by Layla Wilde
Rocco snorted and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Um. No. You need to beg her. Plead with her. Make her realize how serious you are. I don’t know how you’ll do it, but you’ll have to figure that out on your own. You’re used to a world where women are things to be played with. And so are you, being in the modeling industry. You’re used to big money, high rises, business, politics. This is a whole different world for you, but if you want anything to work between you and Stephanie, you need to say, ‘fuck you, Dad,’ and step into it. Get the hell out of his shoes, man!”
“Alright.” I nodded, tapping my hands on the railing. “I can do this. I’m meeting her at the Riverman Café tomorrow morning, so that’s as good a time as any.”
Rocco grinned suddenly. “She contacted you, didn’t she?”
“Yes. But how did you know?”
“Because there’s no way in hell you’d contact her for a meeting. I know you too well. So… either she’s going to tell you she wants to work things out, or she’s going to tell you she threw all of the stuff you ever gave her outside and burned it. It’s always one or the other with women.”
I held my hands up and leaned back against the railing. “Okay, I…” I sighed, “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. But I’ve decided there’s no way I’m proposing. I can’t.” My head shook. “I’ll just take things one step at a time and see what happens.”
“Up to you, man.” Rocco shrugged. “Anyway, now that that’s out of the way, want a beer?”
“Yes.” My shoulders dropped, and I gestured toward the kitchen. “It’s all out there. Shots, too. I figured we were going to need them.”
As Rocco flashed me a big smile and left for the kitchen, I turned away and looked at the view again. I lowered my head and pushed my hands through my hair, gripping it for the umpteenth time tonight. If I kept this up, I wasn’t going to have any hair left.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered. “There’s no way.”
Stephanie
The Riverman Café was quaint and nice, but there were too many people for my comfort. I insisted we sit outside because I didn’t want to go in where I would feel crushed and crowded by strangers.
“Darla, this is really nice, but we could have eaten at my place. I have lots of food. Or we could have gone to your place.”
She sat down next to me, her head shaking. “No, you really needed to get out, especially after yesterday. It’ll be good for you, I promise, and the food is absolutely wonderful. You should give the cinnamon pancakes a try, with the fresh fruit salad on the side. I’m telling you, there’s nothing else in the world like it.”
I smiled weakly and shrugged. “I’m not really that hungry. The baby has been really restless lately—”
“You are the worst liar I have ever seen. Don’t make me order food for you.”
I nodded and used a napkin to wipe at my eyes, which hadn’t stopped watering since I’d woken up. I kept telling myself it was just allergies, but I wasn’t really allergic to anything except maybe bad luck. “Okay.”
She took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Hey, come on, buck up a little. It’ll all be okay. You have me, remember?”
“I remember.” I tried and failed to smile. When the waitress approached our table, my attempted smile faded. As I looked up at her, I spotted a man who looked just like Damian out of the corner of my eye. He was walking down the street toward us. My heart leapt into my throat, and I felt a surge of both rage and panic fill me. My whole body vibrated as I stood up, nearly knocking my chair over in the process. “Excuse me. I’m sorry, I—excuse me.” Not looking at Darla or anyone else, a lump in my throat, I practically ran inside the café. When I found the bathroom, I darted into it, my breaths coming out in sharp, short pants. My hand moved to my chest as my anxiety flared up, and I kept looking toward the door, praying no one came in.
“Please, please,” I whispered. “Please don’t let that actually be him.”
I moved over to the sink and turned on the water, and a lump felt permanently stuck in my throat. My stomach lurched, and I vomited the very small amount of food I’d eaten this morning. My stomach lurched again, and I groaned as more came up, spilling into the sink. As often as this had happened to me in the last few months, it was still disgusting.
“Gross…” Grimacing, I drank some of the tap water, which tasted awful. Unable to stand the taste, I spat it out and wiped at my face at the same time.
The door opened behind me, and I turned, my body stiffening. When I saw it was Darla, I slumped back against the counter. “Thank God it’s just you. Was it him? Is he gone?”
