by J. E Hanson
Out of frustration, I give up. I wait to return to Rosalie’s party. Christian drops me off at one of Joey’s clubs that currently holds her bridal party. The women hired male strippers. Luckily, Christian drops me off at the front door, and he left for Joey’s bachelor party.
I giggle at how much fun they are having with Rosalie. She receives a picture frame from me, as a wedding present, and she instantly adores it. Violet bought her more sexy lingerie. Luckily, there is an open bar tonight.
Ember jokes with other women there, and she is happy about her pregnancy. I feel a little sad, and so I walk over to the open bar. I slung back a few drinks to make it through the night.
Rosalie steps over to me, “Are you going to make it to my wedding tomorrow?”
I turn around to her, “I promise that I will. I have been through a lot this year, and I really don’t want any more surprises. Every single time I turn around, there is another surprise waiting for me around the corner. Finding out that I am a hybrid, a princess, and my sister went practically psycho on me is a lot for me to handle right now. On top of all that, I am dealing with the loss of my pregnancy, and my impending marriage to Christian. It is a lot for me to handle right now.”
Rosalie hugs me, “Once I am done having this baby, we will all have a girls’ night out. We need to let our hair down from all this craziness! I am so sorry for what you have been through over the past year. I would have gone insane by now, but you look beautiful tonight if that is any consolation.”
“I promise to make it to your wedding.”
Ember steps over to us, and she overheard our conversation, “I love you, Jeannie. Things will be brighter. My adoptive parents were brutally murdered a couple of months ago, and I am still dealing with it. It is not every day that you find out you are a hybrid of some sort.”
I hug them, and I sling back a few more shots of whiskey. I have beer as my chaser. They thought I only drink blood all the time. They are relaxed and comfortable around me now.
The bridal party ends with Violet gawking at me, “Oh wow! My girl is drunk! This is not such a good thing. You are lucky that I have experience with wild parties. Let us get you home.”
Everything is a complete blur. Violet snaps me to a mansion that is not the castle. There are no Enforcers anywhere.
She tries to snap me out of it, “You are a hot mess right now, honey.”
Rosalie shows up right behind her, and then she sighs, “Will she make it, momma?”
I can hear Violet’s soft voice, “I think we need to let her sleep it off. That would be in our best interest.”
I giggle uncontrollably, as she lays me down in a guest bed. I fell asleep after a few giddy moments.
The next morning, I wake up to an anxious Rosalie, “You need to wake up!”
I sit up, and then I massage my head, “Oh that shit really hurts!” I stumble out of bed. Through the pounding headache, the shower tries to help me. Ember waits for me to finish. Rosalie points at my dress bag. After my fresh undergarments are on, the pre-bridesmaid dress wraps around my body. I manage to take the shades from a very grumpy Rosalie. Ember’s crunching sounds makes my head throb even worse. I follow right behind them. All of us are wearing matching shades. I hold on to the ebony railing to make it downstairs. The house buzzes with loud noises. The dishes are slamming and banging in the distance.
Violet shakes her head, and then she smiles at me, “Oh my poor girl! Here, I have a remedy for you.” She hands me a cup of something odd. The drink tastes chalky and bitter.
I want to vomit, “This taste horrible!”
Violet forces me to drink her concoction, “You have to drink this. It will soak up the remaining alcohol. I am sorry to report this, but it will not help with the headache.”
We follow her inside the limo. I try to stay awake the best that I can. Rosalie seems nervous, but I am relaxed. Violet snaps herself to Joey’s side. We make it to the alabaster dome building with the gold top. There are cars everywhere.
She utters expletives under her breath, “The fucking paparazzi are waiting for us! She snaps the tiaras on our heads, “Come on girls. The camera people are at it again.”
I groan, and then I complain loudly, “Fuck the paparazzi! The paparazzi are fucking bastards!”
I giggle with Ember. Rosalie sighs, “Come on girls! My wedding is in less than an hour!”
We have Enforcers from vampires and angels on security detail. Ian takes one look at me, and he knows that I have a hangover. I will never hear the end of this one. I follow behind Erik and Uriel until we make it inside the building. I follow behind Rosalie to another room off to the side. There is a holding area for the bridal party. Women are jumping up and down in their slips. There are tons of fairies, and they hand us our bridesmaid dresses. I am wearing yellow today along with Ember. I change as quickly as I can with my shitty hangover pounding in my head. Violet sneaks back over to help Skylar fix our hair.
