Giving You Forever

by Ashley Wilcox

  Stopping by the soda station and condiment bar I fill our cups with iced tea, grab some napkins and straws, then search for an open table. Finally finding one towards the back and in the corner, my phone chimes with a text.

  Crap! I should’ve messaged Jamie that I was taking the day off. He’s probably going crazy by himself.

  With a smirk already covering my face, knowing that it’s probably some hilarious, snarky remark he wrote, my expression completely changes when I see who it’s from.

  Meg.

  I quickly look around, making sure Nolan isn’t coming, but he’s still waiting in line. Clueless.

  Not wanting to ruin our day, I immediately open it up, eager to see what it has to say before Nolan returns with our food.

  I sigh with mixed emotions.

  “Who ya talkin’ to?” Nolan cheerfully asks, resting our tray of food on top of the table.

  I jump, startled, looking up at him in shock, wondering what I should tell him.

  “It’s, uh…”

  Quickly his expression changes, taking the phone from my hands.

  “Fucking bitch!” he shouts when he sees her name at the top of my screen.

  “Nolan, please,” I try to silence him, looking around, making sure he hasn’t offended anyone around us with his language.

  Although you can already see the rage seeping off his skin, he respects my wishes, keeping his volume down and taking the seat in front of me.

  “How many times do I have to tell her to stay the fuck away?” he continues in a more reasonable tone.

  With a tight frown I answer, “She just wanted to fill me in, that’s all.”

  “Are you defending her?” he asks.

  “No! Not at all,” I’m quick to answer. “She did an awful thing and doesn’t deserve any of your respect. I’m totally with you on that…”

  Relieved with my answer, his shoulders drop, and his expression changes back to normal.

  “She was just confirming everything was still good to go before leaving us alone.”

  “I swear to fucking God. If she ever—”

  “Babe,” I cut him off, leaning over the table and resting my hand over his. “She’s not going to do anything more. She gets it.”

  Though I barely know her, the small amount of time I spent with her proved her innocence. I believe that she was an awful person back in the day and did a really crappy thing, but from what I can see and tell, she cleaned up–made something of herself, just as he did. I trust that she’ll hold true to her word, and I believe that her intentions all this time were good.

  Licking his lips and running his free hand through his hair, he takes a deep breath before saying, “I can never forgive her. She’s the devil in my eyes.”

  Curling my lips into a smile, relieved that it wasn’t so hard to bring his temperature back down to normal, I tell him, “I know, and you don’t have to. Just don’t let it consume you.”

  Flipping his hand over so that’s it’s holding mine, he rubs his thumb over the top.

  “You’re pretty special, you know that?” Nolan tells me, eyes sparkling with adoration.

  I just smile in return while my heart nearly explodes with emotion.

  “You ground me. No one has ever been able to do that.”

  Shrugging my shoulders, I struggle to keep a straight face when answering, “You’re just a stubborn son of a bitch that needs a little ass whooping every once in a while.”

  Bursting out in laughter, his head falls backs, completely amused with my statement.

  “You just swore twice in one sentence! Fuck, I’m rubbing off on you,” he jokes, still slightly laughing.

  I accomplished exactly what I intended–making him laugh and smile, washing his brain clear of Margo.

  “So, what now, Mr. Pratt?” I ask, holding his hand while we exit the café.

  “I was thinking we could do a little ring shopping?” he says with a raised eyebrow and a sweet smirk.

  My eyes open wide with excitement.

  “Really? For our wedding bands?”

  “Uh huh.” He raises my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles.

  Biting down on my lower lip, I withhold the need to squeal like a girl, but ahh! I’m so excited. I can’t deny the fact that I’ve spent hours on top of hours surfing the internet over the past couple of years, seeing which bands looked best with my engagement ring.

  Once in the car and able to speak without squealing, I ask which stores are we going to.

  He turns his head towards me, answering, “I figured we’d start with the jeweler that designed your ring.”

