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Ch 3: What Happens in Vegas
(Owen)
"Bianca, where are we going?" Adam asks, as we walk down the sidewalk.
"It's a surprise!" Bianca insists and it's the same answer she's given each time any of us have asked since Adam arrived at my room.
We finally arrive at the Venetian hotel doors. "Bianca, why did we just walk from one hotel to another? Please don't tell me we are now switching hotels and not just rooms," I comment with utter confusion.
"You guys switched rooms?" Adam asks.
"We'll explain later," Bianca tells him. "But first your surprise is inside," she insists pulling at mine and Clare's hands. We give in and let her pull us inside. I see Adam following us and even more confused than we are.
We arrive at the front desk. "Hi, I ordered tickets for two for a gondola ride today," Bianca tells the clerk.
"And your name?" asks the female clerk.
"My name is Bianca DeSousa, I paid for the tickets yesterday online, but I'm not taking the ride, they are," she says and then turns pointing at Clare and I.
"Bianca, what are you talking about?" Clare asks sounding slightly nervous.
"What? You deserve to enjoy today together, given what happened Friday night," she comments with a mischievous smirk.
"Why would what happened Friday mean Clare and Owen should spend time together? And why would you be paying for the tickets?" Adam questions and I feel bad he's being left out right now.
"Ah yes, here are the tickets Miss DeSousa," the clerk speaks up as the tickets print out before any of us can answer Adam's questions. She holds out the tickets to Bianca. "Just follow this hallway to the end and out the doors. Someone there will take the tickets," the clerk tells us pointing to the hallway with a smile.
"Thanks," Clare smiles politely.
"Ok you guys go enjoy, we'll be back in an hour," Bianca genuinely smiles. She hands me the tickets, then reaches up to give me a hug, but whispers in my ear, "think of this as part of your wedding present. Something happy the two of you will actually remember about this weekend," she remarks, kissing my cheek and letting go. She hugs Clare and then grabs Adam's hand puling him toward the door.
"What is happening Bianca?" I hear Adam exclaim as Bianca pulls him through the hotel door.
I look down at Clare. She has a shy look but is smiling. "Well, we may never get the chance to ever do this again and Bianca did pay for the tickets," she comments.
"You're right, let's go," I reply with a smile as it wouldn't take much to convince me. After a few steps down the hall side by side Clare takes my hand interlacing out fingers. I smile down at her, happy she's feeling more comfortable with me. I lean over kissing the top of her head.
We get out the doors and I hand the guy our tickets. Once we're seated in the gondola, a worker takes a photo of us and then as we look around at the view the gondola starts moving. "So what did Bianca whisper to you?" Clare asks still holding my hand.
"She said to think about this as part of our wedding present from her, and it's something happy we can remember together about this weekend," I tell Clare.
"That's so sweet of her, I can't believe she'd really do this for us," Clare comments.
"So you came down here for your wedding?" the gondola rower asks. "That's great, congratulations!" he praises with a smile.
"Thanks," Clare comments, but she doesn't correct the rower, which surprises me slightly, but I don't either. We enjoy the ride in silence for a little while just enjoying the view. I don't know how long it's been but at some point Clare moves closer to me and after looking at her a moment I put my arm around her shoulders and she leans against me slightly and I wrap my other arm around the front of her waist. I know I get a smile on my face.
"You too look very cute together," the rower comments again, "I'm sure you'll be very happy," he tells us, and I smile thanking him. Before I'm ready to let go our time is up, and we arrive back at the dock. We stand up together and I pick Clare up by the waist setting her on the dock before stepping out myself.
"All the best for your marriage," the rower comments again as we smile thanking him. The worker who took the photo earlier hands it to us in a cardboard frame, it must be part of the ticket and we head back out to the lobby. Once we get out there I see Bianca and Adam sitting in soft chairs in the far corner.
"Hey, how was it?" Bianca asks, with a smile.
"The view was gorgeous, the gondola rower was very nice, and I loved the ride," Clare tells her and appears like she's elated, "and the company," she whispers, but I can hear her and smile too.
"I had a great time, thanks B, and you were right, it was something we'll never forget," I tell my best friend as I show her the photo.
"I'm so glad," Bianca replies. Its then I notice Adam is looking between the three of us like we're all nuts.
"Ok, I'm tired of being left out, I spent the last hour at the mall next door in a comic book store and I couldn't enjoy myself because I was trying to figure out what in the world is going on with the three of you. Just tell me, please," he just about whines out.
