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  With that he closed the door and I’ve never finished a bath so quickly. I got dressed and barely ran a comb through my hair and a brush over my teeth before seeking him out. He sat on the bed, mentally taking inventory of all my boxes.

  “You’re gonna need a U-haul for all this. Rex can drive the Rover. I will drive the U-Haul and you can drive the Jeep. But I was looking forward to spending that time on the road with you.” He pushed his lower lip out, causing his dimple to crevice.

  “Or…Falcon and Reed can drive the Jeep while you and I drive the U-Haul.” I cringed after I said it. I didn’t know if he’d be pissed or not.

  “It was that bad, huh?” He reached out a hand to me.

  “I,” My voice caught in my throat, “I thought maybe it was me. Maybe I wasn’t enough to help you. And I know how much you love your family, so I thought they could snap you out of it. So I called them, they’ll be here tomorrow.”

  “Come here, please.” He ordered, despite a clenched jaw.

  I stood in front of him for all of six seconds before he hoisted me onto the bed next to him on my back, wet hair sticking to my face.

  He crawled towards me and when he was face to face with me, he let his body relax on top of mine. The weight of him on me made me feel safe, and his warmth pressed at the doors on my heart. He took his time plucking wet strands of hair from my face and then looked at me like I was a child who needed to be taught a lesson.

  “You are more than enough to heal me of all my wounds. Do you hear me?” I nodded. “And yes, I love my family, but my love for them will never compare to the love I have for you. It’s completely different kind of love, stronger and deeper than anything I’ve ever felt.”

  I couldn’t fight crying, it was futile. “I love you Maddox.”

  “I love you more and more every day. I can’t ever tell you how sorry I am.”

  I giggled, “Well, you’ve got a long time to prove it.”

  His lips were on my neck before I could finish the sentence. They moved over my ear, “Storey, you are everything to me.”

  Chapter 36

  Maddox

  It’s funny how much one summer can change you.

  She got a call from Falcon about nine o’clock the next morning. He said they’d connected through Denver and would be in town within the next two hours. Storey went into full panic mode. She pulled out three dresses from the clothes she didn’t box up and showed them to me.

  “Which one?”

  “The white one.” She ran to the bathroom and I yelled out after her, “There aren’t any hearts on your ass, are there?”

  She opened the door a crack and gave me an incredulous look, “That’s only on shorts, jeans and bikinis, jeez Maddox.”

  I got dressed while she was in the bathroom. She was talking to herself in the bathroom about how to fix her hair and what sandals to wear. It was almost as cute as when she talked in her sleep, which she did, a lot. Last night she talked to someone about being nervous meeting my parents. But she had nothing to be nervous about. My parents were amazing, and I owed the big apologies.

  She came out running, throwing on heart laden sandals that zipped halfway up her calf. Then she ran back in the bathroom and I heard her dump clanky things in the sink—her make-up. An hour later she emerged looking every bit Missy Hellcat.

  “You know my brother is married, right,” I asked her.

  “I’m just trying to make a good first impression Mad. He’s your brother and she’s your best friend.”

  I hugged her to me, “They’re gonna love you, just like I do. And if they don’t, I’ll slug ‘em.”

  “You will not.” She scoffed.

  “No, but if they don’t’, they will just have to get over it.”

  We left for the airport and got there just in time to pick them up. Reed saw me, dropped everything she had in her hands and ran to me. She jumped in my arms and wrapped her legs around me, screaming the whole time.

  “I missed your guts!” She screamed. She finally detangled from me and looked me in the eye. “No, twitchy?” she said with the brightest smile I’d ever seen. “No twitchy,” I answered and that made her jump me again just because she could.

  “Jesus, Poppy, he’s not a cat post.” Falcon joked. He hesitated, but I didn’t. I hugged him hard, and not one of those bro hugs where you just slap each others’ backs—a real hug. He walked back to pick up all of Reed’s stuff she’d thrown and by the time she came back Reed and Storey had become fast friends.

