Hated (Rock Star Trilogy) (18 page)

After opening presents, Matthew and Stacy cooks everybody pancakes. Anna and Natalee are both so excited about their toys, they’re bouncing in their seats as they eat. My family may not be normal, but they’re my family and I love them.

Four months ago, I ran away. I was searching for something, but I didn’t know what. What I didn’t expect was to find a family. I didn’t expect to meet the love of my life. And I certainly didn’t expect to find true happiness.
I found love
. And
love
is enough.

Epilogue

Five months later…

Graduation Day.

Hope, FL

Today, Stephan, Mona, Ethan, and I are graduating from high school. It took a lot of sleepless night to get to this moment, but here I am. I am officially getting my high school diploma. The school let us walk with the graduates here. They said it was no problem since MTV had been so generous with the new gym.

“Scarlett Montgomery,” they call.

I proudly make my way up to the stage.

Even five months later, I still love my new name.

I accept my diploma and smile at the camera. Yeah… Peter and the crew are back. But today is one day I don’t mind having captured. Besides, they are only going to film for three more months. MTV wants to sign me on for a third season.

I sit down beside Stephan as his name is called. His mom screams loudly for him.

Sarah and I… Well, our relationship is on the mend. It’s not perfect, but when I told her about the wedding she got excited. She and Bridgett are already planning it. I told them I didn’t care as long as it was on the beach. Of course, I get to pick out my own dress. We are going to do it as soon as the tour is over in seven months.

Today is hard on Mona. Her dad didn’t show up, and she hasn’t talked to him since he found out that he wasn’t her biological father. I feel really bad for her, but I know that she’s strong and she will get past this. I told her my family is her family — it’s true. And my family loves her… Even though she has a constant need to be the center of attention, she’s grown on me.

All of my family is here — even my dad showed up. I’m really surprised with how active he’s been in my life. He’s been very true to his word. He’s even taken Anna and Natalee to Disney World a few times. I love that he’s treating Natalee like his family too, even though she’s not his real granddaughter.

Natalee’s real dad signed over custody of her to Stacy. He decided to stay with Mary… Beverly… whatever she’s calling herself these days… But Stacy is glad to have her. She treats her like she does her own daughter. She has such a good heart.

Things with Stacy and Matthew are going well. In fact, I happen to know that he is going to pop the question
tonight
. Stephan and I are going to babysit while they go out on a date. Stacy told me babysitting was good “practice.” I laughed at her. I am not going to need practice for a
very long time
.

I’m nineteen years old, and today I am graduating from high school. It’s a year too late, but that’s okay. Life happened exactly as it was supposed to.

One year later

Second Wedding Day.

Hope, FL

“You look beautiful,” Sarah tells me. She tears up. “Why am I crying? You’re already married.”

“Yeah, but this is the first time everybody is witnessing it. Today is a special day.” I give her a hug, careful not to mess up my hair or makeup. “I’m sorry that you weren’t there the first time.”

“I forgive you, Scarlett,” she says. “Stephan is happy with you, and that is all that matters to me.”

I believe her words. Over time, things between us have warmed up a bit, but she still hasn’t completely accepted me. She knows I’m not going anywhere, so maybe that’s why she decided to
try
being nice.

I turn around to look at myself in the mirror.

I love my dress. I’m usually not big on designers, but today was a special occasion. Vera Wang custom designed my dress. It’s different than most wedding dresses. It’s white, of course, and strapless. It’s fitted, and there is a big black ribbon around my waist. Just before the dress gets to my hips, it flares out and is layered. The layers are arranged so it looks like a rose.

I decided to go barefoot today. I didn’t want to wear heels in the sand, and I’ve always pictured myself being barefooted on my wedding day. My hair is pulled back away from my face, and it cascades down my back. Whenever I walk, my curls bounce, which I love.

Peter puts the camera in my face, and I glare at him. We are on our third season of the documentary, and he still hasn’t learned.

