Scars of the Past (21 page)

Epilogue

“Is my tie straight?” Sean stood in front of me, his arms outstretched.

I stepped forward and adjusted his gray tie so it was perfect. “Now it is.”

“Thanks.” He grinned and ran his hands down his suit jacket. “You look great.”

I looked down at the sleeveless, V-neck dress I was wearing. It was the exact same shade of gray, falling just above my knees. The three inch gray stiletto pumps finished off the ensemble, and only barely hurt my feet. Sydney had done my hair into fat curls that fell down just past my shoulders, and I decided early on that I should have sprung for a spray tan.

“Thanks. How’s your dad?”

Sean let out a little laugh. “He’s so excited. I don’t think he has a bit of nervousness in him. How’s your mom?”

“Nervous. It’s actually pretty cute.” I looked behind my shoulder as Matthew sauntered out of the men’s changing area.

“You cleaned up well, Matty.” I reached over to fix his tie that matched Sean’s.

Sydney stuck her head in the door, a smile on her face. “We’re ready.”

I nodded at her and turned back to the women’s changing area. Pushing through the door, I almost ran into my mom who was looking at herself in the mirror.

She looked timeless. Her shoulder length hair was left straight, settling right above her shoulders. It had grayed a little bit more over the past few months, the gray and blonde now vying for the majority. She was wearing a sleeveless ivory dress that went to the floor, showing off her sophisticated side. Mom had stuck to her classic, not over-the-top theme, and the dress seemed to be the icing on the cake.

She did look nervous, but she smiled when she saw me. “Is it time?”

I nodded. “Yes ma’am. Let’s go get you married.”

We stepped out into the hallway with the boys, and Sydney pulled open the doors from her side, locking them in place.

The music was playing softly, and I smiled because my mom had picked Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song, ‘Can’t take my eyes off of you’ to be the processional music.

Sean offered up his arm to me. “Ready?”

“Ready.” I gripped my bouquet in one hand, and slid my other arm through Sean’s. “Don’t let me fall in these things.

We stepped outside and the view was breathtaking.

I knew that my mother had wanted something simple, so I began to research parks across the city. I finally found one that was smaller, but it had a nice secluded area that was popular for simpler weddings. The best part about it was that everything was in bloom for the spring and it exploded in colors. A few chairs were set up in front of the arch that Matthew had placed, and Craig stood underneath with a smile on his face.

There were about twenty people in attendance, including my best friends and my boyfriend, who gave me a grin from his seat as he watched me walk with Sean.

We made it down the short aisle and Sean moved to stand by his dad and I stood opposite them on the red bricks. The guests stood as my mom walked down the aisle on Matthew’s arm, a light blush on her cheeks. Matthew led her down the aisle like she was a piece of china, taking his role as mom’s protector as serious as he always did.

Mom and Craig had locked eyes, and their love was blatantly obvious on both of their faces. I took a deep breath and fought back the urge to cry tears of happiness.

Matthew gave my mom’s arm to Craig, and he moved to take his place next to Sean.

During the ceremony, I glanced out at my friends who were beaming with happiness. Amanda and Sydney were holding hands and sharing a little package of tissues and they watched. Josh, however, sat with a soft smile on his face and was looking at me rather than my mom.

We locked eyes, and I grinned boldly at him before turning back to the bride and groom.

The reception was held back at mom’s house at her request. And it was incredibly fun as we sat in the backyard eating, laughing, and dancing. Mom and Craig proved to be amazing dance partners as they went circles around the rest of us.

When the sun started to go down, Amanda and I turned on all of the lanterns we had strung over the yard. Our favorite part of the wedding had been decorating for the reception, and Amanda insisted that we did it better than some professionals.

As the night was winding down, Josh and I floated on the dance floor to a Frank Sinatra song. Sydney and Sean talked quietly as they danced next to us, looking like they were enjoying the night as well. Amanda and Matthew were dancing too, at my mom’s request, but they looked awkward with each other.

Josh tightened the arm that was around my waist and we swayed back and forth.

“Tonight was perfect. Your mom looks so happy.”

I sighed from his shoulder, and moved my head so I could look up at him. “She deserves it.”

Mom and Craig left for Lake Tahoe later on that evening, after all of the guests were gone. Sydney, Amanda, Sean, Matthew, Josh, and I cleaned up their house before everyone left, leaving just Josh and I to lock up.

I stood on the back patio with my bare feet on the concrete, staring out at the dark yard. Josh stepped outside and put his arm around my shoulders. I glanced over at him and smiled. He was still wearing his suit, but the jacket had been abandoned around the same time my heels were. His tie was loose, and his unbuttoned sleeves were rolled up his forearms.

