by Taryn Plendl
I couldn’t help but watch Tom as they spoke their vows, feeling the intense love shared. I almost felt like some of the words were my own, bringing to light the immense feelings I was holding on for Tom, in hopes that he would somehow return them.
“Ava and Trevor, in your journey in life together, remind yourselves often of the friendship, loyalty, and love that brought you together. Give the highest priority to these things.” I looked up to see Tom looking directly at me.
“When challenges come, remember to focus on what is right between you. In this way, you can ride out the storms. When clouds hide the sun in your lives, remember even if you lose sight of it for a moment … the sun is always there, as is your love.” Tom and I couldn’t look away from each other. Things suddenly seemed so clear, and I couldn’t wait to talk to him.
“And now, as you begin the greatest journey of your life: In as much as you have agreed to enter the marriage relationship, having exchanged vows and having given and received rings, I now, by the authority vested in me, pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
I was openly crying now, watching as my best friend walked down the aisle for the first time as Mrs. Trevor Dawson. Before I realized it, my arm was looped through Tom’s as we walked, holy shit … he was walking, together behind Ava and Trevor.
The emotions from just touching him were overwhelming, causing my heart to beat rapidly and my palms start to sweat. He smelled incredible. Spice and musk infiltrated my senses, making me almost delirious. I had missed him so much!
The next hour flew by, between taking pictures, and getting ready for our entrance into the reception hall. Ava and Trevor were beside themselves with the excitement of the day, and the relief that they had finally gotten married. It was contagious.
As much as I longed to pull Tom away for a moment to talk, the timing wasn’t right. Our focus was on our friends and their day.
Before I knew it, we were entering the reception and sitting down for dinner. Chelsea and I sat next to Ava and Tom and Nick were on the other side of Trevor.
“Hey baby!” I turned to see a gorgeous smile and shaggy golden blonde hair in front of me.
“Austin! I didn’t know you were going to be here. I thought you couldn’t make it,” I exclaimed as I jumped up to greet him, throwing myself into his arms.
“Yeah, well I wasn’t sure I would be able to get away,” he laughed, hugging me back.
“Well, it is official; all of my favorite people are here now!” I kissed him on the cheek, grinning from ear to ear.
Chapter 18
Tom
Whatever I thought was happening between Talia and I disappeared the moment I saw her throw herself into the arms of another man. From the conversation I’d overheard, it was obvious they knew each other, and it seemed like they knew each other well.
The familiar way she touched him and looked at him had my muscles twitching with anger and outright jealousy. What did I expect? I told her to leave. I told her I couldn’t be with her—that I didn’t want her. Did I seriously expect her to wait around for me to get my shit together? From the way I had acted over the last few months, it probably didn’t seem like I would ever get it together.
“You okay?” Nick whispered, glancing over at Talia and the other man.
I shrugged. “Yeah. Do you know who he is?” I nodded my chin in their direction, hoping that Nick might have been privy to the information.
“No clue.” He shook his head as he watched me closely.
After hearing the man tell Talia to save him a dance, I could hardly control my jealousy. If I had my way, no other man would ever touch her again.
I pushed my food away, losing my appetite. “I’ll be back, I need to get some fresh air.” I stood, stopping briefly to let Trevor know so he didn’t worry, before I made my way to the patio doors.
The moment I stepped outside, I lifted my face and took a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting the cool evening air wash over me, relieving some of the tension I had been holding onto.
What the hell was I going to do? I had screwed things up so badly. The accident had changed everything. Not only physically, but it had taken me places, emotionally, that I never thought I was capable of going. I had treated the people who loved me most with such disdain. I allowed myself to fall into a pathetic abyss of self-pity. Looking back, I was mortified. That was not who I was. Even after I’d lost my parents, I’d never sunk to that level.
“Tom?” I felt my shoulders tense, but my heart betrayed me by beating erratically with just the sound of her voice.
I turned around to face the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. If I had thought she was an angel before—seeing her in front of me in that silver dress, her long blonde hair piled on top of her head with curls hanging around her face, her crystal blue eyes and creamy pale skin with soft pink lips—she was striking, flawless, impeccable. An angel.
“Hi,” My voice sounded more clipped than I intended it to, and I could see the moment of hurt cover her features before she lifted her chin.
“You’re walking?” She smiled and my heart fluttered. Of course she was happy for me. That was the type of woman she was. She cared, but it was too late, she had moved on.
“I am.” I smiled back. The silence was uncomfortable and full of tension and uncertainty. Finally I decided to excuse myself. “I’m going to head back inside. It was great to see you, Talia.” I walked through the door, heading straight for the bar. I needed to work at numbing myself a bit if I was going to get through this night.
“Can I get a Jack and Coke, please?” I leaned against the bar and watched as Talia came back through the door. The man from earlier stopped her, cupping her face in his hands as he spoke to her. She finally smiled before walking back to the head table and sitting next to Ava.
“Can I get two glasses of Chardonnay?” I turned to face the blonde man next to me as he gave his order.
