Lost in Time (Forever and Always #20) (14 page)

I drifted in and out of sleep as we headed
back to Sean’s house. The sun was rising when we parked. My eyes
burned from the light.

“Let’s get him to bed,” Ryan said. “And I’m
getting him a rainbow pillow for his wedding gift.”

“I think Monnique might be a little freaked
out by that,” Sean said.

They got me out of the back and to my
feet.

“You guys are strong,” I said. “I weigh
four-hundred pounds.”

“Really?” Sean asked. “Four-hundred?”

“Yeah. I’m buff.”

“Sounds about right,” Ryan said.

They helped me into the house and up the
stairs.

I looked at Ryan while he guided me in the
room. “What are you doing here? You don’t live here, right?”

“I just want to make sure you get inside
safely,” he said while he dropped me on the bed.

“You’re a good friend…” I stared at the
ceiling, feeling the headache.

Sean stared at me, his hands on his hips.
“Should we undress him?”

“I got it,” Ryan said. “You can get to bed
and I’ll crash on the couch.”

“Alright. I’m outta here.” Sean walked out
and shut the door.

Ryan got my clothes off then put me in the
bed.

“Don’t look at me naked,” I blurted

“You’re wearing a shirt and your boxers. You
aren’t naked.” He put the blanket over me.

“I’m tired…”

“That makes two of us.” Ryan set my alarm
clock. “I’ll come and wake you if you sleep through the alarm.”

“Cool.”

He patted my shoulder. “I’ll see you in a few
hours.”

“Yeah…you always got my back.”

“Yep.” He headed to the door.

“Ryan?”

“What’s up?” He turned around.

“If your mom tries to hurt you again, I got
your back.”

He stared at me for a second and then finally
nodded. “I know, man.”

I closed my eyes and fell asleep
immediately.

When I woke up the next morning, Ryan was
shaking me. “Get up.”

“Muh.” I turned on my side and kept my eyes
closed.

“Wake the hell up.” He shook me violently.
“You’re getting married today.”

I sat up. “Oh shit. I am.”

“There you go.” He put his hands on his hips.
“Now get in the shower. I just picked up your suit from the dry
cleaner.”

“Okay.” I rubbed my head, feeling a pounding
headache.

He handed me a glass of water with two pills.
“This should help you start the day. Scarlet is making breakfast
downstairs.”

I swallowed the pills dry, not knowing what
they were, and then downed the water.

“Alright. Do you remember last night?”

My mind was clear, but when I thought about
the past, it became fuzzy. “Something about rainbows…”

He laughed. “Yeah. Rainbows were there.
Anything else?”

“I think we went to a UFC fight and then…we
gambled. That’s it.”

“Well, you remember the important stuff. Now
get ready.”

I pulled down the blankets and saw me in my
boxers. “How did I get here?”

“I tucked you in like your mother.”

“That’s weird…”

“You were totally wasted, man. And you’re
welcome.”

I moved to the edge of the bed then stood up,
feeling a little wobbly. “Damn, I have a hangover.”

“Shower then have breakfast. You’ll feel
better.”

“Okay.”

I got into the shower and took a long time,
trying to wake up. After I dried off, I did my hair and put on my
jeans and t-shirt. I smelled the breakfast downstairs before I saw
it.

Scarlet was in the kitchen, pouring pancakes
into the pan. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

“That smells good.”

She put down her spatula then hugged me.
“Congratulations.”

‘Thanks.” I patted her back. “I’m still
trying to wake up.”

“I’m sure this breakfast will.” She grabbed a
plate and set it on the table. “Eat up.”

I sat down then dug in. I always liked
Scarlet’s cooking. She was good at it. Sean was sitting across from
me, sipping his coffee and reading the paper. He kept eyeing me,
making sure I didn’t drop my face into my plate and drown in the
syrup.

“You doing okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. I have a headache but it’s going
away.” I shoveled the food in my mouth. “How’s Monnique?”

“She’s getting ready with the girls. She’s
very excited.”

“She’s not running out on me, right?”

She shook her head. “I’m not even going to
answer that.”

