by T. K. Leigh
“I’m so sorry!” a woman exclaimed, untangling the leash from my legs. She was probably in her mid-thirties, about five-nine with dark hair and eyes. “This dog still thinks he’s a puppy, even though he’s nearly ten-years-old.”
“He’s old,” a small voice said, peering out from behind the slender woman. My eyes fell on a toddler with dark hair and brilliant green eyes. She grinned at me before her expression turned from happiness to complete enthusiasm.
“Uncle Tyler!” she squealed, bolting past me and toward Tyler as he caught up to me.
Free of the dog’s leash, I raised myself from the ground, completely confused. I stared at Tyler walking toward me, carrying the little girl, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
“Look, Mom! Look who’s here! I found him!”
The woman standing next to me looked just as shocked as I did. “Tyler? I didn’t think you’d be here. Alex said you weren’t coming home this weekend. That you couldn’t because of−”
“He was wrong,” he interjected quickly, cutting her off. “I haven’t been back since Christmas and I missed this little one.” He gave the girl a kiss on her cheek before placing her back on the ground. Reaching me, he slinked his arm around my waist and the woman’s eyes turned questioning.
“And who’s this?” she asked.
“Olivia, this is Mackenzie Delano. Mackenzie, this is Olivia Burnham, my sister-in-law.”
She held her hand out to me, eyeing me skeptically, making me feel self-conscious. “Nice to meet you, Mackenzie.”
“Likewise,” I said, shaking her hand.
The little girl tugged on Tyler’s jeans and I couldn’t help but laugh at the innocent expression on her face. “Can I meet her, too?” she asked.
“Of course, munchkin.” He picked her up with ease, as if she weighed nothing, and said, “Mackenzie, meet my niece.” He took a deep breath, swallowing hard. “Melanie.”
“Hi!” she said enthusiastically, holding her arms out to me. I reached for her and held her, remaining completely shell-shocked. “Our names sound alike, don’t they?” she continued, oblivious to the chill that set between everyone. “Mama said she named me after an angel. Were you named after an angel, too?”
I glanced at Tyler, noticing him look down at his bicep, and I swallowed hard. “Actually, yes. Mackenzie was my father’s middle name.”
“Do you like dogs? Do you want to meet Runner?” She wiggled in my grasp and I lowered her to the ground, marveling at the attention span of an almost six-year-old.
“Sure,” I said, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Melanie, sweetie,” Olivia said. “Why don’t we let Uncle Tyler and Mackenzie have some privacy?” She nodded to me, almost sensing my surprise. “Maybe we’ll go over to his house sometime this weekend with Daddy, okay?” She held out her hand for the little girl and she obediently took it.
“Okay, Mama.”
“It was nice to meet you, Mackenzie,” Olivia said, smiling at me. “I presume we’ll be seeing you at the dedication tomorrow?” She raised her eyebrows at me and I gave her a small nod, no longer feeling too sure about anything.
“Wonderful. I’ll see you both soon.” She continued down the harbor walk, the dog’s leash in one hand and her daughter’s hand in the other.
“I’m sorry about that,” Tyler offered, running his hand through his hair. “I should have known it was a possibility we’d run into them. They live in a penthouse just up the block from here. I’m glad you met them, but I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Melanie.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” I said. “But something makes me believe it bothers you.”
He avoided my eyes, shrugging, not responding.
“Truth or dare,” I said.
“Truth,” he replied, meeting my eyes. “And yes. Every time I see her, I see her, even though she looks nothing like my Melanie. And I hate it. I hate that every day for the rest of my life, I will be faced with that reminder. They did it to honor her memory, but it’s still hard for me. I know I shouldn’t feel this way, especially because I have you−”
“Tyler,” I soothed, placing my hand on his arm. “Even with me, you still lost someone who was special to you. You lost a piece of yourself, a piece you can’t expect to get back. And maybe it’s that missing piece that makes me love you even more.”
Shaking his head, he enveloped me in his arms, resting his chin on my head. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you. But whatever it was, I’m forever grateful.”
Mackenzie
“WOW,” I WHISPERED, EXAMINING myself in the full-length mirror. I could barely recognize the person staring back. I didn’t look like me. More so, I didn’t feel like me, and maybe that was a good thing. I felt like a new person, and it wasn’t just because of the designer dress and ridiculously expensive shoes Tyler had picked out for me to wear this evening. It was something so much more, something so much bigger than I could even begin to describe.
Stepping back, I admired the sleek, black lace mermaid-cut gown. It was fitted through the hip, flaring out mid-thigh, accentuating my bust and hips. I almost choked when I opened the garment bag and saw the price tag attached to it. I could easily return it and be able to pay my mortgage for the next several years. It didn’t seem to bother Tyler, though. He appeared to be completely unconcerned with the price. I was still having trouble wrapping my head around his wealth. I wondered if I ever would.
Sliding on a pair of black Jimmy Choo’s, I took one last look in the mirror. I had my hair styled and curled. It was pinned to my head in a carefree manner, a few curls framing my face, leaving my back exposed. Reaching into my black clutch, I pulled out my lipstick, reapplying the dark crimson shade, complementing the deep and dramatic shading on the rest of my face.
