Reserve My Curves 3

by BM Hardin

  And for the first time in what seemed like forever, we made love.

  And oh how good it was!

  ***

  “You look beautiful!” I squealed as Josephine covered her face with the veil.

  It was the day of her wedding renewal, which was also the day of her wedding anniversary.

  Seeing her made me remember just how much I wanted to be Silas’s wife.

  Though the wedding date had been pushed back, I wanted so desperately to have my turn to stand at the altar and say I do.

  But seeing as to how things were going great between Silas and I, we should be back on the road towards marriage pretty soon.

  Yes, I’d forgiven him, but I just wanted to make sure everything was in the clear.

  We never so much as mentioned the hotel to each other these days, and we were pretty much walking around as though none of it had ever happened.

  But you could never be too sure of the future and just in case everything from all angles weren’t as peachy as they seemed, it was best that we waited for a while before making such a huge decision.

  “Let’s do this, Josephine said.

  I stared at the outside ceremony space.

  It was beautiful.

  The colors, the flowers, everything was just beautiful.

  The reception space was only a few feet over and it looked just as exquisite.

  Everything was ready.

  The food smelled amazing.

  The tables, with the little “Reserved” note cards looked lovely.

  It was the perfect day for a wedding.

  Minutes later, I was walking my sister down the created space referred to as the aisle.

  Josephine was crying and I couldn’t help but cry too.

  People these days barely stayed married a year, but they had made it darn near a lifetime together.

  Through ups and downs, affairs and pimping, they’d made it.

  And for the first time ever, I, Envy, was envious of something.

  But it was all love.

  I took my place beside her as she took Grant’s hand.

  They looked at each other as though nothing else in the world mattered.

  I smiled as one of our cousins started to sing and I couldn’t help but become overwhelmed.

  I couldn’t wait for my turn and it was coming soon.

  It was coming very soon.

  But before the only part of the wedding that actually mattered could begin…it was over.

  So many shots were fired that I lost count.

  I fell to the ground in a hurry and full of terror.

  Instinctively, I started to slide around on the ground looking for Horizon.

  I didn’t see her so I started to panic, but because the shooting continued, I was forced to lie still, and search for her with my eyes.

  Finally I spotted her…and Silas.

  Silas was lying over her, shielding her.

  I couldn’t believe that he’d made it to where she had been standing as a flower girl, from where he’d been standing as a groomsman.

  But there he was, shielding my baby as thought he was her guardian angel.

  Oh thank the Man above for him!

  Finally, the shooting stopped and it seemed as though no one moved for what felt like eternity.

  I wondered if everyone was dead or if they were as afraid to move as I was.

  Did that just happen?

  A drive-by?

  At a wedding?

  Who does that?

  “Envy!” Silas’s yell startled me.

  He was alive.

  I was still frozen as I watched Silas and Horizon stand to their feet, and head in my direction.

  It seemed as though everyone else followed Silas’s actions and those that could get up from the ground, stood.

  As Silas helped me up, I looked for Josephine.

  I could only see the bottom of her dress being as to the fact that Grant must have dived on top of her as well.

  Silas followed my eyes and together we headed to them to assist.

  I could hear Josephine crying before I could even see her face.

  Horizon was crying too, so I picked her up.

  “Grant?” Silas shook him but he didn’t say anything.

  Josephine cried even louder and started to call my name.

  Silas moved Grant off of her and her cries filled the atmosphere and everyone else as well as myself, started to cry too.

  Looking around, a few family members, servers and friends had been shot, but none seemed to be fatal.

  Josephine reached for my hand and that’s when I saw the blood.

  Placing Horizon in a chair and with the sirens wailing in the distance, I helped Josephine to her feet.

  “He saved me. He jumped in front of the bullet. He took a bullet for me,” Josephine cried.

  I looked at Silas who was looking at the single gunshot wound to the back of Grant’s head.

  I could tell by the look on Silas’s face that he felt like dying.

  Or maybe he felt like crying.

  Or both I supposed.

  He held Grant’s head close to his chest as though he was a hit dog.

  Though they were always cordial before I found out the truth about them, Silas didn’t try to hide the love that he felt for his friend at that moment.

  He didn’t make any noise but finally the tears started to flow endlessly from his eyes.

  My heart broke for him and for Josephine and I wanted to comfort them both but Josephine needed me more as she started to break down.

  Out of nowhere, it started to rain, and it seemed to only make things worse.

  Everyone seemed to cry louder and started to run around in a panic.

  Help finally arrived and the emergency crew rushed over to Silas and tried to help Grant but Silas would let him go.

  They pulled and pulled, but Silas wouldn’t let go.

  “Silas,” I called out to him.

  At the sound of my voice, he let him go.

  The workers went to work and started to probe over Grant.

  Horizon wanted Josephine to pick her up, so she did and I made my way over to Silas.

  I hugged him but he didn’t hug me back.

