by Mia Michelle
“They’re here, Skylar. You and I both know that. They are happy for you and this is going to be a beautiful day.” Kylie coaches me. My best friend is never serious like this much. She always puts some sort of smartass humor to things, but right now, her words are just what I need to hear. Pulling me into her arms, I hold on to her.
“I love you,” I whisper. “Thank you for everything.”
“No one deserves this more than you. There is no way you are thanking me. I love you and would do this a million times for you. Besides that… your man is loaded, so like, we can actually do this a million times again.” She jokes and we begin laughing. Just like that, my sassy, smartass friend returns.
“Are you ready?” Sophie asks and I nod. The lady handling the wedding sends us on out to make our way around to where they are waiting.
I hadn’t been prepared for what I saw when we walked out. A massive bamboo altar stands in the middle of the beach, the beautiful blue water crashes in the background. There isn’t a cloud in the crisp blue sky. White and silver fabric blows in the wind, adorned with every imaginable tropical flower in existence. A long piece of turquoise fabric covers the sand and lines the way to him, dusted in the same tropical flower petals. John Legend’s enchanting voice fills my ears, but my eyes are locked on the gorgeous man staring back at me.
Dressed in loose gray pants and a white linen shirt, he can put any GQ model to shame. (And I mean SHAME!) Nik’s eyes are glued on my best friend.
Looking back to Sebastian, I take a deep breath. My insides calm when I see him smile back at me. Sophie and Kylie hook arms with me and we begin our journey to the love of my life.
“Who gives this woman away?”
In unison, Sophie and Kylie speak, “We do in honor of her parents.”
They move to light a candle in front of a picture. I gasp when I see a table with pictures of my parents, his mom, and my Granna. There on that table is everyone we have loved and lost. Because of someone’s wonderful heart, they really are here and part of this. I can never thank whoever did this enough.
Sebastian steps forward and takes my hand. An overwhelming surge of energy flows through my body and we both smile knowingly. This happens every single time we are near each other and I love it more and more with every minute of every day.
“I love you,” he whispers and kisses my hand.
I squeeze back and the man clears his throat to begin the ceremony. I hope I can concentrate on it, because right now I’m lost in the eyes of my happily ever after.
Sebastian
She is absolute perfection. Heaven itself couldn’t be any more stunning than she is right now. Skylar keeps staring at me as I hold her soft hands in mine.
“The groom has requested he do his own vows,” the minister announces.
Shit, I probably should have warned her about this. I just want to tell her how I feel without the use of some generic wedding vows. She needs to hear this.
“Skylar, from the first moment I laid eyes on you, you stole my breath away and to be honest, I’m not entirely certain that I ever got it back. You saw right through me, all the way down deep inside, past all the ugly darkness and you didn’t run. You are the only one who ever has seen inside, the only one who has ever cared enough to look. All my life, I thought I had been living, but that isn’t true. You are the reason my heart beats. You are the fire that rages in my soul. Because of you, I finally know what it feels like to be alive, to be truly loved.” I try to hold back the tears, but I can’t. Blinking hard, I stare back into her haunting eyes and continue.
“To have an ending to a story, you must first have a beginning. You are my beginning, Skylar Rose. You’re my beginning, middle, and end, my happily ever after. I will spend every minute of the rest of my life, showing you just how much I love and need you. A lifetime with you will never be enough.” Sliding on her ring, I chuckle at the way her eyes enlarge at the sight of it. Most would say I went a bit overboard on it, but nothing is good enough for her. “With this ring, I take you as my wife, my lover, my best friend, and my baby momma.”
She throws her head back and laughs that fucking beautiful laugh of hers, keeping a smile so bright on her face that she could outshine the sun. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she kisses me sweetly on my lips, leaving me with the taste of raspberry lip-gloss on my mouth. Dragging my tongue across my lips, I savor her taste in my mouth and pray that I can make it through this ceremony without taking her right here in front of everyone. Taking my ring from Kylie, she turns back to face me and smiles.