As the bartender worked on both of our drinks, I decided to torture myself a bit. “Hi, I’m Tom.” I held out my hand.
“Austin.” He shook my hand and nodded.
“Are you a friend of the bride or groom?” I asked, knowing full well what his answer would be.
“The bride. I met Ava through Talia,” he explained.
“Oh, have you known Talia long?” I was such a creep.
“You could say that,” he chuckled, and I was tempted to wipe that smirk right off his face.
The bartender handed me my drink and I took a sip, letting the refreshing liquid send a warm burn down my throat before continuing. “Have you been dating Talia long?”
“Dating? No, I’m not dating Talia.” He sounded shocked and I became increasingly annoyed that he was now dismissing her so quickly. “I can guarantee our families wouldn’t agree to that.” He laughed.
“Your families?” I was so confused.
“Talia’s my cousin.” Austin smiled, and I instantly felt like an idiot. “Wait, you said your name is Tom?” He cocked his head to the side before his eyes wandered down to my leg. I watched as his eyebrows pulled together. Before he could look away, I lifted my pant leg slightly, showing him my prosthesis.
“Well shit! You’re him?” Austin smiled as the bartender set the two glasses in front of him.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the one that captured her heart.” My jaw fell open, and Austin threw his head back and laughed. “My cousin is head over heels in love with you, Tom, and from what I gathered by your third degree of questioning, I’d venture to say you feel the same.”
I smiled slightly, unable to deny it. “More than you can imagine.”
“Well, in that case, could you deliver this glass of wine to her for me?” He winked before turning and walking off.
Holy shit! How many times was I going to screw this up with her? I picked up the glass of wine and started off in the direction of the head table, just as they announced the first dance. I smiled at Trevor an
d Ava as they held each other close, moving softly to the music.
I pulled the chair out next to Talia, startling her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” I sat down, sliding her glass of Chardonnay in front of her. “Your cousin asked me to deliver this to you.” I smiled, feeling bad for the uncertainty I saw in her eyes.
“Thank you, Tom.” She took a sip of her wine, never breaking eye contact with me. I heard the music stop as the DJ asked the wedding party to join Ava and Trevor for the next dance.
I stood up and held my hand down to her. “Dance with me, Talia?”
She took my hand without answering and allowed me to lead her out to the floor. I felt almost light-headed as I pulled her into my arms, pulling her against me. The soft gasp that escaped her lips as I ran my hand down to rest on her lower back made the sweet desire spread through my body, warming me from head to toe.
I took a deep breath. “I'm an asshole, and I'm so scared, Talia.” I nuzzled her neck, loving the way she felt in my arms. “I've never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with you; I don't want to lose you. I can’t lose you. You can’t possibly know how much of my heart you hold, and I just can’t seem to let you go.” I pulled back so I could see her face. “I love you.” She closed her eyes, and I watched as a lone tear escaped, rolling down her cheek. I leaned down, kissing it away.
“You can’t do this, Tom. Please don't tell me you love me, unless you mean it. Don't tell me you want to be with me, unless you're going to. I can’t let myself fall for you, unless I know you're going to catch me,” she pleaded with me. My heart broke for what I put her through.
“Talia, I’m so sorry. I was so messed up for a while. I pushed you away because I didn’t think I deserved you. I didn’t want you to have to take care of me. I wanted to take care of you, and I was too broken to do so, so I let you go.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “That was the biggest mistake of my life. Not only was I a complete mess, but I hurt you, and I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am for that.”
“If this is all true, why were you so cold to me when I saw you outside?” She looked adorable with her eyebrows pulled together.
“I was jealous.”
“Jealous? Of whom?”
“Austin.” I felt like an idiot.
“My cousin? Why?” She looked at me with wide eyes.
“I didn’t know he was your cousin, and I didn’t like him touching you.” I smiled at her, trying to hide my embarrassment.
“Oh, Tom. What am I going to do with you?” she sighed.
“Well, I’m hoping you might kiss me.” I winked at her, loving the way she bit her bottom lip and smiled back at me.
“On one condition,” she laughed.
“Anything for you, my angel.”
“You have to promise to love me past tonight.” I didn’t understand her statement, but I knew it wouldn’t be an issue.
“Done,” I said right before I captured her mouth with more urgency than I’d ever felt before. She had a way of bringing out a hunger in me that I could hardly control. I was so lost to her touch, her taste, and her smell—completely oblivious to our surroundings until I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I looked over and saw Nick smirking at us. “Dude, the song ended like two minutes ago.”
We looked around and saw that we were, in fact, the only two people still dancing. Trevor and Ava were grinning ear to ear. Talia buried her face into my chest as she laughed at the situation, lifting her head finally. “All right, I think we are in serious need of alcohol and a lot of idiot dancing ... who's in?” She looked around to all of us.
“Damn right!” Nick laughed as an upbeat song started, and we all let loose.
Chapter 19
Talia
I still couldn’t figure out how we ended up here. I looked over at Tom as he pulled the car into the parking garage of his building. Tonight had been perfect. My best friend married the love of her life, and I felt like I’d finally found mine.
