Unveiling Forever Read online

  I blushed and stepped back, remembering that I was only in a sheet. Shaking my head, I ignored her and asked, “How are you guys here?”

  “Gabe called us last weekend,” Sherry said. “He told us how you wanted a low-key beach wedding but didn’t want to disturb us. He said it seemed really important to you and wanted to make it happen, anyway he could.”

  I grinned. “I kinda love that man.”

  “Good,” Naomi said as she hitched her thumb toward the bag. “Because otherwise you’d look pretty ridiculous in that white dress.”

  “I can’t believe he did all this…” I murmured.

  “Really?” Naomi asked with a raised eyebrow. “Because this is exactly the sort of thing Gabe would do.”

  “Yeah, it is.” My smile was growing wider by the second, when all of a sudden, my phone rang. I ran toward it, not even caring how lovesick I looked.

  “Hey,” I answered.

  “Hi.”

  “Thank you. Thank you so much, Gabe. I can’t believe you did all—”

  “Take a breath, babe.” He chuckled. “Does it really surprise you? I’d give you anything… after we came back that night, I snuck out and called Naomi. I’d barely finished explaining when she pounced, saying she would make it happen, even from hundreds of miles away.”

  “So that’s why you wanted us to get a marriage license, just in case we changed our mind?” I asked with a laugh.

  “Yup. There’s no reason for you not to have everything you want.”

  My grin was so wide it hurt. “Where are you?”

  “I’m getting ready with Hunter and Damien.”

  “Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you soon.”

  “See you soon,” he whispered.

  I hung up and turned toward Naomi and Sherry, both of whom were grinning at me. “Holy crap. I’m getting married today.”

  Sam came in a little while later, telling us she left Derek with the guys. The hotel room became hectic as we all caught up on the week’s events. Sherry finished my makeup and Naomi pinned a small section of my hair up.

  I walked over to the bag I’d yet to take a look in and pulled down the zipper. My breath caught when I saw the dress. The bodice and straps were lace, while the skirt was chiffon, stopping just below the knees. The “shoes” sitting on the ground were a simple pair of barefoot sandals. In lieu of a veil there was a flower crown.

  It was exactly what I would have picked.

  I was overwhelmed in the best way possible. The noise behind me faded as I stepped toward the window. I smiled when I saw rain clouds in the distance. The bright blue sky from earlier was gone.

  Our wedding would be starting soon and it looked as though the rain would get here toward the end. It wouldn’t ruin anything.

  I was positive most brides wanted blue skies and chirping birds on their wedding day, and while I wouldn’t have begrudged that either, this felt special. This didn’t bother me at all.

  My days weren’t always blue skies and chirping birds. Some days they were thunderstorms and howling winds. Hearing Gabe say “I do” in less than perfect conditions was absolutely perfect.

  The only people here were Sam, Derek, Naomi, Damien, Sherry, and Hunter. Ellie and Grayson had to stay home because Andy caught a cold, and even though they were newer friends, we were sad they weren’t here.

  I was standing alone, just out of sight, where the sand met sidewalk. The beach stretched out before me and in the distance I saw Gabe waiting for me next to the officiant. The other six were talking across the “aisle.” Sam, Naomi, and Sherry on one side, Derek, Damien, and Hunter on the other. All that was left was for me to walk.

  I saw Derek lean toward Gabe to, I was assuming, ask a question. But my soon-to-be-husband didn’t even hazard a glance as he gave him a short reply. His eyes were set on the area I was about to emerge from. It was as if he didn’t want to miss a single second of my entrance.

  With a deep breath, I took my first step. My bare feet sank into the sand as I slowly made my way toward them. The only sounds were the waves crashing against the sand and the distant laughter of children soaking in the last bit of light.

  The closer I got, the more my hands shook, and I was grateful for the bouquet of flowers I was holding.

  When I finally saw Gabe’s expression, I couldn’t breathe. The way he was looking at me… it was unlike anything I’d ever felt. And I could only imagine I was staring at him the same way.