“What a good day.”

He nodded in agreement and reached for my hand, pulling across the grass and to the corner where the old trampoline still occupied a bit of space in the yard. Amanda, Sydney, and I had tried to disassemble it before the wedding, but it was so worn that we couldn’t get it apart. Instead, we had strung lights around the frame and pretended like it was supposed to be there.

I was still in my dress so Josh put his hands on my hips and gave me a boost up. He pulled himself up afterwards and we moved to the middle before lying on our backs.

“You know, it’s been almost exactly two years since the last time we were on this trampoline,” He mused, staring at the dark sky.

“That feels like so long ago.”

Josh turned his head and looked at me. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” He gently touched the necklace that was around my neck, his fingers grazing me softly. 

“Many times,” I teased, looking over at him. “You look pretty sexy yourself.”

He smiled softly, and took a deep breath. “I love you so much.”

I reached out and let his light blue tie run through my fingers. “I love you too.”

He propped himself up on his side, just like I had done the first night I kissed him. I stared up at him, smiling.

Josh’s face was unreadable for a moment, and he reached into his pocket as a small smile touched his lips.

“Will you marry me, Madelyn?”

I was quiet for a moment, just shocked. I moved to mirror his position but still didn’t say anything. My eyes darted from his face to the gorgeous white gold diamond ring that sat in the palm of his hand. I glanced back to him, and his face has transformed into a huge grin.

“Stunned into silence. This’s a first.” He entwined a loose curl around his finger, and moved his thumb to wipe a tear that had fallen down my cheek.

“Oh yes,” I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck. “I want to marry you more than anything.”

Josh’s arms wrapped around my waist, and he fell back on the trampoline, taking me with him. Our lips met as we kissed a long, ardent kiss. When we finally pulled away, I had to catch my breath.

One of his hands left my waist and he held up the ring that was still in clutched in his fist. I gave him my left hand and he slid the ring on gently, staring at it for a moment after it was in place. His eyes finally met mine again, and we resumed the kiss quickly.

I felt like I was going to burst with happiness any moment. Even though we had met our fair share of obstacles, we had found our way back to each other. The scars we both held were plentiful, some visible and some not, but each one represented where we’d been and that we had made it.

Acknowledgements

There are two people who deserve to be acknowledged beyond this page.

One of them spent countless hours reading this book many times, and then rereading it even more. She also helped get it edited, and was available at 2 am when I needed to bounce ideas off someone.

Amber, you’re amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better friend!

The second one not only helped format the book, from the fonts to the cover- he did it all. But he also did more than his fair share of dishes and laundry when I was preoccupied with writing.

Ray, I don’t know how I managed to get such a great husband, but I’m a lucky girl.

And to all of you who read this- Thank you.

Blurbs

Scars of the Past

Available now

When a night out with the girls turns into something from a bad dream, Madelyn Thomas must learn how to live life as a victim. Out of the nightmare, Maddie will find an old friend who disappeared from her life suddenly the year before, and with his help she will learn that being the victim doesn’t mean your life is over.

She will work on overcoming hurdles to reclaim her life, and on the way she discovers that she is stronger than she thought. The scars left over aren’t all visible, but each one represents that she has survived, and Maddie must come to terms with every single one.

Warning: This book contains adult content, including: violence, sex, and rape. It is not intended for readers under 18 years old.

Scars of the Present

Available now

Sydney Lewis spent most of her life being controlled by her parents, and so now she lives as uncontrolled as possible.  The plan works out perfectly until someone enters her life that makes her yearn for the life she doesn’t think she can handle. And on top of that, she has to decide what to do with her life- Live the dependable life her mother wants, or spread her wings and hope she can fly.

Sydney must make the choices that will determine her future, and hope that the mistakes she learns along the way won’t ruin her.

Warning: This book contains adult content, including: violence, sex, and rape. It is not intended for readers under 18 years old.

Scars of the Future

Coming Soon

Amanda Franklin liked to have a plan. Whether it was a plan for the day or a plan for life, she had it. Until life laughed in her face, that is.

With her father gone and her mother’s dementia developing at a rapid pace, Amanda gives up her dreams of going to Harvard and becoming a lawyer. Who wants to be the first female president anyway? She has to throw the plan out the window as she takes on a new career path and spends her days taking care of her mom. When a gentle, muscled man worms her way in her heart, she pushes him away as fast as she can. But life had different plans.

Amanda has to give up the reins and let her future evolve on its own or else she risks losing someone she never thought she’d have.

Warning: This book contains adult content, including: violence, sex, and rape. It is not intended for readers under 18 years old