I trust you.
I’ve fucked with her trust these past few years, but she still gives it to me so willingly. I’m not worthy, but I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to be. Of her trust. Of her love. Of her.
And I’ll spend the rest of my life protecting her too. Fucking Claire…
I help her into my car and set off toward the Cape. Glancing in my rearview mirror, I notice that everyone is following us, not willing to let her out of their sight. I don’t blame them. She’s special to all of us.
When we get to the Cape, I help her out of the car and walk with her toward our favorite spot nearest the lighthouse. So many memories here. Various car doors slamming has her attention snapping away from the lighthouse. Her face pulls into a frown as she takes stock of everyone around her, only now realizing that all our loved ones are here.
“What’s going on?” she asks softly.
“I had something elaborate all planned out, Crazy Hair,” I tell her. “Pop Tarts, purple soda and a promise.”
“A promise?” she repeats, confused and taking a step back.
I nod. “For so long I’ve been hiding from something that found me a long time ago,” I express, not wanting to wait another moment.
We’ve both seen what waiting can do, especially recently. I could’ve lost her today. “I’m done hiding, Savannah,” I declare. “Done denying myself what’s been mine.”
She stands there looking like a deer in headlights, banged up and beautiful. My little fighter. Poor Claire didn’t know that my girl had fight in her. My dick could have told her that. It still aches whenever I am near tree branches.
“Why did you want to meet me at the Cape in the first place, Kyle?” she breathes out softly.
I smile, recalling how much this place has meant to us over the years. “You remember the first time we came to the Cape?” I ask her, hoping that she does.
She chuckles then answers, “Yeah. You’d lost a big game and your Dad was being a dick about it. You came to my bedroom window wanting to go. We ended up riding our bikes over here and I told you that it was my first time here.”
Savannah points toward the lighthouse and I follow the direction. “I fell and cut my knee right over there when we ran from Cape security after we snuck into the lighthouse passed closing time.”
“Your dad ripped me a new one because you had to get stitches,” I recall, smiling at the memory.
“I still don’t understand what’s going on, Kyle,” she whispers, shaking her head as if to clear it. “What is everyone doing here?” A tear breaks free to roll down her cheek, taking a long trek down to her chin.
“We’re making sure he doesn’t fuck this all up,” Grayson answers, holding his wife closely.
My cousin doesn’t look like his usual cocky self as he hangs on to a crying Becky for dear life. He’s shaken up by the ordeal Savi just experienced, but he still tries to lighten the mood.
“Just to let you know that if she says no, I’m totally going with her in the custody battle,” he wisecracks, making everyone release a reluctant chuckle.
Asshole.
“Everyone we care about is here,” I alert her. “Even Cam.”
Her eyes snap to mine. “You said his name like a normal person.”
I’m confused for a second until I get what she’s saying. Cam. I didn’t say it the way I used to. “That’s because he means a lot to you, Crazy Hair,” I say, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “And anyone who means a lot to you, means a lot to me too.”
“I don’t understand…”
“That first time at the Cape with you, I knew then,” I admit.
“Knew what?” she whispers, but in a way that tells me that she knows exactly what.
Dropping to my knee, I pull out the white box that’s been burning a hole in my glove compartment, in my nightstand drawer, in my desk drawer at work and, at times, my pocket. I’ve carried it everywhere with me since I bought it a month ago and set this plan into motion.
She gasps, stumbling back. Her lip trembles, shaky fingers touching them as emotion engulfs her. Seeing her split lip makes me murderous. If I’d waited any longer, I probably would’ve lost her forever, and not just to another state. Kneeling in front of her now, I can’t imagine why it’s taken me so long to come to terms with this startling fact: she’s mine…been mine.
“What’s happening?” she breathes, her voice unsteady.
“What’s happening is that I love you,” I answer, opening the box containing the halo princess cut diamond ring with tiny black diamonds around it, because my girl doesn’t do simple or regular.
There was never anything simple or regular about her or what we have anyway.
“I’ve loved you since I was fifteen years old, Savi,” I declare, heart full of love for the woman in front of me. “I’ve always thought that you could do better than me, that I never deserved you. But if not you, who was I going to spend the rest of my life with?”
When I think of everything, all we’ve been through for the sake of fear, I want to kick myself. No more wasted moments. “These unrelenting years apart have almost felt like taking the long way home. But every road I take leads me back to you, no matter the direction or decision taken. This isn’t some crush, Savannah.” We’re long passed that. “This is real; and unlike all those other times, I’m not afraid. I know what I want, what my soul needs, and that’s you – crass, brutally honest, fiery, sweet, creative, and beautiful in every way…you.”
My heart swells as our memories, our time together and apart, play like a film reel in my mind. “I needed to grow, Sav,” I go on, honesty spilling from my depths. “I needed to be a man for you…the only man for you. And let’s face it, I am; always was.”
It was not an intentional dig at Cam, but he flips me the finger with a smile anyway. A serendipitous wave crashes around us in this moment. The time we spent denying our feelings may have hurt us, but we needed to know what it felt like to be apart in order to appreciate what being together would mean…
Forever. It would mean forever.
