Unbroken

by Jasmine Carolina

  “You ready?” I ask.

  He nods, glancing around the hospital room. “I don’t want to see another hospital for a long, long time, Dove. Too many bad memories.” He presses a gentle kiss to my stomach and smiles. “The next memory I have in a hospital will be a good one.”

  I flush, touched by the sentiment.

  I understand what he means, though. My first time in a hospital was when Mom committed suicide. There was a moment—a short one—where the doctors thought they could save her. But she’d lost too much blood by then, and there was nothing they could do. And then Nickayla’s accident, and now Brody’s ordeal…yeah, I don’t want to see another hospital until it’s time for Jelly Bean to arrive.

  After his initial shock, all Brody can talk about is the baby and the wedding. Hell, I don’t blame him. That’s pretty much all I can think about. I’m just glad he’s taken to the idea of fatherhood, and he’s not thinking of running away or something.

  “Yeah, it will be.” I kiss his cheek and place his bag in his lap. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand, babe.”

  He laughs, and I roll him out of the room.

  There’s a small reception in the waiting area. Everyone who was here while I waited to see how he was doing is here, balloons, flowers, and cards in hand, and they’re cheering over the fact that he finally gets to go home.

  Damn, if I only had a camera with me so I can capture his reaction to all this. He’s grinning from ear to ear, not expecting something like this to be waiting for him.

  I push him to the elevator and wait for it to rise and meet us. While we wait, I hug all the nurses I’ve come to know while being here with him. I’m not going to lie, I’m going to miss them a bit. He had wonderful nurses tending to him during his stay. I’m incredibly grateful to them and all they did for him while he was here.

  When the doors to the elevator open, I lead us both inside, press the button for the first floor of the hospital, and I feel like I can finally breathe, knowing we’re walking out of her, both of us in one piece. We ride the entire way down in complete silence, and once we’re outside of the hospital, Colin and Nikkolas—Nickayla’s twin brother—help him into the Denali without straining himself.

  I close the door behind him, climbing into the driver’s seat. I turn the car on, then look at the front of the hospital.

  “Good riddance,” I say.

  “Ditto,” Brody agrees, turning away from the hospital as I drive off.

  THIRTY FOUR

  TOMORROW, I’LL BE A MARRIED MAN.

  It’s surreal, thinking how much has changed. A year ago, I was moping over Michele. Today, I’m thinking about how it will feel to be married to the woman of my dreams.

  With the wedding and the news of the baby, I made the decision to take Eddie up on his offer. By the time I’m up and back to my normal self—minus the bruises and aching ribs—Hastings will become Durham’s. I’ve hired Henry as my head mechanic, and Eddie is set to step away from the shop completely in December, as he originally planned.

  Things couldn’t be better.

  My future mother-in-law is standing before me, making sure that my tux fits exactly how it should, while we wait for Vanessa, the stylist Ana has hired, to come by and cut my hair.

  I haven’t left the apartment since I got home from the hospital, following the doctor’s and my fiancee’s orders to take it easy so as not to strain my ribs. I thought Sabrina would stay by my side the entire week, but instead, she’s been running around with Nic and her sisters, taking care of things for the wedding. I only see her at nighttime, and early in the mornings. I honestly hope this isn’t becoming a pattern, because I miss her like crazy.

  “Okay, you’re all done,” Ana says, smoothing her hands over my shoulders and taking a step back. “Now we just have to wait for Ness and you’ll be good.” She stares up at the hair on top of my head, and then takes in my growing goatee. “We have to do something about that facial hair.”

  I shake my head.

  The hair on my face isn’t going anywhere because my girl prefers me with scruff. “The facial hair stays. I’ll clean it up a bit, but that’s all.”

  She shakes her head in a disapproving manner and I laugh. I thought Sabrina was a force to be reckoned with. Her mother is much worse when she has her mind set on something. For instance, I wasn’t planning on having my hair cut. I was going to leave it long and just…sort of cowlick it back like that one actor she likes. But Ana was having none of that, and she had Vanessa on the phone in 0.5 seconds.