God, I love this woman.
“Sebastian, the love we share is something magical, unimaginable to most. Through everything we have been through, our love has always been the magnetic force, pulling us back together. When I’m in your arms, anything is possible. You’ve taken away the pain inside of me,” she says, choking up as she takes my hand and places it on her growing stomach.
Tenderly, I cup her cheek with my other hand, swiping away a trailing tear away with my thumb. “Baby, don’t cry,” I whisper and she smiles, drawing in a deep breath before she speaks.
“You’ve given me something so beautiful and perfect. The best parts of both of us are growing inside of me, promising us of a lifetime of happiness. Sebastian, you are my everything.” Sliding the ring on my finger, she continues, “I want you to be my forever and always. Love is forever, my forever is with you.”
I can’t help it. I pull her against me, and our mouths crash against each other. Our tongues hungrily devour one another. My lungs are burning before I let her go. We both gasp for air while the man who is conducting our ceremony clears his throat.
“By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride once again.” He laughs.
She throws her arms around me, and I lift her up, bringing her belly tightly against me. Kissing her with everything in me, I know I hold everything in my arms right now. When we finally break away, I gently set her down on the ground. She looks up at me with so much love that I think I am going to melt.
Fuck me, she is so damn beautiful!
“I love you so much,” she says, smiling.
“Not as much as I love you.”
Skylar
My husband is simply amazing to do all of this for me. I look around and see my sister laughing as Nik spins her and Kylie around in the sand. Today… this… is simply perfect. Holding on to him, I lay my head against his chest and move to the music of Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally.” Words could never be truer. Despite everything we’ve been through, he is my life. He kisses my forehead and I look up at him. We don’t have to say a word because the lyrics speak for us. His amber eyes are so full of light and happiness. Leaning in, he holds me close as our lips touch. His hands find my face and he deepens the kiss. I lose every sense of my surroundings. I’m completely lost in this man. Our tongues dance hungrily with one another. When he breaks, I’m being lifted up in his arms. The photographer snaps pictures of us while he holds me tightly against his body.
“I’m ready for the honeymoon, Mrs. Thorne,” he says with a sexy smile.
Laughing, I kiss his lips. Since we’ve already done all the other pictures, there really isn’t anything keeping us from leaving.
“Are you going to put me down now, or are you going to carry me all the way back to the bungalow?” I ask, but his face becomes serious.
“Oh yeah, about that. We aren’t going back to the bungalow.”
“What are you talking about? Where are you carrying me to then? Are you planning on taking me in the bathroom over there?” I joke and he raises an eyebrow like he’s actually considering that as an option. When I slap him on the chest, he just laughs and turns to walk me towards the water to a fancy, new red and white speedboat tied to a ramp. A friendly looking older gentleman greets us with a crooked smile and a wave.
“Mr. Thorne, the rest of your and Mrs. Thorne’s things have already been moved to the island. Calina is there now to
help you both get settled in for the evening.”
Sebastian nods his head and sits me down.
Everyone gathers at the boat dock to wish us farewell. After an emotional send off, Nik comes up behind Kylie and wraps his arms around her waist. The smile on both of their faces tells me everything is going to be all right between the two of them. Stepping on the boat first, Sebastian holds his hands out to grab my waist to steady my boarding the boat. You can see the fear of me slipping in his eyes. Once I’m safely in the boat, he pulls me to him. Nik steps forward and unties the rope, pushing the boat back away from the dock before moving back to stand between a waving Kylie and Sophie.
“Where are we going?” I ask, now completely baffled.
“You’ll see,” he says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out both our phones.
“My phone! I thought I’d lost it!” I shout happily. Everything on it is saved, but I am just glad I didn’t leave it somewhere. This pregnancy brain is getting worse by the minute.
Smiling mischievously, Sebastian leans back and tosses both of our phones in the ocean.
“Sebastian! Why on earth did you do that?” I ask him in shock.
