His Many Demands

by Parker, Ali

  "He's not coming, right?" Bethany stiffened. The day was about her and Damon and their future. Not about her past.

  "No, he's not. We had a good talk. He apologized for coming to the graduation. He feels like shit for wanting to see you and potentially messing up your special day." Her mom reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

  "He messed up lots of days before that one, Mom." Bethany pulled from her mom's touch and walked back to the mirror to straighten her dress and check out her hair.

  "That's true, but you've messed up before too. And so have I." Her mom moved up beside her. "He didn't want to leave us, baby."

  "It was a choice, and he made it."

  "And how does that make you feel?" Her mom's voice was soft but firm. "Thinking that your dad didn't want you and left to punish you for not being enough?"

  Bethany's heart ached in her chest. Her mother had slammed the hammer into the most sensitive nail that poked out of her. "I am enough."

  "Oh, I know you are, Beth. But tell me how it makes you feel to think the other thought. The one I just offered you." She wrapped her arms around Beth from behind and pressed her cheek to Beth's head. The embrace was warm, and yet Beth was struggling with keeping herself together.

  "Dead inside." She lifted the Kleenex back to her face.

  "And what if I tell you that you meant everything to him? That you were the reason he rushed home after his shitty job? That he started selling drugs so that he could buy us a bigger house and give you anything you asked for? It was a stupid decision on his part, but what if I told you that everything he did was for you? For me?" Her mom squeezed her tighter as Beth let out a sob.

  "Then my anger and hate was for nothing."

  "No, not for nothing, but it doesn't serve you, baby. It's killing you. You have a bright future with Damon and with all of us. Let the past stay where it is and offer your dad forgiveness."

  "Have you?"

  "Yes. The night I said yes to Kent... I forgave your father for everything. It wasn't easy, but my chest doesn't hurt so much anymore, my dreams aren't so tainted with pain and loss." She kissed Beth's head again and forced her to turn. "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping someone else will die. They won't, but you will. Let it go because your understanding of it is wrong. I should have corrected it a long time ago, but I wanted him to lose you, to hurt because I was hurt. I'm better now. Kent's love, and your love. They've freed me."

  Bethany glanced down and let out another soft cry. "I can't mess up this make-up. Damn."

  "Then don't, but tonight when Damon is asleep, spend some time letting go." She kissed Bethany's forehead and moved back. "Now... let's get this wedding done so you can go lounge on a beach somewhere as a billionaire's wife. It's fun. I should know."

  Bethany glanced up and nodded. "I love you. Thanks, Mom."

  "Anything for you." The older woman turned and walked to the door, pausing only when Bethany called out to her.

  "Mom."

  She turned back. "Yeah, baby?"

  "Is Dad happy? Does he have another family now and stuff?" Bethany held her breath.

  "Yeah, he does. He has three kids. All teenagers." Her mother smiled. "He deserves that hell."

  Bethany nodded not sure what to say.

  "I got his address for you should you ever want to visit him." Her mom opened the door. "See you in the sanctuary in a few minutes. It's almost time."

  As soon as her mother left, Beth moved over to the table and sat down, picking up the pen and scripting out her vows. They flowed out of her as if she were created to write them. The knock at the door scared her, but she was done.

  "You ready? It's time." Damon's Aunt Allison stood there with tears in her eyes. "Damon looks amazing, but nothing like you."

  "Thanks." Bethany smiled and stood up, walking toward the door. She hugged Damon's aunt before moving out into the hall.

  Erica turned and squealed softly. "You look amazing."

  "Thanks." Bethany moved up to hug her. "Matt's up front with Damon?"

  The coordinator moved up beside them, the woman more calm than Bethany had seen her all day. "Yes. The guys are up front. Erica is going to walk down the aisle before you, and then we'll have everyone stand and cue the music, and it will be your turn."

  Bethany nodded and moved up as Erica walked in. The church door shut and everything seemed almost too real. Everything had fallen into place. All of her hard work had paid off. No more poverty in her bank account or bankruptcy in her heart. Damon had helped to fix all of that.

