Hello my readers! So incredibly sorry about the long delay with this story! Life has been crazy and has been preventing me from updating my stories regularly. Just a heads up, I do plan to involve Abel's kidnapping into the story, I'm just going to change how it's going to go down. Also, I would like to confirm what is in fact ahead along with the kidnapping storyline: Mel's health is in fact going to deteriorate and she will hide it from everyone, most importantly Jax. The other ideas I had that I wrote like bringing one of Jax's or Mel's ex into the story is still up in the air, but I promise you will know when I do :). Enjoy chapter 16!
I paced back and forth in Jax's former apartment, waiting for him or Clay to call Gemma, letting everyone know they were in the clear and they were on their way back to us.
Seven and a half hours have come and gone, each one making me worry more as the new hour would begin.
I kept thinking and saying aloud what Gemma has been drilling in my head.
They're going to be okay. They're always okay.
Those words of wisdom stopped having a hold on me around hour number three.
I grabbed Jax's pick up truck keys from out of my purse and attempted to leave to find my guy and his brothers.
I didn't get far. The farthest I was able to go was the exit of the clubhouse door before being stopped by Piney who nearly ripped both of his arms out of its socket to keep me here.
Hence why I'm in Jax's former bedroom with a guard outside of the room, preventing me from leaving it.
To keep my mind off of the endless dangers I managed to conjure up in my head about Jax and his brothers, Britt and Gemma got me ready for my upcoming nuptials.
It worked for a while until they finished, and now I am back at square one.
The pacing back and forth finally caught up to me, making me dizzy. Lifting my wedding dress a couple inches off of the floor, I took a seat at the end of the bed.
The door opened with Britt standing in the doorway with Abel in her arms.
"Hey Mel, Abel and I wanted to bring you some company," She stated, taking a seat next to me.
"Is that the only reason why you're visiting me?", I asked, with a raise of my eyebrow.
"No. There's a window in your guy's room here, and I wanted to make sure you didn't use it."
Britt saw Abel's arms reaching for Mel so she gently lifted him under his arms, handing him to her.
I kissed the top of Abel's head, wrapping my arms around him, holding him close to me. I began to lightly bounce both of my legs, watching his body move with the same rhythm.
His small hands found my engagement ring on my left ring finger, and he started to play with the large stone, staring at it with a pensive face.
"Have you heard anything, Britt,?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"Not yet, honey. "
"I bet I scared some of the kids. I should go check on them and make sure they're okay."
"They're fine, Mel. They found it more comedic than scary, especially Kenny and Ellie. I think Kenny even posted your fight with Piney on YouTube. You're probably an internet sensation as we speak."
"Jesus christ, I'm out of my mind insane."
"Yeah, you are. But Jax seems to have a thing for unstable women."
For the first time in hours, I started to laugh hard enough, making each of my sides hurt. Then again, it could be from the wedding dress. It has a built-in corset that molds to my body.
"Do you think I can get out of this room for a bit? I'm going a bit stir crazy without some kind of human interaction."
"I don't know. As Piney and Gemma put it, Jax's old lady is a flight risk and the last thing they want is for you to sneak off and something happens to you on their watch. Jax would have both of their asses regardless of who they are."
"I won't go anywhere. I'll be a total saint," I held up my right pointer and middle finger, willing to do everything in my power to stand by my will.
Everything.
Two hours Later:
Every last one of us heard the sound of multiple motorcycles pull into the T-M parking lot.
I slid off of the bar's stool, running toward the exit in my new favorite pair of white pumps.
Piney gave me a small smile, stepping aside to let me through.
I returned the smile before I sprinted outside to Jax's bike with other old ladies following my lead.
Jax dismounted his bike, hanging his aged helmet on one of the silver bars of his bike. He looked up in Melanie's direction, smiling at his future wife who looked fucking incredible.
Her long auburn hair was curled in tight ringlets. Her makeup was flawless, bringing out the best feature of her face, those large brown eyes of hers. The dress, oh my fucking god, the dress. He never thought a dress would make his breath catch in his throat. Never. But, this one did. The only one that would ever have that effect on him. The strapless dress was the brightest shade of white with a sweetheart neckline. The gown hugged her dangerous curves in all the right places, creating a mermaid inspired design.
Before he could take in any more details of the dress, Mel ran into his arms, holding him in place with incredible strength. He bent his knees, lifting her off of the ground.
"I'm not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, you know. It brings bad luck."
I took his beautiful face in both of my hands, kissing him with force.
"I don't think that old wives' tale is true. It's the reverse. It brought you back to me."
He set me down back onto the earth's ground, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you. "
"Is everything set here? Do you have the marriage liscense?"
"Yup, everything's set. The marriage liscense is waiting to be signed in the clubhouse."
"Good. Are you ready to become Mrs. Melanie Teller?"
"I've been ready, Jax."
I brought the washcloth under the running faucet in the clubhouse bathroom. I turned off the faucet, ringing out the excess water from the washcloth.
Jax sat down on the closed toilet seat as I stood in between his legs.
I started cleaning Jax's bloody wounds that resided on his face and body, being as gentle as I can not to hurt him.
My eyes finally made contact with his face.
He was looking at me with a large smile forming on his mouth.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, it's just... A year ago, I would have never guessed I would be getting married to one of my best friends. I didn't think it was possible to be that lucky."
I shook my head, dropping the washcloth at our feet. I took his bruised face in my hands and gave him a gentle peck on the lips.
" You need to stop talking like that. It makes me want to jump your bones every chance I get."
His hands gripped my waist, pulling me to him. Those hands traveled downwards, bringing my legs to each side of him until I was on his lap, straddling him.
"All the more reason to talk like that darlin' ," he replied, unzipping my wedding dress.
