The Wright Choice

by Kristy Gibs

  “What are you thinking about?” Ash interrupted my thoughts.

  “Just how happy I am.”

  “Really? You don’t look all that happy?”

  I smiled. “I always get emotional leaving her. After my grandmother passed away, I was devastated. I came for the funeral; it was not long after my dad. I was sure it would be one of my last trips, but she made sure I continued to come. We stayed in contact. I love her. She is so special to me.”

  “I can see that; she loves you very much, Gabriella.” He pushed a stray hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear.

  “It’s so hard to have two families on different continents.”

  “We have to be in the main dining room at seven,” I said

  “Not tonight, we don’t."

  I picked up the itinerary, confirming my statement. “Did something change?”

  “You and I have different plans tonight,” he said from behind me.

  I turned, wrapping my arms around his neck, his chest still bare from just taking a shower. “Is that so?” I asked.

  “It is.” He leaned down and kissed me but pulled away just as quickly.

  “If we start something, we won’t make dinner.” He kissed my forehead and moved away from me.

  “Meany,” I teased before walking into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I looked at the huge grin on my face in the mirror, and I hoped this feeling lasted forever. Trying to remember all the steps Lucy had taught me when I went out with Ash on our first date, I curled my hair and applied my makeup. It didn’t come out terrible. After slipping into a black dress and heels, I did a once-over before exiting the bathroom.

  Ash was on the balcony, casually leaning on the rail, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a dream. How was he mine? Nerdy Ella, paint-splatter girl as Mia liked to remind me, was with one of the hottest men she had ever laid eyes on.

  If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up.

  He must have heard me approach because he turned, and his eyes darkened. The glass he held in his hand was placed on the small table, and he stalked toward me to pull me into him.

  “I can’t get enough of you, Gabriella,” he whispered, sending goosebumps up and down my body. I melted into him. I was so tempted to strip this dress off and skip dinner, but I was intrigued by what he had planned.

  Playing his little game, I stepped back. “If we start something, we won’t make dinner,” I repeated his exact words from earlier.

  “Touché, my love.”

  His love. I didn’t think I would ever get used to that.

  Hand in hand, we made our way to the castle foyer. I assumed he had arranged a dinner in one of the other restaurants, but when we walked outside, we were met by a gentleman in a gold golf cart.

  “Mr. Wright,” he said.

  “Thank you.” Ash turned to me. “Get in.”

  I climbed into the golf cart, wondering where we were going.

  Ash hopped in next to me, putting his arm around me and pulling me close. The driver took off, and we drove into the grape fields to what I assumed was the center of the vineyard. The cart stopped, and Ash jumped out before turning and giving me his hand.

  I was speechless. The awning was decorated with flowers and twinkling lights. The table for two had an array of candles down the center. A bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket. I couldn’t stop myself from turning around in a circle. It was a scene out of a fairytale. We were surrounded by row after row of dark green vines, all blooming with purple grapes that begged to be tasted.

  The sun was just beginning to set, and through the tall, thick vines, orange and yellow rays peaked through ever-so-slightly. A part of me feared if I blinked too fast, I would wake up and this would all have been a dream.

  Wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, he pulled me close to him, and I leaned my head against his hard chest. For the first time in a very long time, I saw just exactly how beautiful life was. How magical it was. I had always seen the gray, but Ash was my color. The brightness my life lacked for so long.

  “Ash, when did you plan this?” Spinning in his arms to face him, I placed my hand on his warm cheek.

  With his own hand, he took my hand and kissed my palm. “After you avoided me when Jax and I first got here. I knew you were mad, but I didn’t realize just how much. I vowed I would do whatever it took to show you what you mean to me and win y—”

  I placed a finger on his lips before I crashed my lips into his; I felt him harden as my pelvis pressed up against him. I didn’t care that we were outside in the middle of this vineyard. I couldn’t get enough of him. I was ready to climb him like a vine when a clearing of a throat had me pulling away from him.

  “Ugh. Senor...” the waiter dressed in a black suit had a light blush on his cheeks.

  “Oh, my God.” I buried my face in Ashton’s chest from embarrassment, and he laughed. I didn’t realize there was someone else still here when the driver drove off.

  “Thank you,” Ash said to the waiter as he led me to the table. Once seated, the waiter poured us both a glass of champagne and a glass of red wine. On our table sat two covered dishes. The waiter lifted both.

  “To start, we have wild stuffed mushrooms with a truffle and pecorino cream sauce.” It looked divine, and I couldn’t wait to taste it. “If everything is okay, I will leave you two...I will be back with the next course shortly. If you need anything, you have my number, Mr. Wright,”

  “Yes, thank you,” Ash said.

  With a sly smile on his face, the waiter walked back the way we had driven in. I didn’t notice the second golf cart parked when we arrived.

  Ash held up his glass of champagne. “To us...” We clinked glasses.

  “To us.” I sipped the sweet drink. “Ash, this is...” I didn’t even have the words to say how incredible this was. I looked at the wonderful man who sat across from me. He placed his hand over mine and smiled at me.

