Sorry for taking forever and a year to update guys! I've been going through a lot lately and havnt had the time. But here's a new chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it!! Thank you so much for the reviews on the previous chapter, I appreiate them so much! Please keep them coming =D
Enjoy this chapter, which is dedicated to Lindsey for being awesome. I love you linds, and thanks for everythig you do for me=] Youre the bestest friend ever!!! Love you=]
-Jen
The next few days passed uneventfully, and before I knew it it was the day we were to leave for New York. We weren't leaving to the airport for another hour, so I was in the barn alone, brushing Blue Jeans. I was alone, singing quietly to myself, as I pulled the brush through his soft fur, when I was interrupted.
"Hey Miley." I jumped, and turned towards the sound of the voice.
The man who stood there looked familiar. "Travis?" I asked, walking to stand at the door to the horse stall.
He smiled, tipping his hat to me. "Howdy, Miley. Welcome home."
I smiled. "Thanks. It's uh...good to be back." I said truthfully, sliding out of the stall, but leaning up against it. "How've you been, Travis? What've you been up to?"
He leaned against the barn wall opposite me. "I've been taking night classes at the university ten minutes away. Still working for your grandma...I havn't been around this week cause I was visiting my mom. She lives about two hours away. She heard from Ruby about you though. She asked me to tell you congratulations."
I smiled, nodding. "Tell her thanks. I'm not sure if she'll wanna fly out to Calfiornia...but I'll invite her to the wedding. It'd be nice to see her again."
"Of course she will," He laughed, "She's loved you like the daghter she never had."
I laughed, "She's great, your mom."
"You know...she'd love it if you...really where her daughter. Daughter in law."
I gave him a look. "Excuse me?" Then he was right in front of me, his hands were resting on my hips. "Miley, I never stopped loving you." He said, face close to mine. "I love you, Miley Ray Stewart. I want you to marry me, not him. I want you to pick me."
"Travis," I said, throwing his arms back at him, moving away from him,"There's no choice. He's it for me. I love him. He's my air, he's my sun, he's my...everything."
"Just give me a chance, Miley!" He pleaded, cupping my face between his hands, and forcing his lips upon mine. I tried to push him away, but he pinned my hands to my side. Finally, he let go when someone pulled him off of me. At the force, I fell to my knees on the hay strewn barn floor, and when I got up, I saw Oliver sinking his fist in to Travis's face.
"You disgusting bastard," Olivier said, pushing him to the floor, Travis's nose bloody. "Stay the fuck away from her." He turned, and looked at me.
"Ollie," I said, reaching for him, wanting to cry. He just looked at me with disgust, before pushing past me, running towards the house. I ran after him, but he was taller and stronger then me.
"Oliver!" I shouted, running in to the house, "OLIVER WAIT!"
Dad intercepted me in the kitchen, grabbing my arm. "Woah, little girl, what's going on?"
"Travis...kissed me...Oliver..." I muttered, before running up the stairs again.
I banged on the door. "Oliver, let me in!" I called,"I didn't do anything let me in!"
He opened the door, but didn't give me the chance to speak before he was yelling in my face, loudly. "You didn't do anything?!" He shouted, "Miley I saw you kissing him!"
"I didn't kiss him, he kissed me!" I cried, tears beginning to fall.
"It takes two for a kiss," He growled, grabbing my left hand and yanking the ring off of it. "Wedding's off." He hissed, before slamming the door in my face. I stared at the door where just two seconds ago had been his face.
"W-w-what?" I whispered, my voice wavering. "No!" I whimpered, banging on the door again. "Oliver please!" I sobbed, "Don't do this, I didn't do anything!"
"Miley..." Lilly said softly, coming up the stairs. "Let's go," She said, putting an arm around my shoulder, and bringing me downstairs. "We have to go."
"There's no point!" I sobbed, shouting. "He called the wedding off, he doesn't w-want me!" I turned to where Travis sat, with a tissue to his nose. "YOU!" I shouted, "You ruined e-everything, I hate you!"
"Miley!"Lilly said, putting her hands on my shoulder, making me look at her. "Oliver's just being a stubborn bastard! He didn't mean it, you guys are going to get married, and you have appointments! We have to go. Let's go. Just give him a few days, ok?" She asked, but wound up not really giving me a choice, as she pulled me out the door anyways.