  “Fine. The hair stays. But Vanessa is going to be here any minute, so you need to decide what you’re doing with that mop. While you think on it, I need to ask you a few questions. Bree has requested that you pick your first dance song, since she picked the song that’ll play when she walks down the aisle. So, what’s the song?”

  It doesn’t take me long to come up with my answer. I know exactly what song she’d want to dance to for the first time as husband and wife. I smile at Ana as I examine my reflection in the mirror.

  “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right by Billy Currington,” I say, without hesitation.

  She nods, writing that down in a notebook and then looking back up at me. “How long will you two be on your honeymoon?”

  I raise an eyebrow. That’s not something I thought I’d have to share. Our honeymoon isn’t anything special. We’re going on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas, courtesy of Eddie and Alice. It’s their wedding gift to us, which I’m incredibly grateful for.

  I’m excited. After me almost dying and getting the news that we’re about to bring a new life into the world, I think a week away will do us more than good. We’ll get to be away from the hustle and bustle of Harlow life before everything about our lives changes forever.

  “We’ll be away for a week.”

  She nods, writing that down, too, and I get suspicious of what she needs to know all of this for. I don’t get the chance to ask her, though, because a knock sounds at the apartment door.

  Ana steps away from me, points, and gives me strict instructions to take my tux off without wrinkling it while she gets the door.

  I nod, doing as I’m told. I know by now not to argue with any of the Matteo women.

  Once I’m out of my tuxedo, I make my way back into the living room. Vanessa is standing in the middle of the room, a giant bag in her hands as she waits for me to emerge.

  “This is him? This is the guy who captured my Sabrina’s heart?” she asks, pointing at me. I nod slowly, unsure of how she’s going to react—and unsure of how to act around her when this is her greeting for me. “Come give Auntie Ness a hug!”

  I’m reluctant to approach this woman. She’s a little weird to say the least. I just stare at her, because as of right now, she has two heads sprouting from her body. It’s not until Ana grabs my hand and spurs me into action that I even take a step toward Vanessa.

  “Brody, this is my little sister Vanessa. She was happy to come up from L.A. to do hair and makeup for the wedding, free of charge. Now, why don’t you take a seat in her chair and let her know what you want done to your hair?” Ana urges, guiding me to a seat in the kitchen.

  I watch in awe while Vanessa pulls out shears and clippers, ready to go to town on my hair. I gulp, rethinking my decision momentarily.

  “Um, just a trim, I think? You can take a little off the sides—you know what? Do whatever you think is best. Whatever you think Sabrina will like.”

  Dramatically splaying her hand over her heart, Vanessa fake-swoons.

  “A man after my own heart! Don’t worry; I know exactly what Bree will love. You just wait and see. You’re in good hands, I promise.”

  I close my eyes as she drapes a cape looking thing over my shoulders. I sure hope I’m in good hands. I want tomorrow to be perfect for Sabrina.

  Thirty minutes later, after a wash and a blowdry, I’m staring at myself in the mirror, a bit in awe of Sabrina’s aunt. I don’t know what she did, but I’m very pleased w
ith it. I just hope Sabrina will be, too.

  I have a few spare moments before Ana leaves and it’s just me and Scout again, so I decide to check on Sabrina.

  I pull my cell phone out of my drawer and place a phone call to my future wife. I didn’t get to see her at all today, and after being run ragged by her mother and cousins all day, I just need to hear her voice. I pull the phone up to my ear and wait on her answer.

  “Well hello there, almost husband. How are you on this marvelous day?” she asks, sounding more chipper than usual.

  “Hello?” I ask, pulling the phone away from my ear. “Is this my almost wife? Because I haven’t seen her in days, and I’m starting to forget what she looks like.”

  Her laughter comes over the line, and I grin, relieved just to have heard her voice again.

  “I miss you. I can’t wait to see you. Are you coming home tonight?”

