“We are gathered here today...” Reverend Burke began the ceremony and a single tear rolled down my face.
Chapter 12: Cody
“Come on, Cody. You have to go home.” Melinda nudged me back to consciousness and I saw that the main room of Carson’s was empty. “We closed thirty minutes ago. Mr. Carson is going to have them throw you out if you don’t leave on your own.”
“Are you coming with me?” I looked at her with blurry vision and staggered to my feet.
“We tried that already. You couldn’t even get it up.” She shook her head. “Come on, I called a cab for you.”
“I don’t need a cab. I can ride...” I took a step and had to grab the bar for support.
“You can drink yourself to death if that’s what you really want to do, but I’m not letting you kill someone else in the process.” She motioned towards one of the bouncers and he came over to assist her. “You’re too drunk to stand, much less ride.”
I was a shell of the man I used to be. Hope stayed with me for about a month after Johanna left, but when it really sank in that she wasn’t coming back, I gave up on life. I tried to pull myself back from the edge several times, but I just couldn’t find my way to the light. I tried to take other women to bed, willing to pretend they were Johanna when the lights went out, but it never worked. I couldn’t even fuck anymore. I spent my evenings at Carson’s just to let the memories play in my head while I drowned them in whiskey.
“GOD DAMN IT, CODY. You ruined the engine. What the fuck is wrong with you?” My father stared at the car I was working on.
“Fuck, sorry.” I walked out of my father’s garage and lit a cigarette before taking a seat on the curb.
My head was completely fucked up. The booze and sleepless nights were definitely to blame, but I didn’t want to do anything to fix it. I had managed to make it to work, even if I was late most of the time, but I had never truly screwed anything up until now. The darkness was swallowing me whole. I needed to get laid. I needed to find a way to get over Johanna. I could fuck my own life up if I wanted, but I couldn’t ruin my parents’ business in the process.
“The insurance will cover it.” My mother walked outside and sat down on the curb next to me. “I think you need to take some time off, though.”
“You need me here.” I exhaled a stream of smoke and immediately took another drag.
“We do, but not like this. You can come stay with us if you want, but you need to get sober before you come back to work.” She patted my arm. “You know I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom. Fine. I’ll go.” I stood and walked towards my motorcycle.
I couldn’t be angry at my parents. It was entirely my fault. I bought a bottle of liquor and went home. Carson’s wasn’t open yet, and while I wanted to spend my evening there, I didn’t want to wait that long to start drinking. I sat down on my couch and picked up my laptop, scrolling through various websites. After a couple of hours, I was already intoxicated and had practically filled the ashtray with cigarette butts. I had cut back to the point I only had a few every day when I was with Johanna, but I was smoking more now than I had ever smoked before. I simply didn’t care. I lit another as I tried to distract myself with whatever was on the screen.
Maybe I just need to start with porn. Surely that will get me hard.
I started surfing porn and for the first time since Johanna left, my cock really started to respond to stimulation. The images on the screen were filthy, but they were enough to get me going. I pulled my dick out of my pants and started stroking, moving between various videos to find a girl I liked. My stomach did a flip when I came across a video featuring a naughty schoolgirl wearing an outfit very similar to the one Johanna wore when she performed—both on the stage and in private for me.
“Yeah, suck that cock.” I started breathing heavier as I continued to masturbate.
It didn’t take me long to reach the point of no return. I had deprived myself so long that it was a quick release. I grabbed a napkin from the table, but it wasn’t enough to catch all of my load. I started to cum and once the napkin was covered, I just had to let it spew all over the couch. I didn’t even care. I picked up the bottle and drank as I stared at the video. My lust was satisfied, but watching the naughty schoolgirl reminded me too much of Johanna. It actually made me start to feel sad once I ejaculated.
I don’t have a picture of her. She took so many on her phone, yet I never asked her to send me one.
I loaded up another tab on my browser and typed her name into the search engine, along with the city she said she was from. There were a few mentions of her from ballet, but they were old articles from when she was much younger. I scrolled further and saw a wedding announcement. I clicked it aimlessly, remembering that she told me she ran away on her wedding day. I blinked a couple of times and rubbed my eyes. It wasn’t an old announcement. It was new. It had been posted the previous day.
“What the fuck? She’s marrying that loser she ran away from in the first place?” I remembered the name, Scott, and that was the name of the man she was marrying. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
I could understand if Johanna went home, back to her family, and the life she knew. I didn’t understand why she would ever marry Scott. I knew there was no love between them, just based on what she told me. They were together for three years and never even fucked. I couldn’t imagine a religious calling so strong that a man would ever be able to resist that long. I stopped scrolling on the article when I got to their picture. She didn’t look happy. She was wearing a smile, but it wasn’t real. Her eyes looked hollow and dead as if the emerald color had been completely drained out of them.
Something isn’t right...