  Sighing, I answer, “Perfect.”

  – NOLAN –

  Keeping my lips sealed, I focus on the road as we drive to Cazenovia Jewelers. Little does she know that when I had her engagement ring designed I had them design the wedding band too. Just last week they phoned, telling me that it was ready, but we’ve been so damn busy that we haven’t had a free second to get out there. Now, with an empty day and just the two of us, I figured today would be perfect and called ahead while Alexa was in the bathroom, but asked them to keep it in the showcase so that I could surprise her.

  A warm feeling invades my chest, seeing Alexa’s eyes brighten when we pull into the parking lot. The excitement this girl gets from shopping and jewelry is so damn cute, it’s an addiction. Just ask my wallet.

  Smirking with a discreet chuckle, I place the car in park before leaning over and kissing her forehead.

  “What was that for?” she asks with a smile stretching across her face.

  “I have to have a reason to kiss you?”

  She shrugs her shoulders.

  “No. It was just...random.” She smiles.

  “Isn’t that the best?” I question with a raised eyebrow.

  With the cutest damn grin and eyes sparkling with love, she agrees, “They are.”

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Pratt,” Richard, my jeweler, greets me. “Ms. Arnold.”

  Nodding my head with a smile, Alexa responds, “Hello.”

  “Can I help you find anything in particular?” he continues to ask, following Alexa’s anxious eyes that are already perusing the inventory.

  “We’re looking for wedding bands,” she tells him with her big emerald eyes reflecting in the glass.

  “Of course. The wedding is quickly approaching now, isn’t it?” he plays along brilliantly.

  Glancing over her shoulder with a smile sure to make me weak for the rest of my life, she looks back at him, responding, “Yes, this July.”

  “A perfect month to wed,” he winks. “I think I may have some rings that you’d like over in this display.” he moves along the back of the cases, motioning her to follow him.

  She loops her arm with mine, pulling me along, excited as hell.

  Mesmerized by the selection in front of her, she drops my arm, allowing me to step behind her. I stuff my hands in my pocket, waiting for her to see it. With her eyes glued, she surveys them all, ooing and ahhing about how stunning they are. Then she sees it…tagged with her name.

  Shocked, her hand covers her now open mouth before turning and looking at me with tear-filled eyes.

  “Do you love it?” I ask, taking a step forward and gently holding the tops of her arms, squaring her to me.

  Speechless, she nods her head slowly as a stray tear skims her porcelain face.

  “It’s beautiful,” she finally admits before removing the space between us, wrapping her arms around my waist.

  Kissing the top of her head then smoothing down her hair, I tell her, “Go try it on.”

  There’s just one more secret that I want her to see.

  After kissing me gently, she practically runs back over to the counter where Richard stands waiting with her ring. Quickly slipping her engagement ring off first, she smiles anxiously as Richard hands her the ring. Just before she slides it on, she pauses, seeing the inscription inside.

  Always in my heart, forever in my soul Nolan
>
  She doesn’t move or whisper a word, just continues to stare at it. By the warm grin filling Richards face, I know she’s been taken away, feeling the words of my declaration. Stepping forward, I rest my hands on her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. Her head tilts to the side, snuggling into my hand.

  “Always and forever, doll,” I whisper into her hair. “That’s where you’ll always stay.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  – ALEXA –

  “Crap, girl. You look like shit.”

  “Good morning to you, too,” I respond overly sarcastic as I step in line behind Jamie.

  “Double shot of espresso kind of day?” he continues, clearly not worrying about hurting my feelings, which he doesn’t. I’m fully aware of the tractor trailer that that seemed to strike me while I was sleeping.

  “Day? How about week! I’ve gotta be coming down with something again. Every day I wake up feeling like crap.”

  “It’s probably all the stress you’ve been under,” he proclaims, his voice turning a little more sympathetic.

