Secret Regrets (Living For Today #2) (16 page)

“Oh, really,” Jennifer sneered.

“Yes, really. Because before this, Bryant still wanted to be your friend. Wanted to trust you, and wanted you around. But you almost just cost him the most important thing in his life. Me.”

My confidence wavered ever so slightly, wondering if I was taking a bit too much liberty with how Bryant felt, but when he firmly took my hand and squeezed it, I knew we were united.

“You are his lawyer. You are a phenomenal lawyer, Jennifer, and I imagine Eleanor has paid you handsomely for your services. Those services were for your legal prowess, not for you to be a prostitute, although, I’m sure Eleanor had some ulterior motives as well. Bryant and I are forever. He is my other half, and there is no other option for either of us. We have a love that is timeless, endless. A love that we would
kill
for. You both need to leave.”

My courage dissolving and my strength wavering, I turned back around into Bryant, and he pulled me close as the door clicked shut behind me.

“Damn, that was hot,” he groaned in my ear.

“Not now, Bryant,” I said, whacking him in the stomach. “Sit. We need to talk too.”

“Is it pathetic I now want to run away?” he asked, fighting back a smile that wanted to taunt me.

Once Bryant sat, I began in on him. “This separate-room shit has to end. I trust you, but not her. She wants you back, Bryant, and for you to not see it means you’re either choosing to be dense or you’re actually blind. Do you want Jennifer?”

“What?” he asked in shock. “Rose, no. I want you, only you. You know that.”

Relief washed over me. As much as I thought I knew, the reassurance was also helpful. “We are going to fight this, with Jennifer. She is our best bet at getting you off, and I am hoping she won’t back out or do a crappy job, but I am pretty sure her ego in the courtroom won’t let her lose. She knows she screwed up, and we could report her to the bar, so that is in our favor.”

Bryant nodded obediently.

“Now for the final part of my plan.” I continued with a smile lighting up my face. I prayed Bryant would be onboard, because this was the crowning jewel to my grand plan. This was my all-chips-in, card-on-the-table bet. I wasn’t sure if I’d come up with it out of desperation or passion, but love was funny that way. It made us do crazy things. Love broke barriers, fought wars, and could lift us up to the heavens. As I spelled it out, Bryant’s face was stoic, his emotions guarded as I sat on pins and needles, waiting for him to respond.

After what seemed like hours, Bryant shook his head no as a mischievous smile lit up his face, and then he did what any gambler would. He turned the tables.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

S
MILING BRIGHTLY AS
I
LET IN
a nicely dressed woman, I knew without a shadow of a doubt, we were making the best possible decision. Knuckles against wood had me turning around to open it again, my smile growing even more as Leslie and Grant came in.

“Are you sure?” Leslie asked, taking both my hands into her own and squeezing them tightly.

“Leslie, you’ve asked me this several times. Yes,” I said, pulling her in for a hug.

“I uh, hate to break this up, but where is Bryant?” Grant asked from behind Leslie, making me laugh.

I tilted my head toward the stairs, and Grant took off in that direction, a six pack of beers clinking and clanging as the bottles bumped into one another.

“Alright, well, if you are sure, let’s go,” Leslie led the way to the guest room where my belongings were, a sad look on her face. She helped me dress quickly and watched in the mirror as I applied my makeup. I had an eerie feeling that she was waiting for me to waver, to misstep and break down, but not today. Today I would smile and be strong, because while this wasn’t what I had dreamed for my future, it was what I needed to do.

“I’m ready,” I concluded, setting the make-up brush down on the vanity. After tossing my stuff back into the bag and zipping it up, I placed it by the door. This was it, I thought as butterflies took flight in my stomach. I was instantly grateful I had applied waterproof mascara as I felt the moisture collect.

Music played through the house softly, a collection of love songs Bryant had on repeat lately to attempt to show me how much he cared. He’d felt so bad about the Jennifer-issue, realizing he had not helped the situation. We had spent the night talking and had even phoned Jennifer to get her side of things.

Apparently, Bryant literally had slept all day after taking a sleeping pill, exhausted and spent with everything going on. Jennifer had showed up and talked with Eleanor for a while, catching up until Eleanor left to run some errands that afternoon. The conniving woman decided that was her opportunity to see Bryant and slipped into our room, feigning legal work with him in case he woke up. When he didn’t, she nestled down and snuggled up close, hoping he would wake up overjoyed that she was in our bed. What a reality check she got!

But despite the explanations and excuses, my heart still ached. My trust had still been tested, and I hated that. More than that, though, I hated that we still needed her. She was making great strides with the self-defense plea, and I knew we’d be fools to get rid of her.

I stood in the living room staring at Bryant and Grant talking and laughing, so relaxed in their khaki slacks and button-ups. When Bryant spotted me, he set his beer bottle down, smirking at me with his crooked smile that I loved so much. His eyes looked at me with a silent question contained inside, I nodded back, letting him know this was real. This was happening.

“I hate this,” Leslie grumbled behind me, forcing me to turn and face her.

“Hey, none of that. I need my best friend today more than ever. It’s not what I’d envisioned, but sometimes life gives you lemons.”

“Lemons?” she asked appalled. “Seriously, this is way beyond
lemons
.”

Giggling, I shook my head and took her hand. We walked over to where the guys had moved to stand by the woman.

She made eye contact with both of us, waiting for an acknowledgment to begin, before finally opening her book and starting. “We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.”

The smile beaming across my face couldn’t be dimmed or held back. I was finally marrying Bryant, and I was ecstatic. Before I knew it, we were saying our vows, and the tears in my eyes began to drip out slowly.

