“Oh, my dear boy it is. When you have a love like the two of you it’s always an option. Hollis will be back because she won’t be able to stay away forever. Now, when she gets back you’re probably going to be mad as hell and a jerk to her and fight against every loving instinct you have to pull her into your arms because you’re stubborn just like your father but just try to remember that she was young and did what she thought she had to. And on your wedding day remember that I’m with you. I’m cheering you on and above everything else I’m happy for you,” she took a deep breath shuttering breath before continuing. “Promise me one thing, Bowie.” I raise my eyebrows in question. “Promise me you’ll let it go, all of it. Let all the anger go and find your happiness until she makes her way back to you.”
I’m so lost in the memory that I don’t hear Hollis enter the cemetery or her approach on me. I don’t even realize I’m crying. I can count the number of times I’ve cried on one hand and the only person who has ever seen me cry is Hollis. Silently, she takes a seat beside me on the damp grass not caring if she gets dirty on her wedding day. She slips an arm around my shoulders and squeezes as her head comes to rest on my shoulder.
****
Hollis
After a while Bowie gets himself collected, and he stands up, extending his hand out to me to help me from the ground. Normally, I’d just laugh but I just simply take his hand at this moment for two reasons. One, we’ve sat on this grass for so long that my legs are numb and two, Bowie sees crying as a sign of weakness. In his mind, if he’s weak then he can’t take care of me and by helping me up he’s showing that he still can as if I’d ever doubt that. As we walk back toward our vehicles, it’s quiet between the two of us but not uncomfortable. Once we reach them he stops, pulling me around to face him he brings his mouth down on mine in a heated and demanding kiss. When he pulls away, I’m left a little breathless and light headed. He smirks at me, “Now, let’s get our bags and get to Vegas because I’m going to marry you today.” He reaches around and opens my driver’s side door and helps me in the truck.
I follow Bowie back to my apartment but to my surprise when we pull into the parking lot I notice all of his brother’s cars. I park in my designated spot then head over to Bowie. As I approach Jagger gives me a hug and a whispered congratulation. When he pulls back his amber eyes are beaming with joy, “I’m so happy for you guys. I hope that you two will be as happy as Londynn and I are.” Londynn steps forward and gives me a brief hug. The hugs continue with the exception of Axell who’s standing by his car staring off at the opposite direction. I’m sure that if any of Bowie’s brothers are unhappy with the news of our impending marriage, it’s him. Bowie and Axell have always shared a close bond, I’m not sure what connected them differently but something certainly did. If anyone of them had to witness the heartache I put Bowie through, I’m sure it was Axell. I don’t doubt for a minute that he doesn’t fully support today’s events and I don’t blame him but hopefully, he’ll give me the chance to prove him wrong.
I head back toward the apartment to grab my bags. I’m in the bedroom when I hear the front door open. Spinning around, I see Ace coming toward me. “Whoa, someone’s jumpy,” he says with a chuckle. “I just thought you could use some help,” I nod while trying to get my slamming heart back to a regular rhythm. Ace reaches out and grabs my upper arm, “Seriously are you okay? You’re white as a ghost.”
I try to give him a smile but I know it’s wavering, “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting you and I’ve had one of those days where I feel like someone is watching me.”
Ace laughs, “You mean besides my brother?” I just laugh in response but it’s not a real laugh. “He watches you like a hawk so I’m not surprised you have that feeling.” Ace takes my bags and heads for the front door but before he leaves, he turns back around to face me. “I know you two have a lot of history and I know that you know not all of us fully trust you and I’m not saying anyone is wrong by not trusting you but… I do. I think that Bowie needs you in his life. I think you have been the missing piece he has been racing after all these years. You two both deserve all the happiness in the world and I hope you get it. Plus, I like seeing that light in Bowie’s eyes, it reminds me of our mom.”