  “Nope. I have strict orders from Bianca and Ness to get as much beauty sleep as possible. I can’t do that if my man is trying to break his doctor’s instructions about no sex.”

  I groan. That’s the worst part about being injured. I’m supposed to take it easy for at least a week, no straining myself or lift anything heavy or have any sex. I’m pretty sure I’m going to die from the most extreme case of blue balls in the world if I have to continue living with Sabrina with no relief.

  I’ve tried to get her to overlook my doctor’s strict orders about sexual activity, but she just won’t budge. That’s the worst part about being in love with a girl whose independence and domineering attitude is a million times worse than mine.

  “This blows.”

  “I know. But just take it easy. We’ll be able to get back into our routine in no time.” Someone calls out to her in the background, and she replies, but I can’t hear what she said. She must have covered the mouthpiece. “I have to go, babe. I love you.”

  “I love you more.”

  “If you say so.”

  I grin, knowing how much she loves to say those words instead of me.

  “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. I’m gonna make an honest woman out of you, Miss Matteo.”

  She laughs. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

  She blows me a kiss, and I close my eyes once she hangs up the phone.

  I can’t wait to marry this girl.

  …

  TOMORROW, I’LL BE A MARRIED WOMAN.

  Brody and I are pretty much every cliche in the book. Two troubled souls finding solace in one another. Pregnant and married right out of high school.

  The only cliche we haven’t followed is that all of this was pretty much planned. We weren’t preventing a pregnancy. And he had planned on asking to marry me before either of us knew about the baby, before he almost lost his life. We truly, honest to goodness love each other. That is reflected in everything we do, in everything we’ve done since we’ve gotten together.

  I’ve been avoiding him like the plague in the days leading up to the wedding. It’s because of the fact that I’ve been planning a surprise for him. When it comes to Brody, I’m incapable of keeping secrets. The minute he asks me what’s going on, I’m going to spill all the beans, and I really want to wait until after we’re married for him to find out what I’ve been up to.

  I’m standing in the middle of my mother’s living room, with my sisters, along with Naomi and Nickayla by my side, trying on my dress for the last time before the wedding.

  Every time I put it on, the girls surrounding me gush and ooh and ahh like they’ve never seen a dress before. And honestly, it is gorgeous. But I haven’t seen what it looks like on me. Once I laid eyes on it, I knew it was The Dress. And when I got it sized, I didn’t bother looking in a mirror. Today, however, Nickayla has insisted that I do.

  So once it’s on, and I’m in my high heels for the occassion, my hair falling over my shoulders, she leads me to a floor-length mirror where I’m forced to see myself for the first time.

  It’s an off-white dress. Strapless, mermaid cut, with elegant ruching on the bodice, it’s the picture of perfection. At my waist is a yellow, belted accent, and lace flowers taper down to where my gown touches the floor. It hugs my body, every single dip and curve that I have, and I feel like a princess. It’s so simple, but it’s stunning. It’s exactly what I dreamed of my entire life.

  Immediately, my hands come up to my face and I start to cry.

  I can’t believe it. This is really my life. I’m really going to marry the man of my dreams tomorrow, in front of all the people I love. By this time tomorrow, I’ll wear his last name and his mother’s wedding ring as a badge of honor. I am the luckiest woman in the world.

  Most people don’t find the love of their life. Ever.

  But hardly anyone finds the love of their life during high school.

  I know nothing is permanent, and that most marriages end in divorce during the first year, but that’s not Brody and me. What we have is a once in a lifetime kind of love. It’s one that hasn’t failed us yet, even when we were with other people. Fate brought us together, made us one whole, once and for all. I believe that nothing in this world can tear us apart when we are destined to be together.

  Perhaps that makes me naive, but I am in love with him. And I always will be. That love will make me believe in our love until the end of time.

  “Oh, Sabrina,” Nickayla says, her hands on her cheeks as she takes in my appearance. “It’s perfect. You’re glowing, Bree!”