"Alright Adam, we'll tell you, but please don't be angry or comment, please just know that I'm happy," Clare tells him.
"How about we talk while we walk to our next destination," Bianca suggests.
"No more surprises B, although I was very happy with that one," I tell her.
"We're going to Mandalay Bay's Shark Aquarium together, when are we going to get another chance to see that?" she asks and we all agree that would be fun, so we head out of the Venetian, and start walking.
"You know, we're all getting quite the exercise with all the walking we've been doing here," Clare comments with a laugh, and I laugh with a nod too.
"Ok, no more stalling, what's going on? I've seen the looks you two have been giving each other, and last I knew you were still becoming friends. And now it's like you're inseparable, Clare is in your room Owen first thing in the morning, and Bianca is buying you both tickets on a gondola ride for just the two of you?" Adam questions and appears to be getting more worked up the more he says.
Clare looks up at me for a moment, and I smile down at her, and then I put my arm around her shoulders and I can see Clare smiling. Adam gives us another look like he's totally confused. "Adam, Owen and I are married," Clare announces and Adam stops walking and his mouth drops.
He's silent for probably a full minute, but when he does speak it's definitely not quite the sweet quiet Adam we've all come to know. "Are you crazy?" he screams, and it not only surprises the three of us, but also some of the people passing by, both walking and in vehicles. And given this is Vegas, that's a little shocking.
Before any of us have a chance to respond Adam has grabbed Clare's wrist and pulls her away from me. I promised to always protect her, so although he's pulled her away I walk toward where he's pulled her. She looks back at me, giving me a look like she will be alright, but I stay close, because although he is Clare's best friend, I am now her husband, and want to make sure she's safe.
We stand and for probably 10 minutes while Adam questions Clare and she does her best to explain everything that happened. I'm not able to hear the whole conversation, but Bianca stands next to me and reminds me Clare's ok a couple of times, when it looks like Adam is going pretty harsh on Clare. She even holds me back once, when Clare looks like she may be getting upset. But finally the conversation finishes, they hug and then Clare walks back to me and hugs me with her head on my chest. I hug her tight also, and then Adam walks back over to us.
"Alright, now that Adam knows, let's head on to our next stop," Bianca comments, and begins walking down the sidewalk in the direction of our hotel again. I kiss the top of Clare's head, keeping my arm around her shoulders and she puts hers around my waist, and we and Adam begin following Bianca. None of us say much until we get past the MGM Grand again.
"Owen, Clare has told me, and I can see that you make her happy, but if you ever hurt her, believe me you will be hurting," Adam comments, and I give him a look. "I know I can't hurt you, but between me, Drew, and all of Clare's 5 older brothers, believe me you'll be hurting," he tells me.
"Adam," Clare sardonically glares at him.
"Believe me Adam, I have no intention of ever hurting Clare. This may not have ever been what we planned for our futures, but we've both admitted we're happy it happened, and I plan to make her happy for the rest of my life," I tell him, and I see Clare has a glowing smile on her face. I smile, and for the first time since she left my room yesterday morning to go take a shower after we figured out what happened, she leans up and kisses me. It's quick, but sweet, and there's a feeling I've never felt with any other girl I've kissed before.
When Clare pulls away she smiles at me. "I promise to do everything I can to always makes you happy too Owen. But given how quick this happened and everything, I think we'll still have to take it kind of slow for a while," she admits, but I still smile.
"That's fine Clare, I don't mind waiting," I tell her, and then we all begin walking again.
"I guess we're going to have to tell everyone when we get back," Clare comments after a few minutes. "Your family, Jake, my brothers, Darcy, our friends," she lists, and I realize she mentioned Jake but not her parents.
"Not planning on telling your parents?" I question.
"I just don't see that going well. But if we were going to tell them, I'd need you to be there, and an already planned place for me to live when my mom kicks me out," she surmises with a grimace.
"Of course I'd be with you if that's what you want, but you really think it would be that bad?" I question, and I get a look not only from Clare, but Adam and Bianca as well.
"You obviously haven't met her mom," Adam comments, and then continues walking.
"Is she really that bad?" I ask Clare as we continue walking.