Butterflies flitted in my stomach as I opened the door to Tyler’s master bedroom and carefully walked up the stairs to the roof, where he had instructed me to meet him when I was ready. Reaching the door, I pushed it open, my jaw dropping when I saw a wooden trellis, several tables and chairs for entertaining, and a wet bar. I had expected it to just be a roof. This was like heaven on earth, white lights and vines weaving in and out of the trellis. Music was piped in through speakers, creating the most romantic setting I could recall.
My eyes fell on Tyler as he leaned on the railing, his gaze focused on the skyline of Boston. I didn’t know why he left this place. It was so serene, so quiet, so beautiful, at odds with the hustle and craziness of the city just a few blocks over.
As I stood admiring him, I could honestly see myself being here long-term with Tyler. And it wasn’t just because of the quiet opulence that surrounded me. It was because, despite what I wanted to believe, this was Tyler’s home, and I wanted to be wherever he was.
He heard the door open and spun around, a slow smile building on his lips. My heart raced as I drank him in. He was wearing a three-piece tuxedo that fit his frame to perfection. The material was almost silken, the black darker than any black I could recall. A vest covered most of his chest, exposing a crisp white shirt.
“Damn,” I breathed.
“Wow,” he exhaled at the same time.
We both laughed nervously and, if we didn’t look older, you would have been able to mistake us for a couple of high school students heading to their senior prom. He bowed to me just as the music changed to a new song, Tony Bennett’s classic voice surrounding us.
“Dance with me,” he said, holding his hand out. It wasn’t a question. It was an order. And I knew I would always do whatever he wanted.
“Yes.” I grabbed his hand, allowing him to lead me to an open space on the roof. He pulled me against him, one hand resting on my hip, the other still clutching my hand.
“Perfect song,” he murmured against my temple.
“Why’s that?” I asked, staring down at his chest, scared to look into his eyes and see what lay within. There was a heat and passion between us that had never been t
here before. Each second that passed, I was having more and more trouble picturing my life without him in it. I had never felt so scared and so at ease, my feelings running the spectrum of emotions. Being in love with Tyler was madness, the insanity making my brain spin.
“It’s true. Whenever you’re apart from me, all I’ll need to do to get me through those cold nights without you is to think of you in this dress, or any dress, or without a dress on.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
I sighed against him, remaining silent. We swayed to the music and I wanted to stay in that moment forever. For that small sliver in time, everything was perfect, magical, entrancing.
“This reminds me of our first dance,” he murmured.
I pulled my head away from his chest and gazed into his eyes, the veneration making me feel weak in the knees.
“Opening night?” I asked.
Smiling, he nodded. “I was so nervous. I can’t tell you how many times I turned back. It took everything I had to build up the courage to go through with what I had planned.”
I raised my eyebrows, smirking. “I find that hard to believe. You didn’t seem nervous to me.”
“You can thank a few fingers of Macallan 35 for that, but it’s true.”
I rested my head back on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was steady, constant, unchanging.
“I knew I might only have one chance with you, Mackenzie. I knew I would need to do something to stand out from all the other men chasing you.”
I scoffed. “What men? Before you, there was a drought going on.”
“Because you’re selective. I figured that out the second I laid eyes on you. That’s why I was so concerned. I barely knew you, but the thought of you turning me down and walking out of my life forever tore me apart.”
He kissed my temple ever so softly, his lips lingering as he hummed along with Tony Bennett. The sound of the piano faded, but we continued swaying to the music in our heads, our bodies perfectly in tune with each other.
“Marry me,” he whispered, his voice low and husky.
My spine stiffened and I pushed against him, shock washing over me. “Tyler, I−”
He grabbed my hand and lowered himself to one knee. My stomach churned, my mouth growing dry as I gazed at the man kneeling before me.
“I know it’s crazy−”
“That’s the understatement of the year! We don’t know each other, Tyler. People don’t just meet and get engaged two weeks later! It’s just not supposed to happen that way. It’s not supposed to be that easy!”
“Who says?”
“Me! I just…” I looked at the stars sparkling overhead. My eyes settled on Pegasus and memories of the life I was ripped away from rushed forward. “Nothing in my life has gone right since I was ten, Tyler. And this…” I gestured between our bodies. “This isn’t supposed to happen to me. I remember watching Cinderella when I was a little girl. Then my life went to shit so I stopped believing in fairytales. I stared at the stars, trying to feel comfort in the knowledge that all the people I was torn from were looking at the same sky. I wished on a star, like they all say to do in fairytales. I wished every fucking night that I could go back home, that I could see my friends again. And then, one day, I just stopped wishing. I stopped hoping. I stopped dreaming. That’s when I realized that the world was a cruel, horrible place because it shattered a little girl’s dreams.”
I tore away from him, leaning my hands on the railing, needing the support as a chill washed over me. My eyes prickled with tears and I tried to reel in my emotions. I sensed Tyler’s presence behind me and I spun around quickly, startling him.
“Then I met you, and it was like all my wishes were answered. Every day, I pinch myself, thinking I’m going to wake up and all of this will have been a dream. I’m waiting for the bottom to drop. I−”
“Serafina, do you love me?”
