Wright that Got Away, page 28
“Campbell,” Blaire said with relief.
“Stay back!” Honey shouted at me. Her eyes found Blaire’s. “You called him? You told him to come?”
“No,” Blaire said. “I had no idea he was going to be here.”
“It’s true,” I said quickly. “It was supposed to be a surprise. What is going on here?”
“What’s going on is that you’re trying to steal her from me!” Honey shouted. “You show up, and suddenly, she’s too busy for anyone else and she’s going to LA and she wants to move there.”
“I’m not moving to LA,” Blaire said. Her eyes flickered to mine briefly. “Honey leaked the photo and info about us from high school. She thinks she’s protecting me.”
I reeled from that information. That her own assistant was the one who had done that. I wanted to lunge for her. She hadn’t been there when Blaire was mobbed. When I’d gotten the phone call and thought she was in actual trouble. I never wanted to hear that from her again. I’d thought Honey was off before. That her drastic change in appearance had been suspicious, but I’d never thought it would come to this.
I mouthed, 911, to Blaire.
She nodded and gestured to her phone. Good. I just needed to keep Honey talking until someone showed up.
“Honey, look, I never intended to take Blaire away from her home. You can hate me all you want, but I love her and want what is best for her.” I took another step forward. “I want what is best for you, too. Maybe you should put that knife down and let me look at your arm.”
“Stay back,” she said, brandishing the knife again.
“Okay, okay.” I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t want her to turn on me either. “Tell me the problem. Maybe we can fix this.”
“We can’t fix anything. You are a worthless piece of scum compared to Blaire.”
“That’s true. I agree with that,” I said easily.
She narrowed her eyes at me. The one thing that she couldn’t change to look like Blaire. She didn’t have Blaire’s bright blue eyes. “You’re not good enough for her.”
“True. I’m not. I’ve never been good enough for her. No one is.”
“Right. That’s what I told her,” she said. “That you can’t possibly deserve her.”
“Not even a little.”
“You’re going to hurt her.”
“Now, that’s where we disagree.” I peeked a glance at Blaire. Tears were welling in her eyes at my words. “I already hurt her. I did it, and I regret it with every fiber of my being. I would never do that to her again if I could help it.”
Honey scoffed. “You were photographed with Nini Verona yesterday!”
I nodded. “That’s right. I was out, drinking with the band, and Nini showed up. We’re not together. In fact, she hooked up with Yorke last night. Not me. I got drunk and bored everyone all night, talking about how much I was in love with Blaire.”
“That doesn’t make what you did okay.”
“No, nothing can change the past.” I was saying these words to Honey, but they were meant for Blaire. Her hand had gone to her heart. “If I were the same man I was eight years ago, I never would have come back. But I’m not, and I want to deserve Blaire again. I want to make her mine.”
“You’ll never be good enough,” Honey said.
But then the front door cracked open again, and a pair of cops shouldered inside. “Police!”
Honey broke down at the word. The butcher knife slipped from her grip and embedded into the floor in front of her. She dropped to her knees and began to sob, clutching her bleeding arm.
“I just wanted her to love me,” Honey said as a mantra the entire time. She said it as paramedics came in and bandaged her arm. As she was herded out of the house and promised proper medical care. And as she was taken outside and into an ambulance.
“What is going to happen to her?” Blaire asked with a shaky voice to one of the cops.
The cop gave her a sympathetic look. “She’ll be evaluated at the hospital and kept on a suicide watch for seventy-two hours. After that, it’s up to her and the doctor to determine whether or not she needs to go into psychiatric care or if she’s well enough to be out on her own.”
Blaire nodded. “Good. She needs help.”
The cop nodded gravely. Blaire and I gave him a statement, and then they were gone. As if none of it had happened. And yet all of it had happened.
I pulled her into my arms and pressed kiss after kiss into her dark hair. I held her as she cried, promising her the world and more. I wished that I could make it all go away, but that wasn’t possible.
Finally, the tears ran their course. She pulled back to wipe them from her cheeks. I wanted to reach for her. To explain why I was here, but she took my hand and drew me in for another kiss.
“Did you mean everything you said?”
I nodded. “Every word of it.”
“Stay,” she breathed.
“I’m here,” I told her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good,” she said. “I can’t believe that you traveled all the way here.”
“Well, I didn’t think that I’d be saving you from your assistant, if I’m being honest.”
She laughed softly and dragged me in for another hug. “Thank God you were here.”
“Blaire,” I said, suddenly serious. I drew her back, so I could look down at her. “I am so sorry about everything. I never wanted things to go down the way they did in LA. I can’t believe that Honey did that, but just as bad was what I did. I wasn’t here for you. I wasn’t the person you deserved.”
“That’s in the past,” she told me. “I’ve been a mess the last couple days. But the reason I fled isn’t because of who you are right now. The old Campbell was the one who left me. That isn’t who you are anymore. It was wrong of me to hold on to that when you proved you were different time and time again.”
