by T. L Smith
“Where’s the wedding taking place?” I ask my mother as May climbs out.
“Our house, of course, my dear. Everything will be ready, you simply need to pick the dress.”
“What if it’s too soon,” I whisper to her.
“You love him, do you not?”
I nod, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I think what I’m doing is right.
“That’s all I prayed for. If this life is to be forced on you, I’m glad you’ve gotten to marry someone you love.” She opens her door and climbs out. I follow her, and we walk into the store.
A woman comes over with a tray full of champagne and offers us one then turns to me.
“Mr. Reid asked that you dress in all white for the big day. So, if you will follow me.”
I give her a puzzled look and turn up my lip and nose.
She turns back, smiling, not even noticing me staring at her. “And he said no budget. Most brides die to hear that. You must be extremely lucky.” She smiles placing the tray on a side table as she brings out a rack of dresses.
I turn to May. “What color do you want to wear?” I ask her, but my mother pipes up straight away with, “The wedding is themed light pink and rose gold, dear.”
“White then,” I say smiling to May, whose eyes twinkle.
“Oh no, you can’t both wear white.”
I turn to my mother. “Who said I’m wearing white?”
She shakes her head. “Dear, you have to. It’s tradition.”
I ignore that fact. I think I’m already doing enough for this tradition as it is.
“I’ll look at the black dresses, please.”
May laughs loudly, but my mother, on the other hand, does not. Actually, she turns so white I think she’s seen a ghost.
“No, you will not. You are not attending a funeral.”
“But aren’t I?”
My mother gasps at my words. “Everly Thorne,” she chides me.
I ignore her and walk over to the dresses, and check out the ones that aren’t white. I pull one from the rack as the saleswoman steps over. “You have excellent taste. This one on, is marvelous. Would you like to try it on?”
I nod enthusiastically while she pulls it off the hanger and into the dressing room. It’s easy to put on, and it feels like it was made just for me.
“Wow! This is yours. Wait till you see it.”
I look down at the white underlay that has see-through black tulle draped over it, both colors displayed beautifully. Then there’s a black lace top with a white underlay and a large cutout showcasing my back. It’s beautiful. It holds the old tradition princess-style bottom with a modern twist.
When I walk out, May’s eyes go wide. “That’s it, Ev. That’s it.”
When I look to my mother, she only nods her head once. “It’s beautiful.”
“I found my dress,” I say smiling. “And it was so easy and so quick. I absolutely love it.”
Now it all feels real.
In a few days, I will be walking down an aisle in this gorgeous dress, and the name I grew up with will no longer be mine. Soon I will become Mrs. Reid. I smile.
“You did,” my mother says.
I turn to the lady. “Is it the most expensive?”
“Not quite, but it’s pretty close.”
“Bill him for all three dresses.” I look at my mother. “Pick a dress, Mother.”
She does just that, and May finds the perfect white one, and my mother does the same.
“You should never wear white to a wedding, but then again I’ve never been to one where the bride wears black either,” my mother says, smiling.
18
My mother sends me cake samples the following day. Gunner just looks at them and doesn’t say a word. We’ve hardly spoken over the last couple of days. His way of speaking is touching me, it’s the only way he knows how to convey his feelings. He’s a master at it. I try to tell myself that I will say no to him, but I never do. He walks away from me and the cake samples and takes a seat at his table. It takes me a while to narrow it down to which one I like, and when I do, I call my mother to tell her. She screams in delight when I pick the red velvet cake with the cream cheese icing.
“That was the one I hoped you’d pick.” And then she’s gone.
I go through a few work emails until I finally get up and head to my new bedroom. All this—it still feels weird. I found a key on top of my phone the day before, but no words were attached to it.
Is it meant to be like this? I thought the moving in with your fiancé phase was meant to be exciting and fun. This shit’s anything but.
And I haven’t known what to say to him since my mother told me I used to play with him when I was younger. I don’t know what to make of it.
The doorbell rings, and there’s no sign of Gunner so I go and open it. When I do, I’m taken aback by who I see standing there.
“Alec,” I say shocked but manage to smile. He doesn’t. “What are you doing here?” He looks over my shoulder then back to me.
“You don’t have to do this, squirt. You absolutely don’t.”
I shake my head. “What are you talking about?”
He goes to lean in to whisper to me but pulls back and stands tall.
“Yes. What are you talking about, Alec?” Gunner asks stepping up behind me, his hand going to my waist holding me there firmly, possessively. I frown at his actions and go to brush him off, but his grip is impossible to move.
“How come you never told me?” Alec directs his question at me.
“It all happened so fast.”
“Your mother said you were seeing him. But it’s only been three months.” I nod, not denying it. “So, why, squirt?”
“I didn’t know how to tell you.” I didn’t. So, I thought it was best to leave that part to my parents. I turn so I can see Gunner, his cold eyes locked on Alec. “But, I do believe you two know each other. From when we were younger?” I say and both sets of eyes go to me.
