Keep It Safe

by Olivia Snow

  “Call me.”

  “Yes, I’ll call you.”

  “With anything, all right, Vanessa? Whatever happens, you call me.” He still didn’t think I was going to tell my mother.

  I nodded, kissing his lips. “I love you.”

  Diesel took my face in his hands and kissed me passionately, my toes curling. All I wanted was to stay with him, but I had to do this. I had to do this in person.

  “I love you too.” He broke our kiss, then hugged Ava and shook Maxwell’s hand. In the car, we drove silently, and the tension was heavy.

  “Who are you texting?” I asked Ava when I noticed she was playing with her phone.

  “Declan, he’s already there and wondering where we are.”

  Maxwell grunted, and Ava snapped her head in his direction and glared at him.

  I stayed quiet until we reached my parents’ condo. Before we could knock, Mother opened the door; her glare fell as soon as she saw Maxwell.

  “Girls, you’re late.” She tried to sound sweet, failing miserably.

  “My apologies, Mrs. Saint John, I was having a little problem with my tux,” Maxwell answered.

  Wow, was he charming.

  “You have me at a disadvantage,” she replied.

  “Maxwell, Maxwell Gallagher.” He shook Mother’s hand.

  “Professor,” Ava snapped. A flash of irritation passed through her eyes before she returned to her phony politeness. Wow. “Pleasure, Professor Gallagher, please do come in.”

  Maxwell nodded in thanks before he placed his hand on the small of Ava’s back, motioning her inside first and then me. Instantly, I saw Stellen and his parents talking to Daddy, Fin, and Fin’s wife Rachel, along with two old couples I didn’t know.

  Mallory, her father, and Talon’s parents stood in another small group. What in God’s name is going on? Declan was on the opposite side of the room trying his best not to stare at Stellen while Stellen did the same.

  Next to Declan was Darcy, the girl who had invited me to the house party, and Aunt Rose. Mother announced our arrival, and Stellen immediately walked in my direction, leaning in to kiss me. I pulled away. What the fuck is he doing?

  His eyes widened as he looked at me pleadingly. Sighing, I turned my face, letting him kiss my cheek.

  “You look beautiful, honey,” he said, loud enough that everyone could hear. Oh, dear God.

  “Thank you, you look handsome as ever.”

  “Come, everyone, dinner is served.” Mother gathered everyone, directing them to the dining room. Before we joined them, Stellen grabbed my elbow, holding me in place.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Get your fucking hands off me, Stellen.” I gritted my teeth. How dare he ask me what the hell I was doing? How could he possibly keep going with this facade and expect me to join him? Stellen dropped his hand from my arm like it was on fire.

  “Please, Vanessa, you have to understand if they find out I—”

  “Stellen, I get it, believe me. I get it, and I won’t reveal your secret but—”

  “Vanessa? Stellen? What’s keeping you two?” Mother appeared back into the living room. Stellen’s face changed into his usual mask and he smiled at my mother, gripping my waist.

  “My apologies, Cynthia, I missed Vanessa is all, and I wanted a little privacy with her.”

  Since when does he call my mother by her first name?

  Mother beamed, her face relaxing. “Of course. Well, come on, you two. The food is getting cold.”

  The dining room was unusually large for a condo this size, but Mother liked to entertain so any room that was used for entertainment, she wanted larger than normal. I wondered how long it took my father to complete her demands.

  The table was set and everyone had a plate full of food in front of them. It was a gourmet twist on surf and turf. The two last empty seats were in the middle facing each other. Ava sat to my right, and Darcy to my left. Maxwell sat next to Ava, across from him was Aunt Rose, and they were in deep conversation when they glanced up. Everyone’s face lit up except Ava’s, Maxwell’s, and Declan’s. Mother stood at the head of the table and Daddy sat across from her. With a glass of champagne in her hand, Mother lifted it for a toast, everyone followed.

  “A toast to the future Mr. and Mrs. Stellen Webb. May your marriage be as fruitful and long-standing as mine has been.”

