Here we go, the last chapter. I want to thank you all who have reviewed and stuck with me since the beginning (Im not doing any anonymous reviewers, you all know who you are) *clears throat* Thank you E-D-Songy-12, kaylinwriter14, bellz.1996, Cullensinger1, Maria81593, Hpfanfictionwriter3214, koralblahblah, SpAzZy CaUsE tHaT's Me, Fanficaddictoress, Hazl, TwilightFan29, hsm milititita,ChocolatexChicaxCasey95, evershort, FireWolf in Shadows, AuroraandRosalieWannabe, twird96, Gayle7, tannertheklutz,.princess, Alyson MacMillan, Karlene, musicgal10, bookwurm23, Emmalys Lafiana, XxPixie-wanna-bexX, Mizz Twilight, JelliBeen,ScarletKnight3496, studybuddy, mimi1rks, edward-mountain-is-so-real, EdwardMYlovingvampire, RachxSaxophonexTwilight,EdwardCullenlover619, and bella1985. As you all know, I loved getting my little fuzzies whenever someone reviewed. :D Also thank you to all the people that put me on the fav. stories, fav. authors, story alerts and all that. You all have really made this fun for me. And last but not least, I want to thank my WONDERFUL beta VintageConspiracy, who has helped me since the second chapter!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D
As for the song contest that I composed a VERY long time ago. Well I chose two winners. Drum roll please!! *snare drum roll* LifeIsMusicIsLife and studybuddy!!! YEY!!! Their songs are in the story as well as their names (Nici and Katherine).
So let's get on with the story already, huh? I figure you've waited long enough :D (sorry by the way. School and sucky grades just kept getting in the way of me finishing this. :C I hate Bio) But to make up for all this time lost, I tried extra hard to make this a nice and long (27 pages in Word!) conclusion to make up for all the months I lost. :D
Usual disclaimer, nothing for the last time is mine. I do not own anything. Just my plot line and my fantasized dreams :D And I do not own the songs that are played in this chapter. That right goes to LifeIsMusicIsLife and MaydayParade.
Insert from beta : I definitely do not deserve that shout out. I am a terrible beta, who took F O R E V E R to send this back. It's been a little rough on my side, sorry! ): But I feel like crap so I'm going to give it more than my best.
Chapter 10: MPOV 1 year later (Mary is now 21{she had her 20 birthday soon after the breakup} and Joey is 22 just so ya'll know)
I gave an angry huff as I sat down on the uncomfortable wooden chair in the dressing room. "Tami, the only reason why I haven't run screaming out of here is because you're my best friend. And I'm sure you'd haul me back, kicking and screaming, anyways," I grumbled, glaring at the screen that said best friend was behind, changing into her wedding dress.
This whole wedding had been put together in a total of five months, but it took the couple just about a whole year to figure out when they were going to get married. A whole year. Finally, they just picked a date, much to everyone's relief.
Tami was a whole different person under all the stress. She made all the dresses including hers, which was absolutely stunning. It was a simple, yet elegant white satin dress with lace as a second layering. The bridesmaid dresses were a deep navy blue satin that came down just above the ankle and had about 3 inch thick shoulder straps with a simple 'v' neckline.
She of course had all the help she could get, including her older sister Nici, her good friend Katherine from her design school, her parents, and of course, me. The wedding would be perfect, except for one small detail …
"Oh come on, Mary, you're trying to blame me because Dustin picked Joey as his best man?!" she exclaimed, sticking her head out from behind the screen to pout at me.
Okay, maybe it was a big detail. I crossed my arms, "Of course not." She smiled and her head disappeared behind the screen once more, "I'm saying that it's your fault that you decided to keep me as the maid of honor even when you found out."
Tami made a very rude hand gesture over the top of the screen at me, which made me chuckle.
"I guess it's a good thing that I have Carson here as my date, otherwise Joey would be intolerable." I smirked at the thought of his reaction to my boyfriend of 6 months.
Tami was silent from behind the screen for a few moments. Ever since I left Tami and Dustin's apartment that one horrible afternoon, it seemed like any time the topic of dating was brought up, which led to Joey, of course, was like walking on a sheet of thin ice.
"Well, how do I look?"