Tears burn my eyes, emotion clogs my throat but I manage to step forward and hug Ace. He’s stiff at first because I’ve come to the realization that the only person Ace is emotionally connected with is Kynlee but I couldn’t resist hugging him right now. At this moment I don’t see the grown boy full of tattoos and piercings that is guarded against the world. No, at this moment I see a nine-year-old boy who still believed in magic, happiness, and love, “Thank you Ace. I don’t deserve your trust because I’ve done nothing to earn it but I will prove you right. I’d do anything for Bowie. I’ll always protect and love him.”
I release Ace and he high tails it down the stairs and back out to the cars. I lock up my apartment and take a deep breath before going back to face my almost family. Bowie is standing with the passenger side door open and waiting. He beams at me as I approach, “You ready baby?” I walk past the door and straight to him, wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him as if he is the air I breathe. When I pull back I wink at him, “As ready as I’ll ever be,” then I turn around and slide into the seat.
Chapter 18
Hollis
We’ve been on the road for a bit, stuffing our faces with beef jerky and Cheetos, drinking way too much soda and jamming out to the 80s rock music that the James brothers love so much. The butterflies in my stomach settle until I glance at Bowie from the corner of my eye. Every time I glance at him the butterflies come back with a vengeance because it reminds me of where we are headed and what for. In a few short hours, I’ll be Mrs. Bowie James and its’ hard to wrap my head around. However, the easy grin and peaceful look in Bowie’s eyes is enough to hush all my nerves and questions. That looks says it all, this is the right decision.
We pull up to The Cosmopolitan and I gasp because I know there’s no way we are staying here. I look over at Bowie and he just smiles, “Jagger lived here for about five years after Harlyn and Harper passed away. A buddy of his works here and got us all a really good deal.”
As we enter our room, the honeymoon suite, I can’t believe how beautiful it is. The view is the floor to ceiling windows that overlook the city of Vegas. This sight is going to be gorgeous tonight. Bowie comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist before placing a kiss on my cheek, “Okay, you and the girls are going to go find something to wear. My brothers and I are heading out to do the same. Sadie already knows when and where to be later.”
“You’re not going to tell me?” I ask him.
He chuckles, “Nope. It’s a surprise.”
I sigh heavily, I’ve never been a fan of surprises but I do love Bowie and trust him to make these decisions. “Okay, I trust you,” I tell him, tip-toeing to kiss him, “I love you.”
He winks as the knocking on the door begins. Bowie untangles himself from me and opens the door. Kynlee comes bustling in, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room. Bowie laughs, “See you at the altar!”
*****
After an hour of looking, I found the dress, I deemed my wedding dress. It was a simple white maxi dress that tied behind the neck with a slit that hit mid-thigh on the right side and a high waist. Kynlee had insisted on a little bling and found a tiny rhinestone belt and matching headband. Once we got back to the hotel, we head to Londynn’s room where we get ready. All the girls bought a new dress and they look amazing.
I’m standing in front of the bathroom mirror when Sadie comes in. She smiles, “I thought you might want some help with hair or makeup.”
“I’d love some. I can’t reach the back of my hair to curl it.”
She motions for me to sit, “You know I always hoped this day would happen, but I had my doubts.”
“You and me both,” I tell her with a laugh.
&nbs
p; Sadie has just finished up when Londynn and Kynlee appear. Londynn smiles, “I packed these thinking that you might need them. They can be your something borrowed.” She extends her hand with a beautiful pair of diamond earrings. There are three diamond-shaped diamonds going from small to large. They are perfect.
I take them slowly as if I might break them. They look real and expensive. I know where Londynn came from before leaving that part of her life behind to start a new life with Jagger so I’m pretty sure they probably are. “Are you sure?” she just smiles and nods.
Sadie clears her throat, “Okay we need to get going.”
“Let me just grab my shoes.”
“Wait!” Kynlee calls out as she rushes out of the room leaving us confused. We all look at each other trying to figure out where Kynlee went. She returns with a beautiful pair of heels that are nude with more bling than I thought possible, “Here use these!”
