.”
“Damn Twitter.” Jaymeson sighed heavily. “Everything needs to be moved. I’ve already taken care of it with the coordinator, but we have no idea where to take everything and—”
“Outside.” I snapped my fingers. “We’ll get married on the beach.”
“But all the people…” Wes jerked his head back at the door. “Promise, where you go, they’ll follow.”
With a wicked grin, I crossed my arms. “Oh?”
“I’m not comfortable at all with that look.” Wes’s eyes narrowed.
“Earn your keep, Football,” I barked.
Gabe opened his mouth.
“You too, Twilight.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “What do you want us to do? Create a freaking diversion by running in the opposite—?” His voice trailed off as realization dawned. “Bastard.”
“Brilliant bastard.” Jaymeson clapped twice. “And it just may work. If the guys run in one direction, the screaming ovaries follow, and we can have a quick wedding on the beach!”
“Just call me Romance.” I puffed my chest out.
But an hour later…
“Help!” Gabe yelled above the noise. “There’s too many!”
“Fetal position!” Jaymeson barked. “Abort. Abort!”
Gabe gave us all a sad look before he hung his head and succumbed to the crowd of screaming girls.
Wes tried to pry them away, and it worked, or would have worked had Jaymeson not run out into the crowd, colliding into Gabe, creating what I was sure everyone on social media would soon call a hottie sandwich, or something just as degrading.
They hugged.
Because really what choice did they have but to stick together and pray that the girls didn’t grab their parts?
“Got a Plan B?” Wes said beside me.
I opened my mouth.
Just as the rain started.
He slapped my back as I hung my head. “I’m a total failure.”
“There has to be somewhere we can go, somewhere private… Come on, don’t you guys have any romantic places?”
My eyes were wild as I glanced around the boardwalk. We were currently hiding behind trashcans, which meant that we hadn’t been swarmed — yet. I told the girls and the guests to stay in the house. It was a small gathering, just a few aunts and uncles and her parents. All in all, ten of her family members were now huddled inside one of the rented beach houses, waiting for orders.
“Think!” Wes slapped me hard on the back. “Some place private, some place romantic, someplace—”
“Eureka!”
“Wow! People really say that? Well, I’ll be.”
“I know where we’re going.”
“Mind sharing with the class?” He elbowed me then pointed to Gabe and Jaymeson. Someone pulled at Gabe’s shirt. His eyes widened.
“Holy shit!” I yelled as loud as I could. “Is that Brad Pitt? I thought he wasn’t coming. Hey, man. Yeah,” I said into the cell phone. “Sounds great. We’ll meet you at the aquarium!”
News traveled faster than lightning. The girls pulled away from their victims and ran full speed down the boardwalk.
“Thanks.” Gabe bent over and pressed his hands against his knees. “Pretty sure I just saw my life flash before my eyes. Last thing I want to see is Jamie Jaymeson begging for a chick to keep her hands out of his pants.”
“She touched me,” Jaymeson said in a detached voice. “Even when I said no.”
“Er, thanks… Jaymeson.” I tried to touch his shoulder.
He flinched.
“Give it time.” Wes whistled low in his throat. “So, the new location?”
“Follow me,” I said, while sending a group text for everyone to meet us.
I’d like to think we looked badass as we made our way stealthily through downtown Seaside. All three of us guys, in tuxes, walking the tourist streets.
Instead, the rain poured harder.
Jaymeson was limping.
Gabe kept mumbling something about baby powder in his mouth.
And Wes? Well, Wes seemed more concerned about my mental state than anything. He kept looking at me like I was going to snap.
Fine. I was fine.
And then…
“Demetri!” Jaymeson yelled. “Don’t move
.”
I froze.
All three guys looked above my head.
“Uh, guys?” I held out my hands. “What’s wrong? We don’t have much time before the crazy people come back.”
Jaymeson nodded, his eyes widening even more before he whispered, “Holy shit, it’s like you have a siren’s call for those things.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t!” Gabe yelled.
Just as I looked up.