  We both ate our appetizers and chatted again about our quick visit to my Zia’s. I told him a bit more about my family, and we talked about the wedding that would be taking place in two days. Tomorrow night was the rehearsal. Not that either of us was doing anything—Preston only had a best man, and Mia, her matron of honor. Not that I thought if she had a bigger bridal party, would I ever be included.

  “Why didn’t your mom come?” I asked Ash. We talked a lot before the Preston incident, but he didn’t talk much about his mom. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them.

  His face fell. “My mother lives in a sober living house in LA.” The was the last thing I expected him to say. “After my dad, my mom kind of went off the rails. She has been battling her own demons. That’s why I ended up living with Preston. She lived with us too, and she would go to rehab and get clean, but a year or so later, she’d be right back at it.”

  My heart broke for him. While I understood the pain of losing a parent, I had a mother to lean on. The day his father died, he had no choice but to grow up and take care of his mother.

  I reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “Ash, I don’t even know what to say.”

  He squeezed back. “It’s okay. The first night at your parents’ house, when we were on the porch, I got a call from her group home. That’s why I had to leave suddenly.”

  I remembered that night clearly. The next day was when I saw the picture of him and blonde, which made me insanely jealous. I felt so guilty. “We don’t have to talk about this, Ash. I am so sorry I brought it up.”

  His face softened. “Gabriella, if we are going to be together, I want you to know everything: the good and the bad.”

  The waiter returned with our second course. Homemade pasta with cheese and black pepper sauce. After the waiter left again, we moved away from the deep conversations.

  “Oh, did I tell you, I am moving in with Lucy when I get back?”

  “No, you didn’t. That’s great.”

  “Yeah, I am excited. Although, I really
hope any sleepovers she has with Jax are at his place.” I laughed, and so did Ash.

  “He likes her a lot, ya know?” Ash said

  “Yeah, she likes him a lot too. I hope it works out.”

  “Me too.

  After our second course, the main course was brought to us. I was already full, but the dry-aged beef smelled amazing, and I forced myself to eat as much as I could.

  We finished the dinner with chocolate mousse and declined the ride back on the golf cart, so we walked back along the path. The moon was so bright and illuminated the way.

  We began to zigzag our way slowly through the vines; the smell of the sweet fruit permeated the air. I closed my eyes several times, trying to file away everything I could about this moment. Tonight was going to be my inspiration for my next collection, and I was eager to get to work.

  “I have an idea,” Ash whispered before stopping. He let go of my hand and pulled out his phone. He began to fiddle with it before music started to play. After putting it back in his pocket, he held his hand out to me. “Dance with me.” Grabbing his outstretched hand, he pulled me close, and we swayed back and forth. Moving together slowly, standing all alone, I was lost in his eyes. I was lost in this moment. I wish we could stay like this forever. No matter what happened after tonight, this moment would be engrained in my brain forever as one of the best nights of my life.

  I could have stayed in this vineyard all night.

  Hell, I could have stayed in this exact spot for the rest of my life, and I would die blissfully happy but, during dinner, Jax had sent a text to Ash and told us to meet him at the bar after. Although I would have much rather headed back up to our room, this was a vacation, and we would have plenty of time to be alone. After the wedding, we had three additional days to take in the sights of Italy, and I couldn’t wait to show him all of the places I loved. I was sure, for the first time in my life, Ash was the one for me.

  We made our way to the hotel bar, and as soon as we met up with Jax and a few others who were there for the wedding, I excused myself to use the bathroom.

  Ash stood. “Do you want me to walk you?”

  Always the gentleman. I kissed his cheek. “I think I can handle it.” I winked at him and walked off. After using the restroom, I quickly checked my appearance in the large mirror. After reapplying my lip gloss, I left the bathroom and spotted Mia and her friends. Deciding I really didn’t want to run into them, I took a side door to skirt around them but paused when I heard my name.

  What the fuck?

  “Ha- as soon as I found out Preston was talking to Ella, I had to have him. It was finally my turn to be on top. I am so sick of living in her shadow. Now we will see who gets the happily ever after they deserve when I am Queen of the Channing empire.”

  What? My shadow? I should have walked away because I really didn’t want to listen to her conversation, but I had to know what the hell she meant. I moved in closer when my eyes locked in on Preston, who like me, stood off in the shadow. He put his finger to his lips, asking me to stay quiet.

  By the look in his eyes, he heard everything Mia had just said. He lipped to me that he was sorry, and I could see devastation on his face. I mouthed back my apology. Because I was. If what she said was true, she was only with him to get back at me.

  “Mia, that is crazy,” her one friend said. She was the only one in their little group that wasn’t a total bitch.

  “I worked my magic.”

  A swarm of laughter rippled through the air. I looked back at Preston and watched him emerge from the shadow, his fists clenched. “So that’s all I am, Mia?” he said, and she spun around, a horrified expression on her face.

  “What?” she asked. Her friends stood stone-faced.

  “Honey,” Mia said and moved toward him. “I am not sure what you heard, but...”

  He held up his hand, and she shut her mouth. “Do you even love me, Mia?” His voice cracked, and my heart broke for him. Despite how it happened, he loved her for some reason. He wouldn’t put up with her shit if he didn’t.

