Forever You

by Allie Everhart

  Afterward, he grabs a blanket and places it over us, then turns on his side to face me. “I love you, Jade Kensington.”

  Hearing him say my new name makes me smile. “I love you, too.” I scoot up closer and kiss him. “Do you feel any different now that we’re married?”

  “I think I love you even more. You just keep taking up more space in my heart. I’m gonna run out of room soon.”

  “I don’t think so. You have a big heart.”

  “Do you feel any different?”

  I nod. “I feel like, um, like I finally have a home.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Never mind. It’s hard to explain.”

  “Jade. Tell me.”

  “It’s just that I never felt like I had anything permanent. A place that was mine that wouldn’t be taken away from me. A place where I belonged and wasn’t just a guest. But I have that now. It doesn’t matter where I am or where I go, I know you’ll always be there. And that I belong with you. So you’re my home, Garret.”

  He smiles as he picks my hand up and kisses it. “I hope you like your home because you’re never moving.”

  I smile back. “I love my home.”

  I glance around at the tent, noticing the flameless candles flickering all around us, the little round table set up in the corner, and the colorful pillows and blankets scattered over the floor. “This is so incredible. Thank you for doing this.”

  “I didn’t do all of it. Sean and Harper helped.”

  “Is this all because I told you my fantasy?”

  “I know it’s not on the actual beach, but you mentioned something about not wanting sand in your girl parts so this is what I came up with. But if you change your mind about the sand, the beach is right there.”

  “I don’t want the sand. This is way better.”

  “Did it live up to your fantasy?”

  “Definitely. And the extremely hot guy I’m with put it over the top.” I walk my fingers down his chest. “Now I need to give you your fantasy. Tell me what you want.”

  “I already did. That’s why I had Harper give you the skirt. You in a skirt? That’s my fantasy. Or a sundress. I like those, too.”

  “You’re easy to please. So I guess I should’ve left the skirt on.”

  “Save it for later.” He smiles. “We’ve got all night.”

  “I smell chocolate,” I say, inhaling the scent of it.

  “You want some? I got the Belgian chocolates you like. Or do you want something to drink? There’s a cooler over there with some soda.”

  “It’s our wedding night. Let’s have the champagne.” I sit up, wrapping one of the blankets around me. “We’ll save the chocolate for later.”

  Garret gets up and takes a white beach towel and wraps it around his waist. I notice it says ‘groom’ in gold swirling letters.

  “Did you buy that?” I ask, laughing at the towel.

  “It’s a gift from Harper. Yours is right behind you.”

  I glance back and see it sitting there, folded so the gold ‘bride’ lettering shows.

  Garret takes the champagne from the ice and pops the cork. He pours it in the glasses and hands me one, sitting across from me.

  “To us.” He clinks my glass and we sip the champagne.

  “Garret, do you think if I’d used better garbage bags we wouldn’t be here tonight?”

  “What?” He laughs. “What are you talking about?”

  “When we first met, you only stopped by Ryan’s car that night because my garbage bag broke and my clothes spilled all over the ground.”

  “That’s not the only reason I stopped.” He sets his champagne down and runs his hand over my leg. “I saw your hot ass and these legs as you were reaching into the trunk. I had to stop and check out who they belonged to.”

  “And here I thought you were just being nice.”

  “I was being nice. But I was also checking you out. And once you finally let me take that bag from you and I got to see your beautiful face and those gorgeous green eyes, that was it. I couldn’t stay away from you.”

  “But if you hadn’t been walking by at that very moment, we wouldn’t have met.”

  “We would’ve met at my house. My dad always has the scholarship winner over for dinner. But I wouldn’t have waited that long. If I hadn’t met you at the car that night, I would’ve seen you around and once I did, I would’ve gone up and introduced myself.”

  “And I would’ve insulted you and you would’ve walked off and never came back.”

  “Obviously that’s not true because I put up with your insults for months.”

  “Sorry about that. I hope you know that insulting you was actually my way of flirting with you.”

  “Yeah, I know. The insults didn’t bother me. If anything they just made me try harder.”

  I take another sip of champagne and notice Garret watching me.

  “What are you thinking?”

  He slips his hand around mine. “I’m thinking that I don’t know how I got so lucky. You’re everything I ever wanted and somehow I got you to marry me.”

  “You were very persistent.”

  He laughs. “I was, wasn’t I? I do have a tendency to go after what I want. And I usually don’t stop until I get it.”

  “Thanks for doing that.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Going after me. Not giving up on me. Sticking around after I pushed you away. And being there for me when I needed you even when I told you I didn’t.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for that. I wasn’t going anywhere. You could’ve pushed me away for years, I still wouldn’t have gone anywhere. I’d still be at your side, annoying the hell out of you until you finally agreed to marry me.”

  “I don’t believe you. I think you would’ve eventually given up and found someone who isn’t so difficult.”