And saw not one, not two — no, not even three — but four seagulls perched above the very door I was just about to open.
“Think of it this way.” Jaymeson sighed. “If you can get married and conquer the fear of being tied to someone for the rest of your life, you can take down four seagulls.”
“Was that your speech?” Wes whistled under his breath. “Seriously?”
“We need to go in…” I nodded.
The guys all waited.
“If I perish…” I cursed. “…give my guitar to Alec.”
“Damn, Thought we’d gotten close enough over the last few days for you to at least give me the triangle or something,” Gabe muttered.
“On the count of three.” I held out my hands. “One. two. three!” I jerked open the door and ran inside, the little bell dinging behind me.
The guys followed.
And no seagulls made it through.
I imagined that feeling soaring through my chest was exactly how Christopher Columbus felt when he discovered the New World.
Awe.
Pride.
Amazement.
All were extremely short-lived when Gabe looked around and sighed. “A taffy store? You want to get married in a taffy store?”
“It’s romantic.” I shrugged. “This is where Lyss and I first started our little love affair, though it was more of her making fun of me, me making an ass out of myself, and then her glaring at me through the windows.”
The guys all shared a look with one another and then glanced around the store.
I tried to see it through their eyes.
A small white counter lined the front of the store, and on every inch of wall space was a different container and flavor for taffy. A few posters were sliding off the wall, and the place smelled like sugar and bleach.
Shit.
Alyssa was going to kill me.
But I was out of brilliant ideas.
Out of romance.
And the seagulls were officially guarding my escape, even if I did get a better idea than the one I was currently losing faith in.
The door dinged open.
Alyssa filed through with Kiersten and Saylor holding an umbrella over her head. The rest of her small family and Pris followed.
But my eyes, they were trained on my girl and how gorgeous she looked.
Her dress was strapless with lace covering the bodice. The lace spread out around her hips and dipped below her knees in pieces, making it so I could get a glance at her tan legs and garter. Dear God, I wanted to see another flash of that thing. It was blue, taunting, sparkly.
“Dem?” Alyssa snapped her fingers.
“Sorry.” I glanced up. “You look… beautiful.”
Her grin was mesmerizing. It transported me back to a time when I didn’t know who I was or what I was doing with my life. All I’d had was music and a drug addiction.
Then she’d walked into my world.
Or, actually, had stomped across the street and thrown my taffy bucket in my face.
I’d never been so turned on or surprised.
It was like she’d looked past the image I’d tried to put out and seen the insecure asshole inside.
We’d found each other.
And then purposefully, had lost our pasts when we joined. That was how it should be when you found your other half. Rather than dwelling on your past or even constantly looking at it so you don’t mess up again, you lose it. You throw away the bad and take only the good. Besides, why fixate on something horrible when you could focus on the positive?
I was a firm believer in focusing on the triumph — not the tragedy.
Alyssa was lost.
I was just starting my journey.
And rather than let her consume me, I took her with me, carrying her when she needed it, holding her hand when she didn’t have the strength to keep walking, and in the end, she’d returned it all, full force.
That was love.
When you don’t go at it alone.
Because you don’t have to anymore.
I still remembered the day I told her she didn’t have to carry the burden of her scars on her shoulders anymore. She’d been pissed, pissed that I’d intervened, and pissed that I’d been right.
Love was telling someone the truth, even if the truth could cause you to lose the very love you’d spent so long trying to establish.
“Dem?” Alyssa tilted her head. “Why are we in the taffy shop?”
“Because…” I grabbed her hands. “…this is our love story.”
She smiled.
“This is where everything started. The smell of sugar reminds me of your smile…”
“And the bleach?” Jaymeson just had to pipe in.
“Not now, England,” I barked and turned back to Lyss. “The beach fell through, and then it started raining, and honestly… I just want to make you my wife, and I want to do it in a place that matters to both of us.”
She reached up to cup my face. “It’s perfect.”
I shrugged and looked around at the taffy decorations. “Yeah, it really is.”