I tossed my laptop on the table, lit another cigarette, and started playing through every conversation we had in my head. She had told me numerous times that she was happy she didn’t marry Scott. Those words were the absolute truth. It wasn’t the passion of the moment or an attempt to convince me she was over him. I didn’t even care in the beginning, I just wanted to fuck her. Something was incredibly wrong. My gut was sure of it. I ran to the kitchen, started a pot of coffee, and then headed to my bedroom.
If she’s going to marry him, she’s going to tell me to my face that it is what she wants.
I looked at the last text message she sent me before I shoved my phone in my pocket. I was a fool to accept that as the end of our relationship. I should have never let it end without her saying those words to me. They should have come from her lips, not from her fingers. She owed me that much. I packed a few things into a duffel bag and drank coffee until the buzz had at least settled. It would take me several days to reach Dahlonega, but I didn’t care. I would get there before the wedding. That was all that mattered.
THE ROAD WAS DIFFICULT at first with whiskey in my system, but I rode for nearly eight hours before I finally stopped. I slept in a bus station the first night, washed up in a bathroom, and then hit the road again after stopping for coffee. My legs were sore and I had never been on a motorcycle that long, but I pushed through the pain. The second day was harder, and I had to get a hotel room just to feel a bed on my back. The third was torture. When I got close enough that I could push on without sleep, I hit the accelerator and kept going.
Dahlonega, Georgia. Ten miles ahead.
It really was a small town. People on the sidewalk stopped and stared when I rode past them. The entire town was smaller than the distance between my apartment and my father’s shop in Reno. I brought my motorcycle to a stop when I got to a church. There were chairs set up outside, a tent covering several tables, and fresh flowers in a lattice archway. It appeared that I had found the location of Johanna’s wedding, although there was nobody around. If I hadn’t lost track of my days, the wedding was supposed to happen the next day.
I need a phone book.
I didn’t see any pay phones, so it appeared the town wasn’t as completely backwards as it appeared. I stopped at a ga
s station and was able to get one from the woman behind the counter. Luckily, there weren’t that many people with the last name Vance in Dahlonega. I would knock on every door in town if I had to. I rode my motorcycle to the first house on the list and parked in the driveway. I knocked on the door and heard noises inside. A few seconds later, an older lady with white hair was peeking out from behind a chain.
“Can I help you?” She held her weight against the door, even as she cracked it.
“I’m looking for Johanna Vance. Is this her house?” I tried to smile and appear as non-threatening as possible.
“No.” She started to close the door.
“Wait, do you know her? Are you related to her?” I put my hand on the door to stop it from closing completely.
“You better leave right now or I’m calling Sheriff James!” She yelled so loud that it startled me and soon as I pulled my hand away, the door slammed.
Well, that was weird.
I got a similar response at the next house, and nobody answered the door when I got to the third one, despite the fact there were cars in the driveway. I got back on my motorcycle and started riding towards the last address on my list. Something wasn’t sitting right with me about the town of Dahlonega. Johanna described it was backwards, but she never described it as downright hostile. That didn’t make sense, even for a stranger. I turned down the street towards the last house and then I heard a siren. I looked in my mirror and saw a police car following me with lights flashing.
What the hell, the speed limit is thirty-five and I’m not even going thirty.
“Is there a problem, officer?” I pulled off my helmet as the man walked up to me.
“Maybe. I’ve been getting reports that you’re terrorizing people. I need to see your license and registration.” He put his hands on his hips.
“Sheriff James...” I looked at the name on his badge. “I see.”
“License and registration, son.” He held out his hand.
“I’m just in town for a wedding.” I pulled my license and registration out of my wallet. “One of my friends is getting married tomorrow. You probably know her. Johanna Vance?”
“Cody Smith.” He stared at my license. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
The sheriff walked back to his patrol car without waiting for me to respond. It was all but confirmed in writing that something was off about the town of Dahlonega. I watched the sheriff in my rearview mirror as he communicated with someone over his radio. He finally exited his vehicle and walked back towards me. I saw his hand move behind his back and he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. My heart started beating in my ears and I felt my jaw tense up.
“Mr. Smith, I need you to step off the motorcycle. I’m going to place you under arrest.” He waved his finger at me as he spoke.
“For what?” I didn’t move but I turned my head so I could look at him.
“Disturbing the peace. I don’t know why you’re here, but no invitations were sent out for that wedding. I think it is in the best interest of everyone here if you stay locked up until it’s over.” He moved his hand to his gun.
“No. Fuck you.” I let the engine roar to life and spun gravel before he could remove his gun from the holster.
I got a good head start before he could get back to his patrol car. It was a small town, but I was able to weave through several streets and get out of sight before he could find me. I was going to have to lay low and stay hidden. It was the only way I would make it to the wedding. If Johanna rejected me, then I was definitely going to prison. I might even end up there regardless after fleeing from the sheriff. I was going to have to put everything on the line for the one thing I believed in—love.
Chapter 13: Johanna
Reverend Brent’s words were like fire in my ears. I felt sick to my stomach and I thought I was going to throw up before we even got to the vows. I had accepted my future with Scott, but there was nothing that could make me like it. I closed my eyes and just waited for it to be over. I would have to say the vows, but there would be no truth behind them. Suddenly, Reverend Brent stopped talking. There was a loud roar and I heard noise from the crowd. I opened my eyes in confusion.