“Hi, I am Rosalie and Ember’s, Aunt Skylar. You must be Princess Jeannie.” Skylar introduces herself.
I nod my head yes. She finishes working on my hair. They pin our tiaras to our heads. Ember and I have matching a matching jewelry set. We turn around, and then we help her into her wedding dress. Skylar fixes her hair, and then she puts the fairy tiara on her head. We cry, and hug her. I still manage to wear my shades.
Violet takes my shades off, “You are getting ready to be in line. Good luck my sweet girls! I have to join my son’s party to make sure the boys are ready to go.”
We wait another ten minutes, by taking pictures beside Rosalie. We each peck her cheeks, as they snap another photo. We help her with her veil, crying again, as we cover her face. We love her wedding dress. The first ten bridesmaids walk ahead in the wedding march. Tanya is in front of me with her belly showing. I still have a pounding migraine, and I wish I had those shades on right about now. Susan, the wedding coordinator gives us the thumbs up sign, and I walk right behind Tanya.
Tanya glances at me, “How are you feeling? You can really drink.”
I smile nervously, “You have to be a teenager from the south to understand.”
Tanya giggles at my joke, “I will have to plan a girls’ night out once our pregnancies are over. I need to see this firsthand.”
We wait for the double achromatic doors to open. Tanya almost trips, but I caught her before she fell. She mouths a huge thank you to me. I breathe a huge sigh of relief.
The music commences, as we wait for ten bridesmaids to walk ahead of us. Tanya walks a minute ahead of me. Susan, the wedding coordinator gives me the thumbs up sign. Ember walks right behind me. I view ahead, and I smile very big without my fangs. When I smile now, I reveal nothing. People are gasping, and they are taking pictures of us. The wedding party is long, but I make it to the end with Ember. The men also appear in bad shape themselves. They all seem, as if they are equally as drunk as the rest of us are. Christian’s hair is back in a low ponytail. He winks at me, and I wink back at him. I take my spot, and we wait for the music to change. The flower girls stroll down the aisle in perfect unison. Rosalie walks next to a man with a crimson Mohawk.
“He is her dad’s identical twin brother, Phoenix Ocean,” Ember informs me. I mouth a big ‘oh.’ Everyone takes pictures of Rosalie. Joey appears handsome today, as he grins from ear to ear. We enjoy watching how much they truly love each other.
The pastor turns to Phoenix, “Who gives this woman away to this man?”
“In honor of her late parents Prince Blaze and Princess Rosebud Ocean… I, her Uncle Phoenix Ocean, give my niece, Princess Rosalie Summer McCloud-Ocean to Joseph Pike Cirrus,” Phoenix answers with pride in his voice.
The pastor smiles at the happy couple. Joey takes her hand in his. They have to kneel down in front of each other. We listen in, as she recites her vows to Joey, “I, Rosalie Summer, promise to love, cherish, and honor thee Joseph Pike, for all eternity, and forsaking all others.”
Joey responds to her
vows, “I, Joseph Pike, promise to love, cherish, and honor thee Rosalie Summer, for all eternity, and forsaking all others.”
We wait with eager anticipation, as they crown Joey their new fairy prince. The veil disappears.
The pastor grins, “You may now kiss your bride.”
Joey takes her in his arms, and then he kisses her lips passionately. Ember, Tanya, and I whistle for them.
The pastor happily announces, “I would like to introduce you to Prince and Princess Joseph Pike, and Rosalie Summer Cirrus. Let us congratulate the newly married couple.”
Joey stole another kiss from Rosalie. The crowd squeals with delight, and they whistle again. There is a large applause for the happy couple. Susan, the wedding coordinator springs into action. She makes sure we pair up with our grooms. Christian takes my arm, and he sniffs. I still have a bad migraine, and I am not the only one who is suffering.
“I will make an educated guess that I am not the only one who had a rough night,” he whispers.
I bit my tongue to hide a giggle, “I don’t remember, but I am sure it was a blast. I was sworn to secrecy though.”
