Fulfillment (Book 3 in The Temptation Series) (51 page)

“Okay,” he
answered with mustered courage, then pulling me to him, he placed a
renewed kiss on my forehead. “Let’s go say goodbye.”

I gently
touched his cheek. “I love you, Bryce Clark. You are an amazing
man.”

He went to say
something, and I could tell by the look on his face that his
response was going to negate my words to him, so I put my finger to
his lips then continued toward the group of people that were slowly
gathering.

We sat under
the make-shift marquee in the hot summer sun, listening to Gareth’s
life story, a story of achievement, of loss, of sadness, but also
of friendship and family. Looking around, Gareth had many friends
and family that cared for him. There were a lot of people I did not
know, but there were also a lot of people I did know, and it warmed
my heart that they had come to pay their respects. I noticed Derek,
Abigail, and Santa, together with other board members of Clark
Incorporated. I also noticed Jessica, Patrick the Head Designer,
and even Clarissa. But it was Sam who stood beside Abigail, with
her head hung low and a tissue scrunched in her hand that had me
catching a breath. She looked so sad, so torn, so heartbroken. It
really was awful.

I hadn’t
spoken to her since the fire and Gareth’s death. I really wasn’t
sure what she was thinking or how she felt toward me. It made me
nervous to think that this may have a detrimental effect on our
friendship, and if it did, I would try my hardest to make it right
again. Sam was my friend, an unorthodox one at that, but she was my
friend and had helped me settle in from being a stay-at-home mum to
a working professional again—she’d helped keep me sane.

As if she felt
me staring at her, she looked up and caught my eye. I smiled at her
warily and hoped for the same response. Thankfully, I got what I
thought was a sympathetic smile back, so I nodded respectfully at
her then gripped Bryce’s hand as the minister began to speak.

After the
service and burial, I took a moment to linger above Gareth’s plot
while clenching a book to my chest. I’d wanted a few moments alone
to pay my respects, having an overwhelming feeling that I had to
let Gareth know in some way that I was aware of what he had done
for me.

I took a deep
breath, knelt down beside his grave and looked down at his casket.
“Thank you. I know you sacrificed yourself for me, I could see it
in your eyes right before you told me to run. I knew at that moment
what you planned to do, and I want to let you know that I’m truly
sorry I couldn’t help you.”

I wiped the
tears from my eyes. “You’ve probably already read this, Gareth, but
just in case you haven’t, I thought you might like it. Plus, you
kind of remind me of Samwise Gamgee.” I dropped my book of
The
Fellowship of the Ring
into his grave. “And don’t worry, I’ll
make sure Lauchie gets a new one every year, I promise.”

I spent a few
more moments alone by Gareth’s grave thinking about life—past,
present and future. Bryce and Lucy were talking to friends and
family, and Nate and Charli were both at school. I felt it wasn’t
necessary, nor was it responsible to allow them to go to the
funeral. Charli was too young to understand Gareth’s condition or
reason for his death, and Nate was too smart for his own boots and
would piece together the story. So much had happened in my
children’s lives this past year as a result of my actions and
decisions, and although some of those changes had been good and for
the better, some of them had been incredibly hard for them, too. I
didn’t want to add another painstaking event to the list of things
they would have to decipher and work through. They didn’t need to
know their mother was almost killed by their soon-to-be
stepfather’s mentally ill cousin. Instead, I had told them that the
apartment had caught on fire due to an explosion, and Gareth had
tried to save me. It wasn’t entirely far from the truth. In my
eyes, he was a hero after all.

EPILOGUE

I once learned
that to calm one’s nerves you needed to regulate your breathing.
Breathe in through your nose while imagining the air to be cool and
refreshing. Then breathe out through your mouth, your exhale warm
and comforting.
Bullshit! Icy cold air in, and warm soothing air
out? Pfft, calming, my arse. Whoever came up with that crock of
shit needs to experience a day in my life, then practice that
breathe-in breathe-out bullshit and tell me it works. It doesn’t,
it doesn’t fucking work.