“The Cape, our family, our friends…Pop Tarts and purple soda and beer,” I list. “All of these play a significant role in our story; helped in the memories we made. I want to make a lifetime more of those memories, together. Memories that aren’t painful or shrouded in regret.”
Tears shine in her eyes as what I’ve said sinks in, and she shakes her head. She stutters as she speaks, “B-But…but, what about your fiancée?”
Oh. That. I guess she hasn’t put two and two together yet.
A throat clears behind us. “Speaking as the fake fiancée,” Nova pipes up in her practiced British accent, taking a tentative step forward. “I give my blessing.” She says that last part in her regular voice and it warms my heart.
Savi’s legs give way under her, knees crashing to the sand beneath us. Disbelief mars her beautiful face and I want to kiss away every shadow of doubt that crosses her features, and every bruise. I can’t physically do that, so I use my words.
“We were never meant to be just friends, Savi, and I think you know that, too. But if we weren’t friends, we wouldn’t be here right now,” I confess. “You’re my best friend, Savi. My best quality, my greatest dream and only aspiration. Everything I’ve done in this life, whether I realized it or not, has brought me to this point. The Universe was always going to bring us to this point.”
My sister, Joy, approaches unsteadily, tears, terror and love shining in her eyes all at once. Before she hands over what’s in her hands, she bends down and gives Savi a tight hug that my girl returns. Quickly, before she becomes a weeping mess, my sister hands me Savi’s Our Big Book of Dreams scrapbook and I turn it to the last page which shows our heads superimposed on a couple in wedding garb.
“I want to make new dreams with you after we get through with this dream of mine,” I tell her, passing the scrapbook to her.
Savi stares at it, her tears coming in rivulets now. She’s proba
bly wondering when that got there. Grayson and I did a bit of breaking and entering a few days ago while she was getting high with Becky on their roof. He “banned” her from their house, only so Becky could put this part in the scrapbook.
I fucking love our friends. And I fucking love her.
“I don’t need to question if you love me,” I admit to Savannah. I’ve known this all along. “Every single time you’ve sacrificed your feelings, every single time you’ve stepped back; every time we’re in each other’s presence, the air crackles with your love. I’m consumed by it.”
She buries her face in her hands, shaking her head.
“It’s hardly how I wanted this moment to go.” I didn’t factor in my ex-girlfriend trying to kill her. “This isn’t, at all, perfect timing, but ill-timing seems to be our kind of perfection.”
Our loved ones close in on us with tears in their eyes, the weight of her ordeal laying heavily around us. I should really take her to the hospital, but she wanted to know what was going on, and I won’t leave until I lay every single thing out for her…just in case me on my knee with a ring isn’t indication enough.
So here, on the Cape where I shared so many memories with my best friend, I propose.
“Marry me, Savannah,” I beg, not too proud to. “Put me out of the misery of a life without you.”
Her shoulders are shaking now, face still covered. My heart is pounding, hoping this woman doesn’t tell me no. I don’t want to add a felony to our list of memories since I’m not so sure I won’t kidnap her to get what I want. I mean, she’d have to eventually forgive me.
Right?
Stockholm syndrome and all that.
Savannah’s hands drop from her face and she’s a weeping mess, face wet with tears…but she’s also laughing. It’s not a pretty sight, but she’s beautiful, nonetheless.
“The U-u-universe,” she stumbles over words before she gets them out, “The Universe is finally working in our favor.”
She blows out a breath and tries to calm down before confessing, “I came here to fight for you.”
Warmth blooms in my chest as relief and excitement and love duke it out within me. I wish I could beat my chest in victory. This woman!
“Your crazy ex-girlfriend tried to stop me, but I came here to fight for you,” she announces, resolute. “And here you are fighting for me right back with a sneak attack.” She’s smiling, happiness glowing in her blue eyes.
“I love you more than I can even comprehend, Kyle Moxam. Of course I’ll marry you. Today, tomorrow…just no longer than next week.”
Cheers and tearful laughter erupt around us and I pull her close, planting a deep kiss on her lips – snot, busted lip and all. I’m laughing against her lips because, goddammit, I am head over heels in love with this smart-mouthed woman.
“We should probably get you out of here now, Crazy Hair,” I state. “You’ve had quite a day.”
“Can I just say “I do” now and get to the honeymoon part?” she asks quietly.
I slip the ring on her finger then produce her globe necklace from my pocket, dangling it in front of her. Bright blue eyes shine with regret and relief. Securing the necklace around her neck, her fingers automatically reach up to clutch the globe pendant, closing her eyes as her world rights itself.
“Now, what would be the fun in that?” I say, caressing her cheek. “I need you in a wedding dress so I can fuck you in it and then peel you out of it to make love to you.”
My dick is hard, that is the only explanation for me openly talking about defiling my wife – who’s not yet my wife – in front of our family and friends.
“Can we please not talk about you sleeping with my daughter?” Mr. Carpenter gripes walking up to us.
Savannah turns a nice shade of red and buries her face in my chest. Her head whips up and she stares at me in shock and awe.
“You…I…” she scrambles for words to say, shaking her head as if she can hardly believe whatever she has figured out in her head. “I was planning my wedding all along.”