Christian chuckles a bit, “Fair enough. Whatever happened last night stays last night. But, I missed you tremendously though.”
I wait until we are out the doors. We make it to the achromatic limo under close security. I sit between Christian and Alexander. Gabriel and Gadriel are in the limo too. Ember brought out her bag of chips, just crunching away. I want to throw her chips out of the fucking window.
Thankfully, Gabriel takes her chips away, “I love you baby, but we are about to enter the wedding reception. I will give these back to you afterwards.”
Gadriel shakes his head, “You really need to watch what you eat, Ember. You will pack it on, and you will have a hard time losing the excess weight.”
Ember groans, “My midwife states that my weight gain is perfect! I am sorry that I am feeding your nephew—or niece. You should be proud that I am taking care of our baby.”
“I am pleased with your prenatal care of my nephew—or niece. I just want you to take care of yourself also,” he voices his irritation.
Gabriel breaks it up, “My wife is absolutely perfect, and she is carrying my baby! I am pleased with how her pregnancy is progressing. You need to keep your opinions of my beautiful wife to yourself.”
I feel the need to break the tension, “Was that a beautiful wedding—or what?”
Ember shrugs her shoulders giving Gadriel a dirty look, “I thought so too. I knew they would go over the top though. That indeed, was a beautiful wedding.”
Christian pulls me close to him, “I anticipate ours to be just as beautiful as theirs. I agree with you too, babe.”
Christian feels my concerns, and my fear. We stare at each other, as he rubs my lips softly with his. “Everything will be just fine. We will hire the best for our wedding,” he quietly whispers.
He is able to soothe me. “I know one thing though. I know that I am madly in love with you, Christian,” I whisper back.
Christian smiles at me, “That is exactly what I need to hear. I am madly in love with you too. Are you ready for our wedding at the end of next month?”
I nod a quick yes. Christian leans in, and he softly caresses my lips with his. We remain in total silence. Ember wants her chips back. Gabriel has to answer a business call.
Alexander is talking to his girlfriend on the phone, “I will see you there.”
He presses a button on his phone, and then he stows it away in his coat.
I will not complain about his girlfriend. Barbie is not even my issue. I really do not like her sister, Tracy. Tracy is Christian’s ex-girlfriend. She also happens to be Barbie’s sister. The limo pulls around to a large club. Alexander exits first, and then I follow right behind him. My fiancé holds on to my right hip with his hand. The paparazzi continue to flash their cameras non-stop. Ember and Gabriel exit hand in hand with each other next. She walks over to my side.
We make it inside, and we have to wait in the entryway. Alexander’s bridesmaid returns, and she is holding his arm. She does not seem pleased to be standing next to a vampire.
Joey and Rosalie show up next. She takes a thumb to Joey’s lips trying to wipe off her remnants. He walks over, and then he shakes Christian’s hand, “You two are next. Enjoy the show, kids.”
Christian chuckles, as they announce all the bridesmaids and grooms. We enter the room together. This is a large ballroom. Christian and I sit next to each other. Ember and Gabriel hold on to each other. Violet snaps off our shades before we walk in. The bright lights continue to give me another nasty headache.
The DJ introduces Joey and Rosalie last. We watch them dance sexually for twenty minutes. Rosalie is a horrible driver, but she can dance her ass off. Joey is definitely her equal in every way. I love how they end their sexual dance with him kissing her belly. Rosalie blushes, but she is also cracking up. They appear so happy together. I applaud along with Ember. We wait for the endless pictures, and for them to cut the cake together.
“She is a terrible driver, but she can surely dance,” I compliment her.
Ember finishes her meal. I give her some of my food since she is starving, “She has won a lot of dance contests since she was little. Joey has won competitions over the years also. They are meant for each other.”
Gabriel loudly smacks Ember’s lips with his. We notice a few women talking to Gadriel. They both stare at Gabriel with disappointment written all over their faces.
The worst part of the entire wedding reception is that Shelly and Tracy make it too. I have to excuse myself to use the restroom. I peck Rosalie’s cheek, to congratulate her one more time. Joey notices me, and he nudges Christian.