  He just sat there.

  But then…

  “Get him up! Let’s go! He still has a pulse!”

  Oh thank goodness!

  ***

  “Doctors said that it’s a miracle that he survived. He doesn’t remember anything or anyone. He’s pretty much like a small child. Only thing is, he’ll be like that forever. He won’t advance or get better, but he’s still alive. They said he will make some noises and maybe even movement, but the damage to his brain won’t allow him to learn to talk, or walk, or do anything like that again. And they said if so, it won’t be much,” Josephine said.

  It had only been a little over a week since the wedding shooting.

  Two family friends were able to describe the car, but no one saw the shooters.

  As many shots being fired, we were sure that there were a few of them but no one had been lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

  Seven people were injured; Grant’s head wound being the worst of them.

  Josephine explained that had not Grant jumped in front of her when he did, she would have surely been shot right in the face.

  She said that he’d looked her straight in the eyes as the bullet struck him, as though he’d wanted to get one last look at her.

  As though he wanted her to know that he loved her enough to die for her.

  The saddest, yet sweetest thing I’d ever heard in my entire life.

  Though Grant was pretty much going to be helpless for the rest of his life, Josephine vowed that she would never leave his side.

  She’d said that she would take care of him forever and even after that if she could.

  I was still freaked out by it all.

  I just didn’t know who would do something so cruel, to Josephine that is.

  T
hey had to have known that the wedding was taking place on that date and at that time.

  They had to be someone that knows Josephine.

  Or Grant.

  Hanging up with Josephine, I continued to think.

  Yeah, I was sure that it had nothing to do with Josephine and everything to do with Grant and who he had been or something to that extent.

  As for Silas, he still wasn’t exactly himself.

  I wasn’t sure if he was in shock or if it was the realization that even though his best friend wasn’t physically dead---everything and every memory of their friendship was gone.

  He was quiet most days and some days he forced himself to be there for Horizon and I, but I could see that he was hurting.

  He was always on the go so I was also sure that he was doing everything within his power to find out who was responsible for the shooting.

  He wanted them and he wanted them bad.

  I could feel it.

  As for me, I was okay I suppose.

  I’d been through worse.

  I just hated to see so many people that I loved hurting.

  Putting Horizon down for a nap and after calling to check on Silas, I headed to relax but a knock at the door told me that I wasn’t going to be relaxing anytime soon.

  I opened the door and opened my mouth at the same time.

  There she was, in the flesh…

  Carmen.

  *********************

  Chapter FOUR

  “Yeah, bitch, I’m back,” she said with a smirk on her face.

  Immediately, I became guarded and prepared myself for anything.

  “What are you doing here Carmen? Aren’t you supposed to be in jail or something?”

  “Nope. Actually I’m supposed to be locked away and high on medication, but that’s neither here nor there. I need to speak with Silas. I called his phone, but he didn’t answer or call me back. He always calls me back, so something is wrong,” she said.

  I guess Silas was telling the truth about her buying her way out of the mental institution.

  And her mentioning that she knew something was wrong with Silas, low-key pissed me off.

  It disturbed me that she knew him a lot better than I preferred.

  Something was wrong, but that was none of her business.

  “Carmen, leave, and don’t come back to my house again,” I said and attempted to shut the door, but she stopped it with her hand.

  “Let me make something clear. It’s because of me that you are still in this house and that the police didn’t come after everything that you and Silas have. Sure, your snitching kept you out of jail, at least that’s the promise that the detective made to you I’m sure. But there is someone over his head. And someone over their head. And that someone is more than likely on my payroll. So, you should be saying thank you. But I’ll make sure that Silas thanks me enough for the both of you,” Carmen said and turned to walk away but something took over me.

  I was tired of her ass and it was time that I showed her just how tired I was.

  I balled up my fists and punched her with all of my might in the back of her head.

  But to my surprise, it was as though she was expecting it, because the blow that she swing my way took me by surprised, and hit me dead in the eye.

  And from that moment, it was on!

  I punched her, she punched me, and for another minute or so, we fought each other as though our lives depended on it.

  Carmen got ahold of my hair and tried to take me down to the ground but I managed to get a hand full of hers and I brought her down with me.

  On top, I was about to go in on her and beat her for everything that she had ever done to me, but before I could even get started, Silas came out of nowhere, snatched me up with one hand, and controlled Carmen with his other.

  I was in frenzy and we’d caused such a ruckus that we’d woken up Horizon and she was standing there, watching and crying.

  And though I felt bad for behaving that way in front of her, I wanted Carmen’s ass, again, and I wanted it bad!

  “Envy, sit your ass down, now!” Silas yelled.

  I looked at him confused.

  Was he taking her side?