Gunner speaks first. “You remember?”
“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?” I ask him.
“He’s good at that, telling half-truths,” Alec chimes in.
Gunner’s hard stare goes back to Alec.
“You can come with me, squirt. Just say the word.”
“Over my dead body,” Gunner says as he stands taller.
“That can be arranged,” Alec chimes back.
“How about tomorrow, Alec, you and I go and have some breakfast. We can talk then?”
Alec nods to me.
“No,” Gunner says.
“Tomorrow then?” I smile to Alec, ignoring Gunner, and go to hug Alec when I’m pulled straight back into a hard body.
“It’s best you leave before I make my fiancée very unhappy,” Gunner says to Alec.
I smile at Alec, but it’s forced, and he knows me well enough to know it isn’t genuine.
When he turns to walk away, Gunner steps back with me still in his grasp and shuts the door with a loud bang. When his hand slides from my waist, freeing me from his hold, I turn around to look at him. I wait, not speaking. He looks at me waiting for me to say something.
“You knew,” he finally says.
“I know,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Do you remember much?” he asks.
“I was five. All I remember is you and Alec playing with me. But I should have been told by you, not by someone else.”
“Who told you?”
“My mother.” He shakes his head. “So now’s your opportunity, is there any other secrets you want to fill me in on?”
“No,” he states, turning and walking away from me.
“I don’t know if this is the right thing to do,” I say the words I’m thinking because they simply spill from my mouth. Doubt has crept in, and I don’t think this doubt wants to go away.
Gunner stops in his tracks and speaks to me, his back still to me. “It probably isn’t, but it is happening.” Then he
continues to walk away.
I turn to face the door, realizing how easy it would be for me to take off right now. I bet Alec is still out front. Before I know it, I’m opening the front door and there Alec is standing at the bottom near his car, leaning on it waiting.
“Squirt,” he says, offering me his hand.
I look behind me, but Gunner isn’t there. I take one step out, followed by another, and soon my hand is in Alec’s. He smiles when he opens the door, ushers me in, then gets in the driver’s seat and we pull away. My heart’s beating so hard I’m afraid it’s going to burst from my chest.
What am I doing?
Yesterday I was picking a wedding dress.
A month ago, I realized I loved him.
Three months ago, I met a man who took all my expectations and ate them alive as they became his.
I love Gunner Reid. I do. But I’m afraid he will never love me the same way I love him.
To him, I’m simply a contract he must fulfill, one that was signed many years ago.
“Squirt,” Alec says breaking our silence.
I don’t have my phone on me, or anything else for that matter. I’ve left with nothing but the clothes I’m wearing.
“I didn’t bring my shoes.”
“Squirt.”
“Not even my phone,” I say staring out at the night sky. “No house. No home,” I mutter.
“Squirt, you can come to mine.”
I turn to him. “My father will kill you.”
He nods his head and keeps on driving.
“You have to get out of the car, squirt. It’s cold and you can’t sit in here all night. Come inside.”
I nod my head but still don’t move. I think I might be in shock. What have I done? I left the man I’m meant to marry—the man my family had chosen for me before I was even born. And the man, well, the man I love.
“I have to go back.”
Alec reaches for me, but I push him away and get out myself. The ground is cold beneath my bare feet.
“Come inside even if just for a few minutes. We can talk in there where it’s warmer and safe.”
I do as he says, almost robotically following him inside. I look up at the large house. It’s in the same gated community as my family home. It’s not as big, but it is just as beautiful. It’s been such a long time since I’ve been here, that when I walk in, I almost forget which way to go.
Alec directs me to the sitting area and places a soft plush blanket over me. He walks away then comes back and hands me a glass of wine. “Drink, you need it.”
Taking the glass from him, I do just that. My mind is running everywhere, and I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong at this moment.
Looking up to Alec, I say, “I remember you and him. Not much. But I do remember.”
He nods. “We were friends. All three of us were.”
“Why did he leave?”
“His parents died. That was the last contact we had of him. I didn’t even know he still lived here. Your father never shared any of that with me.”
“So, you didn’t know he was the arranged part of my marriage?”
Alec shakes his head. “No, I knew that your man was chosen by your grandfather many years ago, and your father was to abide by that contract.” He pauses. “He has old beliefs. Marriage is a strong bond within the family.”
I nod. I know all of this.
“He moved me in.”
“You are to be his wife. I would do the same.”
My head swings to him. “This isn’t fair. Why can’t I say when I get married like a normal person? It’s hard. This shit’s all too hard.”
He grabs the bottle of wine and fills me back up.
There’s a knock on the door, and his phone rings at the same time. He answers and places it on speaker.
My father starts speaking in Greek. “You did what? Tell me you did not.”
Alec looks over at me. “She’s safe.”
“She is safe with her soon-to-be husband, who should arrive at any minute. He asked for permission to kill you for touching her… I didn’t grant his request. But don’t think I won’t in the future, Alec. Stay out of this. It’s none of your business.” My father ends the call abruptly, and the knock on the door comes again.
