“No fair, I didn’t cry.”
She smiled. “When Jamie died,” she took a deep breathe. “And I know I’m going to regret telling you this later on,” she said and laugh. She took another deep breath. “She took a part of my soul with her, and I thought that I would never get it back. But I know she didn’t take it with her, she kept it somewhere safe,” Holly’s voice broke and tears streamed down her face.
“You are going to make me cry, woman.” Tears already filled his eyes. “It’s humiliating,” he hissed and everyone chuckled.
She sniffed and laughed. “Sorry,” she said and recollected herself. “She knew that I would find it one day as she kept it with you.”
More tears fall over her face.
“Don’t ruin her make up,” Amelia whispered but everyone heard.
They both grinned as Jake dabbed more tears away.
“So if you hurt me, I will break your balls.”
The entire gathering roared.
“You definitely are a Peters,” Jake said because it was a classic Gus ending.
She put on his ring and then the reverend finally announced that he could kiss his bride.
Jake grabbed her, dipped her down and gave her the loveliest kiss he could ever master.
The gathering applauded and finally she was his forever and ever.
Twenty-Seven
Holly
The reception was held at the venue by the lake.
It was stunning with fairy lights hanging everywhere.
The food was great and after everyone ate, the speeches were made.
She glanced behind her where all tree her children were sprawled on a makeshift bed on the floor behind the main table.
So many people gave speeches.
Mara, apologizing again for what she did, Jake reminding her of her missing kidney and half her liver.
Gus, saying that Mara finally let Jake off her boob and now he was on to Holly’s. And that he was proud of the man his son had become.
Amelia, just loving everyone tonight.
Robin making everyone cry, and Bernie right behind her telling Holly and Jake how much she loved them.
She wished that her sister was here, but she knew she was in some way.
Rodney telling everyone about how he met Holly and how Jake just came back into her life and he finally had a face to the fake name Holly had told everyone—Steve. Jake was so not a Steve.
Holly blushed at that lie.
“See, Mom, other people also lie,” Jake mumbled to Mara who sat by his side. She smacked him softly.
And then it was the speech everyone feared for. Leo’s.
“I’m apologizing because he refused to show me what he wrote for this speech,” Jake said.
“Go fuck it up, babe,” Bernie called at her husband’s figure walking to the podium.
Laughter rippled through the room.
“Loads of confidence that one has.” Leo looked in Bernie’s direction.
“I just know you so well,” Bernie replied.
“I’m probably going to fuck this one up badly, buddy. Holly, I’m sorry if I say things you don’t want to hear.”
She laughed. “It’s okay. I’ll take it with a pinch of salt.”
“He really does love you, more than you’ll ever know.”
“Please, I do not want to sleep with the dog tonight,” Jake begged.
“She’s very forgiving, Jake, but buddy, we have to set something straight. Something everyone wants to know as you really didn’t shine any light on something huge in your past.”
“Oh fuck,” Jake said.
“My speech is all about destiny tonight. I might not make much sense, but hopefully you will all get it after I’m done.”
“No, dude, please,” Jake sounded nervous.
Holly looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
“You are married, now, no more secrets, buddy. Holly fessed up to hers, you are her soulmate, you need to fess up to yours, too, and I’ll keep you warm tonight if I fuck this one up.”
Jake chuckled.
“Okay, go.” Jake shook his head and covered his face with one hand.
“Holly, everyone here loves you, and for those of you who don’t know her the way we do, take our word, you love her.”
More laughter.
“When Jake met Holly,” Leo started.
“Arrrrg.” Jake folded his arms around his neck and rested his head on the table.
“What?” Holly wanted to know. What could be so bad?
“He’s going to fuck it up. I know,” Jake said softly.
“Calm down,” she whispered back.
“It all started with the married woman.”
“No!” Jake groaned.
A collective gasp and soft twitters sounded in the room.
“You idiot,” Bernie said.
“No, go on. I want to hear about her, you said not a lot of light has been shone on that one,” Holly said. “Homewrecker,” she murmured out of the corner of her mouth.
Jake laughed.
“Just let me finish before you punish him.”
Bernie shook her head. Holly giggled nervously. He was going to fuck it up. She can feel it.
“It was love at first sight for Jake when he saw her.”
“Stop,” Bernie yelled.
“What?”
“You don’t say that it’s love at first sight at another’s wedding, idiot.”
“I need to make a point, woman. Let me make it.”
“Urgh. Sorry, babes.”
Holly waved it away.
“He was fucked up after that,” Leo said and Jake roared with laughter.
“I give up, dude. I’m sleeping in the doghouse tonight,” Jake said.
“No, you won’t. I’ve got it all figure out in my head, just wait for the punch line.”
“Okay, go ahead. Dig my grave.”
Holly didn’t like the words Leo chose and it was half evident on her face. She couldn’t look at Jake but she wanted to know how he felt about her so this was it.
“Okay, so Jake was messed up when the married woman wasn’t available.”
“Stop repeating it!” Bernie screamed.
“It was where I was last. Stop interrupting me.”
“Fine, just carry on.”