"Well, she wasn't so bad when Darcy and I were young, but she's always had strong opinions, and beliefs, and as we got older her opinions got stronger. It got much worse when Darcy began rebelling, and then after everything with my dad and Darcy and the divorce. Once both my dad and Darcy were gone, for a while it was just mom and I, and she was super strict about everything, especially when it came to my purity vow. She reconnected with and then married Jake's dad Glen really quickly, and although it's nice to have other people around, Glen very much takes my mom's side when she's around, or plays the passive opinion of Switzerland and stays neutral which is just as frustrating. So even if she were to know it was after we got married that I lost my virginity to you, she'd be furious and go absolutely berserk to learn that not only am I married, and lost my virginity, but she wasn't a part of something, and things have changed without her approval, as she feels she needs to be a part of everything that happens in my life," Clare gets out barely breathing through that whole rant.
"Wow, okay, that is rough, but what makes you think she'd throw you out when we tell her if she likes having a say in everything you do. I can understand that being annoying, but that also seems like she'd be too worried to actually throw you out," I comment.
"Because her support and caring only comes out when it's convenient for her. She wants to put on this image that we're the perfect family, so she pretends to people that we are, and it's as if dad and Darcy never existed. But the moment she finds out that I got married and it was without her and not in our church at home, where she could show off her perfect daughter and son-in-law, she'll see me as another screw up and want nothing to do with me, so she can still pretend her little family is all perfect," Clare gets out, as she tears up.
"Clare, you are not a screw up," I tell her as I wipe away the tears sliding down her perfect rosy cheeks and then wrap my arms around her in a tight hug. "If your mom can't see you're perfect just the way you are then don't worry about it. You have Adam, and Bianca, and you said Jake, Darcy, your brothers, and of course remember, now you have me, and I'm sure my family will love you," I tell her, kissing her forehead.
"Thank you Owen," she gives me a teary smile.
"You're welcome," I smile and we keep walking. It isn't long before we arrive at Mandalay Bay.
"Alright let's go in," Bianca says, quite excited standing at the door waiting for Clare and I. "Hey, don't worry about your mom Clare, she's always been a bitch," Bianca comments giving Clare a hug. I smile at the two of them, and how close they've become in the last year, and then follow them in when Bianca puts her arm around Clare's shoulders and they walk into the hotel together. We follow the signs to the Shark Reef Aquarium.
This place is huge, and we are walking around and checking a lot of it out for a couple of hours together. Eventually Clare and I end up walking together again, with my arm around her shoulders and this time she raises her hand and interlaces our fingers at her shoulder. Clare surprised me with just how excited she was about the sharks and all of the sea life in the aquarium
"I love just how big they all were," Clare comments, as we leave Mandalay Bay. "It was so cool to see them that close up, and see all the other sea animals," she comments gushing.
"The sea, another Clare Edwards passion?" I ask, somewhat in jest.
"Yes, I just love the sea, and the vast expanse of it. The ecology, and life of it, like God created this whole other world that we can see and yet don't have much part in," she tells me, and I have to stop and think for a moment. I never really thought about it like that before. Not only the world within our world part, but about the creation of it. I know Clare's a Christian, but I don't really know what I believe.
When I come out of my thoughts I see Clare has her face scrunched up at me. "What's with the face?" I question.
"You called me Clare Edwards, but it doesn't sound right anymore," she confesses, and I think I know where she's going with this. "That's something else I guess we should do when we get home, is for me to legally change my name to Clare Diana Milligan," she tells me with a smile.
"I like that, it sounds really pretty, I think it suits you, and I never knew your middle name was Diana, like the princess, but are you sure about all of this?" I question as legally changing her name would really make this whole situation real.
"Why, are you having second thoughts?" she asks me, but I can hear worry in her voice.
"No, but I know we're both still young and I don't want you to regret all this later," I comment, "I'm happy with what happened, but I don't want to pressure you," I finish.
"You're not Owen. I was shocked yesterday morning, but I'm happy, for the first time in a long time, I'm genuinely happy, and that has to do with you. I've learned to never regret anything I do, but to learn from it, and I think God brought us together for a reason, although I'm not sure yet what that is, but if this does somehow turn out to be a mistake, I promise you I won't regret it," she says and then reaches up giving me a brief kiss on the lips.
"Alright, Mrs. Milligan, we'll get your name changed when we get home," I tell her, and I see her face brighten up. We have followed Bianca and Adam back to the MGM Grand, and followed them straight into the dining room for dinner. When we're seated in a booth again, Clare and I on one side, and Bianca and Adam on the other, I notice that Drew is sitting a few tables over from us with Audra and Omar. But before I can tell the others, Drew gets up walking over to us.
"Bianca, please just talk to me," Drew begs, surprising Bianca as he walked up behind her.
