by Michele Lee
After dinner Marco excused them both as they said their goodbyes. Doña Lupe surprised Marisol by whispering in her that Marco was a good man and to trust her heart. Once they were outdoors feeling the November evening chill Marco asked if he could drive and Marisol shrugged her shoulders despite the fact she tossed him the keys. He opened the door for Marisol so she can get in. She had abided her time to give a piece of her mind and now she can finally liberate herself. How dare he bulldoze his way into her life like that? What if it’s just a game to him, he has never said he loved her. Adjusting the seat so he can fit properly behind the wheel she began to speak with a bit of annoyance. “How dare you go speak to Nate behind my back? What game are you playing?” He looked over at her with a smirk on his face clearly refusing to respond and she did all she could to control her hands that itched to smack the arrogance off his face.
“We’ll talk once we reach our destination.” He replied angrily as if he just channeled into her thoughts or could it be the mentioning of Nate again. He was tired of the Nate game; of the love they shared friendship or not it was consuming him causing his jealousy to flare up. Then he thought of Charley, wasn’t it the same scenario on his end? He was livid when Charley confided in him about what she said to Marisol. He could only guess what irrational notions Marisol concocted in that mind of hers. They both sat in silence until they approached his ranch. He parked and she didn’t wait for him to open her door she was tailing his heels as they went straight to his office.
He settled his torso right on the edge of his desk gesturing with his hand for her take his chair to sit and she sat reluctantly and crossed her arms over her chest to control her vile mood.
“To answer your questions, yes I did have every right to speak to Nate.” She was about to interrupt him as he continued. “Let me finish what I have to say and then you can clearly speak your peace.” He lifted his eyebrows at her to confirm his request before continuing. “Know this and remember it clearly, this is not a game to me. This is our life and I’ll be damn if anyone is going to dictate it any longer. Our lives the past twelve years have been steered through our foolish parents’ entangled deceptions. No more family affairs it’s about YOU and ME and only YOU and ME. I have spent too many years festering in anger and hatred; it may have motivated me to survive but it ate away at my soul. All I focused on was to come back one day and get the restitution I deserve. I was destructive and so lost, if it wasn’t for Charley’s father who guided me and educated me I don’t know where I’d be today. I lost so much, my family, the life I had here and most important YOU. I never got to meet our baby girl and to think you suffered all alone and treated like a caged animal by your father tears me up inside. I can’t tell you how much pain I’ve been feeling since you told me everything.” He pauses to compose himself. Marisol sees the agony in his eyes and its killing her to know she is the cause. She can’t keep her eyes off of him and is afraid to move from her seat since her legs feel too weak from trembling. “Since I’ve return, I realized I never stop loving you Marisol. I am no longer scared to let my heart free to feel again. I’ve loved you since you were eight years old and I’m not wasting one more day without you in my life. This is our time now Marisol.” He stared right at her restraining himself from running to her needing to know what she feels at this very moment.
Staring down and raising her eyes back to meet his she knew she had to say her peace. “Marco, your words humble me but how fair would I be to allow you more pain in your life. My family has cost your family enough suffering. I can’t allow myself to be a reminder of the evil that has touched upon you. You suffered because of me, because of the love you have for me. My father tortured you to satisfy his own betrayed ego because of my mom’s lies. I couldn’t even save our daughter how could you not despise me?” She choked on her grief and cried out covering her face with her hands.
Dropping to his knees as he rested his hands on her bent knees he whispered to her. “Mi Preciosa Joya, how could I blame you, Marissa’s death was unavoidable and deep down you know that. Release that burden from your heart; it is one of those unexplained acts of life. We have to trust our faith to know that things happen for a reason. Some women have miscarriages never knowing the face of their child, but you were lucky to at least have the chance to meet her and love her full heartedly even for a very short time you still got that chance.” Shaking her head as the tears filled the palms of her hands. He removed her hands so he can see her face wiping away her tears. She never thought about it that way not even through all her years of therapy and she felt a sense of peacefulness flow through her veins gliding straight to her heart. “Your father’s actions were inexcusable but seeing him and how he lived his life in pure hate only makes me pity him. He does not deserve the daughter he was given. You were his victim just as much as I was and it’s sad he never saw the beautiful gem he had who loves him unconditionally. Loving you and needing you has freed me of the chains around my soul for I no longer hold any feelings of vengeance.”
