My head starts to spin as I listen to his words. This can’t be happening. How can he say all those things? How can he say I wanted what he did to me? “And people actually believed him? But his DNA, it was on my body. That proves what he did.”
“The sample they took was from your neck, and he admitted to kissing you there when you were on the dancefloor. He couldn’t really deny that as there were dozens of witnesses.”
“But Lizzie. She gave a statement confirming it was the same guy.”
“The testimony of a girl who was raped over three years before your assault; who didn’t report it and just happens to be the future sister-in-law of his latest victim. You, me and everyone close to us knows Lizzie is telling the truth, but his legal team will spin it, so a fresh jury will just see it differently.”
“He admitted it, Cal. He said he did it.”
“He’s saying his solicitor at the time told him that with all the evidence against him, he would be sent down and was looking at life in prison. He only pled guilty to get a reduced sentence. He’s now saying he didn’t do anything you didn’t want him to do. His new solicitor is claiming he had ineffectual counsel.”
I close my eyes and lower my head, willing the pain in my heart to go away. I thought this was all over. I thought Cal and I could move on with our lives without this hanging over our heads. “Will I need to go to court?”
“If his team are successful, then both you and Lizzie will need to testify. I’m so sorry, Cris. I know you thought all this was behind us.”
All I can do is nod as I take in all the information. I’ve not thought about that night in a long time. For months after it happened, it was all I could think about. I hardly slept, and when I did, my dreams were plagued with images of what happened. More than once I woke up kicking and screaming, with Cal trying to calm me down.
For a while, I couldn’t let Cal touch me as it brought back images of what that man had done to me. That had hurt us both, as I knew Cal would never do anything like that to me, but I couldn’t help my reaction. It was an impulse, and it wasn’t just Cal. Any guy who came near me I shied away from, but my worst reaction was when they tried to touch me.
Pippa and Lance had come round for dinner a couple of weeks after it happened. I was in the kitchen getting the drinks when Lance had come in and innocently touched my shoulder to get my attention. In that moment, I was back in the club with his hands on me. Lance’s hand became his hand, and I’d grabbed whatever was closest to me, and lashed out. Luckily, my aim had been off, or I could have done some serious damage with the empty wine bottle.
“Would you rather stay in tonight? I can ring and cancel the taxi.”
I lift my head when I hear his words, seeing the concern on his face as he watches me. Do I want to stay in tonight? Truth be told, all I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep, forgetting we ever had this conversation, but that’s not what I’m going to do. I won’t let that bastard ruin our lives any more than he already has tried to.
“No. I want to go out. I want to carry on as normal. We can’t let this guy win, Cal. He’s not worth it.” I stand up and secure my bag, just as a car blasts its horn outside. Cal walks over to the window and glances out.
“Taxi’s here. Let’s go and celebrate the life we’ve had together so far, and the life we’re going to have together for many years to come.”
I smile at him as he holds out his hand for me to take. Just hearing those few words has made me feel ridiculously happy. With Cal by my side, we head out of the flat, all thoughts of the conversation we’ve just had, gone.
Chapter 50
Crissie
Present Day
17 February 2018
Well, there you have it, the story of the life Cal and I have shared together so far. I think you can agree, we’ve had our ups and our downs, but we still made it here. By here, I mean Nunsmere Hall on our wedding day.
Yeah, I bet you were all thinking we’d never make it here and, truth be told, there were times I felt the same way. We’ve had to rearrange it three times and know we’ve been extremely lucky Nunsmere Hall have been able to accommodate us.
While this is the same venue where my parents married and has been my dream venue ever since I first saw my parents wedding album as a little girl, if I’m honest with myself, I’d have married Cal in our living room. As long as it meant, by the end of it, I became his wife, the location wouldn’t have mattered.
As it is, we’re here, and all our family and friends are waiting for me to make my entrance on the arm of my father, and I can’t tell you how happy I am that I can actually walk down that aisle.
For the last few days, I’ve been so tired and in so much pain I’ve hardly moved from my bed. We came close to cancelling the whole thing several times, but I was insistent that we would get married today, even if I had to be pushed down the aisle in a wheelchair.
Luckily, when I woke this morning, the pain in my back was minimal and I was able to get around, unaided. I can’t tell you how happy I was to realise I would be able to walk after all. Getting to Cal under my own steam means a lot to me, and now that is about to happen.
I check my hair and makeup one last time and adjust my dress. There’s a knock at the door, and I call out to whoever it is to enter, seeing Pippa stick her head around to peer in. As soon as she sees me, she tears up.
“Stop it, Pip. I can’t cry, not yet anyway.”
“Sorry, Cris, but you look beautiful. But then, there was never any doubt about that.”
“Is she ready yet, Pippa?”
“I think so, Mr Walker.”
I smile when I hear my dad’s voice and Pippa’s response. Pippa and I have been friends since primary school, and I’ve lost count of the number of times my dad has asked her to call him by his first name. She agrees every time, then continues calling him Mr Walker. I’m surprised my dad hasn’t given up by now.