“How do you feel?” he asks.

“Well, I’m already married, so I’m not nervous. But even if today was my first wedding day, I wouldn’t be nervous. Stephan is my forever. Today is for everybody else. We already know,” I tell him and the camera. “As long as I don’t fall on my face, we should be good.”

Bridgett comes in, and tells me it’s time.

She looks beautiful. Her hair is pulled into an up-do, only a few curls are left hanging down around her face. Her dress is black and silky. She has a dark purple ribbon wrapped around her waist. I was skeptical about a black and white wedding, but once I saw the dresses, I knew it was perfect.

The song that is played as I walk down the aisle is
Marry You
by
Bruno Mars
… It’s very fitting considering how we were originally married.

As I see Stephan, I can’t help but smile. He looks amazing in his black tux. His green eyes are sparkling in the sunlight. Seeing him causes my heart rate to accelerate, and I know that I am the luckiest girl in the world. I am even more in love with him now than I was when we first got married.

“Your beauty is absolutely breath-taking,” he whispers in my ear as he takes my hand.

For the second time, Stephan and I say our vows. This time, I will remember our wedding. This is the wedding we will tell our children and grandchildren about. And it is perfect. The sky is cloudless, and the sun is shining down on it. It’s a great day to promise forever — again.

Two and a half years later

Vacation.

Paris, France.

Stephan and I are celebrating our four year wedding anniversary today… Four years from our
first
wedding that is.

I think about everything that has happened in the four years we’ve been married. There have been some
huge
milestones. I had five songs from one album hit number one, which is rare. I’ve also released three new albums, all of which I’ve have very good success out of. But now, I’m going to take a break from all the touring. I’m going to spend some time with my husband and enjoy life.

I haven’t told Stephan yet. But I’m going to. Tonight.

We are standing on top of the Eiffel tower. As many times as I’ve been to Paris, I’ve never actually been up here before. The view is breathtaking.

“It’s beautiful up here,” Stephan says.

When I look over at Stephan, he’s looking at me. I smile at him.

“Every day I love you more than the day before,” he tells me.

“I feel the same way.”

“I can’t believe we’ve been married four years now. It seems like yesterday.”

It does. Four years of my life have flown by. “I think it’s time for things to slow down, don’t you? Maybe take a little time off from touring.”

“I thought you were going to wait until you were twenty-five to take a break.”

I shrug. “Twenty three — twenty five… Doesn’t make that much of a difference.”

“I think I could definitely stand for you to have more time with me,” he says.

Stephan has been so patient and kind with me while I’ve been pursuing my career. He’s never asked for anything, and for that I am grateful. “You will definitely have more time with me. Besides, it would be really hard to tour in my condition.”

“Your condition?” he asks.

I can’t help but smile. “We’re going to have a baby.”

He looks at me, and I can see the love in his eyes. “Are you for real? Like you know for sure?”

“Yes. I went to the doctor the day before we left. I wanted to surprise you, and tell you today. You have no idea how hard it was to keep the secret.”

He lifts me up and twirls me around. When he sits me back down, he pushes his lips against mine and kisses me hard. “I love you, Scarlett Montgomery.”

“I love you too.”

Nine months later

It’s a girl.

Los Angeles, California

Six hours of labor… Though I guess six hours isn’t bad considering most women are in labor longer, but it was long enough. And I can honestly say I never want to go through that pain ever again in my life.

But then I saw my baby girl. All the pain was gone, and my whole world changed in an instant. I didn’t expect to feel so much love… I was scared that I would have my baby, and I’d be like my mom. She obviously didn’t feel any connection to me. But I’m not like her. The love I feel for my baby girl is proof of that.

“When is it going to be my turn to hold her?” Stephan asks. “You’ve been holding her forever.”

“I just got her. And I was the one in labor, so you get her when I say it’s your turn,” I joke… Well, it’s
sort of
a joke. I don’t think I will ever get tired of holding her.