  As soon as I was close enough, I handed my bouquet to Naomi and Gabe grabbed my hands. “You’re…” He trailed off, speechless, and somehow that was better than anything he could have said.

  Even though we weren’t in a large room full of people I didn’t know, when the officiant asked for our vows, my nerves bubbled to the surface. Like he knew what I’d been thinking—of course he did—Gabe gave my hands a reassuring squeeze.

  “I was scared,” I started on a shaky breath. Gabe’s smile slipped and his eyebrows dipped into a V. “And for a long time, I was convinced I’d be alone.” His hands tightened around mine again, giving me strength to continue. I never spoke this frankly. “I didn’t want to burden anyone with my troubles. I didn’t want anyone to see my struggles. When I was younger I felt fearless. But now… every time I turn around I feel like I’m facing a new challenge, battling a new fear, but staring down an old foe.”

  I looked down at our braided hands, so connected there wasn’t a gap anywhere, no space to be found.

  “I thought a lot about what I’d say today. I didn’t want to bring it down with talk of my depression. I know this is a happy day and I’m only supposed to talk about the good things, about sunshine and rainbows. But I can’t. Because the bad things are just as much a part of me as the good. Maybe even more so. And so I… I have to,” I said, glancing back up into Gabe’s understanding eyes.

  “Because there is no me without my depression. Which is kind of ironic because sometimes my depression makes it to where I don’t know who I am. And for a long time, that scared the crap out of me. I was always worried I wouldn’t be able to find my way back.” I shook my head and let out a relieved laugh. “But now I don’t have to worry. I can always count on you to remind me of who I am, because there isn’t a single person who knows me better.”

  Gabe’s eyes shone bright and his grip on my hands became almost bruising.

  “Never let someone else define courage for you, you said that to me once. Do you remember?” I asked. He nodded, eyes intense and dark on mine. “You told me that sometimes courage is sitting in the corner, fresh tear marks on my cheeks, deciding to live another day. You told me to live by my own definition of strength, that people will always have opinions on my life. But at the end of the day, it’s mine and mine alone.”

  My eyes quickly left his and found Naomi’s when I heard her breath hitch. She gave me a watery smile before I looked back at Gabe.

  “You made a strength out of my weakness. Living with depression has always been hard. But Gabe, you’ve made it easier. You made dealing with it worth it. It didn’t disappear with your love. I’m not magically cured. But you make me feel like I have a chance. Thank you for making me want to chase that chance every single day. Thank you for showing me that there is so much more to life than just surviving it.”

  Gabe dropped my hands and immediately pulled me into a breathtaking kiss. Chuckles sounded next to us while Derek whistled. The officiant cleared his throat and Gabe freed me. My eyes slowly fluttered open. Gabe looked amused and aroused all at once.

  “I’m not apologizing for that,” he said.

  “I’d throw you in the ocean if you did.”

  After a few more laughs, we settled down. “Gabe, your vows…”

  “Right.” He grabbed my hands again, just as surely as before. “You’re not perfect,” he began. Our friends grinned while I pretended to glare. “But that’s okay because perfect isn’t what I want.”

  He ran his thumb over my knuckles. “I remember having thi
s thought. That perfection only existed in moments. It doesn’t lie with people or things. People change. Things break. It’s all about moments. And while neither of us are perfect, while we don’t have a perfect relationship or perfect lives. We do have perfect moments. I’ve had more perfect moments with you than with anyone else.”

  Tears sprang up in my eyes.

  “And I’d rather fight, tooth and nail, for those moments, than have a bunch of subpar ones with someone else. I told you I’d love you no matter what, and I meant it. I promised to hold your broken pieces together, and I meant that too. And even if you’re lost and can’t always find all of them, I’ll still hold you. I’d cut myself on all your jagged edges before I’d ever let you go.”