“I’m ready,” I say as I pick up my bouquet of white roses. “You can come in now, Dad.”
Pippa steps aside and opens the door wider as I see my dad step into the room. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees me, and I watch his throat work as he swallows several times. His eyes sweep down my dress before he lifts them to rest on mine.
I’ve never seen my dad lost for words before, and he opens and closes his mouth a couple of times before a gentle shove from Pippa propels him in my direction. He is stood in front of me a few moments later, his eyes swimming with tears as he finally finds his voice. “You look beautiful, honey. I can’t believe my baby girl is getting married.”
“Thank you, Dad. We finally made it, huh?”
“I always knew you would, honey. That man out there is perfect for you, and anyone can see how much he loves you. Now, shall we go and get you married?” He holds out his arm for me, and I take it as I smile at him. Pippa is still standing in the doorway. This time, Lizzie is by her side. Both women are holding their matching bouquets with huge grins on their faces as they watch us approach.
“Don’t you girls need to go in front of us?” my dad asks them, laughing when they realise everything is starting and scurry off ahead of us.
I slowly make my way down the hallway towards the main hall, grateful the venue put us on the ground floor. I might be able to walk, but it doesn’t take long before I start feeling tired, so the shorter distance I have to walk, the longer I can stay upright.
Pippa and Lizzie are both waiting by the huge wooden double doors, smiling as they see me coming closer to them. I watch as Pippa looks into the room and gives a small nod, before music fills the air. My dad and I come to stop just out of sight of everyone in the room, and I take a deep breath as I see Pippa, then Lizzie walk into the room.
I turn and look to my dad. “Here we go.”
With one final breath, we walk into the room and towards my future.
Caleb
I can’t believe today is finally here.
It’s taken us almost twelve years to get
to this point in our lives, but it’s finally happening. By the end of today, Crissie will be my wife and I will be the luckiest man alive.
Gary is stood behind me, only a few feet away, and I can hear him quietly murmuring for me to remember to breathe. I know he’s saying it jokingly, but at times, I do have to force myself to exhale.
As I wait for Crissie to make her entrance on her dad’s arm, I look around the room, seeing our closest friends and family who have come out to see us pledge our lives to one another. They’re all chatting amongst themselves, all dressed in their finery.
I swear I’ve never seen so many women in hats. I didn’t even realised women still wore hats, except if you were royalty or going to ladies day at Ascot. There’s a whole array of styles and colours, but the one that stands out the most is my mum’s fuchsia pink one. Trust her to go all out to be noticed.
I smile as I look at her chatting animatedly with Crissie’s mum, pleased our parents get on well. It makes for happier family functions, that’s for sure. I’m about to get their attention when I feel a hand on my shoulder. As I turn to Gary, I see him nod towards the main doors, and see Pippa and Lizzie. They’re looking to the left and smiling.
Oh god, this is it. Crissie is just off to the side of those doors. Any minute now, she’s going to walk in and I’m going to see my bride for the first time.
When Pippa looks into the room and gives a small nod, the music kicks in and she begins to walk down the aisle with my sister. They both look beautiful in their ice blue, strapless gowns. I smile at them both as they come nearer, and when they arrive at the front and take their positions, the music changes and I hold my breath.
As Crissie comes into view, I’m floored. I know she had to change her dress because of the pregnancy, and I’ve no idea what her previous dress looked like, but the one she’s wearing now makes her look more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her. When you add in the fact she’s carrying our child, too, there’s only one word to describe her.
Perfect.
It was only a couple of days ago that we thought she may not be able to make it down the aisle on her own two feet, but she was determined to make it happen. Now, as she walks towards me, supported by her dad, who has a huge smile on his face, I’ve never been more proud of her in my life.
Her eyes are locked on mine as she comes closer, and I know I’m close to tears. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry; that no matter how perfect the moment was, or how perfect Crissie looked, I would not cry. Yeah, that promise to myself is not going to be kept.
When she comes to stand next to me, I watch her turn to her father as he places a kiss on her cheek. The older man is close to tears too, and when he places his daughter’s hand in mine, in that instant, I know he is trusting me to look after her, and I have never felt more humbled.
When he steps back and stands next to his wife, Crissie and I are left on our own, and as we look at each other, everyone else in the room fades away. It’s just me and her and the love we have for one another. Suddenly, everything we’ve been through up to this point seems inconsequential. This is what’s important. We’ve made it this far, and we’re finally going to do what we promised to do almost seven years ago:
Become husband and wife.
Chapter 51
Crissie
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
I keep replaying those seven words in my head, still not quite believing it. Cal and I are married. He’s my husband and I’m his wife. How the hell did that happen?
I laugh at myself at the silly thought. I know how it happened, but part of me still can’t quite believe we actually did it. I look down at my left hand and see the sparkling wedding band next to my engagement ring. When Cal pushed the ring onto my finger, I’d had to swallow the lump that formed in my throat, just as I saw he had to do when I did the same to him.