Wes coughed. “I hate to be the person to break this up, but… don’t we need a minister?”
I burst out laughing. “Dude, do you really think I’d forget the minister?”
Wes gave me a look that said he thought that and more.
“Jaymeson...” I turned behind me. “Where’s he at?”
“Er…” Jaymeson scratched his head. “…I, um, may have forgotten to tell him we moved to the taffy shop.”
“So call him,” I said through clenched teeth.
Jaymeson pulled out his cell phone.
Thank God, someone picked up on the other end.
Jaymeson nodded his head and smiled at all of us, his face going paler by the second. Fantastic.
He stared at his phone when the call ended.
“Jay?” Alyssa whispered. “Is he coming?”
“We have the license.” Jaymeson nodded. “That’s all that matters, and I played a minister once. I can do this.”
“You were five!” I shouted. “And it was for a commercial!”
“Back off, I was awesome!” He slammed his phone onto the counter. “I can do this.”
“Not legally you can’t.” I ran my fingers through my hair.
“Wes will do it,” Gabe offered in a calm voice as if it was the sanest idea he’d had all day.
“What?” Lyss and I said in unison.
Wes’s eyebrows pinched together. “I did that as a joke.”
“Did what?” I asked in a desperate voice.
“He said he was going to marry Gabe and Saylor, so he got all legalized through some silly online program,” Kiersten piped up.
“So technically…” I nodded. “…you could do it?”
“Yeah, but—”
“You’re up!” I pushed him toward the counter. “Just try to do your best.”
“Ah…” Wes’s mouth dropped open before he closed it again and cleared his throat, his eyes darting between us. “Alright, are you guys ready?”
I turned to Lyss and kissed her soft cheek. “I’ve been ready for an eternity.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Alyssa
EVERY BRIDE WANTS PERFECTION on her wedding day. If she says she doesn’t, she’s a liar from the pit of hell.
I wanted the cake, the music, the beachside waves crashing in the background.
What I got?
Taffy.
But in a way, it kind of made sense. I was marrying Demetri Danie
ls in a taffy store, in my parents’ taffy store where we’d initially met.
My eyes stung with the memories as they washed over me: our first kiss, our first fight, him crawling through my window and forcing me to face my demons.
His proposal on the plane.
I didn’t need extraordinary, because I was marrying it. I was marrying him.
“Wes?” I cleared my throat. “Let’s make it fast. I want to be his wife… right now.”
Demetri’s sparkling blue eyes found mine. He winked and mouthed “I love you” just as Wes started to speak.
My family circled around us.
Kiersten, Saylor, and Pris stood to the left, while Gabe and Jaymeson stood to Demetri’s right.
“Marriage...” Wes bit his lip and folded his arms across his chest. “…isn’t to be taken lightly. It’s a commitment to be with another person during their worst times and their absolute best. It’s hard… thinking about the person you love suffering or being at their worst, or possibly thinking about them letting you down. But they will. That’s life. That’s also marriage. It’s promising to stand by someone even when you aren’t proud of them, even when you’re upset, even when they do something horrible. It’s helping correct them when they’re wrong and forgiving them over and over again until it hurts. Marriage truly is like cutting out a part of your soul and watching it fuse with someone else’s, hoping they mold together, hoping it takes.” He paused, “It’s a beautiful thing to watch two people join their lives together. It’s purity at its finest, when you can look at another broken human being and say I take you… just as you are, and I think you’re incredible.”
Tears welled in my eyes as he continued.
“Demetri and Alyssa… I’m going to do something a bit different because I can… but I want you to face each other while you answer in unison. Do you, take one another in sickness and in health, in good times, in bad, through hospital visits, tough times, and an uncertain future. Do you… even if the cards are fully stacked against you... still choose one another?”
“I do,” I whispered at the same time Demetri did. His eyes filled with tears, mirroring my own.
“Demetri, do you promise to honor Alyssa, your wife, with your body, with your finances, with more good days than bad, with every inch of your soul? With your whole heart?”
Demetri’s voice was clear, loud as he said, “I will.”
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