This gives me a chance to calm down. This is a private bathroom, and I have to take a breather. I remember in the mirror what Reno did to me with all those silver chains. He beat me so violently with those chains, and he nearly shocks me to death with a Taser. I begin to hyperventilate, remembering the torture they put me through for all those months. These memories instantly cause me to collapse on the bathroom floor. There is a loud knock on the bathroom door, “Jeannie, this is Willow. Are you okay in there?”
Closing my eyes just causes me to wig out even more. My hands and arms are shaking violently. Willow sounds like she is answering someone’s question. A yellow streak of light hits the doorknob. Willow runs inside with Snow Winters and Ian. Snow is tall also, but he has snowy hair and grey eyes.
Ian squats down, taking his shades off, “Hey chick, you are safe now. Willow, she will need a drink of water—or something to take the edge off now. She is shaking badly.”
Snow snaps his fingers to make a glass appear. He makes a bottle of whiskey appear out of thin air, “I got you covered, dude.”
Ian hands me a drink. Willow wipes off my face. Louie walks in, and he notices that my face is in total disarray.
He squats down, “I have no idea what you went through girlfriend, but we are here for you now. I know there is nothing to ease your fears, but we will put our existences on the line to keep you alive. You can tell us what happened to you, when you are ready to talk about it.”
Willow holds me close to her, “We are all here for you. Now there are even more friends to help us.”
I stop shaking long enough to take the glass of alcohol. A few minutes later, I am finally able to calm down. Louie fixes my makeup and hair, “There is nothing, we are unable to fix, sweetie.”
Ian holds his hand out for me to take. I stand up, and hug him, “I am so sorry! I have no idea what happened!”
Ian squeezes me right back, “I understand. You’re okay. I need to take you back to Chris. He had to take a business call, but he sent me to check in on you.”
Christian joins all of us in the bathroom, “I tried to get off the phone. I am so sorry. That distraction will no longer be an issue. Are you feeling up for a dance?”
My hand wraps around his arm, “I am r
eady, when you are.”
Christian softly brushes his lips against my cheek. We make it to the dance floor, and he pulls me close to him. Tracy watches us intently, and she constantly shoots me dirty looks. I purposely mash my lips against his, right in front of her, “When was the last time you fed?”
I shook my head, “I honestly do not remember.”
“You keep forgetting to nourish your fangs. I have to make sure you feed tonight.”
I nod yes. I watch Rosalie dance with a man who seems similar to my father, “Who is that, Chris?”
I point at the mystery man. Christian smiles, “That is another good friend of ours, Oberon Jr. He is the uncle to Rosalie. Why do you ask?”
I stare at the odd fairy for a minute, “I just… I think I am really exhausted.”
She watches me, and then she closes her eyes with a smile on her face. After four minutes, the music stops. She drags her uncle over to meet me, “Uncle Oberon, I have someone you need to meet. This is my new best friend, Jeannie. Jeannie, this amazing man is my Uncle Oberon.”
I stare into his eyes, and I remember a familiar twitch. I shake it off, “It is so nice to meet you.”
Oberon grins, “Rosalie has told me a lot about you. It is nice to finally meet you too.”
After we exchange pleasantries, I follow my fiancé, and then I sit beside him. I am still staring at Oberon for a few minutes. There is something peculiar about him. Christian distracts me by leaning in for a kiss. Rosalie announces that she is ready to leave with her husband. They toss the garter belt, which Oberon caught. They toss the bouquet, and another pretty fairy by the name Brandy caught it. They appear to be a happy couple. Ember and I give her, one last hug before she leaves. Rosalie disappears into thin air along with Joey.
Ember seems a little down, “I miss her already. I guess it’s my time to leave now.”
“Don’t forget about Tanya’s baby shower next weekend,” I reminded her.
Gabriel wraps his muscular arm around Ember, and he purposely kisses her right in front of another woman. The woman who has been eyeing him appears furious with him, and then she stomps out. I automatically assume that she must be an ex of his. He lifts her chin to his face, and they kiss passionately. He raises his fingers, and then he snaps. They too, vanish in thin air. I wonder where they go when they do that. I guess I would have to be an angel—or a fairy to find out for sure. People continue to leave as quickly as they came.