I looked up in time to see Tami emerge from behind the screen, absolutely radiant in her white dress.
I jumped up, squealing, "Oh my GOD, Tami! You look beautiful!" I gushed as I pulled her into a hug. No one had been permitted to see her in the dress ever since she finished it. I felt truly honored to be the first one.
"Thanks," she smiled hugely, "I'm just glad that the designer did such a great job on it. She really is a talented woman."
She looked at me more carefully, "DAMN, Mary! I did a great job on your dress; you look absolutely beautiful! Joey is going to take one look at you and he's gonna wish that he never broke your hear…"
She stopped abruptly when my expression of sheer admiration fell off my face, to be replaced by the tense discomfort which usually preceeded the mention of Joey Parker. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mention that, it just sorta slipped out."
I gave her a forced smile, "It's okay. I'm doing better. At least I didn't break into tears this time."
Sure, that night was still a sore subject, but in the past year I've learned to take a deep breath and think about something else, whenever it was mentioned. Today would actually be the first time I've seen Joey since I left the apartment. I even refused to go to the rehearsal dinner yesterday since Joey would be there, which, of course, didn't sit too well with Tami.
After I had left the apartment, someone had taken my picture again just as I had removed my glasses to rub my wet eyes. As before, it appeared on E! News and the rumor section of magazines. Just like that, the whole world knew that Jary was over. Emphasis on the over, of course.
She gave me a hard look that told me that she didn't believe me. But before she could say anything, her sister Nici (I still kept in touch with her husband's cousins, who did me the massive favour ...) and her parents came into the room, gushing about how beautiful she was.
"Wow, Tams! You look so great!" she gushed, giving her sister another hug, "Dustin is a really great guy. Although personally, I would have gone for his friend Joey."
My smile started to fault at the corners. Tami smiled softly, an apology. I couldn't really blame Nici. She didn't know; she never read gossip columns, or magazines. But still, she must have heard... Or not.
There was a knock on the door and Katherine, Tami's friend from designer school, stuck her head around the door to tell us it was time. We left the room in a bundle of silk and lace and expensive dresses and flowers, and came into the foyer area of the church behind the closed oak doors leading to the hall filled with tons of people. And Joey, I reminded myself, almost painfully.
The music began to play and Nici clutched her bouquet of flowers closer and walked down the aisle, soon followed by Katherine. I took a deep breath and looked back at Tami for a reassuring glance and a quick mouthing of the word "behave", before stepping through the oak doors and into the main church.
I looked up to the altar where Dustin, Joey and the priest were. My breath caught in my throat when I saw him. His jawbone was dusted with a fine shadow of stubble, as if he just forgot to shave that morning; I had always loved that. His tux clearly defined his well built body, and it really didn't help my concentration while I tried to walk down the aisle in three inch heels. That tux really suited him, and I felt a pang of sadness as I realized that this wouldn't happen again. We wouldn't be getting married.
Joey was whispering something to Dustin so he didn't notice me right away, but when he finally did, his expression was priceless. Jaw dropping to the ground, I felt his eyes rake over me. I was satisfied.
Throughout the whole ceremony, I knew Joey was watching me. I could feel his eyes. I tried very hard to ignore him, but my eyes seemed to have a mind of their own; they kept on flickering towards him. I was annoyed with both myself and Joey by the time the wedding ended. I cursed myself for being too preoccupied with Joey that I missed most of the ceremony.
Dustin and Tami ran down the aisle for the first time as man and wife under a downpour of rice. It was then mine and Joey's turn and he gently hooked his arm around mine. We ran down the aisle and out the church, and I slid my arm out of his as soon as I could.
I was just about to get into the limo that was waiting to take us to the reception, when Joey grabbed my arm and pinned me against the limo. "We really need to talk, Mary. You have to understand that I feel horrible about what I did and I can't be any more pitifully sorry than I am right now and have been for the past year."
I fixed him with a hard glare, "You should have thought of that before. As soon as I heard you were going to be the best man, I wanted to drop out. But this is Tami's wedding. One, she would kill me before I could even think it and two, she's my best friend and I can't abandon her on her wedding day. But, can you just .. just leave me alone." I tried unsuccessfully to get out of Joey's grasp. I, of course, remembered how strong he is.