  He cleared his throat before continuing. “When my mother died, I didn’t know how I was going to go on. I didn’t know how to be happy. My whole world fell apart and when I met you, I was just as lost as you say you were. And that’s how I know that I didn’t make a strength out of your weakness. I merely showed it to you. You’ve always been strong, Alara. You’ll always be strong. None of that has anything to do with me.

  “Just like you showed me how to see my strength, and define my own courage. We didn’t create anything in one another, we just brought out the best of each other, and refused to let the worst parts of ourselves win.”

  Gabe brought our joined hands to his mouth and kissed the backs of my hands. “And that’s because you and me, we’re soulmates, Alara, and that’s what soulmates do. They find the best. Embrace the worst. And love, no matter what. I promise to do all that and more. And if there is something longer than forever,” he said, pausing when his emotions got the best of him. “That’s how long I’ll love you.”

  We both took shuddering breaths as the air around us seemed to still. The crashing waves were less violent and the shrills of children had faded. And for someone who was usually so nervous around other people, I completely forget anyone else was on the beach with us.

  Everything else flew by, my brain only coming out of its dream-like trance when I felt Gabe slide the ring on my finger. My hands shook as I did the same to him.

  We looked up at the same time, and I saw tears shimmering in his eyes. I vaguely heard the officiant tell Gabe to kiss his bride, but we were already leaning toward each other. Our lips met and I felt the first drop of rain hit my cheek. The kiss was slow, soft and sweet, and absolutely perfect.

  Naomi and Derek howled in the background, louder than everyone else, of course. Clapping and shouts of joy came from the other four.

  Those quickly turned to playful shrieks as the rain came down a little harder, but it all fell away as I got swept up in his kiss.

  My first kiss with my husband.

  Oh, God. I was married.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer. His hands settled on my hips as his mouth slanted over mine.

  We had to break apart when my smile got in the way.

  “Hi,” I whispered.

  “Hey.” He was grinning like a kid. So wide and bright, I didn’t need the sun.

  “I think you’ll be my sunshine,” I said. “You’ll be what I look to when it’s cloudy. This smile.” I brought my hand up and traced his lips.

  “Okay, love birds. Let’s get a move on before we get soaked,” Naomi said as she opened up an umbrella and held it above us. We looked over and found Damien holding another one over both of them. Sherry and Hunter, and Sam and Derek, shared umbrellas as well.

  Gabe took the umbrella from Naomi and we all started running back across the sand. My husband—gah, husband!—was holding my hand with his free one, strong and sure.

  Like always.

  November 2

  THE “RECEPTION” WAS BEING held at a nice restaurant right along the beach. The eight of us sat inside at a long table that looked out onto the ocean. There was a deck on the other side of the window to offer more seating but they had closed it off due to the storm, which was now raging.

  Sherry nudged my sister. “Hey, that hot guy is totally checking you out.” She nodded her head toward the bar and all our heads followed.

  “C’mon.” She grabbed Sam’s arm and pulled until she was standing. “What’s stopping you?”

  Sam paused, her stare so focused on Sherry’s that I had to wonder if she was forcing herself not to look somewhere else. When no one said anything, she deflated and her lips tipped up into a sad smile. “Sure. I guess.”

  The two of them walked away, Hunter following quickly behind them. I looked over at Derek and found him glaring into his drink. His jaw was clenched so hard I wouldn’t be surprised if he cracked a tooth—or several.

  “Derek?” His head snapped up at the sound of my voice and his gaze immediately went to the bar. “Are you okay?” I asked. He’d been living with Sam for a couple months, and as much as I hated to admit it, I didn’t know much about what was going on in her life. He probably knew more than I did. “Is there something I should know?”

  “Nope, and I’m fine.” He downed the rest of his whiskey before standing up and grabbing his jacket.

  “Where are you going?” Alara asked with a frown.

  “To get some air.”

  Alara and I pointedly looked out the window behind him as a huge gust of wind shook the windows.

  “I’m not going far. Just outside the door.” Derek rolled his eyes and headed for the exit. My eyes sought out Sam and I found her staring after him while the guy Sherry made her approach grabbed their drinks.