“Somebody get
me a gin and squash, please.” I begged, as I paced the room in my
Maggie Sottero wedding gown. The A-line fitted, capped sleeved
ivory lace dress with a keyhole back and corset closure draped
elegantly down my nervous body. It was simply elegant, and I loved
it. “Gin...Somebody...Please!” I implored.

“No, you don’t
need any more alcohol, Alexis. An intoxicated bride walking down
the aisle is never a good look.” My mother was fixing an
ivory-coloured, rose garland on top of Charli’s head. “I don’t know
why you’re so nervous, you’re never this nervous.”

“Mum, look, we
are both princesses,” Charli beamed, as she tried to twirl her
dress which was of the same material as mine.

“Charlotte,
keep still,” Mum barked.

I turned
around from my position at the top of the step which led into the
lounge area, careful not to catch my heel in the fishtail train of
my dress, which finished in scalloped edging and was delicately
sprinkled with Swarovski crystals.

“Mum—”

I was about to
argue my need for a drink when Tash interrupted.

“Awww, Mrs. B,
a little Schnappies won’t hurt,” she said mischievously, as she
slipped me a small shot glass of Baileys and Schnapps while singing
in a high pitched whisper, “Schnappies!” She then proceeded to walk
around the room and hand out shot glasses to my bridal party: Jen,
Carls, Lucy, Lil, Jade and Steph. All seven of them were wearing
strapless mushroom-coloured chiffon dresses, the hem stopping just
above their knees.

“Oh, for the
love of God, please do not spill any of that on your dresses,” my
mother whined, finishing with Charli’s hair and taking an
appreciative stance.

“Mrs. B, here,
down this.” Tash handed Mum a shot. “Drink up, bitches!” she
hollered, and we all knocked them back.

Mum just
stared at hers.

“Go on, Mum.
Trust me, it helps,” encouraged Jen.

Mum put her
glass to her lips and slowly tilted her head back, all of us
watching in anticipation for her reaction.

She lowered
her head back down with that screwed-up, squinty-eyed,
I-just-stuck-my-finger-in-a-powersocket look, then casually
softened her expression. “Actually, that was quite nice,” she said
as she licked her lips.

I let out a
loving giggle then walked out onto our balcony, 43 stories above
the ground. If there were any place that could calm my nerves, it
was the balcony—that or my shower, and I was not about to go and
hop in there.

Two years had
passed since Scott tried to kill the both of us by blowing up the
apartment, and it had since been completely renovated and now felt
more like our family home. Bryce had tried to convince me for
months after the fire to move into a house in the suburbs or by the
beach, but I hadn’t wanted to. City Towers held such sentimental
memories for me, and I couldn’t bring myself to abandon that. Okay,
so the building also held some pretty devastating memories, too,
but I was of the mindset that you didn’t run away from your fears
and demons; you faced them head on. You addressed them, dealt with
them, conquered and quashed them. Only then could you honestly move
ahead.

I’d also
decided that I wanted to get married at City Towers, because again,
let’s face it, the place was sentimental. It was where Bryce and I
first met, where we first kissed, where we both first said ‘I love
you’, and it was the place where we shared our lives together both
personally and professionally—for me it was the perfect choice.

My friends had
thought my choice was crazy, because...well...it was no secret we
pretty much had all the money in the world. But I wanted something
familiar, elegant and private. I wanted something intimate. The
glory and over-the-top hype that was involved with weddings just
wasn’t my thing. City Towers was the perfect setting, I was
positive of that.

It was
February in Melbourne and relatively warm, but I liked summer. For
me, it was the perfect time of year to get married. Our ceremony
was to be held in the Garden Terrace which was located in the
precinct area. It was quaint and offered both an outdoor freshness
and an indoor feel with the luxury of air conditioning—very much
needed for the summer season.

I took in the
view from the balcony like I had so many times, and like those
times, its serene calmness and beauty washed over me and settled my
nerves. Mum was right, I was never this nervous, I guess it showed
just how happy Bryce made me, and because of that, I wanted this
day to be perfect.

“Lexi, your
phone just beeped,” Lucy said with a snide smile as she handed me
my phone then turned and headed back inside.