His ring matches mine, and as I glance over at him as he chats with his dad, I see the ring glint in the light, and, as if I didn’t know it before, I know now that he is one hundred percent mine, and that simple platinum band confirms it.
“Hey.”
I turn when I hear a familiar voice, smiling when Lizzie sits next to me. She’s smiling, but I know behind the happy face is a sad soul. A little over a week ago, we received the news that the guy who had previously been convicted of attacks on us both had won his case and was now awaiting a retrial. That meant both Lizzie and I would now have to testify in court and relive what could possibly be one of the worst nights of our lives.
“Hey, you okay?” I say as I take her hand in mine.
“Yeah, I will be. It was a beautiful ceremony, Cris. I still can’t believe my brother actually cried.”
This time the smile and laugh are genuine as we both think back to the ceremony. Cal didn’t cry; he blubbed like a baby, and only just made it through the vows. I have to admit, it was very endearing to see a man openly show his feelings, and that man is mine.
“Yeah, it only makes me love him even more.” I continue watching him, and as if he knows, he turns and his eyes lock with mine. The room is packed with our nearest and dearest, and the noise from the DJ and from friendly chatter is filling the room. It’s almost 8:30 p.m. and any minute now, the DJ will call Cal and I to the dancefloor for our first dance.
As if the DJ could read my mind, he does just that and is met with cheers and applause from our guests. I stand from my seat as Cal approaches and takes my hand, leading me out onto the dancefloor.
When it came to deciding what song would be played for our first dance, there really was no discussion. It’s the song that was playing when we declared our love for one another. Amazed will always be a special song for us, and as the strains of the introduction begin, Cal takes me in is arms, which is no easy feat considering the side of my baby bump, and leads me around the dancefloor.
I can see the flashes from cameras in my peripheral vision as everyone captures this special moment between us, but right now, I only have eyes for my husband. As Lonestar sing the words of the song we’ve come to love so much, I struggle to breathe as I finally accept that this handsome, kind, gentle man is actually mine.
So far, I’ve managed to keep the tears at bay, but as we move around the floor, they finally break free and slip down my cheeks. When Cal begins singing the words to me, I have to take a few deep breaths as my pulse begins to race.
I love it when he sings. He has a beautiful voice but doesn’t like to share it with anyone, except me. I’m the lucky one who gets to hear him sing some of the most beautiful love songs ever written. His voice is deep and rich and always made me go weak at the knees, and right now is no exception.
As the song draws to a close, Cal stops our movement and leans in to kiss me, just as we’re engulfed in a group hug from our friends. I laugh as they hug us both as tightly as they are allowed, then stop suddenly when I feel a twinge in my stomach. When the crowd disperses, I look down, seeing the puddle around my feet.
“Erm, Cal.”
“Yeah, baby.”
“I think we should get to the hospital. My water just broke.”
Chapter 52
Caleb
Well, this wasn’t how I saw us spending our wedding night.
I’m pacing the waiting room as the doctors and nurses work to deliver our baby girl. I’ve removed my jacket, discarded the tie, and unbuttoned my waistcoat, as has my dad and Crissie’s dad, as we wait for news.
After her waters broke at our wedding reception, her mum had called an ambulance, which arrived within five minutes. Because of the procedure Crissie had previously, she couldn’t have a natural birth, so she was rushed into surgery for a C-section as soon as we arrived. There hadn’t been time to get me ready to go into the room with her, so I was stuck in this dingy waiting room with our families.
It’s been almost ninety minutes since they took her in, which I know is almost twice as long as a C-section should take. I figured it may take a little longer because of Cr
issie’s condition and previous surgery, but I thought she’d be out by now.
I’m about to go in and demand to know what’s going on, when the door opens and a nurse walks in. She’s holding a pink bundle in her arms, and she has a smile on her face as she approaches me.
“Mr Roberts, would you like to meet your daughter?”
My hand shoots up to my mouth as I gasp at the little bundle being passed to me by the nurse. I remember everything Crissie and I learned and support her head as the nurse places her in my arms.
I gaze at my daughter for a few moments before looking at the nurse. “How’s Crissie? When can I see her?”
“The doctors are finishing up with her now. You should be able to see her soon. I’ll come and get you when it’s time.”
I nod at the nurse as she leaves and look down at my daughter. She is so tiny, and I find it hard to believe Crissie and I actually made this little miracle.
“Oh, Cal, she’s gorgeous.”
“She’s a little beauty.”
“She has your eyes, honey.”
I hear the words from our family, but none of them penetrate my brain. All I can see is the two bright blue eyes that are looking up at me. I thought loving Crissie was the easiest thing I’ve ever done but seeing our daughter in my arms makes me realise I was wrong. This little bundle is completely dependant on Cris and me for everything now. She is our whole world.
“Do you have a name for her, Cal?” my sister asks as she stands next to me.
“We do. Everyone, I’d like you to meet Hope Elizabeth Roberts.”
When Hope lets out a long sigh and her eyes close, the love I have for this little girl almost overwhelms me, and I realise I would go to the ends of the earth to make sure she has everything she ever wants.
Takes You Page 25