Darla watched me for a few seconds. She looked nervous. “No… He’s at our table.”
“What?”
“Steph, it’s okay, really. He just wants to talk.”
“What? No! How did he even know I was here?” Panic set in now, along with anxiety, and I gripped the edge of the counter tightly. When Darla didn’t answer my question, I felt a wave of nausea rather than just a lurch in my gut. “Darla…” My throat clenched, and my knuckles were white.
“Sweetie, you were miserable. I was scared for you. I had to do something.”
My jaw slackened, and anger burst through the panic. “You set me up? You knew he would be coming and you didn’t tell me?”
“Yes, I set you up. And I don’t regret it at all.”
I opened my mouth to give her a piece of my mind when I heard the door open. Turning to look, I froze when I saw Damian’s face peeking in.
“What the hell are you doing here? You’re even worse than—”
“Stephanie, please. I didn’t come here to argue. Besides, you invited me.”
“I… what?” I stared, slack-jawed, at Darla.
“You sent me a text last night saying you wanted to meet me here at nine a.m.”
“When I’m done with him, you and I need to talk.” I glared at Darla, then turned to Damian. “What do you want? You have thirty seconds. No, ten seconds.”
Damian seemed at a loss for words. He looked awkward, even guilty. I’d never seen him like that before. The anger poured out of me, brought on from all the stress and the shock of what Darla had done.
“Can you please come with me? Back to your table? Please?”
I’d never heard him say the word please so many times in the span of mere seconds. Stiffening a little, I nodded and walked out of the bathroom, through the café, and outside to our table. I didn’t look at him as I sat down in my chair and grabbed my bag. I was ready to walk home.
Damian sat in a chair next to me, and I glanced up. He took one of my hands, holding on even though I tried to pull away. After a few seconds, I gave up and shook my head, not looking at him. “What do you want, Damian? Don’t you think you’ve hurt me enough?”
“Yes…” His voice sounded so quiet I could barely hear him. “I’m so, so sorry.” He wouldn’t let me say anything as he held up a hand and kept going. “I have been a complete and total idiot. I have been selfish and belittling. I have treated you like a piece of furniture. More than that, I made you believe you were important to me and then stomped that notion into the dirt. I made you believe you weren’t worth my time. And you were right, I was acting like I was in this for myself and no one else. Like I just wanted the good publicity to rain down on me as though you were a tool for me to use and throw out. And there is nothing right about that, at all.
“I only cared about the baby because she’s mine. And because I felt obligated to do something. So I threw money at you in the hopes that you would move on the same way that I wanted to.” He sighed and looked away, and his eyes shimmered with tears. “There’s no excuse for what I did to you, Stephanie, but I told you about my parents… about how my dad is. I tried so hard not to be like him because commitment scared the hell out of me, and it still does. But I finally realized that I was just like him. I was doing everything he would have done when I thought I was doing the right thing for everyone. In the end, it was only
the right thing for me. Not the right thing for you or the baby.”
I sat there in stunned silence. My eyes were locked on him. My anger was swept away with the first real admission I had heard from Damian since he’d opened up to me. I could almost feel his sincerity in every word. There was no way he could be faking this.
“I… have no idea what to say…”
Slowly, his eyes on mine, he slid from the chair and onto his knee in front of me. He pulled a beautiful red velvet box from the inside of his jacket and held it out toward me. “Say yes,” he said, his deft fingers opening the box.
Inside was a simple diamond engagement ring that sparkled brilliantly. It consisted of two silver bands entwined together. At the top was a single diamond surrounded by tiny sapphires. In the sunlight, it glimmered, some of the flashes from the gems hurting my eyes.
“Damian…” I looked back and forth between the ring and his face, too shocked to function. “I…”
“Please?” He held the ring a little closer to me. “Stephanie, please? Will you marry me? I promise not to be such an idiot again. I promise—”
“Yes.” I couldn’t believe what I was saying. Every part of me screamed at me to tell him to go to hell, but I accepted his proposal.