  Scrunching my eyebrows and shaking my head, I disagree, “I really haven’t been, though. Since we fired Meg, and Nolan switched his hours last week, he’s been a saint with helping me.”

  “Hmm…”

  “I’ve gotta be getting sick,” I shrug my shoulders with the only reasonable explanation.

  “You should come with me to yoga. You’d be surprised how much that shit works.”

  “Yoga? Since when do you go to yoga?”

  A cocky grin smears his face.

  “Since I found out that the bend me over right now instructor is one hundred percent gay.”

  Of course that’s the reason!

  Shaking my head and chuckling, I tell him, “You kill me.”

  “Eh, it’s good motivation,” he says, shrugging his shoulders.

  “I bet,” I smirk before giving the girl behind the counter my coffee order, cutting in front of Jamie.

  I manage to make it through the rest of my classes. Thanking the heavens above that the kids have today off from school for parent teacher conferences, I go straight home. With tunnel vision to my bed, I grab a bottled water from the fridge before dragging my feet up the stairs. Not even bothering to pull back the blankets, I collapse face first into the pillows. It isn’t until Nolan gets home just after six that he gently nudges me awake.

  “Still not feeling well, baby doll?” he asks, rubbing my back gently.

  Rolling to my side to face him, I shake my head no.

  “I’m just exhausted, for no reason at all.”

  “Have you had your iron checked lately?” he questions, knowing that I’ve always been borderline anemic.

  “They drew blood a couple of weeks ago at my appointment. They never called, so I assumed it came back fine.”

  “Maybe you should call tomorrow, just in case they missed it,” he says, running his hand through his hair.

  “Yeah. I can.”

  “You hungry? I brought home Chinese.”

  Realizing that I haven’t had anything but coffee after coffee today, I nod my head in agreement.

  “Do you want me to bring it up here so that you can stay here in bed?”

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll be down in a minute. Just have to go to the bathroom first,” I tell him, already starting to sit up and swing my legs over the edge of the bed.

  “K.” He leans over, kissing my forehead. “I’ll be downstairs getting it ready,” he adds before standing and exiting the room.

  “So, are you going to be home on time tomorrow?” I ask, taking in another fork full of beef lo mein.

  Chewing before he speaks, he answers, “Yeah, I don’t see why not, why?”

  “I was thinking we could stop over to the tuxedo place. They have a wedding sale going on right now, and if you rent so many tuxes, the groom’s tux is free.”

  “Yeah, we could do that. Then that’s it really, right?” he asks.

  Pausing and running down our list in my head, I mentally check everything off. We met with William about the flowers last week, ordered our invitations this weekend online, put a deposit down on the church the other day…

  “Yeah,” I say, shocked. “Other than our appointment on Monday with David, that’s pretty much it.”

  “And that’s for the taste-testing, right?” he asks with an eager grin and one eyebrow raised.

  Snickering, I answer, “Yes, we get to taste-test the menu on Monday.”

  “Hell yeah!” he practically shouts, rubbing his hands excitedly together. “Oh! I almost forgot,” he adds, remembering something. “Don’t make any plans for Saturday.”

  Giving him a confused look, I ask, “Why, what’s Saturday?”

  “I just may have made an appointment with someone in Hoboken, New Jersey,” he tells me with a devilish grin.

  “Cake Boss?” I sit up straight, suddenly full of energy.

  “Well yeah, we gotta get our cake designed!”

  How I almost forgot that Buddy Valastro is making our wedding cake, I don’t know, but ahh! I’m meeting the Cake Boss this weekend!

  – NOLAN –

  Today can’t possibly go by any fucking slower. You’d think with all the meetings and side projects I had going on that it’d fly, but no, I’ve probably glanced at my fricken watch at least twenty times. Though, that’s how I’ve always been, like a kid high on Ritalin before something big.

  Instead of leaving in the morning as planned, I booked a hotel room in the heart of New Jersey tonight and tomorrow, giving us a nice little weekend getaway. It’s way overdo and much deserved with all the shit that has been thrown at us the last couple of months. Between Margo, the wedding, and Alexa being sick, we need this time away.