  At her words, I can’t help but blush. I’m not the kind of person who relishes attention or like people fussing over me. But the past few days with these ladies have been the best of my life.

  “Bee?” I ask, turning to face my little sister. “What do you think?”

  I always ask Bianca what I look like in something when I need an honest opinion. She would never lie to me, I know it for a fact. If I look terrible, she’ll tell me. If I look gorgeous, she’ll tell me. She doesn’t care about hurting my feelings because I know she wants me to look my best always. I know she’ll be even more eager to be honest with me when it comes to the dress I wear on my wedding day. This will be the dress I tell my children about, the one I will hopefully pass on to my daughter.

  My sister stands up, stares me down, and proceeds to circle me, finger tapping her chin pensively. She takes a deep breath before walking toward me and wrapping me in a hug. I hug her back something fierce, a bit afraid of letting her go. I’m scared the look on her face is going to tell me that she hates it.

  “You look stunning, Sabrina,” she says. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  I meet Dalis’s gaze, not at all surprised to find that she hasn’t said anything all day. She’s still somewhat in shock and trying to mentally deal with what happened with Brody and her father, so I don’t expect her to be one hundred percent back to normal. But she gives me a smile and nods in approval as well.

  “I love it. Brody will love it,” Dalis whispers.

  I nod, more tears springing to my eyes. I have no words. These girls have gone through Hell and high water to make this wedding perfect for me, and tomorrow, it’s finally happening. I extend my arms for a group hug. I appreciate every single one of them so much. Even though it’s going to be a small ceremony, I am surrounded by the kindest, most loving people in the entire world.

  “Thank you girls for everything. You have been…phenomenal.”

  They really have. At such short notice, they all found the perfect bridesmaids dresses for the occasion. They are simple, pretty, and age appropriate for all four of the girls I’ve chosen, ranging in age from seven to eighteen. I don’t know if I could have gotten through all this wedding planning mess without them. I would have lost my mind and begged Brody to elope, probably.

  The best person throughout all of this has been Nickayla. At two in the morning when I need to talk about flowers, she answers my phone call. When I expressed concern about having Henry in the wedding without Naomi, she soothed my nerves. She has been invaluable ever
y single step of the way. Tomorrow will be perfect because my friend has been by my side through it all.

  I can see why Brody cares about her so much. She’s a spectacular human being, and she’s an even better friend.

  I pull her to the side, into the dining room and away from all the other girls. I can’t help it. I’m extremely emotional these days, and I know she understands that better than anyone else. I wrap her in a hug as I cry, and she laughs while my emotions get the better of me.

  “I just want to thank you, Nickayla, for being here every step of the way. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I consider you a very dear friend, and I appreciate you more than you will ever know or understand,” I tell her through my tears.

  She giggles. “Go ahead, get it all out. Cry today, because if you ruin your makeup tomorrow, Ness and I will kill you.”

  I laugh, knowing good and damn well she’s right. My Aunt Ness my favorite aunt, but she is a hot ass mess when it comes to hair and makeup. It’s her forte, and it’s her passion. And she’ll kill anyone—even her favorite niece—for ruining her masterpiece.

  “You’re right.” I smile, pulling away from our embrace. “But seriously, thank you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Remember what I said, Bree. We take care of our own. And you’re one of us now.”

  THIRTY FIVE

  AUNT NESS TAKES ONE LAST spritz of hairspray to my hair before smoothing down my dress and smiling at me.

  Staring at myself in the mirror, and into the eyes of each of my bridesmaids, I know my aunt is spectacular. She has made up each one of us—except Grace, who she only adorned in blush and a dab of lip gloss—to look phenomenal. But me? I hardly recognize myself.

  My eyes, normally brown, look amber from the way she did my makeup. My skin is luminous. And my lips are coated in a stunning nude pink, completing my bridal look. My hair, full of wispy, romantic curls, is pulled away from my face by two waterfall braids connecting with one another, and pinned in place with intricate, platinum clips in my hair. My veil rests just below where the waterfall braids intersect.