"Just give up, you're not going anywhere. Resistance is futile." He paused and his face hardened a bit, "Please, Mary. I don't want to lose you, please just let's try and fix us."
I would have hurt him in some way, but he had my arms pinned to the limo by his hands, so instead I threw a glare at him. "As you plainly stated before, we can't be fixed. We are done and nothing can stop that. And I full heartedly agree with that."
Joey got an evil glint in his eye, "Nothing? Not even this?" Before I could stop him, he had leaned in close and moved his arms from pinning me to the limo to one at my waist and the other at the nape of my neck. He hesitated for a moment when he stared wordlessly into my eyes, then he slowly met his lips with mine.
I unconsciously let myself dive deeper into the kiss, desperately trying to pull him impossibly closer to me. I felt him smile and lean into the kiss some more. I couldn't help it. I couldn't fight it.
We only stopped when we were broken apart by a very loud "Ahem!" looking around, I saw Tami and Dustin in the limo staring at us, as well as most of the congregants from inside the church. I confusedly looked around and realized I was in my ex-fiancé's arms. I jumped away from him and crossed my arms, glaring at Joey, who looked all to pleased with himself.
Tami and Dustin were still looking at me with shocked, yet ever so slightly amused, expressions on their faces. I crossed my arms and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "There was a bug."
There was a stiff silence before Tami slowly asked, "So you killed it with your lips?"
I huffed and crossed my arms. Angry at myself, angry at Joey, angry at everybody. I hated to admit, but I missed his lips.
-3-
We entered the large banquet hall of the Marriott hotel where the reception was supposed to be to a burst of applause.
I held onto Joey's arm as long as nessesary, but slid out so fast that you'd think that I had greased my arm. I didn't want Joey to try to get me to kill another bug for him again.
My date, Carson Foley, truly was a life saver. If I hadn't been with him for the whole night, I might have done something I would regret later with/to Joey. Carson could truly pass as a clone for Joey except for his hair which wasn't curly or as long. He also wasn't as tall, but it was pretty close. He couldn't dance really well either so he was pretty much always stepping on my toes. The only thing I didn't really care about was the fact that he only seemed to be interested in getting me in bed. I've told him that I just wasn't ready again and he seems to listen for a while, but then he starts right back up again in a matter of days. At least Joey didn't push me at all, he waited until I was fully ready and even then he wouldn't go ahead until I had sworn that I was fine.
I sighed, then realized what I was sighing about and shook my head. I shouldn't be thinking of this. It has passed. You aren't together anymore. Although that kiss did seem like old times. Seemed like you had never gone to his parents house in the first place.
I winced as Carson stepped on my toes yet again. I was sure that once I got home I would find blisters the size of watermelons on my poor feet. And I had a recital coming up soon, too! Damn it!
The song thankfully ended and I shook Carson off, sending him to get drinks. I hurried to the nearest available chair and took my shoes off. Glimpsing my sore feet, I moaned. Rubbing my feet, I started thinking about when Joey would give me foot massages after really hard dance classes. They felt so nice and…
Oh God, no.
I took a deep breath and leaned back in my chair. Where was Carson? I really needed that drink now.
Just as Carson appeared, the deejay picked up the microphone and announced "It is that time of the night where we ask the wedding party to come up and dance. So if you are in the wedding, please come up and dance with your opposite. If you aren't, get off the floor!"
I sighed as Joey appeared out of nowhere, almost forcing Carson to spill the glasses out of surprise. I reluctantly accepted his hand up and gave Carson an apologetic look.
Once on the dance floor, my brain seemed to feel right at home. However, I forced myself to step on his feet.
Katie, don't cry, I know
You're trying your hardest
And the hardest part is letting go
Of the nights we shared
Ocala is calling and you know it's haunting
But compared to your eyes, nothing shines quite as bright
And when we look to the sky, its not mine, but i want it so
"So," Joey started bitterly, "that guy seems…"
"I don't want to hear what you have to say about him. You're the ex, your opinion doesn't matter." I said quickly.
Joey fell silent. Then asked quietly "Does he love you?"