  "You ready?" The coordinator’s face lit up. "It's time, dear."

  "Yes. More than ready." Bethany moved up to the door and took a deep breath as they opened the doors and the music started to play.

  Kent reached for her arm and smiled. "You look beautiful. I'm glad to call you mine."

  "Thanks. I feel beautiful." She slipped her arm into his and walked toward the main aisle. They paused at the back and Bethany glanced up, her groom waiting at the front. The look of anticipation mixed with desire on his face melted her.

  With shaky knees and her heart trying to pound its way out of her chest, she took the first step toward forever. She'd never been more terrified or elated before in her life. This was it.

  Just don't trip. Just don't trip. Just don't trip.

  Chapter 115

  Damon

  His breath caught in his chest as Bethany rounded the corner at the back of the church. The crowd of people that had gathered in the church had helped to block his view until that moment. He'd never in his life seen anything so beautiful, so perfect.

  "Wow. Damn..." Matt mumbled beside him.

  Damon's hands were clasped tightly, his arms hanging comfortably. He had to look like the picture of confidence and assurance, but his insides were a fucking mess.

  What if he messed things up with Beth? What if he lost her like James almost lost his wife? What if she cheated on him like his mother did with his father?

  Was love enough? Was he enough?

  He'd never contemplated the questions before, but standing there at the front of the church with his bride walking toward him. It was all he could think about.

  Her eyes never left him; her lips turned up in a beautiful smile as the crowd shifted to face her with every step she took. His father held on to her, his face filled with the type of pride that's hard to catch on camera, the kind people only see a few times in their lives.

  "You okay?" Matt whispered softly beside Damon.

  "Never better." Damon moved down the stairs and stopped beside Beth, leaning down and kissing her a few times, locking eyes with her. "You look incredible. Not as good as you did this morning all sleepy in the bed, but stunning nevertheless." His words were soft, whispered just for her to hear.

  Her eyes filled with tears, and his heart swelled in his chest. He came out of the trance with her to hear the congregation laughing, and the preacher focused on him.

  "The kiss usually comes at the end, son." The older man chuckled.

  "He's always been one to race ahead." Damon's father glanced over at him. "I'm proud of you." And down to Bethany. "And you too, sweetheart. This is the best day of my life."

  "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the preacher spoke up.

  "Her mother and I do." Damon's father bent down and kissed Bethany's cheek before handing her off to Damon, patting his shoulder and walking to sit down beside Karen.

  "You okay?" Damon glanced down toward his girl. She was shaking like a leaf.

  "Yes. Never better. Just a little overwhelmed."

  "Well, focus on the preacher and me and you'll be fine." He squeezed her hand and turned back to the preacher as the man dove into the ceremony. Damon's thoughts scattered, his desire to think about work nowhere to be found, thankfully.

  Beth had put up with a lot of shit to become his. He'd pushed back hard when she wanted anything more than sex, and several times, he'd attacked her intelligence and her worth. He hated him
self for it, but it was a defense mechanism. After watching his mom and dad tear apart the family in his younger years, he just wasn't interested in going through the same thing in his life.

  The error of his past thinking was ever-present as he stood there in front of five hundred people with the woman of his dreams holding his hand tightly.

  All of them had been through shit, and yet he knew without a doubt that his and Bethany's wedding was just the first in a string of weddings that would occur. Kendal and Dana would hook up, no doubt, and Erica would steal Matt's last name if she had to force it on him.

  All was right in the world. At least his world.

  "Now comes the time in the ceremony where the vows are proclaimed." The preacher turned and walked up on the stage.

  Bethany tugged at Damon's hand as a sweet smile spread across her lips. "You coming?"

  "Yeah." He bit his tongue, wanting to answer with something naughty, but his timing was off. No need to have an audience to witness his depravity, though it wasn't something he usually hid.