  “Preston, of course, I love you. What you just heard was...” She reached for him, and he stepped away.

  “Then why? Why would you do this to me? Why would you hurt your sister? She is probably the nicest person on the planet.”

  Mia dipped her head in shame. “I...” she said but stopped. She looked from Preston to her friends.

  “What's going on? I got worried you were gone so long,” Ash said from behind me, and I turned and put my finger to my lips and pointed in the direction of Preston and Mia.

  “I don’t think I can marry you, Mia,” Preston said, and Mia gasped. “You lied to me. This is a huge mistake...all of it.” He threw up his hands.

  A sob escaped Mia, and Preston stormed out.

  Holy shit, I thought. Did that really just happen?

  “Um… what the hell did I miss?” Ash asked. I didn’t answer right away; I continued to watch Mia as she cried real tears. This wasn’t the spoiled brat Mia cry— this was real. Her life, although on the outside looked perfect, wasn’t. She had real issues, issues that may have stemmed from her parents' nasty divorce. She hated me because she was jealous of me. I was finding that hard to believe, but I just heard it straight from her.

  I grabbed Ashton’s hand and walked out of the room. There was nothing I could do. If I showed my face, it would probably make the situation worse.

  “What was that?” Ashton asked, a confused look on his face.

  I told him what I heard after I came out of the bathroom. I told him about seeing Preston too and watching him hear her and how devastated he looked. “It was horrible, Ash.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe she would do that.”

  “Me too...” I knew my sister was evil, but this? I really hoped deep down she did love him.

  30

  Ella

  The next morning at breakfast, Mia and Preston were both noticeably absent. At first, I thought it was a good sign, but as soon as I saw my mom and Connor whispering with Preston's parents and the look on their faces, whatever they were talking about wasn’t good. We sat at our table and ordered our breakfast; the entire vibe in the room was off. Where most mornings there was laughing and goofing around going on, everyone sat mostly silent or were talking in hushed tones. Just as we were about to get up and get ready for the day's activities, Connor stood from his seat.

  “Good morning, everyone. There has been a slight change of plans.” He looked around the room. “The group activities planned for the day have been canceled. Please enjoy the hotel as you wish. If you still would like to do the planned activities, please speak with the front desk, and they can accommodate you. Thank you.” He walked out of the room without a second glance.

  I looked over at Ash and Jax, and they both sat stone-faced.

  “I need to talk to Mia,” I said to them

  “Are you sure that is a good idea?” Jax asked.

  “I do. And then I am going to talk to Preston.” I looked over to gauge Ash’s reaction.

  “Why? After what he did to us?” His hand fisted on the table. He wasn’t thrilled with me talking to Preston.

  “Because, I think it's about time the air is cleared with both of them, and maybe, I can save their marriage.” I saw the look on both their faces. Why would I do anything to help them after everything they did to me. It was simple. I finally had what I always dreamed I would have with Ash, and if they got their act together, they could have it too.

  “Anything we can do?” Jax asked, and Ash sent him a look.

  “Not right now. But I will let you know.” I stood up and leaned down to kiss Ash. “I will be back soon.” I walked out of the room, ready to take on Mia.

  It took a little while to locate her, but I finally found her outside in the middle of the vineyard, sitting where they were supposed to get married. In the same spot Ash and I had our amazing romantic dinner.

  “Hey...” I said, and she turned to me, wiping tears from her e
yes.

  “Come to gloat?” she snarled.

  “Me? Mia, when have I ever gloated? I think you’re mistaking me for yourself.” This wasn’t starting off how I planned it to be.

  “Well, what do you want?” she said.

  “I think it has been long overdue that we put whatever riff between us in the past.” I sat next to her, and she looked over at me, confused. “Mia, I don’t know what I ever did to you. Honestly, I don’t. But we are adults. We can't keep this shit up. It isn’t fair to our family.”

  “Like you know what fair is...” she mumbled. “You replaced me!” she tossed her hands in the air.

  “What?”

  “You came in, and my dad had a new daughter,” she said.

  “Is that what you think? I was trying to replace you?”

  “Not trying, did. And you stole my brother too.”

  She spent the last ten years doing everything she could to push me away when, if she had acted like a decent human, we could have been close.

  “Mia, I am so sorry if you feel that way, but that is so far from what happened, and you know it.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “From day one, you hated my mother and me. Do you remember all the stories you made up about her? The hateful things you have said to me over the last decade?”

  She looked away.

  I could get into every time she hurt both mine and my mom's feelings, but that wouldn’t solve anything. “Look, your dad marrying my mom may not have been ideal for you, but we tried. Mom and me. And she continues to try to make things right for you. We could have been sisters; we could have been close, but you chose to hate me instead.”

  “Yeah, well, ever since you came into the picture, it has always been Ella this and Ella that. She is so talented; she is so smart. How do you think that makes me feel?”

  I put my fingers up to my temples. Was I in the twilight zone?

  “So, you hate because our parents think I am smart and talented?” I reiterated, hoping I misheard.