“No, I deserved it. I did. I was out of line with the miscarriage. I should have called. I should have been there for you.”
She nodded. “It was a hard time in my life. I held it against you for long enough. Maybe now that it’s all finally out in the open, we can heal. Together.”
“I’d like that. I want to be with you. I only want you, Blaire. I’m so madly in love with you.”
“So in love that you bore all your friends with it?”
I laughed. “Yeah. I can’t stop talking about you. I can’t stop thinking about you. Blaire, you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”
“I love you, too.” She reached on her tiptoes and kissed me.
“I lived eight years without you, and after the last four days, I’ve realized I can’t do it again. I just can’t do it.”
“I know. I know,” she said, her hands coming to my face. “I feel the same way. I thought I needed space, but I don’t need space, Campbell. I want us to be together.”
I swallowed hard. The nerves that had rattled around inside of me all day came back fresh. But they were new ones. I was doing the right thing—the best thing—and still, somehow, it was the hardest thing I’d done in my life as I sank onto one knee and withdrew a black box from my pocket.
Tears came into her eyes again as she gasped and threw her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God, Campbell.”
“You’re my one true love. I never want to spend another day without you. Marry me, Marie Blaire Barker. Make me the happiest man alive.”
“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, yes, yes.”
I pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. She stared down at it in awe and then launched herself at me. We kissed like the world would never end. This was our moment, our love eternal. And I accepted that kiss as a promise for forever.
Because this was my girl.
I saw the real her.
The one that got away.
Now, she was all mine.
42
Blaire
“Thank you all for coming,” I said, my eyes drifting around the room.
Campbell twined his fingers with mine. We’d debated just announcing to everyone we knew that we were engaged, but we’d had a better idea. Well, mostly, I’d had a better idea. And now all our family was together in one place.
Campbell’s dad, Gregg, his aunts, and brother and sister. Then on the other side of the room, my mom and Hal. We’d left off on such a horrible place that I wasn’t sure Pamela would even agree to come today. That she’d snub me for being the insolent daughter she never deserved. But when I told her it was important, she’d agreed.
“This means so much to us,” Campbell said.
“What’s this all about?” Nora asked. She looked down at her watch. “I have to be at the vineyard in exactly twenty-seven minutes for Morgan’s wedding prep.”
“It won’t take long,” Campbell assured her.
“I mean, I want to know, but it’s a big day. Our biggest wedding ever.”
Campbell laughed. “It’s fine, Shrimp.”
I swallowed and Campbell squeezed my hand. “We wanted to bring everyone together for this unexpected moment.” Then, I held my left hand up and revealed the glittering ring on my finger. “We’re engaged!”
Campbell’s side of the room erupted. His dad was the first person to spring forward and give his son a hug. “Congratulations! This is the best news.”
Campbell grinned up at him. He’d told me he was wary of his father’s reaction. Gregg hadn’t exactly been pleased that we were dating. He’d been worried that he’d leave me behind and go off and be an idiot. But apparently this had proved to him just how serious Campbell really was about me.
“Thanks, Dad,” Campbell said.
Hollin and Nora crowded in.
“Ah, nice, bro! Locking it down,” Hollin said.
Gregg shook his head at his oldest.
“This is amazing!” Nora squealed. “Please tell me I can plan the wedding.”
Campbell laughed. “Well, can you do it in a week?”
Nora blinked at us. “What?”
“We decided to elope,” I told her.
“Oh my God! How romantic.” Nora nodded her head. “And I can do it in a week. I have prepared my entire life for this.”
“Elope?” Gregg asked. “That’s pretty big.”
“Morgan and Patrick’s day is today. Or else we would be heading to Vegas already,” Campbell told him. “And I’d love for you to all be there when we get hitched. I can fly everyone out if you want to attend.”
Everyone clambered forward, excited and asking questions about our upcoming nuptials.
And there was Pamela and Hal.
Neither of them had said a word. A knot fit into my stomach. I’d worried about this. She wasn’t going to be happy. She was going to ruin our moment. But I wanted her to know. I wanted to tell the entire world. When really the only person I’d confessed to was Piper.
“Go on,” Campbell said, pushing me toward my family.
I shuffled forward until I stopped in front of Pamela and Hal. “Surprise.”
My mom opened and closed her mouth. Fear spiked through me. She was going to tell me it was a terrible idea. She was going to tell me not to do it. Oh God, this was a mistake. I didn’t want her to steal my happiness. This was the best decision of my life. It was what I wanted.
Then, to my shock, my mom smiled. A real smile. “Oh Blaire,” she said, actually using my preferred name.
I was stunned silent as she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.
My mom was hugging me.
She was hugging me.
She didn’t like any form of contact. We never touched. We definitely weren’t hugging people. And here she was breaking all her own rules.
I hesitantly wrapped my arms around her and felt her closeness. The fragility of a matriarch that I had always considered unshakable.
“Mom?” I whispered.
