Eastern Lights

by Brittainy Cherry

  Jax and Damian groaned in unison.

  Look at me, getting two grumpy best friends. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “A superhero walks into a bar, and marries a woman dressed in red. And they lived happily ever after,” I said.

  Jax narrowed his eyes. “Are you being extremely corny right now?”

  “I’m being extremely corny right now. I love her, Jax.”

  “Shit. I’d hope so, seeing how I paid an arm and a leg to fly up here for this wedding. Do you know how expensive direct flights are? This shit is wild.”

  I laughed. “Yes, well, I would say I’d pay you back for the flight, but I’m not going to.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me.” He arched an eyebrow. “Are you really wearing that?”

  “He’s really wearing that,” Damian said dryly, looking at me as I slipped into my outfit.

  My Captain America costume.

  Still fit like a glove.

  A very, very tight glove, but a glove nonetheless.

  “What? I think it looks good? And what else would I wear to a wedding on Halloween night?”

  “I can see the complete outline of your balls,” he said, unamused.

  “Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve seen them, am I right?” I joked, nudging him in the arm.

  Jax shot a look at Damian. “I’ve never seen this dude’s balls before.”

  “I know. Connor’s just weird as fuck.”

  “But for some reason, you two still love me.” I smirked.

  “We feel sorry for you and your mental illness. We’d be bad people if we abandoned you,” Jax said, patting me on the back.

  I took a deep breath, feeling the nerves of the whole situation hitting me. I was really about to do this. I was about to marry my best friend.

  “Any words of advice for a nervous groom?” I asked Jax. “I mean, you’ve been with Kennedy for years now. What wise words do you have for me and my marriage?”

  “You’re wrong,” he said without thought. “Whatever the situation, even if you’re right—you’re wrong.”

  Before I could reply, Kennedy popped her head into the bathroom. “Jax, I need the diapers, and they weren’t where you said they’d be.”

  “Did you check behind the bar like I mentioned?” he asked.

  She sighed. “You didn’t say behind the bar.”

  “I did say…” Jax paused. He looked at me, and then he turned to his wife and gave a big, fake smile. “You’re right. I didn’t say that. I’m wrong.”

  She nodded. “Of course, I’m right. I’m always right. Now come help me. Trevor’s diaper exploded all over the place.”

  Jax smirked at me and shrugged. “See, kid? You’re wrong. Just remember that, and you’ll be fine. I’ll be back.”

  He walked out of the bathroom, leaving me with Damian, who seemed even quieter than his norm. He was holding a piece of paper in his hands as his brows stayed lowered.

  “What’s going on, buddy? You okay?” I asked, walking over to him.

  He grimaced, folded the piece of paper, and slid it back into the his pocket. “It’s nothing.”

  “You can’t lie to your brother on his wedding day,” I warned.

  “I’m not trying to bring down the mood.”

  “The mood can be brought down for a moment, then we’ll turn it back up. What’s going on?”

  He sighed and handed me the letter. “It’s from my father. Well, it was sent on his behalf. He’s been in California all this time. He’s known where I’ve been my whole life. I guess he recently croaked. But, before he died, he wrote me that note. The funeral is next week.”

  “Holy shit.” I read the letter, stunned. His father’s name was Kevin Michaels, and he’d invited Damian to California to find the answers that Damian had been searching for his whole life, the missing pieces to his story.

  “Are you going out there?” I asked.

  “I feel like I need to, but I don’t know how long I’d be out there. I don’t know how long it will take me to get the answers I want. The answers I fucking deserve.”

  “Yeah. I get that.”

  “I don’t even know what I’d do for work. I can’t go out there wasting time and money looking for pieces of my fucked-up story.”

  “Unless you had a west coast real estate company to run, that is.”

  He turned my way and cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

  “Our west coast property had been down since the situation with Jason and Walter. I’d been holding off reopening until we had the right person to run it. It makes me feel stupid that I’ve taken this long to realize that the right person has always been you.”

  Damian’s brows knitted together and he frowned. “You don’t have to do me any favors, Connor.”

  “Yes, I do. That’s what family does. We look out for each other. Go out there and find your answers, Damian. You deserve to know your history.”

  He sniffled a bit, and that was the closest I’d ever seen Damian get to crying. “Knock, knock,” he said.

  I smirked. “Who’s there?”

  “You.” He shrugged. “You’re there. You’ve been there for me since you showed up, and I don’t think you know how much that means to me. You’re the brother I always wanted.” I felt myself on the brink of tears and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t make it weird, Connor.”

  “No, I mean, I’m not gonna cry.”

  “You’re already crying.”

  “Well you can’t just say shit like that, Damian and expect me not to cry, dammit! Can I hug you?”

  “No.”

  “Can I say I love you without making you uncomfortable?”

  “Probably not.”

  “All right then, I hate you.”

  He smirked. “I hate you, too.”

  I scratched at my beard. “But we do need to get together sometime and work on your punchlines. That was a very odd joke.”

  “I’ll leave the joking to you, seeing how you’re such a joke yourself.”

  I chuckled and nudged me. “See? That’s a funny joke.”