  Her words didn’t sink in until I looked around and realized Declan was gripping the expensive linen napkin as if he was about to scream, and Ava was glaring at Mother. Maxwell was gripping Ava’s shoulder to calm her down. Aunt Rose looked mortified, but everyone else was cheering and toasting. Toasting my engagement?

  “Hear, hear!” Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked across at Stellen. His smile was pleading, but I couldn’t do this. No, I wasn’t going to do this.

  “Stellen?”

  “Vanessa, please.”

  I took another look at this life I was living and how unhappy I was here. Then I thought about how happy I’d been in Oklahoma. I’d been loyal to parents who weren’t interested in my happiness. They only cared about money and status. And I did the only thing I felt like doing. I cackled like I was losing my mind. Throwing my head back, I laughed with my hands on my stomach until my cheeks hurt.

  “Vanessa?” Mother spoke through her teeth.

  I stopped laughing, shook my head, and pointed at her, waggling my index finger in the air. “No, no, Mother, I’m not doing this anymore. I am not in love with Stellen, I love someone else, and I will not throw that away so you can have the social status you so desperately want and need to feel accomplished with your life. All my life, it’s been about what I can do to be the perfect little wife for the richest guy you sink your claws into, it’s never been about what would make me happy. You’re my mother, that’s what you should want for me. I’m not marrying Stellen.”

  “The hell you’re not! You think I don’t know about this Oklahoma white trash you ran off with? I know all about him, Vanessa.” Mother’s hair started to break free of her tight fancy bun; her eyes looked like they had been possessed and her face was dark red.

  “Yeah, Mother, and I know about all the things you did in Oklahoma.”

  This stunned her, and she looked at Aunt Rose. Aunt Rose lowered her eyes, not meeting my mother’s stare.

  I turned my attention to my father, who had always stayed quiet and never spoke up.

  “And you, you’re a disgusting excuse for a father. Your job is to protect me, not dangle me in front of a wealthy last name. The only thing that should matter to you is having your daughter fall in love with a man who respects her, loves her, protects her, and treats her like an equal.”

  “Vanessa, please,” Stellen begged again.

  “No, Stellen, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I’m sorry if I’ve embarrassed you, but it’s not fair for you to ask me to do this.”

  “Embarrassed him? What about your father and I, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!” Mother stomped her foot like a child. She actually stomped her foot.

  “Oh, and by the way I’m pregnant with my boyfriend’s baby who’s ten years older than me and is still married to his wife.” Ava cheered as she took a bite of the food in front of her. “This is good.” She pointed with her fork, looking directly at Stellen, then Mother’s mortified face. Maxwell chuckled, shaking his head as he kissed Ava’s temple. Declan got up from his seat, walked over to me, and grabbed my hand.

  “Let’s go, Vanny.” My eyes filled with tears as I gripped his hand and nodded. Who would have thought that my big brother would come to my rescue after all these years? We quickly made it out of the building with the fear that Mother and Daddy would come after us. Declan burst through the lobby doors and inhaled the late September air.

  “Woo! Man, that feels good, doesn’t it?”

  I did the same, feeling the adrenaline and eighteen years of weight being lifted off my shoulders. Damn, it felt good. I am free.

  “Vanessa?”
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  Declan and I both turned at the sound of my name. Stellen walked toward us with his hands in his pockets.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should never have asked you to keep this up. I should have thought about your feelings. I’m so sorry.”

  My heart ached because I understood the power and hold our parents could have over us. He wasn’t a bad person, he was just doing things out of fear, and I understood. I hugged him, and Stellen hugged me back, placing a kiss on my bare shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  Before we broke our embrace, he stilled.

  “Shit,” he mumbled.

  “What?” I turned around as Diesel stalked up, glaring at us, his hands balled up into fists.

  “Get you’re fucking hands off my girl!”

  “Diesel, no. It’s not what it looks like.” I stepped in front of him with my hands on his chest. His breaths were sharp and his heart was racing.