The realization makes her smile giddily, and I watch as everything I’ve done in the past month comes to light for my girl, her eyes rounding in complete surprise. It was a risk I’m glad I took.
“You,” she breathes, wonderment shining in her eyes. “You…” And she grips my face and kisses the living daylights out of me.
Her grandmother comes up to us and we break apart as she leans down to kiss both of our cheeks. Savi gazes at her, her eyes squinting suspiciously. “You knew all along,” she states with amazement in her tone.
“Of course I did,” she answers wiping the tears trickling down her granddaughter’s cheek. “I had to soften you up because I know how much of a hard-ass you can be.”
We all laugh because it’s true. My Savannah is as stubborn as they come. She would deny herself what we could have…just because. I thank Savi’s grandmother for her help, not just for now but for then, too.
“Any man who can get me to lie to my granddaughter in an elaborate ploy to win her heart is a keeper in my book.” I love this woman. “That’s how I won her granddaddy over. That and these knockers.” She winks at us and I pull back, staring at the old woman like she grew a third nipple.
“I can’t un-hear that,” I mumble, still shocked.
She laughs as she moves away into her son’s embrace. “I didn’t want to hear that…again,” he groans, dropping a kiss to her white hair and then pulling his wife to his other side.
“You’re just mad because that’s how I got you too,” Mrs. Carpenter teases. “Knockers included.” She kisses him and Savi gags and I laugh.
This family.
“You didn’t need the trickery, Jules,” he mutters against her lips. “The knockers did just fine.”
I don’t know if I should be hearing this…or seeing this, but I can’t look away.
“Seriously, guys, gag,” Savi grumbles, turning her face away from her parents’ public display.
I chuckle lightly and hold my girl tighter. “Now, let’s get you out of here, Crazy Hair.”
Taking her hand, I lead her back to my car. We get a call to come to the police station, so we take a detour to head there instead. When we arrive, Savi’s neighbor, Zondra, is already there. They take an official statement from Savi and Zondra, and later from Savi’s assistant, Marla, who swears she had nothing to do with Claire’s plans. Savi confirms it, telling us that Claire admitted that she was only using Marla to get to her.
I seize Savannah closer to me, sending a silent prayer of thanks up to God that she’s still here with me. This was too close a call. At the end of the night, after getting the official greenlight to take her home from the hospital, Savi’s parents ask us to sleep over. I tell Savannah that the plan was for her to marry me today but making sure she is okay is much more important than giving her my last name.
I mean, it is going to happen. Just not tonight.
“We came too close to losing you, sweetheart,” Wes remarks gravely. “We’re going to lose you anyway once he marries you, so give us this tonight.”
“You’ll never lose me, Dad.” Savi hugs her father and he squeezes her so tightly.
“We’ll sleep with you tonight, Mr. Carpenter,” I assure him. “Wait, that didn’t come out right…”
“Loser,” Grayson coughs into his hand. I flip him the finger.
“Real mature, bro,” Joy snorts at me before giving Savi another hug. “Glad you’re alive, sis.”
Savi wipes my sister’s eyes and kisses her forehead. “People like us are fighters, Joy. That loony bin just didn’t know it.”
My fiancé – fuck, that sounds just as good as wife – takes her time telling our loved ones thank you, and watching them leave one by one. I’m happy we have such a support system. So many great people to lean on and learn from. They will make this life I am going to build with my girl that much better. I can hardly wait.
“Honey, let’s go,” her mom calls to Savi, snapping
her fingers. “You’re getting married in a few days. Your aunt and I want to talk to you about sex positions. Oh, and your grandma too.”
“Kill me now,” Savi and her dad mutter in unison.
“Not before I make you mine,” I tell her.
“Don’t you know?” she says with a hand on my beating heart, staring up at me with eyes that mirror the love shining in my own. “I’ve only ever been yours. It just took you a while to see that.”
I smile down at her, falling in love with the future we’re about to make together.
“I’m just glad that it didn’t take us until we were old and senile…”
“And blind as bats?” I finish reciting the note I’d left her when she just started college, kissing her lips because, shit, now I freely can. “Well…better late than never, Crazy Hair.”
Epilogue – Plus One
Savi – Present
TWO YEARS AGO, I’d been ready to move back to Florida. The man I loved had been getting married to someone else and I just. Couldn’t. Deal. I ended back up in Florida anyway. It just wasn’t meant to be. It became too hard to keep up after a while and it wasn’t working out for the direction my life was taking. So it was time for it to come to an end.
I was giving it up; this, which I’ve fought so hard for.
I am selling Purple Prizm.
Well, the Florida location.
I’d been toying with the idea for a little while now. The back and forth travel to the main office had been tiresome. Plus, life was taking a turn that would have made it harder to keep up with operations in Florida. So, I was glad when I made Tiffney, my event manager for the main location, the offer to have her own event planning company and she’d jumped at it.
It would be her company, a completely new name, but with the employees I’d hired and the contacts I’d made while building Purple Prizm in its early days, which turned it into one of the best event planning companies this side of the southeast.
Better Late Than Never Page 35