  “I wasn’t kidding. I think you’re a joke.”

  I smiled and patted him on the back. “I love you, too.”

  He stood up taller, shaking off his emotions. “Enough about me. Let’s get you married off, old man.”

  I pointed a stern finger at him. “Don’t call me old man! Jax is an old man, not me!”

  “Yeah. Whatever you say, old man.”

  The rooftop of Oscar’s Bar was set up with chairs for our guests. There were sunflowers throughout the space—her favorite. There were M&M’s bags resting in everyone’s goodie bags—my favorite.

  I stood at the altar, with my best friends standing beside me. The sun had began to set behind me, and that was her cue.

  That was her sign to enter the space, in her beautiful red dress that made me fall in love with her all those years before. She stood tall with a bouquet of sunflowers, and walked down an aisle sprinkled with quarters. Her skin shone as the light hit her, highlighting every beautiful inch of her being.

  As she reached me, she passed her bouquet off to my mother, and then Aaliyah turned to face me.

  I took her hands into mine, because the idea of not touching her was too much for me.

  “Hi,” she whispered.

  “Hi,” I replied.

  “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  She smiled at me, and I smiled back, feeling the warmth of her love that was radiating off of her entire being.

  My beginning, my middle, my end.

  She took my last name that evening, and we danced the night away with our loved ones. We celebrated life, we celebrated the beginning of something magical. Something that would last forever.

  After the evening came to an end, Aaliyah and I stayed on the rooftop for hours waiting to witness the sunrise together. This time when the sun warmed our skin, I didn’t let her go. This time, I was wise enough to hold onto her tighter. This time, I’d stay as
long as possible. I didn’t care if it were for hours, months, or years. I was completely invested in her, in our story, in every single adventure we had yet to deserve.

  Every inch of me belonged to my Little Red Riding Hood, and every piece of her was mine.

  For as long as we both shall live.

  Epilogue Two

  Damian

  I hated funerals; they reeked like death.

  I always found something odd about stuffing a body into a box, then standing around it as you wept into the open casket. Could you think of anything more miserable? Staring down at the limp body you once loved, wishing you could’ve brought the flesh back to life. It was a known fact from movies that bringing the dead back to life was always the wrong idea, but still…for a second you considered it.

  That shit was sad. It was as if humans loved self-inflicted pain. Sometimes I wondered if the tears were for the person who died, or the people left behind forced to face another mundane day of living. We humans spent so much of our time trying to tap into the meaning of life then, bam! You were dead in a box with a person sobbing over you—a person who probably talked massive shit about you while you were living.

  That was people for you, though. Hypocrites day in and day out.

  I smoothed my hands over my black suit and charcoal tie. I wore black every day of my life, but for some reason I almost wore white that morning. I figured it would’ve been a nice “fuck you for abandoning me at birth” to father dearest.

  I held my breath as I walked into the church. To my surprise, I wasn’t struck by lightning as I stepped inside the chapel. I didn’t believe in God or angels or any of that stuff, but still, you never really knew what was waiting on the other side of this shit we called life. If there was a God, he probably would’ve taken me out right then and there.

  I popped a peppermint into my mouth, as if that would overpower my drunken state. I was pretty much bathing in cheap whiskey. I’d been drunk since the flight and I didn’t regret it at all. Something about meeting your father for the first time at his funeral made the need to drink strong. Ninety-nine percent of me didn’t care if people knew I was fucked up, but there was always that lingering one percent…

  “Oh, my goodness,” a woman stuttered, looking at me. She paled over as if she’d just witnessed a ghost.

  Boo, bitch.

  I must’ve had Daddy’s eyes. Most definitely his grimace.

  “Catherine, Catherine, look!” the woman expressed, tugging at the black sleeve of the person beside her. When she turned in my direction, her face drained of color, too. She recovered a bit quicker than the other, stepping toward me.

  She stood tall in her petite frame and pushed out an uncomfortable smile. “You must be Damian. I’m Catherine. I was Kevin’s wife. And this”—she gestured to the woman in a state of panic—“is Wilma. My sister.”

  I would’ve said it was nice to meet them, but I wasn’t in the mood to lie. I wasn’t there to make nice; I was there to find out information about me, about my past. So I got straight to the point.

  I brushed my thumb against the side of my nose and shrugged. “I was told you’d have another letter for me when I arrived.”

  “Oh, yes. Yes. Of course. But first, do you want to go give your respects?” she asked as she looked down the aisle toward the casket.

  “Nope.”

  Wilma frowned as she tilted her head and studied me. “It’s remarkable. Truly. You are Kevin through and through.”

  “I’m not him at all, lady,” I coldly shot back. I already knew she annoyed me, and I’d only spent five seconds in her company. I was pretty good at that—not liking people from the jump.

  I looked back to Catherine. “The letter.”

  “Oh right, I…” Her words fumbled off as she began sniffing the air. Yup. She was sniffing around like a damn dog trying to find a place to shit.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “It smells like cigarette smoke!” Wilma expressed in an overreactive tone. “Oh, my goodness, Stella!” she screeched, turning to look at a woman around my age, sitting in a chair with her legs crossed, openly smoking a cigarette.