“Okay so married woman, messed up.”
“Please shoot me now,” he begged his mother.
“He’s messing this up,” his mother whispered.
“His heart is in a good place, I’ll fix it later.”
“We tried everything to get Jake just to come and visit, remember baby?”
“Yes, just finish your messed up speech.”
“It’s beautiful. It’s about destiny.” Leo said.
“Okay, go on. Three months later.”
“Jake finally said yes to the music festival, and drove up in his RV.” Leonard pretended to drive an RV and parked it.
“Then he saw Holly. Now I’m not going to repeat what he said to me in the RV,” Leo said and Jake just shook his head.
“Now he keeps quiet,” he said to Holly and she forced a half of a smile. “You want him to stop?” Jake picked up on her uneasiness.
“No, it’s fine. I know Leo. He’ll make his point.”
“I’d probably have to get up there to help, but okay.” He sounded annoyed.
She smiled.
“But the married woman came up. I blabbered it out, my fault, again, very sorry about that buddy.”
“It’s fine, just carry on.”
“And Holly teased him about it, she called him a homewrecker.”
Everyone laughed.
“Still, they hit it off pretty strong from the get go.”
“Yes, we did, as she’s my soul mate.”
“That she is. Jake was happy. I can’t recall when I last saw him that happy.”
Jake blew out air.
“Then Holly left, and she fucked Jake completely.”
“Before she le
ft or after?” Jake sounded confused.
“After buddy, focus. I’m talking about the inner kind.” Leo tapped his chest.
The room practically shook with the combined laughter of everyone in the room.
“We all laugh about it now but it wasn’t like that, Holly.”
“Yeah I heard. Sorry.”
“Sorry?” was all Leonard said. “Okay, moving on. But she came back just before Jake made the most horrible mistake of his life. Sorry, Kate. Is she here.”
“Hell no.” Holly yelled and everyone laughed.
“Okay then I take it back. I didn’t like her that much.”
Gus shook with laughter. “I’m so getting you to speak at my funeral.” He joked.
Leo laughed. “And Jake became happy again, Holly fell pregnant, almost a repeat of the last time and then she was going to leave again. But this time she wouldn’t be coming back.” Leo said, his voice somber. “And what I guess I’m trying to say, is thank you, Holly, for fighting the way you did, that you didn’t leave because if there is no coming back with you, there would be no coming back for Jake. He’d proved it, three times, how fucked up he was when you left and I couldn’t bear it happening again. So eat healthy, look after yourself as you are more than a diamond to him. You are the air that he breathes.”
“Ahh, bud,” Jake laughed.
Bernie clapped and everyone awed.
“I still don’t see what the married woman had to do with this, or how destiny falls in this one.”
“What? I fucked it up, didn’t I?”
“Yeah you did, and now I have to fix it.” Jake got up and everyone clapped.
“And it wasn’t three times idiot, it was twice that she left, almost left,” Bernie said.
Jake shook his head got up on the podium with Leo and took another mike.
“Love at first sight is overrated, sweetheart,” Jane whispered. “True love is real.”
“It’s okay, Mom.”
“Okay, Bernie,” Jake started. “When was the first time I met Holly.”
“At the music bash.”
“No,” Jake chuckled.
“Yes,” Bernie said.
“Not the first time she met me, the first time I saw her.”
“Oh, my birthday party.”
Holly remember Josi teasing her about it. And that she didn’t even see him. She really couldn’t remember him there. It was weird as he clearly stood out.
“And what happened at your birthday party.”
She started to laugh. “I forgot. You hit whathisface.”
“Brandon,” Jake answered.
“What?” Holly asked.
“I hit him because he kissed another girl that wasn’t you.”
“Seriously?”
“True,” Leo said.
Holly laughed.
“And then when did you see me again after that?” Jake asked Bernie again.
“Music bash,” Bernie said.
“No.”
“I saw him at the bar,” Leo corrected.
“Yes,” Jake turn to Leo. “Now, remember Holly is also part of this speech, we have to involve her, buddy.”
“Go for it.”
Another ripple of laughter, but confused laughter.
“And when did you see me again?”
“At the bash, but it wasn’t our fault. We invited you so many times.” Bernie said.
“Yes, you did and I should’ve just given in because then I would have met Holly sooner. But I was still heart broken, fucked up.” He looked at Leo, Leo nodded, “about the married woman. Just to make that clear.”
Everyone laughed again.
“You two are idiots,” Bernie said.
“He’ll keep me warm tonight,” Jake joked.
“The day I saw Holly at the bash, and I am going to tell you what I said to Leo as it was the key ingredient of that wonderful speech you try to make,” he looked at Leo.
“Sorry bud,” Leo joked.
“My heart skipped a beat. I know it’s not possible, but it happened.”
Everyone laughed again.
“And I pulled Leo into the RV and I scolded him. I asked him what the fuck was that dickhead Brandon doing here. What did you say?”
“What?” Bernie was just as confused as Holly.
“I said that the dickhead isn’t here,” Leo answered.
“The dickhead isn’t here,” Jake repeat.