It was hard not to think too hard about everything we’d gone through to get to this point, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit gun shy. I didn’t want to let my guard down, but if it meant that I could be with Tom, even if it was only temporary, I was willing to take that chance.
He turned the car off and looked over at me. “Ready?”
Forget the butterflies, it felt like a freaking mosh-pit in my stomach. “Yeah.” I smiled as I climbed out of the car, meeting him around the back as he grabbed my hand.
I was amazed at how fluidly he moved with his prosthesis. He seemed so comfortable with it.
“How long have you had your prosthesis? No one mentioned it before.” We stepped into the elevator.
“I didn’t exactly tell anyone. I’ve been wearing one off and on for the last month, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted to be able to walk today, kind of showing you all how much your support has meant to me.” He shrugged with a smile.
“I haven’t exactly been very supportive, Tom,” I said with regret, hating that I had missed so much. We stepped out of the elevator and paused in front of Tom’s door.
He took my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. “Talia, you did more for me than I ever could have asked for, and if anyone should feel bad about you not being around, it is me. I treated you like shit, and I didn’t deserve you after that.” He unlocked his door and held it open for me.
“You were quite an asshole.” I agreed and then laughed at his shocked face.
“Well, my angel, can you forgive me?” he asked, his voice sounding husky as he pulled me into his arms.
“I’ll let you know.” I shrugged as I smiled at him.
He let out what sounded like a growl and swept me up into his arms. I squealed and laughed as he carried me down the hall and into his room. He placed me gently on my feet as he looked down at me with so much desire in his eyes that I was instantly ready for him.
He reached behind me and pulled the zipper of my dress down in one fluid movement, making me gasp at the touch of his fingers grazing my back. He slipped the dress down, allowing it to fall in a pool around my feet. He groaned as he looked at me standing before him in only my strapless bra and matching thong.
I reached behind and unhooked my bra, letting it fall away, freeing my heavy breasts. “Oh God, Talia! You’re gorgeous, angel.” He cupped both of my breasts in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over my sensitive nipples. I threw my head back, the feeling almost more than I could handle. He leaned down, taking the first one into his warm mouth, licking and teasing and then paying the same attention to the other.
“Oh Tom, please,” I moaned.
“What do you want, Talia? Tell me.” He placed soft kisses down my stomach, working his way south until I felt his warm breath against the fabric of my thong. I sucked in a breath, wanting him to continue, but not able to find the words to ask.
As if he could read my mind, he hooked his fingers under my thong and slid it down my legs. He sank to his knees, kissing my hips before lifting my right leg over his shoulder and leaning in, kissing, and sucking. My legs began to shake, and I was sure I couldn’t stay upright. I grabbed onto Tom’s hair, both holding him in place and steadying myself. I felt the familiar build in my stomach, sending me forth into uncontrollable, shuddering contractions. Tom slipped a finger inside as ripples of ecstasy flooded through me. “Tom!” I cried out his name and collapsed back onto the bed, panting and trembling from the exquisite release.
I felt Tom lay next to me, softly running his fingers over my shoulders. “Are you okay, angel?”
“I’m so good.” I smiled weakly at him. “Wait, why are you still fully dressed?” I propped myself up on my elbow.
“I was busy,” he chuckled.
“Well, let’s change that.” I reached over and unbuttoned Tom’s shirt, slipping it off his shoulders and tossing to the floor as I ran my hands over the muscled planes of his back. I placed a soft kiss on his shoulder and up his neck, nibbling o
n his jaw before trailing my kisses to the other side of his neck.
I pulled back, giggling as he groaned, “Hold on, I’m not done.” I ran my fingers over his hard chest, trailing them down his scar, closing my eyes for a minute as I remembered how fragile he had been.
“Don’t.” He grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands up to his mouth, placing a kiss on each of my palms. “These hands helped heal me. Don’t remember the rest.”
I nodded, my heart swelling at the realization of how far he had come. “Okay.”
Tom stood and unbuttoned his pants, letting them drop. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled them off of his feet, followed by his sock. He looked back at me as he unhooked his prosthesis, setting it next to the bed. I moved myself onto my knees behind him, placing my arms around his shoulders and whispering in his ear, “I love you so much, Tom.”
When he had removed everything, he turned back around, pushing me back gently until I was lying down. He climbed over me, pressing his full length against me. “Oh God, I want you so bad right now,” I gasped at the feel of his skin on mine. I felt like every nerve ending had come alive.
“You are so beautiful. Perfect.” He leaned over and reached into his nightstand, ripping open the foil package as he rolled the condom down his straining shaft. “Are you sure?” he asked as he leaned down and kissed me gently, looking so worried that I might change my mind.
“Tom, I am more certain about this than I’ve ever been about anything.” I pulled him down to me, savagely claiming his mouth, plunging my tongue inside and moaning as our tongues danced and curled with each other’s.
I felt his full throbbing erection pressing at the opening of my sex. “Please,” I gasped as he pushed in his entire length in one swift move, filling me perfectly. I moved below him with hot, wet abandon, meeting him thrust for thrust.