  "Damon and Bethany have decided to write their own vows today, so let's have the rings, and we'll let you go first, Damon." The older man turned as Erica and Matt moved up on the stage as well. Erica placed Damon's ring in the preacher's hand, and Matt put Bethany’s down.

  Damon smiled at his brother, who seemed as nervous as Damon was. "Your turn soon, buddy."

  Matt grunted, and Damon laughed, as did Bethany.

  "Place the ring on Bethany's left hand and please read your vows." The preacher backed up as Bethany and Damon turned to face each other. A mild look of panic raced past Bethany's expression, but Damon ignored it. He should have given her more time to come up with vows. She was an overachiever. There was no way in hell she was going to let him do something special and her not match it or even overdo it if possible.

  He took her hand and slid the ring halfway on it, pausing as he glanced up and looked deep into her eyes. "From the moment I met you, you've challenged me. Not only to be a better man but to change my way of thinking. Love isn't given just to be snatched away, and happiness lasts for more than a few moments. Forgiveness isn't the way of the world, but it's your way." He paused and took a shaky breath. "You're beautiful and kind, beyond brilliant and will soon rule not only my heart but my home, my business and anything else you want that belongs to me."

  Tears welled up in Beth's eyes, spilling over and stealing his heart. He must not be dicking it up too badly.

  "Where are your notes?" she whispered and he laughed.

  "I don't have notes, silly. Do you?"

  Her lips pursed tightly. Him memorizing it wasn't a good thing from what he could tell.

  "We both had so much to overcome to bring this relationship together, but I want you to know, that I overcame each obstacle because of you, for you. I want warmth and love in our lives, playfulness and passion in our bedroom, and the sound of little feet filling up our hallways. You've opened a new world to me, Beth, one I didn't even know existed. You're my everything, and I take you to be my wife. I want to hold you, care for you, provide anything you need from this day forward, in good times and in bad, when we're rolling in wealthy and when we're not, when we’re strong and healthy and when we're not. From today on, I take you to be my wife, my partner, and lover, my best friend. Until death do us part."

  He leaned in and kissed her as the crowd chuckled and the preacher grumbled playfully.

  "Not fair," Beth whispered and reached up to wipe her eyes. Her hands shook, as did her lip. Damon pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head, wanting to comfort her, to hide her from the crowd, to do anything to give her a sense of security.

  He moved back as she nudged him to do so.

  "Okay. My turn." She took the ring from the preacher and put it on his finger before looking up. "I wrote my vows twenty minutes ago when you informed me we were doing this-"

  The crowd chuckled again, and Damon gave her a cheeky grin. "You love a good challenge."

  "Which is why I love you."

  Another round of laughter.

  "And I thought I would need my notes, but I don't." She took a deep breath and lifted her chin, stealing his heart for the millionth time. "I've never wanted to be with a man that scared me, that intimidated me and had the power to melt my heart within a few minutes of nothing more than being in his presence. I wanted the control to run my life the best way I saw fit, which included putting safety as my number one goal. I chose those type of boyfriends in the past. Safe."

  Damon held his breath, his heart racing so hard it hurt. They should have gone over their vows the night before. Hearing them fresh was hard, scary. It left him feeling vulnerable not only for himself but for her too.

  "But when we met, I knew I would never be the same. I've lived in a scarcity mindset, always afraid that my life of poverty would not only stain my past, but be part of my future, but it wasn't about money. It was about love, freedom, happiness, joy. Those things were hit and miss before us. Never in my life have I felt such passion, never have I been so pissed."

  Damon smiled as the crowd chuckled. He reached up and touched the side of her face. There was nothing he wanted more than to pick her up and find a room to strip her down and worship her. It screamed his feelings where words were only a whisper.

  "And through the last year, I've come alive again. My heart has begun to beat, and it's because of you." She pressed her face against his hand as his eyes filled with tears. "You’re strong and brilliant, capable and determined. You're my protector, my rock, the biggest challenge in my life, and the lover of my dreams. My past matters no more. I only see my future. I only see you."