“Y-yes? You said yes?” His eyes lit up, and he gripped my hand harder. “Really?” Setting the box down, he pulled the ring out and slid it gently onto my left ring finger. It fit as though it had been crafted specifically for me.
“Yes.” I smiled at him, though it was shaky. “I said yes.” I looked down at the ring and drew in a few halting breaths.
“Steph?” Darla’s voice made me look up. As angry as I wanted to be with her, I just couldn’t be. Not after this.
“You have a lot of explaining to do, you know.” I wiped my eyes, smiling through the tears. “But thank you. You’re wonderful, even if I can’t believe you did this. I still love you.”
Her brown eyes softened, and she wrapped me in a tight hug. “And I adore you. I didn’t care if you got mad or hated me… I had to do something.”
“I could never hate you.” I hugged her back as tightly as I could. “Never, ever, ever! I know you just wanted to help, and…” I pulled back from her so I could look at her. “I really think you did. I’m sorry I exploded at you in the bathroom, Darla.”
“It’s okay. I kind of deserved it. I’m just really happy for you two! What do you say to a couple of drinks? Beer for Damian and me, and something sweet and non-alcoholic for you?”
“Okay.” I smiled wider and wiped my eyes again. I slid off the chair and wrapped my arms around Damian’s neck, hugging him as tightly as I could. He returned the embrace and squeezed me gently. My whole body thrummed with emotion, and I was unbearably attracted to him all over again. Not everything was forgiven, but it was a start.
“Don’t think you’re getting off this easy,” I whispered in his ear. “You have a lot of explaining and making up to do.”
“I know.” He got up and placed me back in my chair, hugging me as he did. “And I will. I’ll make this all up to you however you need me to.”
I nodded, resting my forehead against his. “Can I ask what caused all of this change?”
He raised an eyebrow and sat down in his chair, moving it closer so our knees touched. “Let’s just say I have a pretty good friend, too.” When he kissed me, I nearly melted. “You’ll get to meet him at the wedding.”
“Oh my God. The wedding. I’m going to have a wedding. I’m getting married!” I paused, looking around. People were staring. Shrinking a little, I gave Damian a smile so big my face hurt. “I’m getting married,” I said in a quieter voice.
“Me too.” He smiled back at me, kissing me and holding my face.
“Alright, enough of the bedroom stuff! I’m gonna go get us some drinks!” Darla waved her hands at us, let out a giggle, and trotted into the café to find a waitress.
I watched her with a laugh, one of my hands still wrapped in Damian’s. This had truly gone from rock bottom to one of the best moments I could remember having in my life.
Damian
Two months later
I couldn’t believe it was my wedding day. All my life, I had vowed never to marry, yet I was standing at the altar. Next to me was my best man, Rocco, and the officiant stood behind us. Surrounding us was a very small group of both friends and family, most of whom were from Stephanie’s side. My father, despite urging, had refused to attend, and my mother sat near the back. I had several aunts and uncles, but none of them were notable. We had never been close. The only people who had come to support me were friends and coworkers, which suited me just fine. I only needed Stephanie. Everyone else was just a bonus.
On Stephanie’s side, there was her mother, her father, aunts, uncles, and a few cousins. There weren’t any friends at all except for her maid of honor, Darla.
Tables were set up under beautiful tents, and each one had food of all varieties. There were desserts, pastries, sandwiches, meat, salads, drinks, a gigantic cake, and all manner of such things. On another table, not too far away, gifts were piled high. Behind the officiant was a small band consisting mostly of people proficient with flutes and violins. Music played softly, and it was nothing like the typical traditional wedding music. This was more soothing and celebratory. I liked it. Just beyond the guests was a stage, and there were speakers surrounding it.