“What are we going to name her?”

Ugh. Names. We’ve been avoiding naming her, because we can’t agree. “Everybody is expecting us to name her something crazy.”

“What do you think?”

“I think she looks like… Serenity,” I say. “Since both of our names start with S, I thought hers should too.”

“Serenity Montgomery.” Stephan smiles. “I like it. What about a middle name?”

“Marie… Serenity Marie Montgomery.”

“It’s perfect.”

Wow. We agreed.

Serenity Marie Montgomery is beautiful. She has my blue eyes, and Stephan’s brown hair. She’s small — like me. She is sixteen inches long, and weighs five pounds.

“Everybody is wanting to come in and see her,” Stephan says. “My mom is dying to hold her. She’s mad that Bridgett and Stacy got to hold her before she did.”

“They’re my sisters.” Ugh… Okay four years later, and Sarah is still
trying
to warm up to me. She likes to tell me what to do. And how to fix my hair. And how I should dress. Stephan tries to convince me it’s out of love, but I know the truth. Nothing I do will ever be good enough for her. “And if she was nicer to me, then
maybe
she would have been before them.”

Stephan rolls his eyes, but laughs. “Are the two of you ever going to get along?”

“Probably not. But it’s okay. You’re totally worth it.”

Six Years Later.

Christmas.

Hope, Florida.

Life is good.

Really good.

Today, we are celebrating Christmas in Hope, Florida with the whole family. Stephan’s Mom, Sarah, is hosting it this year. We usually switch up locations every year.

“I can’t believe Anna has a boyfriend,” Stacy says to me.

“She’s twenty, Stacy.” I shake my head at her. “She’s a year older than I was when I married Stephan.”

“Ugh, don’t give
her
any ideas.”

Anna has had many boyfriends over the years, but this is the first boyfriend that she’s brought to
meet the family
. Who knows if it’s serious, but I’m glad she’s happy.

Bridgett sits down beside me, and I put my hands on her very pregnant stomach. She’s due
any day now
. She’s having a boy this time, which is awesome. There are
way too many girls
in our family.
 
Her first two were girls — Elise, who is six, and Kendall who is three.

“I wish he was here celebrating with us,” Bridgett says.

“Me too.”

“So when are you going to have another one?” she asks me.

“No way,” I say. “Serenity is enough for me.”

“I said that about Elise and Kendall both.”

I laugh, but Stephan and I both decided one child was enough. He was an only child (until his mom remarried), and I was an only child from age ten to nineteen. I really just want to spoil Serenity… Well, she’s
already
spoiled. She has plenty of cousins to play with, and they’re over so much it doesn’t seem like she’s an only child.

Stacy and Matthew have been married nine years now. They have a two year old girl named Callie. I think they were hoping for a boy… Poor Matthew, having to live with all those girls… But Callie is the sweetest little girl.

As for Sarah, she’s better. After I had Serenity, I really put my foot down. I told her if she wasn’t nice to me, than she couldn’t be around Serenity. It took her all of two seconds to straighten out. At first, her being nice was an act, but over the years she has accepted me as her daughter-in-law. Once Ethan and his wife had children, she stopped being so overbearing.

Our whole family is complete now. My dad has stayed an active part of all our lives. He likes to spoil all his grandchildren. He got remarried about five years ago to a nice woman named Jenny. She could never have kids, so she treats all the children like they’re her own.

Serenity comes and sits on my lap. She’s getting so big. She’ll be six soon, which makes me extremely sad, but happy at the same time. I love watching her grow. I just wish she weren’t growing up so fast. Soon it will be her bringing home a boyfriend. It scares me to even think about it.

After ten years of marriage, I am still madly and deeply in love with Stephan. I never doubted for one second that we weren’t meant for forever.

It’s crazy to think back to how it started — all because I wanted to go to high school and have a
normal life
. Then, I didn’t realize I was meant for
extraordinary
. And this is only the beginning.

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