  “Holy shit!” Reed screamed again. I watched for the TSA to escort us out of here any minute just for her screaming. “You’re American Horror Storey!” My girl looked shocked but nodded her head ‘yes’.

  “How did you know?” She asked, wide eyed.

  “Because I keep up with Derby. You were on the Venice Beach Bombshells, right?”

  “Yes! I can’t believe you know that!” Storey screeched back. Falcon and I followed behind them on the way to the baggage claim. And Storey was afraid they wouldn’t get along.

  We got their bags, and while we put them in the back of the Jeep I noticed an absence of a ring from Falcon’s finger but didn’t mention it. And then when I got into the Jeep, I noticed Reed only wore her engagement ring.

  “So, you’re like not catatonic. I was looking forward to pouring ice water on your head,” Reed shot at me from the back seat.

  I took Storey’s hand as I drove, “Nope, I’m good.”

  They both laughed. “But I did notice there’s something wrong with y’all’s fingers.”

  Falcon met my eyes in the rear view mirror. He knew what I meant.

  “Let’s just get to wherever we’re going before we tell you what’s going on Mad. I don’t want you to wreck. These people can’t drive for shit.” Reed said as she looked out over the crowded freeway.

  We got to Storey’s apartment after we picked up lunch and sat around eating. I finished first and waited not so patiently for Falcon to finish. Thank God my brother was a fast eater.

  “Tell me what happened.” I demanded.

  Falcon looked to Reed. She smiled and gave him a curt nod. “Mad, you’re our brother, both of us. It just wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “We didn’t get married. We decided, together, to wait for you to get home. I need my brother at my side when I marry Reed.”

  Reed chimed in, “And I need my best friend when I marry his brother. It was out of the question to get married without you there.”

  And if I didn’t already feel like shit before, I felt like it now. I looked at Storey and she saw the gears grinding in my head.

  “Don’t take it like that Mad. They love you enough to postpone the biggest day of their lives so you can be there. Take it as a good thing. Don’t let it eat you.”

  Was it really necessary for her to be right all the time?

  “I’m sorry,” I directed at Falcon.

  Falcon clapped his hands, “The question is, when are we gonna get moving, ‘cause there’s an altar calling our names.”

  “I can be ready to go tomorrow.” Storey added.

  “Are you sure?” I asked her.

  “Hell yeah. Unless y’all want to stick around for a while.”

  “Nope,” Falcon interjected, “Anyway, we can always come back one day. But for now, Owen and Nellie are livid that we got to come and they didn’t and Mom and Dad are pacing the floors. I can almost guarantee that.”

  “Ok, we’ll leave tomorrow then.” I said. Storey said she had packing to do and Reed said she’d join her. Storey paused on her way to her bedroom and kissed me until I wanted to drag her far away from anyone watching.

  “Oh my God, y’all are so cute!” Reed was almost bursting at the seams.

  “I forgot how challenged you were, Reed. I missed that.”

  “Aww, I missed you too, Mad.” She pinched my cheeks and the girls closed the bedroom door behind them. Later on, I brought Falcon
to see Rex. We walked all the way there and back. It gave us an opportunity to catch up and for me to explain everything to him. Rex was packed already. He was leaving everything but his clothes. He’d pawned everything of value over the years just to get by and there was nothing else he wanted.

  The next morning we left Venice Beach but it never left us. Storey and I would keep it in our minds forever. As we rode in the Jeep, she reached over and put her hand on my thigh.

  “We have to come back one day,” she said. “We have to come back and show our kids where we met.” She looked out the window and I couldn’t believe her faith in us. It never failed. And to know I wasn’t the only one who thought about our future was the best feeling in the world.

  “Yeah, and we have to show them how hot their Mom was when she was a pin-up model.”

  “All those costumes and cute clothes, I’ll never wear them again.”