“You are all mine for the next week. No one is going to interrupt us.”
I shake my head at him as the loud motor roars to life. His boyish grin is too contagious for me to stay upset at. It’s just a phone. Besides, he is right. It will be nice to be focused on nothing but each other for the next week.
Everyone waves goodbye and Sebastian smiles and wraps his arms around me as we settle into the seat. “Better hold on, baby,” he warns just as the speedboat takes off.
I shrill and hold him tighter to me. I watch my sister and friends quickly disappear in the distance. A few minutes later, a small island comes into sight. The crisp green blue water is so clear it is breathtaking. The boat slows as it reaches land where a crew waits to help tie the boat off. A short young woman is there to greet us. This must be Calina. Great! She’s fucking runway model gorgeous.
“Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Thorne. I am Calina Edwards. I will be your island director.” She extends her hand out to shake ours. Calina takes a little too much time letting go of my husband’s hand for my liking, but I can’t say I can blame her for getting lost in those eyes. It happens to me every single time.
“At your request, everything has already been moved from your other bungalow and settled into the beach house. The refrigerator and pantry is completely stocked and a crew will be available around the clock to prepare meals or assist you with anything you may need. All you have to do is use the phone inside the house. The island crew is available 24 hours a day. If you need anything, it only takes about fifteen minutes for them to arrive. The island will be completely yours tonight as you requested, Mr. Thorne.”
“Thank you, Calina.” Sebastian smiles and wraps his arms lovingly around my waist.
“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Thorne. Here is my card in case you run into any problems with our staff. I wish you two a wonderful evening.” She smiles before leaving.
Looking around, I take in the magnificent perfection around us. This can’t possibly be real. Places like this only exist in my mind. I’m speechless. It is as if I am standing on the island in the movie Blue Lagoon with my husband. For the next week, we will get to enjoy this paradise. I can’t wipe the smile off my face. When I turn, I see Sebastian smiling at me.
“Well? What do you think?”
I throw my arms around his neck, and he lifts me carefully and swings me around.
“I think I am the luckiest girl in the world.”
“Then I’d say you ain’t seen nothing yet, kid.”
Brandon
I take another long drag from my cigarette while I wait for my brother to get here. Looking out across the empty parking lot, I study the abandoned warehouse in front of me. My dad has owned this place ever since Mikey and I were kids. No one ever comes out here anymore, which is another reason this place is perfect for carrying out my plan.
And what is my plan exactly? It’s simple really. I’m taking back what is mine.
Skylar may give me a little difficulty at first, but eventually she will come around. She’ll remember how much we meant to one another. I’m going to do everything I have to in order to remind her of our undeniable love.
My brother finally pulls into the parking lot and parks his black Audi next to my BMW. He opens the door and reaches over to retrieve the folder in the seat beside him. Tossing my cigarette over across the pavement, I study his face. He looks anxious and jumpy.
“What’s going on, Mikey?” I ask. I know my big brother and this certainly isn’t like him. I only see him like this when I know something is wrong.
“It’s nothing,” he answers me with a short tone.
Yep, something definitely isn’t right.
“Did you get it?” I ask, eyeing the folder in his hand.
“Yeah, Bro, I got it. But I don’t think this is a good idea. I overheard Pops talking on this one. I think you better steer clear of the girl.”
“Fuck off, man. This right here is my ticket to getting my life back,” I say, shaking the file in my hand.
“Brandon, if Pops knows you have that, you and I both know it ain’t gonna end good for either of us.”
“Relax! He’ll never even know I have it. Besides Mikey, I’d never let you take the fall for this one. You know that.”
“Yeah, I know, but just make sure you get that back on his desk by the time he gets out of that meeting this afternoon.”
“What’s in here, anyway?” I ask while curiously flipping through the contents of the folder.