The plane ride was long, boring and heart breaking. I spent most of it staring idly out the window, sitting still. When we got there, Sally and Chelsea were waiting. They both hugged me, and, as always, Chelsea looked for the ring. She said she liked to see it as confirmation her brother did actually have some sense of style, for he'd picked the ring out all on his own.
"Where is it?" She asked, as we walked towards the door.
I pulled my hand back, wrapping the light cardigan I wore tightly around me, crossing my arms. "He took it back." I snapped. "These appointments are pointless. He-he hates me and he left me and he doesn't want me anymore."
"Miley, I told you. He's being stupid. It was a misunderstanding. Now we're going to your appointments and finding you the perfect dress." Lilly said. "And you're going to like it." She added, hissing.
Lilly, dad, Grandma, Memaw, Aunt Dolly, Sally, Chelsea, Karen, and myself got into two different taxis, all going to the same place. We'd check in later, our luggage was being brought to the hotel.
I had an appointment at Cory's Bridal Shop today, and one at Kleinfeld's tomorrow. You know the store on that TV show, Say Yes To The Dress? It's on TLC. That shop. I wouldn't be going on TV though, no, definitely not.
I was supposed to be excited about this. I was supposed to want to do this. But, as we got out of the taxis, entered the building, waited, met my consultant, and I was asked what I wanted...I was at a loss. I knew what I wanted, I just knew it was pointless.
I knew that I thought I wanted a strapless dress with either a chapel or cathedral train, so I told her that.
For the next hour I was zipped in to and then unzipped out of countless amounts of dresses, and had to parade each one to everyone.
Finally, I'd had enough. "You know what, I'm sick of this!" I said, after staring in a mirror at myself in the undeeded white dress well everyone told me I looked great. "I can't do this now! I just want to leave and go home." I said, tearing up.
"Ok I think we'll be leaving now," Aunt Dolly told the consultant, whose name I couldn't remember.
"That's no problem," She said pleasantly, picking up the train. "Sometimes this is very overwhelming. Let's just get you back in your clothes," She smiled, helping me back to the changing room.
I got out of the dress as quickly as possible, and in to my own clothes, then grabbed my purse. After, though I begged to go to the hotel, we went out for dinner. Two hours later, I finally fell in to the bed of the hotel room. I didn't bother changing, only kicked my shoes off, and crawled in to the bed under the covers. With not much hope, I checked my phone. Nothing.
Lilly sighed, coming out of the bathroom. "Miley, come on," She said softly, "He loves you."
"That's what I thought."
The wind blew softly around me, making my hair flutter in the wind. All around me, the birds chirped happily. I was in a flowly, soft white dress that went to my ankles, and I was in a grassy meadow, barefoot. I felt a crown of flowers in my loose wavy hair. I felt like I was in a romance novel.
I saw a wedding set up farther in the distance, I heard the bridal march playing. Though I had failed to notice before, there were flowers in my hand, and a veil attached to the ring of flowers in my hair. He was about fifty feet away from me, at the alter. I smiled, and began to walk up the aisle. When I got there, I handed my flowers to Lilly, who stood beside me in a yellow dress.
The priest began to speak, talking about love, patience, and being faithful. He got to the vows.
"Miley," He asked, turning to me, "Do you take Oliver to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health from this day forward, until death do you part?"
Teary eyes and large smile, I nodded. "I do."
Nodding and smiling at me, he turned to Oliver. "Do you take Miley to be your lawfully wedded wife? To Have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health from this day forward, until death do you part?" I waited for him to say I do. But all he did was take the ring off of my finger...and walk away.
"Oliver!" I called, "Oliver, where are you going?"
He turned to look at me. "I can't do this."
"Why? You're not sick anymore! I saved you, remember? We can be together!"
"It's not because I'm sick, Miley." He said, then shrugged. "I just don't want you. I don't love you." He said, then turned, and he was gone.
I watched after him, the hot salty tears spilling from my blue eyes as I watched him go. "Oliver, no!" I called...but he was already gone.
"I just don't want you. I don't love you..."