Let's not pretend like you're alone tonight
(I know he's there and)
You're probably hanging out and making eyes
(while across the room, he stares)
I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor
And ask my girl to dance, and she'll say yes
Because these words were never easier for me to say
Or her to second guess
But I guess
That I can live without you but
Without you I'll be miserable at best
"What kind of a question is that?" I asked quietly, knowing the answer.
"It's a very simple one that you seem to want to avoid." He frowned, not breaking his eye contact with me.
You're all that I hoped I'd find
In every single way
And everything I would give
Is everything you couldn't take
Cause nothing feels like home, you're a thousand miles away
And the hardest part of living
Is just taking breaths to stay
Because I know I'm good for something
I just haven't found it yet
But I need it
"Look, whether he loves me or not does not concern you. Just me!"
He paused for a second, "Do you love him?"
So let's not pretend like you're alone tonight
(I know he's there and)
You're probably hanging out and making eyes
(while across the room, he stares)
I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor
And ask my girl to dance, and she'll say yes
I didn't answer. Instead I looked away towards the deejay who was sipping his coca-cola.
"I'll take that as a no," he said more confidently.
I shook my head. "It's not that I don't love him, its just that my heart has been broken before, thanks to you, and I don't want it to happen again. I am a lot more careful than I used to be, Joey," I added accusingly.
Because these words were never easier for me to say
Or her to second guess
But I guess
That I can live without you but
Without you I'll be miserable at best
Ladada ladada ladadaoh ohhh
I saw Joey's face fall, silencing him for the rest of the dance.
And this will be the first time in a week
That I'll talk to you
And I can't speak
It's been three whole days since I've had sleep
Because I dream of his lips on your cheek
And I got the point that I should leave you alone
But we both know that I'm not that strong
And I miss the lips that made me fly
So let's not pretend like you're alone tonight
(I know he's there and)
You're probably hanging out and making eyes
(while across the room, he stares)
I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor
And ask my girl to dance, and she'll say yes
Because these words were never easier for me to say
Or her to second guess
But I guess
That I can live without you but
Without you I'll be miserable
And I can live without you but
But without you I'll be miserable
And I can live without you but
Oh, without you I'll be miserable at best (Mayday Parade's Miserable at Best)
The next song came on and most of the wedding party couples left the dance floor while all the other ones forced off came back on. I was about to separate myself from Joey when he held me tighter.
"One more dance, please." He pleaded.
I turned around to see Carson talking to one of Dustin's girl cousins. "Sure, why not?"
He pulled me towards him and we slowly swayed, this time without any foot crushing. It was nice. Like I remembered it. The ease of motion, the fluidity, his arms. This was right.
Joey leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Listen to the song really carefully."
I obeyed, and heard a familiar voice singing the song:
Even though it seems our fates have sealed
Themselves in different ways
I feel closer to you
Than ever before
Because
It was you
Who held my and when I was scared.
It was you
That stood next to me
Through the times that mattered most.
And it was you
That held me tight through the darkness in my life.
And you
Are the one I won't let go.
Because you
Chased away my fears.
You pulled me to my feet
And you whispered in my ear
That the darkness would end soon
And if ever I need you
'Cause my fear won't let me go
I'll call on you
If I feel I can go on.
I'll see you
When I only need to know that there's someone else
I'll know it's you
When your arms are wrapped around me
And you
You
Are my angel in disguise.
So tell me
Where do you hide your wings?
I bet you've met God
'Cause he must've sent you
What's it like up there in heaven?
'Cause you're livin' proof it's there
Because you
You
Are my angel in disguise (LifeIsMusicIsLife's Angel in Disguise)
"Oh my god!" I whispered as the song finished.
Joey smiled slightly. "What did you think?"
I gaped wordlessly at him, "Is that what I think it is? Your new song?"
He nodded "Yeah, it may not be as 'poppy' as all my other songs, but it's doing fine. It seems to be very popular with the young girls that think they have a chance with me." He looked at me straight in the eye, "I finished writing it the day after I proposed to you." He added solemnly.
"So that means…"
"That it was written for you. Yes?" he finished for me.
I realized that the song had stopped and a new song had come on. I was no longer obliged to be in Joey's arms anymore.