  Skipping out early and meeting Alexa home after class, her eyes light up when I startle her in the kitchen.

  “What’re you doin’ home so early?” she asks while chewing and swallowing a bite of a cereal bar.

  “Go pack your bags. We’re leaving tonight!”

  “Wait, what? We’re leaving tonight? I thought we were looking at tuxes?”

  Walking towards her and pulling her body flush against mine, I tell her only inches from her face, “We’re goin’ for the weekend. Just you and me, all weekend long.”

  “Yay!” she shouts, stepping out of my hold. “Give me fifteen minutes!” she smiles, already making her way towards the hallway.

  Snickering at her adorableness, I just smile and nod my head as I watch her turn and run for the stairs.

  Damn, the things that girl does to my heart!

  Just after 8 p.m. we pull into The Hyatt Regency Jersey City. It came highly recommended by Mike when I asked him about hotels in the area.

  “Oh my god, babe. You have to come look at this view,” Alexa calls out from the living room as I put our bags down next to our bed.

  “Holy shit!” I agree, coming up behind her. “Mike wasn’t lying when he said it was right on the Hudson.”

  “You can almost see all of Manhattan from here.”

  Wrapping my arms snug around her waist, I breathe in the fresh flowery scent of her hair and kiss the top of her head. “This is perfect, sweetheart. Exactly what we needed.”

  Chapter Twenty

  – ALEXA –

  “Mmm,” Nolan moans, waking up to my mouth wrapped snug around his length, stroking the base of it with my hand.

  Since I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie last night, not giving him any action on the first night of our weekend getaway, I figured waking up to a nice warm blow job would make it up to him. And with the steady moans echoing throughout his body and hands fisting my hair, I’d say he approves.

  “Come here, baby doll,” he just about growls, gently tugging on my hair and guiding my face up to his.

  Shifting his hands to the back of my head, he holds me in place while pressing my mouth firmly against his. Immediately my lips crack open, granting him access inside, allowing his tongue to f
ind mine. Filled with desire, my hips naturally grind back and forth, sliding his length repeatedly along the inside of my folds while internally applauding my decision to remove my panties before going down on him.

  Unable to handle the ache between my legs any longer, I move up slightly while reaching down and lining him up with my opening. Simultaneously, we exhale, relieved with pleasure as I move slowly back down and over his arousal.

  “Oh shit, baby,” Nolan breathes heavily against my lips. “You’re so damn tight right now.”

  Succumbed by the sensation, I barely hear what he’s saying. It feels so darn good right now, better than usual.

  Slowly quickening my movements and resting my forehead against his, my breathing grows heavy as a warm wave of pleasure ripples down my body.

  “Shit,” I cry out, sitting up and resting one hand on his chest while holding my hair up off of my neck with the other–suddenly becoming warm.

  “Yeah, baby, yeah,” he cups my hips, guiding me back and forth over his length.

  “Ahhh…” I yell, feeling my blood flowing to one heated area, letting my body succumb to the pleasure.

  “Oh shit,” Nolan moans again, exhaling deeply while tensing below me, spiraling into an intense orgasm of his own.

  “You been doing those kegel things more?” he calls out from behind me as I race to the bathroom.

  “What?” I shout back with the door still wide open.

  “You felt tighter for some reason. Have you been doing more of those exercises Amanda told you about?”

  “Not any more than I normally do.”

  “Huh,” he says, pulling me back close to his body as I join him back in bed.

  “Are you complaining?” I ask with a raised brow.

  Immediately shaking his head back and forth, he quickly responds, “Fuck no! That was amazing. I coulda made a whole family with the load I just filled you with.”

  Laughing at his TMI, and his lack of filter, I kiss his lips, whispering, “I love you, babe,” before resting my head on his chest.

  “Right back ‘atcha, sweetheart.”