  “I like difficult. I like a challenge. And as soon as I realized you were the only person in the world for me, I had no choice but to keep chasing you until you agreed to be with me. Even if it took years. And given how stubborn you are, I’m surprised it didn’t take that long.”

  “It didn’t take long because I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone but you.” I set my champagne down and glance around the tent. “Hey, did Harper pack anything for me?”

  “Yeah. She packed you a bag with some other clothes in case you wanted to change. You want me to get it for you?”

  “I’ll get it. Just wait here.” I spot the bag in the corner. I go over and open it. Inside are a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, a bikini, some lingerie, and the envelope I told Harper to bring to wherever it was Garret was taking me. I’m glad she remembered. I thought she might forget with so much going on today.

  I take the envelope and go back over to Garret.

  “Here.” I hand it to him.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s my wedding gift.”

  He jumps up. “I almost forgot about that. Hold on.” He goes over to his own bag, then comes back and sits beside me. “Open it.” He hands me a small white box.

  The box holds a necklace with a silver chain and something circular hanging from it. It’s a piece of round glass with something inside it.

  “It’s sand,” Garret says as I hold it up to the light. “It’s the sand from the beach at Cape Cod. The place we went on Valentine’s Day. I thought you might want to save it to remember your first trip to the ocean.” He smiles. “And the first time someone called you Mrs. Kensington. Do you like it?”

  “I love it. That was a great idea. Can you put it on me?” I flip around, pulling my hair back. “I almost thought you were going to propose on that trip.”

  “I thought about it.” He fastens the necklace and I turn back around to face him. “But I knew it was too soon, which was confirmed when I saw the look on your face when I gave you those earrings. I almost started laughing when I saw how panicked you were.”

  “Well, it looked just like a ring box. And you’re
right. It would’ve been too soon. I did want to marry you back then. I just wasn’t ready to commit to it that night.” I pick up the envelope and hand it to him. “Your turn.”

  “What is it?”

  “I always want to tell you stuff, but I can’t always find the words. I mean, I know what I want to say, but I have trouble actually saying it. So I wrote it down. I want to get better at telling you this stuff instead of writing it down, but I’m not there yet so just read it.”

  He opens the envelope which contains a piece of paper from my notebook, the one he got me last year to write stuff down that I couldn’t say out loud. I wrote this for him without even thinking about it. I just let the words flow from my heart and this is what came out.

  Garret,

  I never used to believe in love. I thought it was just something in movies or books. I thought it was just a word. But you taught me that it’s so much more than that. It’s a feeling deep inside that is so overwhelming that at first I didn’t understand it. And you literally had to explain it to me. And after you did, I could finally make sense of the feelings I had for you. I realized that I loved you more than I ever thought I could love someone. That scared me. A lot. Because I was afraid of how much it would hurt if I ever lost you. So I tried to push you away. Many, many times. But you stuck by me. And I can’t thank you enough for that. You knew all along that we belonged together. You knew that I wanted this more than anything, but you also knew that I was too stubborn to admit it and too scared to go after it. If I were you, I would’ve given up on me a long time ago. But you never did. And I will always be grateful to you for that. I love you, Garret. I will love you forever.

  —Jade

  Garret sets the letter down and draws me into his arms. “Now the necklace looks pretty lame. I should’ve wrote you something, too.”

  “You don’t need to. You already tell me all that stuff. And I’m going to do the same. I just need to practice doing it more.”

  I feel his lips brush against my ear. “Speaking of doing it more, do you want to…”

  “Put a skirt on?” I push him down on the sleeping bag. “Yeah, I could do that. Or I have some lingerie in that bag over there.”

  “Let’s start with the skirt.”

  As I climb over him to get it, my blanket falls down around me.

  Garret grabs my hips and brings me back down to him. “Forget it. I changed my mind. I like you just like this.” He flips me over and rips the towel from his waist and lowers his body over mine. And we do it again. And then again an hour later.

  I don’t want this night to ever end. I love it way too much. Our private tent in an alcove on the beach, the sound of the roaring waves in the background. And best of all, Garret. My husband.

  It still sounds funny when I say that word in my head. And saying it out loud is even weirder. But I love it. I can’t wait to introduce him as my husband. I want to shout it to the world. Garret Kensington is my husband and I’m his wife!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  25

  “Guess we should get some sleep,” Garret says, as I lie in his arms, a thin blanket covering us.

  “Did I wear you out?” I tease.

  He sits up on his forearm. “Are you challenging me? Because you know I could do this all night, especially after drinking that disgusting green juice.”

  “You said you liked it.”

  “I didn’t like it. I just didn’t want to hurt Harper’s feelings. But Sean’s right. That shit works. I’m ready to go again, but I thought you might want some sleep first.”

  “I could use a little nap. And then we’ll do this again.”

  “Sounds good.” He smiles.

  I close my eyes and adjust my pillow. I feel Garret beside me, still propped up on his arm. I open my eyes again and see him watching me.

  “What? Did you change your mind about the sex?”