Holly tried to think what Brandon had to do with this.
“Then I asked,” Jake said and paused. “What the fuck his wife is doing here?”
There were murmurs and gasps all throughout the room.
“You’ve got to be shitting me. Holly was the married woman?”
“Thank you, Bernie!” Jake yelled.
“You did a piss poor job,” Bernie told her husband
“No, I didn’t. I said she left Jake three times.”
“Yes, you did.” Jake said “Now get off the stage so I can make my speech, you idiot. I just lost my fucking balls in this relationship.”
Everyone laughed but Holly was still shocked.
“So sweetheart, my baby, my precious, my everything. How am I doing so far on the suck-up part?”
She didn’t even smile at him, still confused, but it started to sink in.
“You okay?” He asked.
Her lower lip started to vibrate and she covered her face.
She was the married woman all along. She was jealous and insecure over herself.
“Don’t cry, please.”
“Sorry,” Leo rushed out, “finish your speech.” And Leo came to sit on Jake’s chair and hugged Holly. “I’m an idiot. I’m sorry.”
Holly finally laughed. “Yes, you are, both of you are fucking idiots. No wonder you are such great friends.”
“But of us love us.” Leo spoke.
“She okay there, or you going to fuck that up too?”
“Carry on. I got this.” Leo gave him a thumbs-up.
“Okay. So now that I have no leverage what so ever, as she knows who she is to me, I can only carry on with losing my dignity too.”
“It’s not that bad, you are doing great sweetheart. She said she wouldn’t take you for granted.”
“Thank you, Mom. I’m going to tell you what my mother told me when she woke up after donating her kidney and a piece of her liver to you.” Jake had tears in his eyes and he wiped them away fast. “I was pissed off, believe me, I was beyond mad. Cause I wanted to stay upset, angry at her, but she had given me the perfect gift. Something that you needed, so that I could survive. I asked her why her, why not me. And I would never forget what she told me. She said that you already had my heart beating inside of you, and that was the reason I wasn’t your biological match for a kidney. My mother made a huge mistake, and we all forgave her as she became my hero by saving your life. But she was never a stupid woman. And her words that day was true. You do own my heart and I would give you my heart in a second, the real one, if it comes to that. So you better take care of it, woman. And I know it’s sad that I am saying it directly, but I hope I am the first to go, because then at least I know my children would still have a parent. Because if it’s you, I would pack my bags, and…” he made a whistling sound and moved his hands upwards to heaven.
“Our love is like The Notebook shit.” Everyone laughed. Oh fuck her read her letter.
“I meant what I said that night to you when you asked me to stay. I said that I know who I can live with, and who I can’t live without. Sweetheart, I’ve proven it three times that I’m a fucked up mess if you are not there. So I’m begging you, don’t ever leave me in any possible way there is, as I won’t make it. And that is the truth. I will love you for eternity.” Jake had tears in his eyes and Leo hugged Holly just as she was about to cry again.
“I take it back, love at first sight is the best,” Jane said.
Holly laughed through her tears and then Jake finally reached her.
“Go,” he scolded Le
o. “I’m sorry, he’s an idiot.” Jake went on his haunches in front of her and wrapped him arms around her.
She hugged him back.
“Great job there, mister,” Jane said.
“Thank you.”
She was the married woman.
It was going to take a while to sink in. There wasn’t a woman that would come and make him wonder about his life with her, as she was it. She was the one that would make him wonder and wish that he was with her. It was her.
“It’s okay. I just wish you’d told me that sooner.”
“Really,” he asked.
“Yes, you weren’t—”
“If it’s too much to ask,” Gus took the microphone again. “My two beautiful children. One that came from my loin, the other through his heart Can you please open the dance floor for us? We want to party.”
“Okay, fine. You asked so nicely,” Jake teased his dad and took Holly’s hand.
She was really not wanting to know what song was going to play as it was a surprise, although they practiced their dance on so many other songs. She had no idea if he was even capable of choosing the right song, but she had to trust him.
Then ‘Shake It Off’ from Taylor Swift and Jake wanted to dance.
“No, hell no. Please tell me it isn’t the wedding song you chose.”
“What is wrong with this song? I love this song.”
“Jake Peters,” Holly tried to suppress her laughter he jumped up and down on the music, but couldn’t. She just couldn’t stay mad at him.
“Just joking. Play the song,” Jake said.
“Thank you,” Holly said and grabbed a hold of his arm. He grabbed her waist and he pulled her even tighter as she put her hand in his and the other one on his shoulder.
“You are going to love it, it’s so us,” he whispered.
“I hope so, for your sake.”
The music intro started and Jake widened his eyes as he stared at her.
“What song is this?” She asked.
“Just listen, you’ll hear it soon. It’s an oldie, but a good one.”
“An oldie,” she frown as the intro which was only played on an acoustic guitar started and it didn’t sound like any song she knew. She loved the oldies.
And then a male artist sang the first words and she closed her eyes and smiled as they glided slowly over the dance floor. A couple of people awed, mostly coming from Robin and Amelia’s table.
Endless Love: The 4Ever series #3 Page 26