I jumped when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Turning around, I saw an angry Carson staring at Joey. If looks could kill, Joey would already be pushing up daisies. "Excuse me, but I would like to dance with my girlfriend now!" he said forcefully.
That did it. "GIRLFRIEND!!! GIRLFRIEND?!! HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!! HOW MANY DATES HAVE YOU BEEN ON, LIKE THREE?!!" Joey shouted. Everyone in the hall turned and stared at us, watching and waiting for a fight. Darn.
Carson jumped back a little, surprised by Joey's angry reaction, "Actually we've been on ten," he informed Joey smugly.
"Whoop di doo!!! TEN whole dates!!! That is just so long!!!" Joey yelled, "So since you've been on SOOOO many dates, then you must know a lot about her. What's her favorite color? Comfort food? Place where she's most ticklish? Place she wants to travel to the most? What does she absolutely have to do before she goes to bed every night?"
Carson's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I narrowed my eyes at him, recalling that I'd actually told Carson these things.
"Navy blue, fun-sized three musketeers, her feet, Australia, and sing along to 'Don't stop believing' by Journey." He listed all the correct answers off one by one without taking his eyes off of Carson.
"I still got the girl in the end," Carson sneered at him, grabbed me roughly around the waist and forced me into a kiss. I gave Carson a shove in the chest, wanting him off, while watching Joey seethe in my peripheral vision.
He released me with a loud sound that reminded me much like a plunger. As I got back to my feet again, I crossed my arms and looked at him in pure, undiluted disgust.
I then realized that he released me just in time because Joey started towards him. And before anyone'd had a chance to stop him, he'd socked Carson straight in the face.
I went to Carson quickly, helping him up. He smiled faintly, smugly. That smile was wiped off his face as I raised my hand to offer him a sharp slap, my palm connecting with his cheek with a sharp smack. "I told you all of those answers, yet you failed to answer a single one. You just don't listen to anyone except for damn Carson Jr. I am not a prize to be won." For added measure, I kneed Carson Jr., enjoying the grunt of pain spilling from his lips.
Realising everyone was staring at me, I turned and bolted: headed straight for the bathrooms off the lobby.
"Do I really want to go down this road again?" I asked my reflection after splashing my too-pale cheeks with water. "Do I really want to possibly get hurt again?"
I stared at the reflection, but it failed to give me any answer. I sighed and washed my hands for something to do. I heard the deejay announce something, later followed by girls screeches of delight and guys moaning. They were doing the bouquet/garter tossing now and some cute guy had just caught the garter.
Suddenly, there was a banging on the door. "Mary! You need to come out now! I have orders from Tami to make sure that you are participating in the bouquet toss!" Katherine's voice yelled through the oak doors.
Making the mistake of opening the door, I found myself being pulled by two deranged bridesmaids to the center of the dance floor where a gang of giggling girls were waiting. Nici left Katherine to pulling me by myself and before going to sit next to her husband, told me sternly, "You are under strict orders to participate, you understand?"
I rolled my eyes and allowed Katherine to pull me the rest of the way. Pushing and shoving some teenagers aside, Katherine cleared a path towards the center of the gang. She turned to me, "Can I trust that you won't run away if I let go of your arm?"
I sighed, and she dropped my arms. I figured it'd be easier just to try and catch the damn bouquet anyways. I mean, there were at least a dozen other girls, who all looked ready to grab at it. Chances were, it was all theirs.
"Everyone count with me!" the deejay announced into the mic. "Five…Four…Three…Two…One…Throw!!"
The bouquet soared through the air as Tami released it. Reflexively, my arm shot out. I stared with pure horror at the cluster of pale flowers tucked into a tight wrap, clutched loosely in my left hand.
"OH MY GOD YOU CAUGHT IT!!!" Katherine screamed in my ear.
The gaggle of now subdued girls gently urged me to the front. Tami gave me a smile which I did not return. "Please tell me that you didn't set this up." I whispered harshly when next to her.
She just gave me an innocent smile, "I don't know what you're talking about, Mary." She pushed me towards a chair that was waiting for me in front of the deejay booth. Sitting in it, I waited patiently for the mystery man to come out.
I watched as one of the groomsmen led a man with a bag over his head towards me. I sighed at the slowness of his walking; I really just wanted to get this over and done with.