  “Hey,” Alara whispered in my ear.

  Grinning, I turned to face my wife. “Hi.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, resting it on the back of her chair. “How are you?”

  “Is that a serious question?” she asked with a laugh.

  “No, I suppose not.” I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, my thumb lingering on the soft skin of her neck. She moaned and I instantly hardened. Leaning forward, I told her, “Babe, you can’t do that.”

  “No?”

  I grabbed her hand and put it on my lap. “No,” I growled. “I’ve been fighting the temptation to drag you back to our hotel and fuck you senseless since the moment you stepped onto the beach earlier.” My lips lifted as I watched her throat bob and listened to her breath go shallow.

  “Is that right?” she asked with a squeeze. “Hmm… it doesn’t really feel like it.”

  The legs of my chair scratched against the floor as I shoved it back and stood up. I didn’t look at anyone as I grabbed Alara’s hand and dragged her toward the bathrooms. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw a single, enclosed family bathroom. I quickly opened the door and shoved her inside before following. One of my hands fumbled with the lock as the other worked on my pants. Alara moved to help but I shook my head.

  “Grab the sink and face the mirror.”

  Door finally locked and condom on, I pulled up her dress and ripped away her underwear. She shuddered, her fingers turning as white as the porcelain she was gripping.

  “Gabe—shit,” she screeched as I slammed inside her without warning, burying myself to the hilt. I brushed the hair away from her neck and dropped a few kisses on my way to her ear.

  “You were saying?” I asked as I started moving inside her, sliding in and out effortlessly. “Hmm… it feels like you were just as ready…”

  Alara whimpered, her eyes closing and her head flying back, as she pushed back against me. “No.” I grabbed her chin and titled her head down. “Look.”

  Her eyes slowly opened, and she looked drunk. Our stares held as I continued pounding into her, fast and relentless.

  “G-Gabe…”

  “I know.” I lightly bit her shoulder. “How does it keep getting better?”

  She shook her head right before her mouth dropped open into a silent scream, her inner muscles pulsating, choking my cock until I had no choice but to follow her over.

  “Oh my God… I can’t believe we…”

  Lifting my head from her
shoulder, I found her bewildered expression. “You started it.” Alara chuckled as I slowly slid out of her.

  “God, Gabe… people take their children in here to go to the bathroom.”

  “Breathe.”

  We got decent and washed our hands. Right before we left, I grabbed her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait.”

  “I know.” She deflated. “Me neither. I just… we’ve never…”

  Grinning, I pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Every couple needs at least one adventure.”

  She grabbed my hand and we left the bathroom, thankfully without anyone seeing us. Our friends, including Derek who was back at the table, wore knowing expressions.

  I cleared my throat as we sat back down. “Where’s Sam?”

  “Here,” she said, just walking back up to the table.

  “Where’d your new friend go?” Sherry asked, looking behind my sister.

  “He left.”

  Sherry frowned. “Why?”

  “He had to be up early for work.” Sam shrugged. “He’s a paramedic.” Derek grunted, not even lifting his head when almost all of us turned to look at him. “He gave me his number, though.” She held up a cocktail napkin.

  “I need another drink.” Derek suddenly stood up and walked to the bar, Sam’s eyes trailing him.

  What the heck?

  We finished eating about an hour later, and Sam and Derek were both absent from the table once more. “Anyone seen those two?” I asked, nodding to their empty seats. “They’ve been kind of weird tonight…”

  “There,” Alara said, pointing to Derek at the bar and then Sam who’d just come in from outside. Their eyes were locked and I saw my sister nod. Then, before I could even process what was happening, she was moving toward him while he stalked across the room, shoving people out of his way.

  My jaw dropped as they met in the middle and I watched Derek grab Sam’s cheeks and pull her into a kiss. A kiss that clearly wasn’t their first. I turned to ask Alara about it but she looked just as shocked.