“Marco, you deserve to be with someone like Charley. Go to her she deserves you.”
Now it was his turn to shake his head in confusion. “Charley? Why would you say that?”
“I’m not dumb I know you slept with her. I was there at the hotel that morning or did you forget?”
He bowed his head down and chuckled. “Is that what you thought, that I slept with her as in having sex with her? I did share her hotel room and it wasn’t the first time and probably won’t be the last time.” He said with mischief written all over his expression and tone. Seeing fury rise in her eyes was an actual pleasure as oppose to seeing sorrow. He continued to laugh because now he knew she did love him, the green eyed jealous woman he loves is glaring. “Charley’s real name is Charlene. You are not the only one with a best friend who is gay.” Marisol let out a sigh and slouched her shoulders to feel the relief surge though her mind and heart. She looked up at him and joined his laughter as he took her face with his hands to kiss her senseless and then pulled back to stare into her eyes. “Tell me, I need to hear you say the words.”
“I love you Marco Ortiz since I was eight years old pouting over some stupid goat. You have been the only man I have ever loved and will only love but I’m so scared by the intensity of the love I have for you.”
“Don’t be afraid just relish in it because I will cherish you always. I want you more than life itself.” He kissed her again and the heat from their passion was scorching causing them both to ache from the burning. “Have you ever made love in a barn before?”
After their amazing intense love making they were lying half-dressed across the blankets Marco had laid out on the floor. He held her in his arms while she lay on his chest feeling the comfort from his embrace. He interrupted their blissful silence with his declaration to her. “Marisol, you are amazing and I love you but know this my love:
When you fall.......I will be the one to catch you and help you stand again.
When you are sad.......I will be the one to hold you tightly in my arms and turn it into joy.
When you cry.....I will be the one to wipe away your tears and bring sunlight back into your eyes.
When you feel broken.......I will be the one to put the pieces back together and make you whole
It’s you and me babe from this day forward and there will be no turning back. You got it?”
Marisol felt so overwhelmed with emotion could she finally be getting her happily ever after with the sex goddess of her dreams? He consumed her gave her reason to want more and to put her fear at bay and take a leap of faith with him. No more denials, no more excuses and no more walls - she loved him. “What can I say to that? I’m yours today and tomorrow and the day after that and after that and so on. You own my heart my soul and my ever after. You Marco Ortiz are truly my EVERYTHING and I agree with you I will become your wife.” She couldn’t help the grin on her face as he flipped her over so he was facing her on top.
“I may not deserv
e you but I will make every day of your life a happy one. By the way have you ever had mad sex in a barn before?” And they both laughed as their passion once again took over….
Epilogue
Marisol Ortiz Braxton was dozing off by the fireplace in her bedroom only to be awoken by voices that seem to be in a dispute. She opened her eyes to take a look around the room to see if she was having a bad dream. Only to hear the two voices again to acknowledge it is not a dream. The voices sounded like Charley and Nate. Those two are going to be the death of her as she smiled whole heartedly. It’s been almost a year since her wedding and she hadn’t had a night mare since. It was refreshing to know she felt whole for the first time in her life. Marco filled her emptiness, he was truly her everything. He helped her gain herself back and he was all the therapy she needed. It was quite funny when they immediately started their wedding plans to know she was already pregnant. It was a small wedding at the ranch and it was everything she could ever hope for. She often thought about their journey and all the obstacles they conquered to finally have their souls linked as one again. It had to be fate or destiny for their bond of love was unbreakable.