“Rose…” A lone tear trailed down Bryant’s cheek. “…from the day I met you, my heart begged to be closer. You are the most inspiring woman I know, so strong and faithful. When I am with you, I feel complete. And when you are away, my heart aches. I will be your rock, your confidant, your husband. Through the good and
bad…
” He rolled his eyes, making me laugh. “…I promise I will love you for every single second of my life, always, forever, each day more than the last.”

It was my turn now, and I could feel the emotion balling up in my throat. Trying to find the words to express how I felt was so difficult because, how did I label our love? But as I unfolded the creased paper that I had written and edited a million times, I knew that he would know.

“Bryant, love, God has blessed me — beyond belief. He gave me the greatest gift I could ever have hoped for when he gave me you. In your hands, you hold my heart, not just a piece or a sliver, the entire thing. I promise to be true to you, to love you with all that I am. Our love is what fairy tales are made of, and, while it isn’t perfect, it is real. It is what people dream of having, because when I look into your eyes, I know you are my forever. My soul mate.”

We each turned to our witnesses and took the rings I had bought. As the minister we had found online continued through the ceremony, I held tightly to the gold band in my palm until he instructed us to place the rings on each other’s fingers. I let my eyes wander as I stood in my living room, a small bouquet in hand, in my simple white dress I had picked up. I had always dreamed of a big church wedding, but I’d also dreamed of marrying Bryant, and of the two, he’d won — every time, hands down.

“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. You may now kiss your bride,” the minister announced with a heartfelt smile.

With a huge grin, Bryant tugged me into him and dipped me backward, kissing my lips three times soundly and sealing our vows with our tradition.

Grant cued the music, and Bryant began dancing with me right there in our loving room as our three guests backed away.

“I can’t believe we just got married in our living room,” Bryant groaned.

“Me either, but I am so happy that we did. It was perfect, Bryant, truly.”

Shaking his head in disagreement, I put my hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at me.

“When you suggested it, I knew I couldn’t say no. Granted, I wouldn’t have allowed us to go to the courthouse without even our best friends, but I just hope… I hope this was enough.” Bryant’s eyes filled with tears as he looked to me and waited for my encouragement that this would do.

Bryant had insisted on the ceremony of sorts, had even found the minister and spoken with her for an hour, explaining our situation. He had tried his best to make this the best possible wedding day for me, which only proved what an amazing man I was now married to.

The minister left, wishing us all the best; followed shortly by Grant and Leslie. Leslie had hated this idea almost as much as Bryant had, disappointed that she was cheated out of maid-of-honor duties. It wasn’t until Bryant assured her I would get my big wedding that she helped him pull it together. Deep down though, I thought this was perfect and was sure I didn’t want to do it again. The intimacy and smallness of this ceremony had felt so special. While we had to keep it quiet for now, I figured we’d do some sort of reception for our family and friends who hadn’t been invited to attend.

“Come on, wife,” Bryant’s husky voice crooned in my neck as he scooped me up and carried me to bed.

T
HE NEXT DAY
I scrubbed and cleaned, ready to put the final piece into play. When a knock on the door pulled me from my cleaning, I stood confused for a moment as Bryant padded over to the door.

“Hello, Mother,” he spoke, his voice detached and distant. Bryant had been so angry that his mom had let me walk out without even stopping me or getting him, he had forced her and his father to move in to a hotel.

His mom stepped in the house with a forlorn face, and just as he went to shut the door, a petite hand blocked it, making him open it for a second time. “Jennifer,” he grumbled in the most unwelcoming voice possible.

I wiped my hands off on the kitchen towel and made my way to the living room where he had asked them both to sit. My nerves were kicking in with each step I took. As I sat beside Bryant, he wrapped his arm around me and held me close as we both faced our demons.

“Rose and I have called you here to discuss what happened last week.”

“Bryant…” Jennifer twisted her fingers in her lap. “…I am sorry. I just — I don’t know what I was thinking. This time with you has brought back so many memories of the great times we shared. You left me behind, after everything, and I needed you then. I loved you… I still love you.”

Bryant’s body tensed with each word that came from her mouth, pulling me in even closer to him. The muscle in his jaw ticked as he gritted his teeth.

“Jennifer, I get that. But that was your choice, and you made it without me, all because I wouldn’t go be an Ivy League graduate and fall into a rich profession. Don’t you think that your decisions hurt me? I was a boy who thought he was in love, but I see now how blind I was, now that I see true love with Rose.”

Jennifer’s body shook as tears slid down her cheeks.

“And, Mother, you will cut this crap out. You can choose to have me in your life — or not. I am who I am, though, and I’m not changing because you deem me an embarrassment to your social order. Rose is here to stay, and you will either treat her with respect or go. But if you choose to go, know this. You will not be welcomed back.”

Eleanor nodded, acknowledging there was no compromise. Bryant had officially reached his breaking point and was taking no prisoners.

Jennifer straightened up, putting the mask back on her face of professionalism and superiority. “Well, if you are done here, we really need to get down to things. We have a court date for next Friday and have wasted a week. Come on, let’s go into the office.” Jennifer stood up and turned, waiting for Bryant to follow. Same old Jennifer back in place.

“Actually, Jennifer, we can stay here,” Bryant chimed up, a smirk on his face. When she glared at me, disdain in her eyes, his smirk grew to a full-fledged smile. “Oh, don’t worry about Rose. We got married yesterday, and so whatever you need to discuss with me can be said in front of my
wife
.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“
Y
OU DID WHAT!”
J
ENNIFER AND MY
mom screeched in unison.

“We got married,” I replied as a smirk reappeared on the handsome face of my husband.