  I squeezed her hand under mine and whispered, “You can always dress up for me.”

  “Mmmm, now that’s an idea.”

  We drove for three days, only stopping for gas and food. When we got over the Ponchatula River and were close to home, she started fidgeting beside me.

  “Storey, ants in your pants.” I teased her.

  “Shut up Mad, I’m about to meet your parents. I’m more nervous than a porcupine at a balloon festival.” Oh Lord, not this again. She got the same way when she met Falcon and Reed.

  “Storey, just wait until you meet my mom. She’s kind and she dotes on all of us. She holds this family together. Honestly, I am the one who should be nervous, she’s probably gonna whip my ass and then feed me cheesecake.”

  She turned in her seat and glared at me, “Maddox, you’re not helping.”

  About forty minutes later we pulled up at the Black house. It called me like a Siren. Falcon, Rex and Reed got out and made their way to the front of the Jeep and leaned against it, waiting for us.

  Storey unbuckled her seatbelt, “Come on, let’s go before I blow chunks.”

  I snorted and then followed her lead. We walked into the house and Falcon must’ve given them a head’s up. They were all waiting. Sitting on the couches like they were waiting for a woman in labor.

  Owen bulled through everyone else and grabbed me by the shirt, pulling me in for the hardest hug I’d ever received. “Don’t do that to me again, bro. I know I give you hell, but I missed the shit out of you.”

  “I missed you too. I tried to e-mail you back but we were in a little town with crappy internet service.”

  “Owen, there’s like a line here.” Nellie had her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapped on the floor a mile a minute.

  She hugged me quickly and moved on. She didn’t like crying in front of anyone. I stared at my parents, words, apologies and regrets piled up in my throat, choking me. Storey passed by me and touched my hand as she did and went straight for them. She introduced herself and they both hugged her like they’d known her for years. Especially my dad, he picked her up and spun her around, gushing about how beautiful she was and how tiny.

  Mom approached me first and she gave into a sob as she held onto me and so did I. “I’m so sorry, Mom.” That was all I could choke out.

  “I’m just glad you’re safe, son. Do you hear me? You’re my son. I don’t give a damn who gave birth to you. You—are—my –son.”

  “Thank God.” I answered her.

  “We’ll talk more later. I want to hear the whole thing.” She said.

  Dad was next and he nearly broke my back he squeezed so hard.

  I introduced everyone to Rex but he didn’t say much. After a few jeers from Nellie about Storey, the girls fell into a comfortable conversation about derby and me. I tried not to listen. Falcon offered his apartment to Rex. Storey would temporarily stay with Reed and Falcon in the spare bedroom until we could get her an apartment. I was stuck living at home, even though it didn’t feel like a punishment anymore.

  My parents excused themselves to get back to the restaurant and Owen and Nellie went back to their jobs. Falcon and Reed went home and took Rex with them, showing him to his new digs.

  Storey sat on the bottom stair and leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief. I sat next to her and placed a kiss on her chin.

  “You’re really here,” I told her.

  “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” She smiled back at me. Her eyes were closed, like she was coming down from a daydream.

  “Where’s your room?” She asked.

  “Upstairs first room right across from the top. Why?”

  She got up and climbed four or five steps before turning back to me. She reached out her hand and nodded her head.

  “I wanna be the first girl you take to your room.” She winked.

  “Ok,” I took two steps and lifted her up. Her arms encircled my neck. “As long as you’re the last.”

  Chapter 35

  Falcon

  One month later

  There was a chance Reed would kill me for this. But there was also a bigger chance that she’d hold this in her heart forever. And I’d give her every heartbeat for the rest of my life in this place—finally.

  Everyone could hear Nellie cussing in the back of the church. But I knew why. Owen, Mad and I shared a knowing look and a snicker as we waited at the altar. Reed got dressed at her house, accompanied by Nellie, Storey and my mom. But then she was blindfolded and brought here. She didn’t know where she was and apparently Nellie was having trouble with her. Either that or Reed was purposefully giving Nellie a hard time because she was pissed. She had come here to visit her parents’ old nursery and burned down home when she passed this church on her way home. It was the church her parents were married at. She gushed about it being renovated and I knew what I needed to do.