"No, I can't even look at you, I don't know if I'm angrier at you or angrier at myself for believing you could ever love me enough to change," Bianca replies angrily.
"I'm sorry Bianca, you kids enjoy your dinner," Audra comments.
"Come on son," Omar comments putting his arm around his son's shoulder, and starts moving him towards the doorway. "Enjoy your dinner, congratulations to you both," he comments as he walks by, and then they are all gone.
"Are you okay, Bianca?" Clare questions taking Bianca's hand across the table.
"Ya, I'm fine, just don't really feel like talking right now," Bianca remarks, but smiles up at all of us. We stay fairly quiet through the rest of dinner. And when we're all done, we decide to all head up to our rooms.
"Goodnight," Bianca smiles hugging each of us.
"Thank you so much for today Bianca, it's something I'll never forget," Clare replies hugging her best friend. "Call if you need anything," Clare tells her. I hug and say goodnight to Bianca and Adam, and then we head to our own rooms.
Clare and I get to our room, and I close the door. "It's still fairly early, and our final night in Vegas, what would you like to do?" I question.
"Well it's our last night here, what do you think of going swimming?" Clare asks.
"Sounds great to me," I tell her, and go looking in my duffle for my board shorts.
(Adam)
After saying goodnight to Clare, Owen and Bianca, I head to my parents room where I'm guessing they took Drew to keep him from bothering Bianca again tonight. My dad answers when I knock so I go in and see my mom on the bed and Drew sitting in the chair by the window. When he hears me he turns his head and looks up at me.
"Did Bianca say anything about me?" he asks.
"No, the subject was dropped after you left with mom and dad, and dinner was mostly eaten in silence. Seriously dude, what is it with you? You've had some great girls in your life, and you've screwed it up every single time. Do you do this stuff just to see how many girls you can get and then hurt? Some of these girls have been good friends of mine, and you don't seem to care," I rant at my brother, because I'm tired of seeing the way he uses and then hurts girls.
"Alright Adam, leave your brother alone, I think he feels bad enough as it is," mom tells me, with that harsh mom look.
"And he should," I counter back. "Do you know how hard it is for me to find a girlfriend, and yet you have no problems getting them, or throwing them away like they mean nothing. Why don't you grow up and think about someone other than yourself for once," I reply getting angrier, the more I think about what a jerk my brother has become over the years.
"Adam, enough," my dad tells me in a stern voice, and I realize I shouldn't be here right now, before I say something I regret. So I leave the room before I anyone else says anything. I decide while walking to my room that I need to cool off, and so I grab my board shorts, t-shirt and towel from my room and head down to the pool. I don't really have plans of going in but maybe just getting my feet wet.
When I'm changed with my compression vest still on under my t-shirt and I'm almost to the pool deck, I hear laughing and splashing, and when I get out to the pool deck I see Clare and Owen in the pool. They look like they could have been a couple for years the way they seem so comfortable with each other at the moment. "You two really look like you've been together for years," I comment as I set down my towel, wallet and key card on a lounge chair.
They stop playing around and laughing when they realize there is someone else there. "Hi Adam," Clare smiles up at me, but I notice she's still holding Owen's arm.
"Sorry, dude, did you say something?" Owen questions.
Now that they've calmed down on the splashing I sit at the edge of the pool and put my feet in the water. "Ya, I said you two look like you've been together for years," I tell them both.
They look at each other before looking back at me. "I think that this is what both of us needed, we just didn't realize it," Clare comments.
"Yep, I'm thinking that's true," Owen agrees.
"Maybe God was telling us something," Clare comments, "He does use some interesting methods at times, like Abraham and his son, or Jonah and the whale," she mentions, and I realize she's right. It looks like Owen is thinking about what Clare just said, but he doesn't say anything.
We all enjoy about two hours talking and having fun at the pool before heading up to our rooms for the night.
(Clare)
Owen and I get up to the room after having fun in the pool with Adam. "If its ok with you I'd like to email my sister about us while you're in the shower," I tell Owen when we get in.
"So you're ready to tell people about us?" he questions.
"Well, I'm not ready to tell my mom, but we get home tomorrow, so we'll have to start telling people soon, plus it will probably be a couple of days before Darcy sees the email anyway, and I don't want her to get any wrong ideas when we start telling other people. I'd like to tell her myself," I tell Owen my reasons.
"Ok, I understand, and I'm happy you're telling Darcy, and I hope to meet her some day," Owen replies and I'm happy he's thinking of the future enough to want to meet my sister. "Maybe once we're both out of our showers we should talk about telling people and our future?" Owen suggests and I agree.