I look at them. They are beautiful but I might break my neck in them, “Kynlee, I love them but they’re a bit much don’t you think? I’m not even sure I could walk in them.”
“Okay, so yes they are a bit of a hooker heel but they are perfect and you’ll walk just fine. Sit down and let me put them on so we can get going.”
****
Slowly, I make my way down the hall toward the room where we will get married. My butterflies have turned into a hurricane of nerves. I’m leaning against the wall with my eyes closed taking deep breaths to calm myself when I hear someone clear their throat. Opening my eyes, I see Ace standing a few feet away.
He seems nervous, “You look beautiful, Hollis. My brother is one lucky guy.”
“If you ask me I’m the lucky one. This is my dream come true,” I reply.
Ace smiles, “I wasn’t sure if I was going to give this to you or if I should but Kynlee thinks I should.” He holds out a thin silver chain with a blush colored rock at the end of it. I look at it curiously. “I don’t know if you remember or not but Alex and I used to collect all the odd rocks we found. The last time I saw him he found this one and asked me to keep it. He said he wanted to make it into a necklace for you.” Tears burn my eyes and Ace seems overcome with emotion as well, “When you came back I dug it out and made it into this. It’s been my goal to give it to you for a while but I’m not good at this stuff and I didn’t know how to bring him up. Kynlee and I thought you might like to have a piece of him with you today.”
I nod while trying to keep my tears at bay. I turn around and lift my hair while Ace fastens the necklace into place. “You know he was my only friend aside from my brothers back then.”
“Who? Alex?” I ask as I turn back around to face him.
He nods, “Yeah I was quiet, shy and smart back then so making friends was difficult for me but then you two started to come to family dinners and finally I had a friend that wasn’t a brother of mine.”
“I never knew that,” I tell him feeling my heart swell at such a sweet memory of Alex. A new memory. This moment is something new that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
“Hollis, I don’t know what your plan for today was, but I just wanted to let you know that if you wanted someone to walk you down the aisle, I’d be honored to.”
I can’t stop the few stray tears that manage to fall down. Ace is quick with a tissue from his pocket to stop the tears from completely ruining all the hard work the girls put into this makeup. I finally nod my head and Ace gives me that shy smile. He grabs my bouquet of daisies and hands them to me. I link my arm through his and we make our way to the doors. When they open a slight gasp escapes my mouth because seeing Bowie standing at the end of the aisle in black dress slacks and a baby blue dress shirt is a sight I never want to forget. I burn the image of him into my mind. I notice he has his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing a few of his tattoos. The shade of his shirt making his eyes pop even more. His eyes haven’t left mine since the doors opened. The tears in his eyes bring mine back but neither of us blinks for fear of breaking the connection.
Bowie James has always been and will always be my safe haven. Bowie will always be my future.
****
Bowie
All day the anticipation for this moment has been gnawing at the pit of my stomach. I feel like everything I have done in life, all the decisions whether they were good or bad have led me to this moment. This moment with Hollis. Hollis, the girl I had loved and lost, the girl I thought I had lost forever is fixing to come through those doors and at the end of all this, she will be my wife. The only girl I had ever considered such a thing with.
Jovi always says dreams can come true but I always toss it up to him being young. For years I had looked at my brothers, Jagger and Ace and I saw the damage in them. Jagger losing Harlyn and Harper had torn him to shreds. The accident only left fragments of his soul behind but then he met Londynn and piece by piece she put him back together, healed him in ways I didn’t even think were possible. Ace, was another story, after losing our mom he became the ladies’ man that didn’t give a damn. He swore off love, hopped from bed to bed chasing a release he’d never get from meaningless girls. Then one-day Kynlee showed up, and she somehow made it past those walls of steel he had created and showed him what love really was. He had learned to accept the unknown of it all and dive in head first with Kynlee. Axell had always been lucky finding and keeping Sadie for so long. Now, there was me, standing here about to marry the only girl I ever wanted to, the only girl I had ever loved. So maybe, Jovi was right maybe, dreams do come true because this was my dream come true.