  I met with the pastor the next day and booked our wedding. We had originally planned to get married at the church that Owen and Nellie got married at, but I hoped that my girl would appreciate this—if she didn’t kill Nellie first.

  The rings were in the hands of my dad and each time I turned my eyes to him, he’d show them to me, easing my stress. Since this wedding was planned very quickly, her aunt couldn’t come and lots of people we’d originally invited weren’t here. But the most important ones were. My family was here, Farrah was here. Two candles had been placed on the left of the altar for her parents.

  My mom came through the back doors of the church and as the doors swung open I caught sight of a white piece of fabric. My dad escorted Mom to her seat, but not before she lit Reed’s parents’ candles. My Dad went back through the doors to get Reed. She’d asked him months ago, without me knowing to walk her down the aisle and I found that I loved her ten times more after that.

  Great Expectations by Elbow started playing in the background and my stomach somersaulted into my throat. Owen clapped me on the back, letting me know he got it. Nellie came out first, her crazy ass had dyed her hair Malibu Barbie pink again. Next was Storey. I looked over at Mad, who had to clear his throat in an attempt to hide his choking up. The song switched to Ache by James Carrington, a song we’d picked out together and the back doors opened. She stood there with my father, a small bouquet in her hand, the dress that I’d never seen on her killer body.

  She came towards me, tears already streaming down to meet her smile. Her green eyes shining with so many emotions. She handed the bouquet to Nellie. I could’ve stood there forever. She was always, always better than my dreams of her, and this day was no exception.

  “Hi.” She mouthed.

  I just smiled, my goofy ass couldn’t even form a word right now.

  Owen slapped me on the back again and I shot him a look that meant ‘what the hell do you want?’ Everyone giggled and I realized the pastor had been speaking to me.

  “Sorry,” I said to him. But at least it relieved some of the tension.

  He proceeded to speak to us of commitment, of love, of cherishing each other and staying together in sickness and in heal
th. She never would have to worry about those things. We’d gone through good times and bad already. I’d cherished her in every way I knew how except one, which would change that night. I repeated the vows like I was supposed to but they were just that, repetitions. I’d vowed to love her for the rest of my life a long time ago.

  Our rings were passed from my dad to my mom, through my sisters, I had two of them now, through Mad and Owen and then to me. Reed had gotten the idea on the internet of each of our family blessing the rings with their words and love right before we put them on. I wished they’d gone through Nixon as well but he wasn’t here.

  I placed the ring on her finger. The pastor spilled out words but he didn’t know how long I’d waited for her to officially be mine. He didn’t know how she looked at me in the morning. He didn’t know the ways she loved me without touching me. He didn’t know that she was a part of me, with or without a ring. He didn’t know how I loved simply to love her.

  And when I was given permission to kiss the bride, I kissed her so that when we were old and gray she’d touch her wrinkled lips and remember this day.

  She was my Poppy. My sun on a Sunday morning. My flower in a field of weeds. My smile among sobs. My hope among sorrow. My saving grace.

  That night I watched my family rejoice with us. Mom and Dad danced like they were kids. Owen and Nellie had broken Reed and I up several times, claiming we were hogging each other. Mad and Storey were stuck to each other like glue. I went with him the week before to help him pick out a heart shaped necklace for her. Those two were the worst ones in the family about displays of affection. But after he’d been deprived of it for so long, we didn’t blame him one bit.

  I got Reed back for one final dance before we left for Hawaii. She had no idea, thank God my girl loved surprises. Nellie and Storey packed her a separate suitcase since she’d packed for cold weather.

  “You remembered the church,” she said.

  “Of course I did. How could I forget something so important to you?”