"Here? In the clubhouse bathroom?", I asked, feeling his erection grow harder against my overly heated core.
"Mhmm," he sucked at the skin on my chest, moving his mouth downwards to my breasts.
"Fine. Just make it quick. I want to make you my husband already."
"No such thing as making it quick, Mel. You should know that by now."
Jax zipped up my dress as I continued to fix my hair in the bathroom mirror.
"You should go out first," I stated as he pulled his white t-shirt over his head.
"What's the point? The whole clubhouse knows what we just did because you can't keep quiet, Mel."
"It's not my fault. It's yours. We wouldn't have this problem if you sucked in the sack."
"True," he grabbed my ass the second I touched the doorknob.
Gemma was standing in the doorway, her hand formed into a fist, preparing to knock.
"Hey you two. I hope you're done banging like jack rabbits because the priest your mother found last minute is waiting."
"Okay, we're coming."
"That's what she said," Jax whispered in my ear.
I stood halfway down the hallway , ready to give myself away.
"Hey Mel."
"Hey Bobby."
"I know no one can fill your father's shoes on this special day, but I would be honored to walk you down the aisle."
I smiled, giving Bobby a hug.
"I'd really love that."
I entangled my arm around Bobby's, heading down the hallway to become Jax Teller's wife.
Ellie, my flower girl, tossed sunflower petals she retrieved from outside.
Britt and Opie followed suit, walking down the aisle created by a number of wooden chairs for the families in the clubhouse.
Britt pulled out her I phone, playing the wedding march once she and Op found their place on each side of the priest.
Everyone turned in their seats. This was it.
I'm going to be a wife. Well, I was technically already a wife since we filled out our marriage liscense.
This beautiful yet simple ceremony seemed to certify our marriage.
Bobby walked me up the aisle, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
"Who gives away this young lady to this man," the priest asked Bobby.
"Her mother and I do," we both looked back at my mother who was already crying hysterically.
I handed my small boutique of sunflowers to Britt. Jax took my hands in his.
"We are gathered here in front of god, friends, and family to celebrate the union of Melanie Elizabeth Torres and Jackson Nathaniel Teller. Instead of the traditional wedding vows, the groom has vows of his own he'd like to share with his bride."
"You do," I asked.
"Yeah, I do. Mel, you have got to be the most badass woman I know, next to my mom obviously. So much shit has happened over the years since we've known each other. The good, the bad, or in between. Life tends to change, but one thing that won't ever change is how I feel about you, Mel. You're my constant and I want to be your constant. If you say yes in a few minutes, I will officially be the luckiest guy in this room to have a woman like you in my life. I love you."
"What else, brother," Opie whispered, loud enough for me to hear.
"I also promise to treat you as good as my leather and ride you as much as my harley," he vowed, with the club chanting along with him, recieving a roll of the eyes from the priest.
I smiled, searching for the right words to say to him.
"How am I going to top that?"
"I know. I set the bar pretty high."
"Jax, you're such an incredible guy. I can't count the number of times you have saved me, both physically and emotionally. Each day with you is never a dull one. It might be a bad day. It might be a good day. Whichever it is, you will always have me along for the ride. You've been my constant since I was five, and I will remain your constant. If you say yes in a few minutes, I will be the luckiest woman in this world to have a man who loves me as much as you do. I love you."
"Do you have the rings?"
"Oh.. no we don.."
"Yeah, I do," Jax answered, cutting me off, pulling out two rings from his kutte.
"Where'd you.."
"Gemma."
I looked over at Gemma and she nodded.
"Jackson, do you take Melanie to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live? ," The priest asked.
"I do."
He slid the gold wedding ring onto my left finger which rested on top of my engagement ring.
"And do you Melanie take Jackon to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him, for as long as you both shall live?"
"Yes, I do."
Jax removed his golden ring with the skull encrusted in the center, letting me slide his father's silver wedding ring on his left finger.
"Does anyone have any reason these two should not be together, speak now or forever hold your peace."
The clubhouse was so silent, you could hear a pin drop.
"Jackson, you may kiss your bride."
Jax grabbed me, dipping my entire body. I let out a small squeal, wrapping my arms around his neck, finally giving him our first kiss as husband and wife.
The entire clubhouse stood up and cheered.
"These cupcakes are fuckin' incredible," Jax stated, taking a bite out of the fifth cupcake he had since they went up to the roof.
"We didn't have time to get a wedding cake so Gemma and I made a shit load of cupcakes."
"Good choice. Cupcakes over wedding cakes any day."
I smiled, wiping the frosting off of Jax's bottom lip with my pointer finger.
He propped up one of his legs on the ledge, pulling me closer to him.
He opened my golden locket, smiling as he saw the picture of Abel.
"Who gave you this?"
"My mom. She gave me one with two sides just in case there's more kids in the future. "
"Oh there will be. I want at least four, maybe five."
"Seriously."
"Fuck yeah, I'm serious. I want a whole bunch of little Jaxs and Mels running around, raising hell. "
"I'd love to give Abel siblings, but I think we should adopt too. Do you have any idea how many children get put up for adoption a day? I'd love to give a child a good home and be the mom they deserve."
"There should be more people like you in this world, Mel. If there was, the world wouldn't be so fucked up."
"Aww, thank you. Ditto. "
He kissed the side of my head, picking up the last cupcake off of the paper plate that was next to us.
"I talked to Neeta. She said she'd watch Abel for a couple of days if we want to go on a short honeymoon."
"Cool. Where would we go?"
"Piney gave me the keys to the cabin. We can get started on Abel's siblings the second we get there."
"We could start now if you like. Or we could wait until Happy puts your crow on me."
"Now, please."