Hollis looks like perfection. I couldn’t even dream up a better girl than her. My heart is slamming around in my chest. My palms are sweaty but it’s because I love her so much, it’s overwhelming. When Ace and Hollis come to a stop at the end of the aisle I reach for her hand. I lean down and whisper, “You are perfection,” in her ear and watch as the blush feels her cheeks. The guy officiating our ceremony asks if we want to say our own vows. I look at Hollis, “I kind of just threw this on her so I guess just go with the traditional.”
She laughs and squeezes my hands, “I don’t need an advance notice to talk about how much I love you,” I smile at her.
“Okay then,” I tell her then proceed with my vows, “Hollis, my mom predicted this at a time when I was sure it would never happen. For years I have I wondered about you, then you showed up out of thin air. You put my world back on track. You’re an ocean of mystery to me but you’re the only ocean I want to swim in for the rest of my life. I’ll always protect you from this world. I loved you at our first kiss. I loved you when you were gone and I love you now.”
I reach up and run my thumbs under Hollis’ eyes to keep the tears from ruining her makeup, “Bowie, you were the first person to really see me and you altered my entire life. You became my safe haven when my world was too messy to live in. For years, I went from place to place, searching for the one thing I already had, you. I was searching for you without even realizing it. When I saw you again, I knew you were what I was looking for. I’m your ocean but you’re my wildfire Bowie James and together it works. I’ll always love you.”
Our vows were short, but they were true. We knew it, our family knew it and that’s all that mattered. When I was finally allowed to kiss the bride, I savored every minute of it because this was my dream come true. Hollis was my perfection, and I was never going to let her go.
Chapter 19
Two Months Later
Hollis
It’s been almost two months of wedded bliss for me and Bowie. Once we got back from Vegas, Bowie moved into my apartment temporarily. We soon found a condo that needed some attention but it was in a better part of the town, closer to our jobs as well as family. Elliott loved having a backyard. Things had changed but everything had been a smooth transition with the exception of one thing, Vixx.
Vixx was just one of those girls that you couldn’t like no matter how hard you tried. It didn’t help th
at she reminded me of a girl that used to come and see my parents. Vixx having a thing for my husband was also another reason I could barely tolerate her. I hated the idea of Bowie having to work with her but Bowie assured me that it was strictly professional now. Bowie had given me no reason not to trust him plus, it’s not like I didn’t have a past myself.
Tonight they were holding a big beach concert and the radio station that Bowie worked for was covering it live. Bowie and Vixx would be the hosts on stage and on the live broadcast. Bowie had made sure to get all of us tickets. Our group was rather large but I had to admit I really enjoyed this. After spending years completely isolated from everyone it was nice to be surrounded by I loved again. Axell had finally accepted our marriage and me after realizing I wasn’t leaving again. Everything had fallen into a place so easily that it actually made me nervous. I only let myself semi-enjoy everything around me because a part of me was constantly waiting for something to blow up in my face or for me to wake up from this extra-long dream. I had learned years ago that nothing good lasts forever and if things seem too good to be true, they probably are.
I was sitting with Kynlee and Kenndrix when Vixx passed by our seats with a few of her friends in tow. “I know I can’t believe it. She’s such white trash. I mean she’s not even pretty. You’d think a James boy would know better,” she says, tossing her long purple hair over her shoulder and giving me a snide look to go along with her comments.
Kynlee scoffs from her spot next to me, “Who the hell does she thinks she’s calling white trash? I mean who the hell names there kid Vixx anyway? Every time I hear her dumb name I think about being sick. She’s literally named after medicine.” I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Vixx fuming over Kynlee’s remarks. Kenndrix was also biting her own laugh back, but that didn’t stop Kynlee, “I mean if her parents were going to name her after medicine at least pick something better than vapor rub.”
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