I whimpered, butterflies dancing in my stomach. “With all my heart,” I admitted, my voice quiet.
“Then what’s the problem?” He approached me, dragging my body against his. I relaxed into his embrace.
“That none of this is real. My entire life has been a lie, and I’m worried all of this is, too.”
“I’m good at a lot of things, but I can’t fake my feelings towards you.” His fingers wrapping around mine, he pulled back and stared at me, his gaze powerful. “You deserve the fairytale and that’s exactly what I want to give to you. I’ll give you everything that has ever been taken from you and when I’ve done that, I’ll keep giving you more. I want to be the prince who appears on your doorstep with a glass slipper. I want to be the one who kisses you, waking you up from years of slumber. I want to be the one who scales the tallest tower to save you. Because you’re the unassuming woman who has made this beast learn to love again, even after I had resigned myself to a life of solitude. And I want to share that life with you.”
I took several deep breaths, thinking about everything. About the past week. About Tyler. About our time together. About my feelings. About whether I was ready to risk it all.
“Mackenzie, look at me,” he said in that same firm voice that made me melt into a puddle whenever I heard it.
“Yes?” I met his eyes, the intensity with which he admired me so hard, so real, so fucking pure, I couldn’t tear my eyes away even if a hurricane had swept into the city.
“Don’t think. Just feel. What do you feel?”
“Love. Devotion. A little horny.”
He let out a low laugh, the slight rumble building in his chest before his gaze turned serious once more.
“When you imagine your future, what do you see?”
I looked down, trying to avoid answering.
“Just tell me. I know what I see. I see you at my side. I see us happy. I see us having crazy, wild sex, even when we’re old and gray.”
I giggled, returning my eyes to Tyler. “Really? You see yourself still being able to get it up when you’re old?”
“At the rate I plan on keeping you satisfied, I see them studying me as a miracle of science.”
I bit my lip, my heart thumping in my chest.
“That’s what I see. I see us.” He brushed my cheek with his fingers and I instinctively closed my eyes, reveling in the contact. As if on cue, the music switched and Ella Fitzgerald’s voice crooned the song that would forever be associated with Tyler. My eyes shot open and Tyler sensed the coincidence, as well.
“I see us, too,” I admitted.
“Please, Serafina Galloway…” He grazed my forehead with his lips. “Marry me.”
“Yes,” I whispered, allowing my feelings to overtake any sense of rationale I had.
Tyler’s spine grew rigid and he pulled back, staring at me with a shocked expression. “Really?”
“Why? Taking it back?”
“No!” he exclaimed quickly. “Never, but I didn’t expect you to agree. I mean, I didn’t actually intend on asking you to marry me. It just kind of popped out and the second it was out there, I knew it was something that needed to happen. I need to marry you. I need you in my life and, well… I’m just shocked you said yes.” He grabbed my face between his hands and leaned down, kissing me. “I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. I’m sorry. I don’t even have a ring…”
“I don’t need a ring. As long as I have you.”
“But I want to spoil you, so I’m going to buy you the most ridiculously expensive diamond I can find.”
“Please, don’t,” I said, pushing against him, grinning at how enthusiastic he looked, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. But I did. I wondered how this was all going to work. A rush of nerves washed over me as I imagined his family’s shocked expressions when they found out Tyler asked me to marry him. I didn’t want them to think I was some money-hungry gold-digger who was only with him because of who he was. I wanted them to get to know me for me, and that would never happen if they found out.
“Um, Tyler…?”
“Yeah? W
hat’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly. “I just… Do you mind if we keep this to ourselves for now? I want to tell my friends and father face-to-face, and I’m worried if we start telling people, I won’t be able to, not with who your family is.”
“Is that what you want?” he asked, grabbing my left hand in his, running his finger over where a ring would presumably soon reside.
“Yes. It is.”
“Then you shall have it.” He held his elbow out for me. “Are you ready for this?”
“Not really,” I mumbled. “But there’s no turning back now, is there?”
“No, there isn’t.” He winked, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he led me from the roof and out of his house, entering the limo that would whisk us away to Cambridge.
Tyler
THE LIMO PULLED IN front of a stately brick building just a few minutes before eight. Dignitaries, politicians, and many other familiar faces lined the steps as they made their way into the new Criminology center that would be named after my father.
Mackenzie’s hand grew clammy in mine and I could sense her nerves. “You’ll be fine,” I assured her.
She met my eyes and swallowed hard, not saying a word.
“They’ll love you,” I murmured, kissing her cheek.
“I wish I could believe you,” she said flatly. “I don’t belong in this world, Tyler.”
“Yes, you do. You belong with me and that’s all I care about. I’ll be right by your side all night. You have nothing to worry about.”
She nodded, remaining mute. The truth was, I didn’t even think I belonged in this world. Not anymore.
The door to the limo opened and she tensed as we were met with a barrage of flashes, photographers craning to get a decent snapshot of us.
“Just block it all out,” I whispered against her neck, kissing her softly. “Look like you’re madly in love with me because I am head-over-heels in love with you and I plan on making sure everyone knows that tonight.”