The groomsman forced the man with the garter down into a kneel and quickly left the stage. I heard the man with the bag over his head take a deep breath and reach up and grab my knee mistakenly, making me squirm uncomfortably. Realizing his mistake, he used my leg as a guide and slid his hand down my leg.
Once at my foot, he slowly took off my shoe and held it firmly in a familiar grasp. I furrowed my brows as I tried to remember why it felt so familiar. The garter was then put around my foot and slid up around my ankle. Halfway up my calf I gasped! I knew who this mystery man was! His fingers were strong and very much like the same ones that used to give me massages after my dance classes. Joey.
"TAMI!!" I shouted angrily, standing up quickly and knocking Joey to his back.
"Mary?" came from a happily confused, now de-bagged Joey.
"Mary?" Tami calmly retorted.
"Tami?" Joey asked questioningly.
"Joey!" I pointed angrily at Joey, giving Tami an icy glare.
"Mary," Tami began but was cut off quickly.
"DUSTIN!!" Dustin happily announced, wanting to join in on the fun.
"Dustin." Tami and I said warningly.
Dustin chuckled along with the crowd, and I turned to stare blankly into the sea of expectant faces.
I pulled Tami out into the hall, unknowingly followed by Joey and Dustin. Once I thought we were out of earshot of everyone, I turned on Tami, "Can you honestly say that you had nothing to do with this? That you and Dustin did not purposefully have me and Joey catch the bouquet and garter!"
"Mary, you need to calm down," Tami said sternly, forcing me into the nearest chair. "Of course I didn't rig he bouquet throwing. It was pure chance! But it just shows that you two are destined to be together."
I shook my head, "No, no, no, no. We are not destined to be together!" I protested. "He went too far that night and ripped my heart into tiny shreds. He made me loose trust in him. I don't think I'll be able to trust him again."
She gave me a look, "Is that really true? Do you really not trust him?"
I paused while a few tears slipped down my face. "Yes… No… I don't know. I want to trust him, but he also told his parents' whole house that I was a good for nothing, horrible dancer whose father left her in her time of need to be taken in by Dominique while he went and partied in Vegas and strip clubs with his blonde bimbo, Sugar Lips." More tears fell and I found myself being handed tissues by Tami. Funny how usually, the maid of honor's got to produce the tissues.
She sat down awkwardly in the armchair next to me, her dress poofing around her making her look like a white puff ball had eaten her. "Girl, can you honestly believe that Joey would really say those things and not feel horrible about it afterwards?" she attempted to rub my back soothingly but the distance between the two chairs stopped her. "It's understandable that he would say hurtful things when he's angry. Everybody does that, but I really don't think it's worth losing a great relationship with a man that loves you dearly and would do anything for you."
One tear fell right after the next. I put my head in my hands and cried into them. Letting it all go. Everything.
Back in the doorway where Joey and Dustin were hiding safely behind a huge plant, there was a small scuffle. "I have to get to her!" Joey struggled to get out of Dustin's grip, "I need to make her feel better!"
"She's fine, J.P! Tami is with her. They need some serious girl talk. Believe me, just let Tami work her magic."
Joey still struggled, but his efforts weren't as desperate. "I still keep messing up! I need to fix it."
"You will, just wait until Tami is finished. Girl talk is like a magic elixir; it has like, magical powers and stuff."
Sure enough, Tami came around the corner a moment later and was surprised to see Joey and Dustin struggling. She raised an eyebrow at Dustin and he let Joey go instantly.
As soon as Joey was back on his feet he dashed around the plant to the armchairs, but was surprised to find them empty. Rounding on Tami he desperately asked, "Where's Mary?"
She glared at him before saying warningly, "She's my best friend, Parker. That's two strikes, you hear me? Two times you've hurt her, intentionally or unintentionally. If I find out that you've broken her heart one more time, no matter whose fault it is, I will come after you and personally make sure that you are never able to have children!! Do you understand?"
Joey gulped, then nodded quickly, "Yes, I promise."
Her glare softened and she pointed over her shoulder, "She went for a walk. She said she needed to clear her head."
He looked out the nearby glass doors that led to the parking lot. "But it's raining buckets out!!"