“Just a bunch of newspaper clippings and shit. I don’t think there is anything in there that was worth risking the chance on getting caught with. Pops is planning on going after Sebastian himself, Bro. I heard him talking to a guy about it yesterday afternoon. Some Drake fellow came by the other morning, and apparently, he and Pops had a long meeting about him. I know he’s got Robert in on handling it, so be careful, all right?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
He looks around nervously, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.
“Why did you want to meet out here anyway? This place always gives me the creeps. I hated it when we used to come here as kids.” Mikey grimaces as he looks at the old run down building behind me.
“I dunno. I just wanted a private place to meet I guess. When I told you to meet me somewhere, this place just popped into my head.”
Satisfied with my answer, he slaps me on the back and shakes my free hand.
“Well, I better get back over to help Tex with that job across town. I’ll catch you later, all right? Oh, and don’t forget to get that back on his desk, Brandon. I’m serious. Remember, it goes on the left side.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! I hear you.” I say, waving him off.
“Be safe, Brandon. I don’t want you back in jail.”
“Don’t worry, Mikey. I’ll be fine.” He waves at me and then drives away.
Leaning against the side of my car, I study the contents of the folder. One by one, I put the clippings on the hood of my car before taking a picture of each with my phone.
All fifteen newspaper clippings are about a car accident back in 2005. One article reads Hit and Run Kills Two, while another one reads Police Are Asking the Community’s Help in Solving Hit and Run. Confused, I look through the rest of the articles and then I spot her name underneath a picture caption.
Skylar and Sophie Rose mourn the loss of their parents today as they were laid to rest this afternoon. Their parents, Elizabeth and Samuel Rose, were both killed this past weekend in a horrific hit and run accident. The case remains open, but there are no leads. The two girls were the only survivors of the crash.
It takes a few minutes for all of it to begin processing in my head.
Does all of this mean that Sebastian Thorne was driving the other vehicle? But how did my father know that?
Quickly, I finish taking pictures of the articles and shove them all back in the folder. Glancing at the time on my phone, I curse. ”FUCK!” I hadn’t realized how long I’d been looking at all of them. I’ve got to get these back on his desk before he gets back and finds out they are missing.
I barely make it in time to lay the folder back on his desk. FUCK! Did Mikey say left or right side? I hear Pops’ voice drawing closer so I take a chance and sit it on the left side, and move to sit in the chair in front of his desk. My heart is pounding.
“Brandon, what are you doing in here, son?” he says, closing the door behind him.
“Oh, I’m just checking in with you. I’m ready to go back to work, so put me wherever you need me.” I reply, trying to distract my attention from the folder on the desk. He takes his hand and slides the folder closer to him. Shit! Did I put it on the wrong side?
“Perhaps it’s best you just sit out for a while. We just got you out of jail, Brandon. We don’t want to chance anything just yet. When I have a couple of small jobs lined up, I’ll let you know. Until then, just lie low and stay out of trouble, all right?”
“Yeah, sure, Pops. Whatever you say.”
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, son, I’ve got some important calls to make,” he says, picking up the phone on his desk.
Nodding, I leave his office. My pulse is racing from all the adrenaline still coursing through my body.
Fuck, that had been a close one!
Ducking into the nearby men’s room, I pull out the stash of cocaine in my jeans pocket and open the glass vial. I bring the little white stick to the opening of my nose and sniff hard and fast. Blinking my eyes, I see that another hit is needed if I’m going to calm down. One more long sniff does the trick, and I lean back against the wall behind me. I’ve got to get my game face on because it is time to put my plan in motion. Sebastian Thorne will never know what hit him.
Sebastian
The last of the staff just left the island for the night. We now have the entire place to ourselves until the staff returns in the morning. Before they’d left on their boat, I’d arranged for all of the outside lanterns and torches to be positioned and lit. Small red candles twinkle in the sand, just like the night I’d proposed to her. Our dinner is already prepared and keeping warm inside, although I’m pretty sure I will be having her before we eat. I want everything about this night to be absolutely perfect. She deserves the world and I plan spending a lifetime of giving her just that.