She now had a family and a new close friend in Charley. They both felt indebted to Charley and Nate for always being there for them through all these years. They broke tradition at the wedding, Nate was her Made of Honor and Charley was Marco’s Best Woman. It was perfect and what made it even more wonderful Nate was finally free and truly liberated which she knew Charley had a big influence on him coming clean with his family. Lucas was there by his side making the day complete, even though Nate’s family hadn’t fully come to terms at least they were trying and what more can one ask for. She remembered when she asked Nate about his discussion with Marco since Marco didn’t elaborate with her the night of his declarations, and all Nate would say, “I got my wish, the woman I love will have her happily ever after.” Every time she thinks of that day tears of joy fill her eyes to have a friend like Nate is a pure gift from heaven. Her father was the crucial point of their wedding she went to him and told him of her news. Through everything he has done she still wanted him to be part of the most important day of her life hoping he would feel remorse and wish her happiness but that dream deflated quickly. His response to her was over his dead body and the morning of her wedding she received a call from the nursing home that he passed away in his sleep. She no longer doubted the fact that he had a black heart if he even had a heart. Marco wanted to delay the wedding by a day so she could mourn peacefully and not have their wedding or future anniversaries be over shadowed by William Braxton. She refused; she felt this will be his repentance, to know he longer had a hold over her heart. She is free from his vengeance and today is the beginning of their life together as one. She will worry about his burial arrangements the day after for that day was theirs. She felt complete with Marco and their new house that sat right on the property of the ranch. To wake up every morning in their home and see the stable of horses and goats and now chickens were added to the family - this truly was her paradise. Marco and Charley added an office in Raleigh and development in the area was going well for them and their company. It was quite comical when Marisol’s due date was near she had Marco, Nate and Charley at her side driving her insane. They all took her to the hospital and she was in labor for twelve hours Marco never leaving her side. She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who they named Marco Nathanial Ortiz. She named her son after the two men who loved her completely. Hearing the voices getting louder, Marisol got up to see what the racquet was all about. She laughed while she stood at the entrance way of the nursery hearing Charley and Nate, they took their jobs as godparents quite serious and they were arguing over Nate wanting a trust fund set up for college and Charley wanting a stock portfolio set up instead while their two month old godson just laid in his cradle having his blissful dreams not waking up since he was already accustom to a noisy household and constantly having Mace curled up beside the cradle guarding him proudly. The family has been coming over each day to help with cooking, cleaning, feedings and etc. Marisol knowing she could handle it all on her own just sat back wanting to enjoy having family surround her and her son. She then saw Marco across the hall staring out the window in their loft and she joined him as he gathered her in his arms having her back rest upon his chest. “Life is a gift and living it with you and our son is a true blessing.” He kissed her on the top of her head and she felt so cherished.
“You are more than a blessing to me. I am so happy it scares me. I feel like it’s a sin to feel as happy as I do.” She said and leaned her face into his arm. Then they both stood in silence as they looked out the window at the memorial garden Marco had designed for Marissa. It was laid out with rocks, beautiful plants and flowers with a water fall full of angels it was a beautiful site. In the center laid a plaque surrounded by beautiful pearls where the words were in scripted for their little angel girl….
Our Precious Marissa, We only had you in our lives for such a very short time, but we’ll hold you in our thoughts – in our lives – in our hearts for forever and ever... It may have felt like you were here only for a moment but it was long enough to see you, to touch you, to hold you, and to love you to infinity. It was long enough to know that your life was a gift from God - Your life was a gift to us all…You are our beloved ANGEL…
They were all at a place to finally call home never forgetting all they lost but cherishing what they now have. Marisol came to terms with her parents and she is now able to move on or so she thought.
There was a mail delivery at their door addressed to Marisol. It was a medium sized box and she opened it up looking at Marco thinking it was another baby gift only to find a note with a bunch of old journals. The note was from Mr. Jackson the gentleman who bought her parents’ house.
Ms. Braxton, I’ve been traveling so I had my secretary mail these journals out to you. They were found in the attic flooring under some wood planks, thought you may want them. Congrats on your wedding. From, Mr. Jackson
The journals were written by Valencia going as far back to when she was still in Mexico. Feeling petrified Marisol closed the box back up and looked up to find Marco’s eyes watching her. Shaking her head back and forth she said, “Not today and maybe not tomorrow but someday I will read them when I know her written words can no longer hurt me.” She knew all her answers were in those journals – all her mother’s truths and confessions and that scared the heck out of her.
Marco’s sympathy for his wife engulfed him while he gathered her in his arms he whispered sensually in her ear planting soft kisses between his words. “Someday sounds great so let’s not waste today and tomorrow and the day after that and so on, let us enjoy every minute together to live hard, to love hard and to make love hard.” He started to nuzzle her ear and then continued his thoughts. “I can’t seem to get enough of you and incase I forget to tell you later, I love you to infinity and beyond and beyond and beyond.”
Table of Contents
Dedication
Notes from the author
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
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