“Oh baby,” she said, pulling back and putting her hands to my cheeks. “I am so happy for you.”
“You are?”
“I may not have known how to show it, but I did want the best for you.”
“I thought…I thought you wouldn’t want me with Campbell.”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt again. I was worried for you. I didn’t know how to show that. And clearly I did it all wrong.”
She had done it wrong. We’d both been wrong. Time and time again we’d fought against our own stubbornness. She could have been more maternal. But when I’d needed her most, she’d been there for me. She’d been the one to take care of me during the miscarriage. No matter her own feelings on the subject. She’d had to be there for me. And she didn’t have to be here now. Actually happy for me.
“I’m glad you’re here, Mom.”
“Me too.” She brought her hand to her own cheek and swiped at the one lone tear that tracked down her face. “Look, I’m leaking.”
I laughed at the joke. She’d always said that about me as a kid. It had made me giggle and stop crying instead. “You leak beautifully.”
She joined me in soft laughter. “You love him?”
“With all my heart.”
“Even with everything that’s happened with the press?”
“You followed that?”
She shot me a look that was purely Pamela. “You’re my daughter. I’ve followed everything about you. I’ve watched all of your accomplishments.”
Now tears came to my eyes. “I thought you weren’t happy about my blog.”
“It’s so much more than that now, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “So much more. And yes, I’m happy with Campbell despite everyone knowing about the miscarriage.”
“I wrote to that magazine about their incorrect information, I’ll have you know.”
God, that was so my mom. “You did what?”
“They reported incorrect information. I sent in a correction as a firsthand witness to the events.”
“Oh Mom, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I’m glad I did. I know that things with us are…not like other people. I can’t help who I am. But I can take my own advice and try to be better.”
“I love you. Will you come to Vegas for our elopement?” I looked to Hal too. “Both of you?”
“Yes,” she said at once.
Hal nodded too. “We’ll be there.”
“I’m going to invite Dad too.”
“As you should,” Mom said. “Now, can I properly meet my soon-to-be new son-in-law?”
I laughed and brought her over to Campbell and his family. He charmed my mom as I always knew he would if he got the opportunity. His eyes were bright and happy for me. I’d been worried and now all the pieces were finally falling into place, exactly how I’d always wanted them to.
Hours later, Campbell was in a black suit, and I’d donned a dress to match the blue of my eyes as we watched Morgan Wright tie herself forever to Patrick Young. Wrights lined either side of the aisle to celebrate their sister and CEO.
Only Patrick’s best friend and Morgan’s older brother, Austin Wright spoke out of turn in the middle. “It’s about damn time.”
Everyone laughed and the happy couple just shook their head. Then they were kissing in front of what felt like the entire town. We got to our feet and cheered for their happy union. It was good to see so much love. To see love prevail above all else. Despite the adversity they had gone through.
Morgan and Patrick headed back down the aisle to a ringing round of applause.
Campbell leaned down and whispered in my ear. “That’s going to be us in a week.”
I glanced up at him. “I can’t wait.”
“I actually don’t want to wait.”
I laughed at him. “What? You want to run away without telling anyone?”
“There’s a courthouse.”
“Campbell Abbey,” I said, nudging him. “I’ve waited all my life for you. I think I can wait another week.”
He slid an arm around my waist and kissed me deeply. “I’d wait for you forever.”
It was our turn, and we walked down the aisle together. I couldn’t wait for it to be our turn to do this in a week. To tie my life to him forever. We’d had our ups and downs. Our trials and hardships. I wasn’t naive enough to think that everything would be smooth sailing from here. The album release and tour and long distance was going to be hard.
But it would all be worth it because I was doing it with him.
Just the two of us forever.
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Are you ready?” Piper asked as we stepped through the front doors of Wright Vineyard.
“So ready!”
“Even though the whole album is about you?”
I laughed. She wasn’t wrong. The new Cosmere album would officially be out tomorrow, and the release party was being held at Wright Vineyard. It was becoming a tradition to have their big events in the barn. A small thing before the bigger events in LA. But this one was special because it was the album that he’d written and rehearsed in that tumultuous few months when we first started dating again. Half of the songs were the happy falling in love songs, and the other half were heartbreak songs, written in that terrible week we’d been apart. It was a masterpiece, and already, the critics were giving it rave reviews. Everyone said the Grammys were knocking on Cosmere’s door for this one.
I couldn’t be prouder. Especially since I had all the footage from that time and had cinched a deal with Netflix for an exclusive release of the documentary around the new album, The One That Got Away.
Already, “Rooftop Nights” was the hottest song of the summer. I still couldn’t listen to it without blushing, thinking about the kiss that had ignited it. The whole album made me blush. But, hey, it was true to my namesake.
“I love that it’s about me,” I admitted.
Nora appeared at my side. “Hey, sis,” she said with a wink. She’d taken to calling me that since my wild Vegas wedding with Campbell. “I’m so glad we had the event here. Since, you know, I didn’t get to plan a real wedding.”