I looked down
at the screen and noticed a message from Bryce:

29 minutes and 13
seconds - Bryce

I shook my
head a little just as my phone beeped again:

28 minutes, 19 seconds
and counting,

until you make me the
happiest man alive - Bryce

I typed
back:

27 minutes and 21
seconds until I become

Mrs. Alexis Clark -
Alexis

I can’t wait. -
Bryce

Neither can I -
Alexis

Well then hurry up -
Bryce

I love you, you know.
- Alexis

I do. - Bryce

Aren’t you supposed to
say that in

25 minutes and 33
seconds. - Alexis

That’s it, I’m coming
up there to get you. - Bryce

I giggled.
Shit! He probably would.

Okay, okay. I’m on my
way. ♥ - Alexis

You better be ♥ -
Bryce

“You look
beautiful, Baby Girl,” Dad’s voice sounded from behind. I turned
around to see my father suited in a tux with a rose button hole
pinned to his breast pocket.

I tilted my
head to the side and gave my dad a bashful smile. “Thanks Dad, you
look pretty smashing yourself.”

Dad hated
suits. Hated them. He was most comfortable in a pair of tracksuit
pants, overalls and Blundstone boots.

He tugged at
his tie, uncomfortably. “Hmmm,” he muttered, with false
frustration.

I stepped
forward and adjusted it correctly for him.

“I know this
is your second time down the aisle, Sweetheart. But let me tell
you, I’m just as proud to walk you down it this day as I was the
first.”

I wrapped my
arms around the wonderful man I was privileged to call Dad. “I
promise this is the last time you’ll have to do it.”

He nodded.
“Good! Okay, let’s get this show on the road then, shall we?”

***

My bridal
party huddled into the elevator and made their way down to the
lobby, while Charli, my parents, and I, waited for it to return to
collect us.

“Alexis,
Sweetheart. Take a breath,” Mum advised.

“Leave her
alone, Maryann, she’s allowed to be nervous.”

I clenched
Dad’s arm a bit tighter.

“Mum, you’re
my favourite princess, even more than Cinderella, and she’s really
beautiful.”

I ran my hand
over Charli’s cheek. “And you’re my favourite princess too,
Charli-Bear.” I winked at her just as the doors opened.

Mum, Dad, and
Charli stepped out before me, and when I stepped out into the lobby
after them, I was stunned to a halt. There were potted rose bushes
lining a white velvet carpet rug which stretched as far as I could
see, wrapping around the corner and out into the entertainment
precinct. Guests and staff were lined up, waiting for me to walk
down it on my journey to marry the man of my dreams.

“Oh my God!
Who organised all these roses and where did all these people come
from? They look like they are forming a guard of honour, how
embarrassing,” I said quietly under my breath.

Lucy spun
around to face me after positioning my bridal party in a single
file, ready to walk to the Terrace. “Get used to it, Alexis. You
are about to marry the biggest control freak on earth.”

“Don’t I know
it,” I murmured.

Lucy spun back
around and gave her orders. “Okay, okay, ladies and little lady,
let’s walk.”

Charli smiled
brightly and gave me the thumbs up.

I smiled back
and blew her a kiss. “Take it away, princess,” I called back to
her.

She started
walking slowly along the carpet dropping rose petals from her
basket, each bridesmaid followed shortly after.

Mum gave me
one last kiss and hug before wiping her tears and heading quickly
to the Garden Terrace.

I sucked in a
huge breath and blew it out before cracking my neck from side to
side.
Not the classiest thing to do, Alexis, especially while in
a wedding dress in front of many people. But damn, that does help
ease tension. I now understood why Bryce did it.

“Let’s walk,
Darling.” Dad said, before linking his arm in mine and leading the
way.

As I walked
down the carpet, I smiled brightly at the hotel’s staff. Many of
them I had become quite friendly with, and many had abandoned their
duties throughout the hotel to pop into the lobby and see me on my
way. I also smiled at the hotel’s guests and waved at their
children who waved back excitedly as I walked past. I was so caught
up in parading through the hotel, that I had not realised I was now
standing at the entrance to the Garden Terrace and in a position to
see Bryce standing at the altar. Derek, Will, Matt, Nic, Steve,
Jake and Dale were lined up to his right, and my handsome little
man, Nate, stood proudly at his very side.