"I just don't want you. I don't love you..."
"Oliver!" I cried, reaching for him.
"I just don't want you. I don't love you."
"No!" I sobbed, "Don't leave me! Please! Come back! I love you!"
"I just don't want you. I don't love you."
"OLIVER!" I shouted, sitting up in the dark, unfamiliar room.
Cold sweat covered my body, my hair stuck to my skin, and tears were leaking from my eyes, down my cheeks. The sobs racked through me, as I sat up and pulled the pillow to my chest, pulling my knees up. I barely registered Lilly's absence.
It felt hard to breathe. The reality of my dream crashed down like I'd had a avalance of snow fall on top of me. I was alone, all not because he couldn't be with me. He didn't want me. I was disgusted with myself for wishing opposite. I'm an awful person. If I can't have him no one does? How selfish can I be?
I was awful. I didn't deserve him. He was too good for me.
I knew I was probably ruining this pillow case, staining the white fabric with my tears, the running makeup I'd never taken off, and my runny nose, but I didn't care. I needed to cry, I needed to feel sorry for myself.
I needed him.
"Miley." I heard a pained voice say softly. It sounded like his voice. I looked up, around the room. Once adjusting to the dark, I saw him, standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed over his chest. I looked at him, wiping uselessly at my eyes for the tears kept coming, but asked, with a hoarse, congested voice,
"What are you doing here?"
"Lilly got Jackson to get me on a plane," He said, going in the bathroom. I heard the water running, and he came out with a glass of water, and a wet towel. He set the glass on the night table, and gently tilted my face up at him with one hand, and used the other to gently wipe away the makeup off of my face. After he finished, he set it aside, and handed me the water. I took it, mumbling a soft thank you, and gulped it down. Once I'd set the cup down, he said quietly, "What did you want to say?"
"You mean earlier?" I asked with hurt, "When you, instead of listening to me, called off our wedding?" He just looked away and nodded.
"What I want to say is...you're a dumb ass idiot if you think I'd ever in any way betray you like that." I said with venom. "After all we've been through, Oliver? Really? You saw me when I thought I was going to loose you! You saw...h-how much of a mess I was!" I said, sobbing, "You heard me tell you about the awful night and day-mares about you leaving me! I love you!" I yelled at him, "Ilove you! I need you! You're like the-the air I breathe, the light in the sky, the ocean, the things I need to live. You're my everything!" I said, loudly, well crying. "If you had thought to look closer at the situation you'd have seen him pinning my hands down to my sides! You'd have seen my struggles to get away! I didn't want to kiss him. He kissed me, and forced me to keep my lips on his."
"I know." He whispered. "He...he explained what he did. He apologized."
I scoffed. "I hope you didn't accept his apology."
"Oh, I didn't. I punched him again. Twice." I looked at him, he looked back. I slowly lifted my shirt, and on my tummy, you could see scarred skin of the upside down Y mark from the surgery.
"I'd have thought that this would remind you how much you mean to me." I said softly. "Oliver, you know...if you had needed a heart transplant..." I looked up at him, "I would be six feet under right now." I paused. "I don't know...how to live without you anymore. When we're apart, part of me is missing. I know what it's like, thinking you might not be there anymore. I know I can't live without you. Why would I risk having to do that?"
"I'm sorry, Miley," he said softly, sitting in front of me. "It's just...I always wonder...why me? I'm not good enough for you. You're too good for me. And...when I saw him, kissing you...I don't know, part of me just lost it. I wasn't thinking. I took my anger at him out on you. And I made the worst mistake of my life." He said, sliding my ring off of his pinky finger, and placing it in between us. "I'm so sorry." He said. "I'd understand if you never forgave me." It was silent for a extended period. After a while, I looked up at him, and softly said,
"We just...have to remember to trust each other." He nodded.
"I do. I will." Nodding slowly, I met his gaze and smiled,
"Well, you aren't going to make me put it on myself, are you?" Grinning, he picked up the ring, and slid it in its place on my left ring finger, and then pulled me against his chest. I felt his lips kiss the top of my head, before I leaned back to kiss him, before letting my head rest against his chest again as he held me close, my head right over his beating heart, his hand resting softly on my chest right over mine.