I downed my coffee and felt immensely better
after the caffeine entered my stomach. “I’m going to get dressed.
I’m ready to get married.”

“We’ll make sure everything is ready,” Sean
said.

“Thanks,” I said as I walked out. I headed
upstairs and put on my suit. It was solid black and I wore a gray
tie. I stared at myself for a long time, unable to believe I was
actually getting married. Years ago, I never thought I’d get
married to anyone. When I was with Elizabeth, it was a passionless
and loveless relationship. But I thought that was normal, how it
should be. It wasn’t like the movies. It was empty and hollow.

But then I met Monnique, a woman who made my
heart beat the moment I saw her. We’d been through our dark times
and troubles, but those hardships made this award all that much
better. We conquered our obstacles and finished together, hand in
hand. And even after all the pain, I still wanted to marry her. For
me, there was no one else. She was it. She was the one.

Ryan came into the room and stood behind me,
wearing his suit. “You look spiffy.”

“Thanks.” I kept staring at the mirror, my
hands in my pockets.

“You doing okay?”

“Yeah.” My voice was weak.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I just…I didn’t think this day would ever
come.”

He nodded. “But it did. And that’s all that
matters.”

“I’m not sure what I did to deserve so much.
I have everything; friends, family, a great job, and now an amazing
wife. Sometimes it’s hard to believe.”

“It’s not hard for me to believe. “

“I guess…it’s just hitting me. Everyone is
settling down and I can’t believe I am too.”

He put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s a
happiness you deserve. Just accept it and absorb it. It’s your time
to shine, man.”

“Yeah…” I patted his hand then dropped
it.

“You ready to do this?”

“Yep.”

“Then let’s hit the road.”

We walked downstairs and met at the door.
Scarlet kept smiling at me, her smile infectious. Sean patted me on
the back but didn’t say anything. Mike nodded in my direction. All
eyes were on me.

“You got your vows?” Ryan asked.

I patted my pocket. “Got them.”

“Then let’s do this.”

When we arrived at the courthouse, I felt
immensely overdressed. Everyone was there for various reasons,
dressed in jeans and t-shirts. I felt my heart beat in my chest
while I waited for Monnique and her girls. I wouldn’t see her walk
down the aisle but I was still anxious to see my bride. I knew
she’d look beautiful in her dress.

For the first time, the group didn’t say
anything. Jokes were usually said or someone was being teased,
typically Scarlet, but now we were silent. I felt my heart beat in
my chest, it’s rhythm matching nothing in particular. The blood was
loud in my ears. I waited. And waited.

Ryan looked at his watch. “They’re late.”

“They’re coming,” Scarlet said quickly.

Why was the anxiety killing me? I stared at
the door, waiting for her to walk through.

And then she did.

Wearing a simple strapless gown, she stepped
inside with Cassandra, Janice, and Hazel. Her hair was pulled back
slightly, revealing her slender neck and sculpted shoulders. The
gown hugged her chest and waist then billowed out slightly toward
her feet.

She looked perfect.

When her eyes met mine, emotions swelled
inside them. She grabbed her gown and walked toward me. She was so
beautiful I was rendered speechless. I swallowed the lump in my
throat, feeling the emotion swell in my heart and my mouth.

She stopped when she reached me, her eyes
twinkling with joy.

“You look beautiful.” My hands moved to her
waist, feeling the lace of the dress. I pressed my face to hers and
held her, letting the moment stretch in time indefinitely.

“You look handsome.”

“I look like a buffoon compared to you.”

“Don’t call my future husband a buffoon,” she
teased.

I chuckled then moved my hand to her arm,
feeling the softness. “You ready to marry me?”

“I am.”

My parents walked in the door. My eyes were
glued to Monnique’s, but I heard my mother’s high-pitched voice.
“Thank god! We aren’t too late. The traffic in Manhattan was
ridiculous.”

I was happy my parents were there, but
Monnique had all my attention.

Everyone introduced themselves while I held
my bride. “Let’s do this.”

“Let’s.”

I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the
door. I forgot about everyone else in the building, just thinking
about she and I. We weren’t having an expensive wedding at a fancy
hotel, but it was perfect for us.