“What is this?” Reverend Brent took a step forward.
“Oh my god! Cody!” I practically screamed when I saw him.
It was like something out of a dream. He rode his motorcycle into the church courtyard with the engine roaring at full speed. People started standing and then they scattered when he didn’t slow down. He came barreling towards us and finally hit the brakes in front of me, causing the back tire to whip around. It sent chunks of grass and dirt flying at Revered Brent, who immediately stepped to the side to avoid being covered.
“I’m sorry, Reverend Brent. I’ll get him out of here.” Sheriff James ran past us and grabbed Cody by the arm. “You’re going to jail, young man.”
“Yeah, but not yet.” Cody grabbed Sheriff Brent by the back of the head and with one swift motion, he introduced the aging sheriff’s face to his knee.
Sheriff Brent collapsed on the spot and appeared to be unconscious. Scott stood with his eyes wide, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His groomsmen seemed frozen in place like deer caught in the headlights. My father jumped in front of me and pushed Cody away. Cody shook his head and the next thing I knew, my father was on ground as well, courtesy of Cody’s right fist.
“Anyone else?” Cody looked around and then at Scott. “How about you?”
“No.” Scott shook his head quickly.
“You?” Cody roared at Reverend Brent, who immediately cowered.
“This is my son’s wedding day!” Reverend Brent held his hand out as if he was afraid of being struck, even as he spoke. “You’re interfering with God’s plan!”
“Johanna, you’re not getting married until you tell me to my face that it’s over.” Cody turned towards me. “I deserve that much. You left without even saying goodbye.”
“Cody...” I ripped off my veil and started crying as I ran over to hug him. “I didn’t leave you by choice. They took me.”
“They what?” Cody pulled back from my hug.
“Look.” I yanked up the edge of my dress and showed him the ankle bracelet. “I’ve been held prisoner here for months!”
“This was all done in accordance with God’s plan.” Reverend Brent lowered his hands.
“I’ve had about enough of God’s fucking plan.” I turned towards Reverent Brent and punched him in the nose as hard as I could.
“Oh shit.” Cody laughed and watched as the older man staggered backwards.
“Dad!” Scott ran to his father and caught him before he hit the ground.
“You’re all a bunch of cowards!” I turned towards the crowd and locked eyes on my mother who was tending to my father. “You’re the worst one.”
“Honey, we were just trying to protect you.” Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she spoke.
“Every single one of you live in fear of this man.” I pointed towards Reverend Brent. “You believe he has a direct line to God? Well, where is God now?”
There was a murmur throughout the crowd. My mother started bawling as she finally got my father back on his feet. Sheriff James was still laid out on the ground and hadn’t moved. I was angry with so much fury coursing through my veins that I was trembling. Cody put his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace. I missed his touch so much. My anger gave way to tears and I started to cry.
“Johanna is coming with me.” He looked around as he spoke. “If any of you try to stop me, I will make sure you spend the night in the hospital. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with this town, but you all need Jesus, because this shit ain’t God’s plan.”
I walked with Cody to his motorcycle and climbed on the back behind him. The bottom of my wedding dress got caught and I just ripped it off in chunks. I looked at my parents, Scott, and Reverend Brent. I was perfectly happy if I never saw any of them again. The strangest thi
ng was that when I looked at Scott, he was actually smiling and nodding his head. Cody started his motorcycle and then we were gone. The town of Dahlonega was a memory. I was leaving Scott at the altar for the second time, but unlike the first time, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted the man that had come to get me—the only one that had ever showed true passion for what he believed in.
Epilogue: Johanna
“Get this fucking thing off me.” I held up my ankle and Cody pulled a knife out of his pocket. “I don’t think they’ll try to find us, but I’m not giving them a chance.”
We stopped at the first rest area we came to. Cody kissed me for what felt like an eternity and the fireworks I had missed went off in my head. I couldn’t wait to be back in Reno, but we were going to have to make plenty of stops, because I had months of pent of energy to unleash on him when we found a bed. Cody quickly removed the ankle bracelet and threw it as far as he could.
“There. It’s gone.” He hugged me again. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too—although I’m a little disappointed that it took you three months to come find me.” He leaned back from his hug and narrowed my eyes.
“You made it pretty clear that it was over. I mean, it was the same thing you did to Scott before. I proposed marriage and you bolted.” He pulled me back into his embrace. “I’m sorry, Johanna. I wish I would have left the instant I got the first text message.”
“It was awful.” I closed my eyes and started to cry again.
We finally got to a hotel several hours away and stopped. I filled Cody in on the entire ordeal, from being kidnapped on my way to work, to the way my parents treated me. He seemed to get angrier as he heard more of the story. I got angrier as I told it. Everyone I trusted had betrayed me. They got so sucked into the awfulness spewed by Reverend Brent that they became slaves to his words, even though it was nothing more than a ruse to hide his son’s homosexuality.
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