  She was dressed in white.

  If that wasn’t enough to give my cock a wakeup call that morning, nothing would.

  “What in the hell do you think you’re doing, Stella?!” Catherine barked, rushing over to the girl, then snatching the cigarette from between her lips. She quickly exposed of it, and then pulled the rebel from the chair in haste. “What are you thinking? And what are you wearing? I put out a dress for you this morning!” she scolded.

  Stella didn’t say a word. She just tilted her head and smirked in amusement.

  Catherine stayed flustered as she pulled the woman my way while Wilma tried to fan the smell of smoke away. I should’ve given her a peppermint to put toward her actions.

  “I apologize on the interruption caused by my daughter, Stella. She was Kevin’s step-daughter. Stella, this is Kevin’s son, Damian,” Catherine explained. “He’s your step-brother.”

  Like hell I am.

  Stella’s eyes fell on me, and fuck, did I feel them. It felt like being pierced by darkness. A beautiful darkness at that. Full lips. Long, straight black hair. Curves that made me follow them—step-sister, folks. Emphasis on the word step. Then there were her eyes. Dark, shadowed eyes that seemed to look straight through a person. Straight through me. I wondered what she saw on the other side.

  She didn’t speak, but she appeared curious as she stared. Almost as if she was trying to figure me out.

  Good luck with that.

  I cleared my throat and slid my hands into my pockets. It was obvious she wasn’t going to speak up, so that left the floor open for me to take lead. “Hey, sis.”

  Western Waves, the third book in the Compass Series, is coming August 2021! Preorder Today!

  The Compass Series

  ALL STANDALONE NOVELS! ENJOY TODAY!

  Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed Eastern Lights, you can go back and read Southern Storms, Jax and Kennedy’s love story. You’ll also get to meet a younger Connor in their book!

  You can also Preorder Western Waves today!

  Damian’s story. Coming August 26th, 2021.

  The Elements Series

  ALL STANDALONE NOVELS WITH NO INTERCONNECTED CHARACTERS! ENJOY TODAY!

  Looking for some more angst? You will find it right here and you’ll fall in love with the men of the Element Series! You can download the complete Elements Series Collection for free in Kindle Unlimited here: The Complete Elements Series

  Or, each of the titles are available separately (All standalones and free in Kindle Unlimited):

  The Air He Breathes

  The Fire Between High & Lo

  The Silent Waters

  The Gravity of Us

  Also by Brittainy C. Cherry

  Art & Soul:

  Young Adult Romance

  Our Totally, Ridiculous, Made-Up Christmas Relationship:

  A Holiday Romance

  The Space in Between:

  A Contemporary Romance

  Loving Mr. Daniels :

  A Student Teacher Romance

  Behind the Bars :

  A Second Chance Romance

  Disgrace:

  Small Town Romance

  Eleanor & Grey:

  A Second Chance Romance

  Landon & Shay Part One:

  A Enemies to Lovers Romance

  Landon & Shay Part Two:

  An Enemies to Lovers Romance

  Acknowledgments

  Eastern Lights was a joy to write with many ups and downs. This novel is a story about finding yourself, loving yourself, and opening ones heart to allow more love in—which is something I dived deep into over the past year. I know I couldn’t have taken that dive without the powerhouses who walked beside me throughout this whole experience.

  To my family who inspired me daily to fall more in love with my craft—thank you. Thank you for al
ways standing tall in my corner, and I hope you know that I am your biggest fan standing in your corners. You all amaze me day in and day out.

  To my parents: thank you loving me on the days I didn’t know how to love myself. Your love soothed the troubled parts of my soul.

  To my sisters: Without you two, my heart would never be whole. Thank you for making my heart beat. Thank you for teaching me to stand in my power. Thank you for being the best sisters a girl could ever dream of. The power of three will set us free. Always and forever.

  To my brothers: Take you for showing love in the most quiet, yet profound ways known to mankind. It’s because of you all that I believe in good men.

  To my niece and nephew: I’m so blessed that you exist in the same realm as me. The world keeps spinning because your heartbeats exist.

  To Coach Jen: Thank you for pushing me to explore, pushing me to dive deeper into self, and pushing me to step into my power. Over the past year, you have cheered me on loud, and I am blessed to know you and your strength. You are a force of power and beauty.

  To dearest friend, Bryanna: Thank you for walking me through one of the toughest years of my life, and celebrating every up and offering encouraging words to me through every down. Your friendship and sisterhood means more to me than you’ll ever truly realize. It’s a blessing to know you.

  To my soul sister, Danielle: Thank you for always making me laugh and reminding me that true power comes from within. Thank you for your voice, your power, your strength. I am inspired daily by you.

  To my favorite neighbor, Samantha: Thank you for always being a good neighbor. The world needs more great neighbors like you, and I’m so glad that you are mine.

  Thank you to my amazing editing team who shows up time and time again. Caitlin, Ellie, Jenny, and Virginia: you all are inspirational women. I am floored by your talent, and honored to know you all.