  She swallowed hard as he released his hold on her cheek and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in.

  "So today I take you, Damon, as my lawful husband. I want to have and hold you forever. Starting today. I want us to cling to each other whether the world is right, or rain clouds hover above us. I want us to stand strong beside each other in sickness and in health, in riches and in poverty, no matter what form it comes in. From today forward, I'm eternally yours, and you're mine. Until death do we part."

  The crowd went wild as Bethany pushed the ring onto his finger. Damon let the tears spill onto his cheeks as he pulled his bride in for a long kiss.

  "Well, let's just go ahead and pronounce them husband and wife. You may kiss your... wait; you're already doing it."

  More laughter filled the sanctuary, but Damon was lost to the woman in his arms. It was nothing new. He had been hers since their first encounter.

  "I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Damon Bryant." Damon turned and clasped Bethany's hand as she beamed. The place filled with clapping, and Damon walked down the aisle beside his best friend, his girl, his wife.

  Chapter 116

  Bethany

  "You okay?" Damon asked her for the tenth time as they walked into one of the Sunday school rooms.

  Bethany laughed. "Yes, baby. Are you okay? You keep asking."

  He was a little wide-eyed. "I think so. You were just shaking in there. I was worried."

  "I was nervous." She slid her arms around his waist and pulled him in tight. "Your vows were beautiful."

  "Shit..." He scoffed. "I should have known better than to give my beautiful wife a challenge. You blew me out of the water. I worked on mine for a fucking week, and you had twenty minutes and took me down fast."

  She lifted to her toes, and he moved down, pressing his lips to her as his strong hands gripped her lower back. She relaxed against him, enjoying the feeling of him holding her up.

  "I feel so damn sentimental." She moved back and wiped at her eyes. "It's driving me crazy."

  "It's just gratitude." Kent walked in behind them. "When you get something in life that makes your life better, you're overwhelmed with gratitude." He shrugged. "It's a beautiful place to be, but it's emotionally exhausting. Hang in there, kiddo. You'll feel better tomorrow."

  "I kinda like t
he feeling, but I keep wanting to cry. That's annoying." Bethany moved into a side hug with her father? Father-in-law? It was too confusing to figure out, and it didn't matter. Kent was family, a father figure in some way or another.

  "It's a good thing." Bethany's mom walked up and wrapped her arms around Bethany and Kent, smiling up at them.

  Matt bounced through the door, his voice loud, his smile huge. "Yeah! I'm so excited for you two. Congratulations. The ceremony was beyond beautiful."

  Erica joined them. "I couldn't agree more. It was simple and small in the way of the wedding party, but so many people came to help celebrate."

  "Yeah. Who were all those people?" Bethany moved out of the group hug and took her place beside Damon. "Did you invite all of them?" She glanced up at her husband.

  "Me? No. I know twenty people, tops." Damon chuckled. "Most likely your mom and my dad."

  Bethany glanced over toward her mom and lifted an eyebrow. "Is it true?"

  "Maybe." She shrugged and turned toward Kent. "Let's go get a few pictures on the stage before the kids come in there for their pictures."

  "Race you there." Kent released her and jogged to the door as Bethany's mom took off after him.

  "I hope I can still run like that when I'm older." Kendal walked into the room, barely missing getting run over. Dana moved up beside him and smiled, but remained silent. The poor thing still wasn't comfortable around everyone yet.

  "They're not that old," Bethany pointed out. "All right... so pictures and then over to the reception hall at the hotel on the corner? We have it until midnight."

  "Free liquor on Damon's tab?" Matt wagged his eyebrows.

  "Yep. It's all set up for your pleasure, buddy boy." Damon released Bethany and moved over to rest his hand on Matt's shoulder. "And then Beth and I fly out in the morning at ten for Jamaica. Can you take us to the airport?"

  "Sure can." Matt glanced over at Erica and offered her a hand. "We're staying with Mom and Dad tonight, but I'll come by your place in the morning?"