Because we were outside, the grass had been freshly mowed the day before, and all of the gardens had been cleaned and weeded within the area. I didn’t really know the place, but Stephanie had described it to me as one of her favorite spots in the world. I would have to ask her for more details when this was all over.
I looked toward the stage when I heard a few quiet gasps, and my heart fluttered in my chest. There she was. Even this far into her pregnancy she looked absolutely glorious. The way that her dress flowed across her body reminded me of ocean waves on a windy day. She walked with such pride that I could feel it in my chest, and it was all I could do to stop the tears from rolling down my face. I swallowed and drew in a few deep breaths to calm myself. As I did so, I felt Rocco give my shoulder a friendly, supportive nudge.
“Hey, stop acting like a little girl. It’s only your wedding day.” There was something playful in his voice, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey, watch it. Just remember who signs your paychecks.”
He clasped his hands neatly in front of his waist and looked for all the world like a little boy trying to behave himself. He kept glancing at me, though, giving me bright smiles and little nods the closer Stephanie came to us. I did my best to ignore him, elbowing him once in a while to make him stop. He, of course, didn’t.
Next to Stephanie was her father. She had her arm in his, and they walked slowly toward us. He looked quite elderly and frail, but there was a determination in him that reminded me of my fiancée. On her other side was Darla. She looked beautiful, too, her style of dress similar to Stephanie’s, but not as elegant.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” I asked in a whisper.
“Now that you’ve got your head on straight, you see it from the inside, too, don’t you? If this had been just a few months ago, you never would have looked twice at a pregnant woman.” Rocco grinned like an idiot.
“Okay, now you’re pushing it. But… yes.”
Hearing the officiant clear his throat behind us, I quieted and gave Rocco another little elbow to his side. He was quiet as well, but he wouldn’t stop grinning. I couldn’t remember seeing him so happy.
As Stephanie drew closer, I held my breath. I had to remind myself to breathe over and over again. When she finally reached me, her father clutched her arm and kissed her cheek.
“I’m so proud of you, my gorgeous daughter,” he said.
She blushed furiously and refused to look at him, glancing down at the ground. “Thank you, Dad.”
He looked at me, and I dipped my chin in a small nod, reaching out to take one of her hands. S
he squeezed my fingers in her own. She lifted them to kiss the back of my hand.
“Before we get started today,” said the officiant. “I would like to welcome everyone who has gathered for this very special evening here at Clyde Park Gardens. We are here to join Stephanie Sanders and Damian Masters in holy matrimony. Is there anyone here who feels as though they don’t belong together? And is there anyone here who disagrees with this union?”
“I do. But whatever, it’s not like I have a choice.”
My heart sank when I heard my mother’s voice coming from the back. Before anyone could say anything, she got to her feet and glared at Stephanie. “She’s nothing more than a tramp, and my son is just trying to do the right thing. He doesn’t deserve to be pinned down by some nobody!” Letting out a loud, haughty huff, my mother turned and stomped toward the parking lot.
When I looked at Stephanie, I leaned in close and kissed her cheek. “Hey. You know I don’t believe any of that.”
She looked horrified, her eyes wide, but she nodded and clung to my hand. “I know, but why would she say those things? What have I ever done to her? I don’t understand.”
Her eyes welled with tears, and I could tell there was a panic attack closing in fast. Taking her face, I kissed her softly, letting my forehead rest against hers. “Hey…shhh. My mother is an evil bitch, okay? My father turned her into an indifferent monster who wants to hurt everyone. But you need to breathe. If you still want to go through with this.”
She smiled through the tears and nodded quickly with a swallow. “I know… and yes, I do. I really, really do. But…” She looked to the officiant. “Can we still have our wedding?”
He shrugged and nodded. “I don’t see her anywhere, do you?”
I smiled at the man. “I don’t see her, either. So I guess that means we’re still on.”
“Yeah! We’re still on!” Rocco’s voice was almost uncontained, and I could tell he’d had a few too many beers already. The small group laughed, though, my clothing director managing to shake them out of their shock.