  “Both of you should be ashamed. Two grown ass women carrying on like little girls. Whether the both of you like it or not, we need each other in a way. We are here because we all played a part, cut some deals and pulled a few strings to ensure that we remained free. You may not like it, but you both better figure out what the hell you are going to do about it because this whole investigation thing is far from over. I know how the law operates, and if there is any doubt, any tiny thing that might not make sense, they will follow it. And with Carmen pretty much walking on all of the charges, I’m sure that there are going to be eyes on her; which means there are going to be eyes on me because we still have unfinished business. So Envy that means that there is going to be eyes on you too. So both of you, chill, damn,” Silas concluded, grabbed Horizon by the hand and walked away.

  I wondered what unfinished business they had to take care of, but I knew that it would be a waste of time for me to even ask.

  “Bitch.”

  “Slut.”

  “Die.”

  “Not before you do,” Carmen said, fixed her clothes, placed on her sunglasses and walked away.

  What the hell did she mean by that?

  I didn’t take anything that she said lightly.

  I would be a fool to.

  Still upset, I started to pace back and forth.

  “Envy, you can’t let Carmen get to you. Soon she will be out of our lives forever. In the meantime, let me handle her. She’s powerful and she’s mentally unstable. I know her, but she’s also sneaky. I never know what she just might do. She has just as many connections and strings as I do, and she doesn’t mind using them to get the job done. But she knows that I will hurt her over you, so you don’t have to go around trying to fight her over me. She will never have me. I’m yours. Everything will be fine. I got you,” Silas said once Carmen was gone and though I believed him, in a way I felt that it wasn’t enough.

  I was tired of dealing with Carmen.

  I wanted her out of my life!

  What was so hard about that?

  “I’m sure she has other copies of paperwork and everything else. I’m sure she’s still holding on to documentation with the truth about Grant and I and as for you, well, I just don’t want her to do anything to you. Just let me handle her. I’m the only one that can handle her. Put some ice on that eye.”

  He asked Horizon if she wanted to go get ice cream and immediately her frown turned upside down. I tried to hug her but she moved from within my reach, grabbed Silas’s hand and they headed out the door.

  Aw, I scared my munchkin.

  I hated that Horizon had to see me out of character like that, which made me hate Carmen even more.

  I headed to check on my eye.

  It was swelling pretty fast and starting to turn colors.

  She’d gotten me good, but I was going to get her back if it was the last thing that I do.

  I wasn’t scared of her and I wasn’t going to live my life in fear no matter how much power she had.

  It was time that I started protecting myself from everybody, including Silas.

  You know, just in case.

  ***

  “Let’s run off and get married. I love you. What are we really waiting for? And besides, if something happens to me, I want you to have everything and have access to all of my accounts, stocks and all assets, legally,” Silas said.

  I looked at him.

  What is he talking about?

  Was something going to happen to him?

  “I mean, we saw what happened to Grant, just like that, and we just have to be prepared. I’m coming to terms that because of the lifestyle that I have lived, I’m sure that I have an enemy or two out there somewhere. I want you and Horizon to be set for life.”

  “Well, if you gave my mo
ney back we would be fine, if something happened to you,” I said reminding him that he hadn’t mentioned it, though we were on good terms.

  “You would be fine for a while. But not forever. I had it counted. It’s a good bit, for you, but it would be gone in a year or two, unless you invested it into something. But I have more than enough. Let’s get married. Besides, it’ll piss off Carmen,” Silas smiled.

  Now, he was talking my kind of language!

  Boy did I like the sound of that!

  Wait a minute.

  She’s crazy remember, so maybe pissing her off isn’t such a good thing.

  “Don’t worry. She would try some slick shit, but she also fears the fact that I would hate her. It’s just how she thinks, and I know how she thinks. But we can’t worry about Carmen. We can only worry about us. Florida has the perfect little destination wedding and honeymoon package. You wanna take a chance with me?” Silas said.

  Hmm…I thought I already was.

  But considering everything that had gone on and what Silas had said, maybe he was right.

  We could be here one day and gone the next.

  I’d long since forgiven him, so what were we really waiting around for?

  You know what, no more over thinking things.

  “Yes. Let’s do it. When?”

  “Now,” Silas said and got up from the couch and got his keys,” and waited for Horizon and I to follow.

  “We need to pack,” I smiled.

  “We will buy along the way. We have plenty of money to waste,” he said and with that out the door we went.

  I was smiling bigger and brighter than ever before.

  I was getting married…finally!

  ***

  “How are you?” Nolan asked.

  We were still in Key West, Florida.

  Silas and I had gotten married the day before and he and Horizon were still on the beach.

  I’d come up to the room to relax a little and just my luck, I ran into Nolan.

  I just looked at him.

  I didn’t exactly know what to feel, but I knew that for his sake, he had better turn around and walk away.

  “So you finally tied the knot huh?” Nolan asked nodding at my hand.

  What was he doing here?

  “I don’t have anything to say to you,” I said and attempted to go into my room and shut the door but Nolan pushed his way in behind me.