She shrugged and pulled Dustin back inside the ballroom, "Didn't stop her."
My legs curled up to my chest, I put my arms around them and rested my forehead on my knees.
I was sitting in the hotel's courtyard in a very beautiful gazebo. I had fallen in love with it ever since I came with Tami to look for wedding destinations. Made of cherry wood, this gazebo had a long bench that ran all along the gazebo interrupted by the two gaps where the entrances were. The railings were smooth to the touch and had elaborate designs carved into it, as well as the frequent, "Maria was here", "LM+DS 4ever" and whatnot.
Sitting peacefully on the bench, I listened to the thumping on the roof from the rain. This made me frown. It just had to rain today! It was coming down so hard that between the main hotel and the dry shelter of the gazebo, I had gotten soaked to the bone, leaving me slightly shivering and greatly resembling a drowned cat.
A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, all of them concerning Joey. Was Tami right about him? Was he really sorry? Did he still actually love me? The tears just kept falling, blending in with the rainwater dripping down my face as well.
I didn't realize I had company until I felt a jacket being placed over my quivering shoulders. I raised my head slowly and saw Joey sitting down on the bench near my feet. "Joey?" I asked confusedly.
He allowed a sad smile to appear on his face, "You know these past few months that have gone by have been miserable without you."
I started to speak, but he cut me off, "No, let me finish." I shut my mouth and stared intently at him until he started again. "After you left Tami and Dustin's place, I moved in; I just couldn't stand being in that apartment all by myself. Tami didn't like it much but she took pity on me after I told her how deeply sorry I was. I couldn't eat, sing, or dance. Everything I seemed to do reminded me of you, and that was just too painful. I was so racked up with guilt and sadness. Sleeping was even a problem; every time I closed my eyes I would see only you and how you looked that night after I mentioned your father. I felt so horrible, even Dustin couldn't cheer me up. I just spent my days acting like a bum and just sitting on Tami and Dustin's couch."
"Seeing you here tonight with that Foley guy just tore me apart seeing how you had moved on so quickly. I have never felt that jealous in my whole life. I needed you in my arms, but you were in his instead. That really pained me. Then at the wedding party dance, I finally felt whole at last. You were in my arms and I could imagine we were back in our living room dancing as if the incident at my parent's house had never happened."
He stared into my eyes seriously, conveying so much love with every second he held my gaze. "I still love you, Mary. I always will, no matter what happens or who you end up being with. I know that you and Carson are happy with each other and I understand that, but I just want you to know that I will never stop loving you."
He took a deep breath and tore his eyes from mine, looking instead at the floor. "I'm done." He finally added in a solemn voice.
Shell shocked, I just sat there staring at a sad Joey. While I was trying to figure out what to say, he slowly stood up and looked at me, "I've done what I needed to do. I'll see you later Mary." He slowly walked down the steps of the gazebo and out into the rain without looking back.
Snapping out of my trance, I watched him walk slowly, shoulders hunched in the rain. Then on a split second decision, I abandoned his jacket and sprinted after him.
He must have heard the sound of my heels because he turned around confusedly. Taking no chances, I jumped into his arms and kissed him soundly on the lips, which after a few short seconds he responded happily to.
Breaking apart only when air was necessary, we held each other while our foreheads touched, breathing heavily. "You have no idea how great that felt." I whispered, letting a sigh escape my smile. "You have no idea how bad Carson was at kissing."
"Carson?" Joey moaned, suddenly remembering his competition. "You two are still together."
My smile grew larger and I slightly shook my head, keeping my forehead touching his, "No. No, I broke up with him. He was getting on my nerves; all he really wanted was to get me in the sack. He didn't really care about anything else." I gave a little laugh, "You missed it, I slapped him across the face and kneed him in the groin. He's going to be in pain for a while."
Joey smiled widely, but then that faded when he realized what I had said, "When you say…" he paused, not sure if he wanted to hear this.
"No, no!" I exclaimed, "That's just what he wanted." I paused for a second, looking anywhere but his eyes. "It was just too soon for me."
Joey's face lit up like the Fourth of July and instantly captured my lips in a heated kiss. "Poor guy," he muttered when air became necessary, "I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of your anger."