  “No. I just wanted to tell you that I love you.”

  I gaze up at him. “I love you, too.” He’s still looking at me. “Is there something else?”

  “I want to be a good husband to you, Jade. Better than good. So if I’m ever not, go ahead and kick my ass. Well, tell me what I did wrong first, and then kick my ass.”

  “I won’t need to. You’re going to be a great husband. I can already tell. I’ve only been married to you a few hours and you’re already the best husband ever.”

  He glances around. “Yeah, well, I don’t think I’ll be able to do this for you every night. I wish I could but—”

  “I don’t expect you to. As long as you’re always here beside me, I’ll be happy.”

  His hand skims over my cheek and rests on the side of my face. “I love that about you. The way you don’t need much to be happy. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you. I still remember the look on your face when I put up those blue lights in your dorm room. I couldn’t believe how happy you were about that.”

  “I didn’t have anything growing up so it doesn’t take much to make me happy. And now that I have you, I really don’t need anything else.” I hesitate because this probably isn’t the right time to talk about this but I say it anyway. “Garret, we need to talk about the money I have in the trust fund.”

  “Um, okay.” He looks confused. “Like right now?”

  “I just need to say something and then we can talk more about it later.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I don’t think I want to keep all of it. I mean, I’ll keep some of it but I don’t want all of it. I don’t need it. I don’t need a mansion or a private plane or designer clothes or whatever else people with millions of dollars buy.”

  “So what are you thinking of doing with it?”

  “I want to help people who need it. Maybe give some to charity or start my own charity. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. It’s our money now, not just mine, and I didn’t know if you’d be okay with giving some of it away. If you’re not then—”

  He kisses me before I can finish. A sweet, gentle kiss. And then he props himself up on his forearm again. “I know I just said it but I’m saying it again. I love you. So damn much.”

  “I don’t understand. Are you okay with this?”

  “I’m more than okay with it. I was thinking the same thing. I just didn’t say anything because it’s your money. I know you say it’s ours but Grace and Arlin gave you that money, not me. And they wanted you to use it however you want. I didn’t want to influence you in any way. You’ve never had money before, so I wanted you to be free to decide how it’s spent.”

  “I’m not sure how I want to spend it. Obviously college and I’d like to get a house someday and have enough money in the bank that I don’t have to worry all the time. But I can have all that for a lot less than $45 million. Even half that amount is still a lot of money.”

  “I agree.”

  “But I thought you’d want us to keep it all. You grew up with money and you’re used to having expensive clothes and cars and trips.”

  “We can still have nice cars and go on trips but like you said, we don’t need $45 million to do that. I don’t need a $50,000 watch or $5000 suits. I don’t want to live in a mansion like my dad does. I want a nice house but I don’t want it to be so big that I can’t even find you in it.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, that would be bad. So have you ever thought about what kind of house you want?”

  “I’ve thought about it a little.” The way he says it implies he’s actually thought about it a lot.

  “Yeah? So?”

  “You have to tell me first. What’s your dream house look like, Jade?”

  I close my eyes and picture it. I’ve had this same picture in my head since I was little, even though I always thought I’d end up living alone in an apartment.

  “It’s a one-level house that has an open floor plan with lots of windows. There’s a big kitchen, which I know sounds stupid because I don’t really cook, but people like to hang out in the kitchen so in my dream house I had a b
ig kitchen with lots of places for people to sit. And the house is on a large piece of land. It’s not in a neighborhood. It’s out on like four or five acres. And as a kid I always wanted a couple dogs. Yellow labs.” I open my eyes. “Okay, your turn.”

  He’s giving me this strange look. “Did I already tell you this?”

  “Tell you what?”

  “What type of house I wanted?”

  “No. But let me guess.” I close my eyes again, imagining it. “A two story colonial, white with black shutters, in a neighborhood somewhere in Connecticut.”

  “Where’d you get that idea?”

  “You said you liked that neighborhood you grew up in so I thought that’s what you wanted. A house just like the ones on that street.”

  “No, that’s not at all what I want. What I want is what you just described. Are you sure I didn’t tell you that before?”

  “No, you never said what type of house you wanted.”

  “So we both wanted the same type of house, but for some reason we never knew this about each other?”

  “Wait. Describe your dream house to me.”

  “It’s just like you said. One level. Open floor plan. Big kitchen. Big master bedroom and bath. And on some land, maybe five acres.” He smiles. “I didn’t plan on having dogs but if you want dogs, I’ll get you some dogs.”

  I hit his shoulder. “You’re making this up. You just said that because I said it.”

  “I’m a hundred percent serious, Jade. That’s exactly what I want.”

  “Meaning we might actually live in a place like that someday?”

  “It sounds like that’s exactly the type of house we’ll be living in. It’s what we both want.”

  “Where do you think we should get this house? Where should we live after we graduate? Have you thought about that?”

  “If you go to med school we’ll go to wherever that is.”