  “Really, Vanessa, it’s not? He had his hands all ove—.”

  “I’m gay, man,” Stellen interrupted.

  Diesel froze, then looked at me for conformation. I nodded.

  “Oh, oh.”

  I saw it all play out in his eyes, everything I’d told him. The gaps I’d left out were filled in by what Stellen had just said.

  “Well, that was an interesting dinner.” We all turned to see Ava and Maxwell near us. “The food was delicious, though.” She patted her stomach.

  “You’re knocked up?” Declan asked.

  Ava smiled, then looked up at Maxwell’s grinning face.

  Declan extended his hand. “I’m Declan, Professor Gallagher, I took your class freshman year.”

  “I remember, you made a glass model of the university.” Maxwell withdrew his hand. “It was spectacular. You truly have a talent.”

  “Yes, he does.” Stellen gripped my brother’s shoulders and pulled him to his chest.

  “Ew!” Ava and I both said.

  “Not like that, pervs,” He replied. Everyone chuckled.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Maxwell said.

  “Well, I’d invite y’all to my place, but it looks like I’ve been evicted,” Diesel said.

  We all gasped.

  “What?”

  “Yeah, your daddy owns the building, in the leasing contract it says he has a right to terminate the lease if he so chooses, without giving me a notice.”

  “Is that legal?” Ava asked Maxwell.

  He shook his head and said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you come to our house? It’s not far, I’ll have Ava text you all the address.”

  Our house?

  We all agreed. I drove with Diesel in his truck while Ava and Maxwell drove with Stellen and Declan in Stellen’s car.

  When we sat in Diesel’s truck outside of the Gallagher house, we could already see there was music playing, all the lights were on, and everyone was dancing. Turning to Diesel, I smiled and kissed his jaw.

  “How did you know where I was?”

  “Baby, I always know where you are. All I have to do is follow this,” he replied, patting his heart. I smiled and kissed him on the lips. “But this time, Ava texted me the address because I told her I had a bad feeling.”

  “I did need you, I think I’ll always need you.”

  “Good, ‘cause I ain’t going anywhere, baby.”

  I gripped his face, bringing him down for a slow passionate kiss.

  “Take me home,” I whispered.

  “To your apartment?”

  “No, home as in Oklahoma.”

  His smile spread and he tucked a loose curl behind my ear.

  “Is that where you want home to be?”

  I nodded.

  “All right, darlin’, I’ll take you home. But first I’m tearing this dress off of you like I promised.”

  Epilogue

  Vanessa

  Seven years later

  I stared. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror, smoothing out the satin crinkles on my wedding dress. It was finally happening after seven long years. I beamed, thinking about how meeting Diesel had changed my life.

  The night after my surprise engagement party with Stellen, Diesel and I drove to Oklahoma and stayed there for five years. I had transferred my credits over from DU and attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating with honors and a degree in Early Childhood Education. We stayed for another year until I was offered a job in Denver.

  Diesel had opened his own construction company with the help of an investor—Ava—so he was able to move wherever he wanted. He could see I missed Colorado, so without hesitation he packed up all our stuff and we headed back to Denver. We’d been engaged the moment we arrived in Oklahoma seven years ago. Everyone thought we were crazy for getting engaged so young and so early in our relationship, but we knew it was right.

  I told him I didn’t want to get married until I finished school and we were both financially stable. After leaving Colorado, I had severed all ties with my parents, and Mother never attempted to reach out to me. I didn’t care.

  My father did. Three years ago, he found me and begged me to forgive him. I did, but that didn’t mean we’d ever have the relationship we once had. He understood, and we exchanged emails once a week.

  When I told him Declan would be the one walking me down the aisle, he looked hurt but didn’t say anything, just smiled and said that was wonderful. Declan and Stellen broke up a year after the night I left, but stayed friends. Now Declan was married to a wonderful man named Kniles, and Stellen was still single.

  “You’re pregnant,” Ava said behind me, and I turned around with a shocked expression.