I stand and Alec grabs hold of my arm.
“You can run, I will hide you.”
Taking a deep breath, I reach up and kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Alec. But I’ve been groomed for this my whole life. I knew the day would come and I’m luckier than some. At least I have feelings for the man I’m set to marry.”
Alec doesn’t say a word as I walk toward the door, and when my hand touches it Alec says, “If you want to run, twirl your hair, and I’ll get you out of all of this, Everly. It’s simple, just do as I say.”
Shit! Alec never calls me Everly. I don’t know why his tone is so serious, or feels so ominous, so I just nod, letting him know I understand what he’s said.
I open the door to deal with my devil. One who’s extremely angry and standing in front of me right now. His eyes roam me over to see if I’m fine before they go to the person not far behind me. I hear his breathing become heavier with each passing breath, and as he goes to step forward, I place my hand on his chest. “Take me home.”
His eyes fall to me, the storm within them not slowing as he reaches for my hand, grips it tight to the point of pain, and pulls me toward the waiting car. There’s no driver this time. Gunner never drives. He opens the passenger door, and after I climb in, he slams it shut and turns to where Alec’s standing watching us.
“You try that again, I will kill you. Permission or not!” Gunner’s voice sends shivers all over my body before he walks around and climbs into the driver’s seat. He presses the ignition and speeds off, kicking up stones, while I grip the car door, silently watching him. His hand clutches the steering wheel so hard his knuckles go white as he drives. His mouth stays in a tight thin line as he speeds around the corner, not speaking to me.
When we reach the front of his apartment, he slams on the brakes and throws open his door then slams it shut.
I sit there, not wanting to be around him right now.
It’s safer in the car. It’s safer in the car, I whisper to myself.
Closing my eyes, I try to calm myself when my door is swung open and Gunner’s back in my line of sight. His hand comes down and he offers it to me.
“I won’t bite, now,” he says as I place my hand in his. He guides me inside his house, well, I guess, now it’s our house. Though, I’m not sure if it will ever really feel like home.
“I don’t know if I want to marry you,” I say as we walk inside.
“That’s not up to you. You have no say in this. But just so you know. Right now, I don’t want to marry you either.” He drops my hand, almost throws it down, and walks away leaving me standing there by myself.
I hear the bedroom door slam shut, and I go to the couch and curl up in a ball.
I dream of a sober me, one that isn’t so drunk on Gunner Reid.
19
I wake to my body being lifted and warm hands being wrapped around my waist, as he pulls me to him. I feel safe, loved at this moment, while in his arms half-asleep. I can feel his bare chest against my arms as he places me on the bed. He hovers over me, pushing my hair from my face, then he speaks to me in a tender voice, one I’m not sure he’s used before with me.
“I’m sorry, Everly. But don’t do that again. You are mine. And what’s mine does not go with any other men. Do you understand?” It’s domineering, but the way he speaks it makes me nod my head in agreement. Soft lips touch mine, his hand cupping my face. “I will marry you this weekend, and you will be my wife.”
“Yes,” I say between kisses getting lost in all the things that are him.
“And you will never do that again. Am I right?” It sounds like a question, but I’m not sure if I should answer it, as his hand falls beneath my skirt and cups my sex. He applies pressu
re and leans close when I don’t answer. “Never again, right?”
I decide to answer him this time. “No. Never again.”
He licks my lips—it’s weird. He does it again then slides his tongue into my mouth, kissing me hard.
He isn’t forgiving right now. Right now, in his body language, I can feel his anger toward me, and how he’s restraining himself. My hands touch either side of his face as I lock my eyes on him, making him look at me.
“I love you, even when I shouldn’t. I love you.”
“I hope you remember that,” he says sitting back and removing his slacks before he comes back over me again. Gunner spreads my legs, my skirt now shifting up my thighs, then he pushes my panties to the side, and he drives into me.
“Tell me, Everly, will you always love me?”
One push, another, followed by another.
Words seem to evade me.
He stops.
“Yes.”
He smiles then continues leaning down and biting my lips. I let him. He likes to take control and I like him having it because the pleasure he gives me is always worth it.
He is worth it.
Well, at least I hope he is.
He strokes my face as he nears his release. He knows I’m close because my hands are clinging onto the bed and my moans are increasingly becoming louder.
“Remember this, Everly. Remember this.” He leans in close. My mind’s gone blank as the orgasm hits me hard, and I ride the wave while he stays inside of me pushing, driving, thrusting, hard. “Remember through everything that is to come, it’s my love.”
I grip his shoulders and hold onto him as I scream. He steals my breath through my kiss and finishes inside of me. Gunner makes me his, and I almost forget everything he’s just said.
Almost.
“I don’t think you should sleep at her house,” Gunner says the next day, pulling me into his lap as I walk out of our room and into the kitchen, only dressed in one of his shirts. May left a voice message that tomorrow night, the night before the wedding, I should sleep at hers, to get ready. He overheard it.