We checked in then were ushered to a private
room. Everyone came with us, keeping their distance. A room was
full of chairs and faced a podium. She and I walked until we
reached the courtroom official. He nodded to both of us then folded
his hands at his waist.

Everyone sat down in the chairs and waited
for the ceremony to begin. I stared at Monnique, my whole world,
and held her small hand in mine. Now I wasn’t nervous. This is
exactly where I was supposed to be. The marriage should have
happened awhile go, so it was late in arrival. But it was here,
nonetheless. “I love you,” I whispered.

The crowd awed at my words.

I smirked when I heard them.

Monnique didn’t smile. Her eyes were full of
emotion. When her hand squeezed mine, I knew she was anxious to be
my wife. “I love you too.”

The official began the ceremony, reading
through the lines to make us husband and wife. I slipped the ring
on her finger, feeling her strong pulse at her wrist, and then she
slipped the plain band on mine. The white gold of my band caught my
attention. The metal would cover my finger for the rest of my life.
The heaviness suddenly felt light. It was a responsibility and a
burden I wanted. I wanted to be Monnique’s partner for the rest of
my life, to cherish her forever.

Monnique cleared her throat then held my
gaze. “I had a secret crush on you long before we spoke. I saw you
working on one of the printers, and when you bent over, I got a
nice peek at your goodies.” I laughed and so did everyone else. “I
remember the first time you noticed me. Your eyes suddenly popped
open, but you hid it just as quickly. It happened to fast I
couldn’t be sure if it was real. But from that moment, you made me
feel special. That I could catch your attention without doing
anything to deserve it. And when you spoke to me, I wasn’t prepared
for what came out. You were such a gentleman and so old-fashioned.
I felt like I found a guy in the fifties, a man that didn’t look at
my chest every second he could, someone who actually respected me.
And that’s unheard of these days.

“After our first day, I knew you were a
catch. I wasn’t sure how I got so lucky to catch your eye, but I
didn’t question it. But I admit your constant need to pay for every
little thing and open every door got annoying pretty quickly.”

“I raised my boy right!” my mom yelled from
her chair.

I rolled my eyes while everyone laughed.

“But it wasn’t just your treatment of me that
made me fall in love. You always put me first, made me laugh, and
made me feel cherished. For the first time, I felt like I was
important to someone else, not just my parents. And that was a nice
change.

“I did a lot of things I regret in this
relationship, things I’ll never take back. After losing you, I know
I never want to go through that again, and I never plan on letting
it happen ever again. I will spend the rest of my life making up
for the pain I caused you. You’re the only man I want for the rest
of my life. After the battle we’ve fought, I know our relationship
is strong and undeniable. If we can get through that, we can get
through anything.

“I love you with my whole heart and I’m
excited to start my life with you, especially in Greece.” She gave
me a smile along with a blush.

I interlocked her fingers with mine and held
them firmly. “The last relationship before you was passionless and
empty. Unfortunately, I thought that was how it was supposed to be.
When I met you, you got my heart pumping like I never thought
possible. You made emotions and feelings spiral through me in
waves. The instant I laid eyes on you, I knew there was a
connection I couldn’t describe. In just a single look, I felt more
than I ever had before. I knew I had to talk to you, and I knew you
would be mine whether you liked it or not.”

She smirked at my words.

“The relationship was perfect from the
beginning. You were my best friend, the person I chose to be around
more than any other. Ryan used to be the only person I could go out
with and have an amazing time. But you replaced him pretty
quickly.”

“Thanks, man,” Ryan said sarcastically.

I looked over my shoulder. “Like Janice
didn’t replace me.”

He shrugged. “At least I don’t say it in my
vows.”

Monnique glared at him. “Can we get married
now?”

“You tell me. I proposed first,” Ryan said.
“You totally cut ahead of me.”

“Then maybe you need to make up your mind
about the wedding,” Janice snapped.

“Okay…we’re getting sidetracked here,” I
said. “We’re going to finish getting married now.”

“Rainbows!” Ryan waved his hands in front of
my face.

The guys cracked up in the audience, laughing
loudly.