"Enjoy," I tell him. He smiles grabbing his clothes and heading into the bathroom.
I put my towel on the chair and sit down at the table with my laptop and open my emails. I have an email from Jake who decided to stay out west to work in the mushroom fields for the summer again after finishing up his first year at Stanford with Katie, although he went into environmental science while she went into pre-law. I have nothing from my mom, but that's no surprise.
Hey Darcy, I hope everything's going well and you're healthy and happy there. I have something to tell you, and I want to tell you before mom finds out. Please don't be mad or worry, and know that I'm happy. I came down to Vegas for my best friend's wedding. They didn't get married, but I had a few drinks that night and woke up the next day married to Owen Milligan, a friend who was also here for the wedding. Believe me he didn't take advantage of me. He'd been drinking too, and neither of us remember that night, but we both believe it was right for both of us. We fly home tomorrow, and will be telling our families in the next few days. I'll keep you up to date on what's going on. Hope to hear from you soon, I miss you, Love you, Clare xo
When I've finished up my email, I check Jake's email. He and Katie send their love to Maya and I, and will be home once this summer for my graduation in June. I reply telling him I miss him, and I have something to tell him, but I'll tell him more when I get home to Toronto tomorrow, then I close my laptop, and head in for a shower because Owen has finished up in the bathroom.
When I come out of the bathroom Owen is sitting at the table enjoying the view of the strip and the night sky. "It's beautiful isn't it?" I comment walking up to the window. "I'm going to miss it."
"Yep, it certainly is," Owen comments and then stands up. I think he's headed for the bed, but instead he steps behind me, and puts his arms around my waist as we continue looking out the window. We stand in silence for a few more minutes, and then I yawn uncontrollably, and I can feel Owen laugh slightly. "It's getting late, and we have to be up early to catch our flight, how about we both head to bed," he suggests and I nod. He lets go and we both head to bed and climb in getting comfortable. But I realize that I liked the feel of Owen's arms around me when I woke up this morning, and just now as we looked out the window.
"Owen?" I speak up quietly, hoping he hasn't yet fallen asleep.
"Yes," he answers, and I can hear the tiredness in his voice.
"Will you hold me?" I question, hoping he doesn't see this as silly.
"Of course Clare," Owen replies, and I smile. We move closer, and I roll slightly so he can put out his arm. I set my head on his arm and rest my hand on his chest, while he wraps both arms around me.
"Goodnight Owen, and thank you," I tell him, and yawn again.
"Goodnight Clare, sleep well," he comments, tightening his hold just slightly and surrounded by Owen's deep scent which has become familiar and comforting to me these past few days, and feeling his heart beat as it lulls me to sleep.
I wake up when the alarm goes off in the morning still wrapped in Owen's arms. "Wish we didn't have to leave," Owen comments when he opens his eyes.
"I know what you mean," I comment, with a smile. "But I guess we better get up and get ready to leave," I remind him. Reluctantly he removes his arms, and we both get out of bed.
After about an hour of getting up and packing there's a knock on the door. I get it, letting Audra in. "Are you kids just about ready?" she asks, and then appears to realize what she said. "Well I guess you're not really kids anymore are you? This will certainly take some getting used to. So we were able to convince Drew to give us his ticket to keep him away from Bianca for the flight, and Bianca is giving hers to you Clare, so here is your new seat Owen. You guys can sit together now. We thought you'd like that," Audra comments.
"Thank you Audra, we will have some things to discuss on the flight about what happens when we get home," I tell her but look over at Owen who nods. We do one final quick check of the room and then follow Audra down to the lobby.
We all get in the shuttle and head to the airport. Fiona, Imogen and Drew don't say anything when Owen and I sit next to each other on the shuttle, but they all give us with odd looks when we sit together on the flight, but we don't pay much attention. Owen and I talk for a while on the flight about what might happen when we get back, and decide on who we need to tell, and who should be first. But after some talking I fall asleep with my head on Owen's shoulder. When we get back to Toronto's Pearson International Airport Owen wakes me gently. "Clare, we're back, you need to wake up now," he tells me, shaking my shoulder slightly.
I wake up and look around. We get off the plane and into the airport through customs and security. Thankfully there are no problems. Our marriage license probably hasn't gone through yet. When we're all out in the parking lot where Omar, Owen and Imogen left their vehicles on Thursday, Owen and I are stopped from walking.
"Ok, let's hear it. What in the world is going on?"