  “How did you know?” I hadn’t even told Diesel yet. I wanted to wait until we were in the Bahamas for our honeymoon.

  “Please, Van, I can see it in your eyes, the way you’re looking at your body. Congratulations, I’m so happy for you.” Ava rested her chin on my bare shoulder. She looked beautiful in the pale champagne dress she had chosen as my maid of honor. Yes, she was still a maid. She wouldn’t marry Max no matter how many times he’d asked all these years. As she placed her hands on my shoulder, I noticed a gold band on her left hand. I turned, gripping her hand.

  “What’s this?”

  “Oh, uh, nothing. We’ll talk about it when you get back from your honeymoon.” She tried to pull her hand back, but I gripped it tighter.

  “Ava?”

  “Okay, fine, we got married.” She rolled her eyes.

  “What! When?”

  “Yesterday. You know what the bastard did? He had Lily ask me to marry him. He said he had been waiting for her to be able to speak and understand enough so she could pull a guilt trip on me. Can you believe him?”

  “Yeah, well, he’s always played dirty when it comes to you.”

  “That he has.” She smiled knowingly.

  “Ew, Mom, that’s gross.” Aidan walked into the bridal suite with his little sister gripping his pinky finger.

  Aidan was thirteen, and it was already obvious he was going to be a heartbreaker; he was the sweetest boy I’d ever met, even with the challenging relationship he’d had with his birth mother, Gwen.

  There was the same age difference between Aidan and Ava as there was between Ava and Max, but it wasn’t obvious. Ava had always acted older than her age when it really counted. Soon after getting together with Max, she assumed the mother role Aidan so desperately needed. Everything was good in the Gallagher household except for the custody battle they went through five years ago with Gwen.

  “Serves you right for eavesdropping.” Ava kissed Aidan on the top of the head. Lily came over and gently touched my gown.

  “So pretty.”

  “Thank you, honey.” I took her little hand and kissed it. Lily was the spitting image of her mother, with jet-black hair and identical eyes.

  “It’s time.” Mallory walked in with my future mother-in-law.

  “Oh my.” She gasped, holding her trembling hand to her chest as her eyes filled with unsh
ed tears.

  “No crying, Grace, then we’ll all cry and ruin our make-up.” Mallory gripped her shoulder, and Grace nodded, letting out a heavy breath.

  “Yes, we’ll cry after the wedding.” She laughed. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

  I smiled as she placed a kiss on my cheek. “Okay, I’m ready, let’s get me hitched.

  Ava

  My mountain man stood third in line as one of Diesel’s best men. He was like good wine, he got better as he aged. I still got the fluttering in my stomach when he unleashed his dark smolder. I loved him so. Him, our son and daughter—my life was completely different than it had been eight years ago.

  Life was worth living, and I had to thank my family for helping me see that. Rose sat in the front pew with my children next to her; she was a proud grandma. Our relationship was better than ever since Lily’s birth. It was amazing how much you need your mother and understand her so much better when you have children of your own.

  Doc waved behind her from where he sat with his new wife, Wendy. I smiled warmly at him. He’d saved me in his own way and I could never repay him for it. He was still heavily involved in my life, so much so that the kids called him Grandpa Doc.

  I turned to the opening French doors as “Aerith’s Theme” played on the piano. I grunted. Forever the gamer. The song was from one of Van’s favorite video games, Final Fantasy Seven. I smiled at Diesel who was displaying a cheesy grin, which fell when he looked at his bride.

  She was beautiful. Declan was at her side as he walked her down the aisle, pushing aside pale pink and white rose pedals that were scattered on the floor. I took in my beautiful cousin as something caught my attention. In the middle of Vanessa’s bouquet was a bright blue flower surrounded with white roses. Instantly, I knew this was a tribute to Blue—Gabriel.

  Even after all these years, we still talked and thought about him frequently. Yes, we had moved on, and were married to the men of our dreams. But without meeting Gabriel, Vanessa and I agreed we wouldn’t have what we had today. And for that, Gabriel was our angel.