I smiled guiltily and gingerly touched his nose. "Well it seems like it's all better now." Just for extra measure I placed a feather light kiss on the tip of his nose. He pulled me down to his lips again for another breathtaking kiss. Talk about making up for lost time.
We broke apart only when a bright flash shot across the sky, followed by a tremendously loud "BOOM!", reminding us that we were still outside in the rain.
Looking up towards the dark clouds, Joey started pulling me towards the door, "Come on, we need to get back inside. As my nanny Maggie used to say, 'You'll catch your death out there!'"
Allowing myself to be pulled indoors, I squeezed my hair out behind me. "I didn't know you had a nanny."
Joey smiled as if remembering a fond memory. "Yeah, my mom couldn't be bothered to raise me herself, so she hired someone else to do that." We walked towards the ballroom doors where the reception was still taking place.
I placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry."
He shrugged and pulled me close to his side, "Don't be. The only time she acted like a mother was that night. As far as I was concerned while growing up, Maggie was my real mother."
He held the door open for me, very gentlemanlike. No sooner had we got inside than Tami jumped out of nowhere. Taking in our wet and slightly disheveled appearances and Joey's arm around my waist, she let out a squeal and hugged me tightly despite my being soaking wet.
"I'm so glad that it's finally over!" she squealed again once she let go of me. "You two belong with eachother. And you," she rounded on Joey, "belong out of my apartment! Finally Dustin and I can have some peace without you moaning all the time!"
Joey smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, thanks by the way for putting up with me, Tami. I really owe you one." She just smiled and hugged us both again.
I smiled gratefully at her once she stopped hugging me so hard. Skipping away she went on her way to find Dustin and tell him the good news.
I felt Joey hug me closer to him and place a kiss on my still wet hair. I sighed, perfectly happy with the way things went today. Nothing could have been better.
"Well Mr. Parker, I think dance might be nice. Don't you think?" I said softly as I felt him play gingerly with my hair.
He stopped and turned me around to face him, "Actually, I had something better in mind." He reached into his pants pocket and revealed a diamond ring. MY diamond ring! "I believe that this belongs to you."
I gasped, tears starting to form in my eyes. "You kept it after all this time?"
He smiled a little, "Call me a wishful thinker, but I hoped that I would be needing this again." He went down on one knee and looked up at me, "Mary Santiago, would you do me the pleasure of saying that you'll be my wife… again."
I laughed and nodded vigorously, "Yes!"
Beaming, Joey sprang up and slid the ring on my finger for the second time. Not taking any time to admire it on my hand again, I flung my arms around Joey's neck and kissed him happily around my tears. Tears of joy this time.
To happy to really care, we didn't notice the crowd of wedding guests clapping until Tami attacked us yet again, forcing us to break apart.
*-------------------------------------------------------5 months later-----------------------------------------------------------------*
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may finally kiss the bride." Everyone laughed at the priest's wording.
A beaming Joey lifted my veil slowly, revealing my glowing smile. Tenderly he tilted my chin upwards and softly met his lips with mine, releasing the butterflies that were trapped in my stomach.
Turning to face the clapping and cheering guests, I looked out into the aisles. The only parent figure of either Joey or I, was a sobbing Maggie. No Parkers, no estranged father with a blonde bimbo on his arm, no Dominique.
I smiled. Finally, I was getting my happily ever after.
YEAY!!!! TWO WEDDINGS IN ONE!!!! And their wedding was a surprise that I didn't even know about until just now as I am sitting in my snuggie at two in the morning, wondering how to end this story right. I know many of you said that you wanted to see them married, and this is what I'll give you. I've decided not to do a sequel because it seems like I've run out of ideas for this story. But if anyone has any ideas, I'll be perfectly happy to co-write with you! Just send a pm my way!
Wow I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders!! I am actually finished!! Wow… *embraces moment of freedom* okay, back to working on In Your Arms. I'll have that posted soon definitely. :D
Please leave me a review. I hope that I have pleased you with the ending, I know I definitely was. However, my opinion doesn't matter, yours does!! So please make me happy and leave a review for me to smile and jump around with happiness about. :D
I love you all!!!!
Cullenluver 3