Into the Light, page 12
part #2 of Dark Angel Series
“Adriana... You look...”
“I know, right? But don’t you cry and mess up that beautiful face of yours.”
“Adriana, today is all about you.”
“No it isn’t, Char.” She squeezed my hand. “I need this to finally happen just as much as you two.”
I didn’t want her to have to focus on anything but her and Elijah. With that and the fact that I was still so nervous, this could turn out not being what I hoped for. I nodded back at her, quick to change the topic.
“Okay bitches, it’s show time!” Eric clapped.
Adriana took in a deep breath. I reached out for her hand and it was perfectly still. Not a single shake came from her delicate hands. This was everything she had been waiting for, her destiny.
Not long after that we were standing at the entrance of the church. There was a flurry of activity, everyone fussing over Adriana, the photographer trying to capture the perfect moments. I stood back and watched my best friend, watched this moment that was all hers. I felt someone stand beside me; it was her mother, Emily. She watched alongside me, admiring her daughter. It was her moment as well, and what a moment for her, she had been waiting for this just as much as Adriana had been. I felt her hand squeeze mine and I looked at her, unable to ignore the look of sorrow as she stared back at me. The same look I saw the day she was sitting in the car, the same day that Alex and Charlie were officially over.
Chapter 12
Lex
August 2005
I stood at her door, unable to knock. I had never paid so much attention to the wood work of a door. I realized that because the nerves had gotten the better of me. She would be behind this door and I hadn’t actually prepared what I was going to say. What if she told me to fuck off? I mean she would have every right to, she had been hurt and most probably very angry after I left her in the worst possible state, and if she was over it then maybe it didn’t mean anything. My head hurt just thinking about it so I continued to stare at the doorway.
Adriana placed her hand in mine. “Alex, it’ll be okay. This is Charlotte, remember? It’s not just any other girl.”
She was right. The Charlotte I knew would be happy to see me even after everything I had done. I knocked on the door gently, the tapping echoing through the hallway in which we stood. After a few moments the door opened; I held my breath but it was Charlotte’s mom.
“Adriana?” she asked, looking back and forth from Adriana to me.
“Mrs. Mason? Sorry, I’m not sure if you are still Mrs. Mason,” Adriana stumbled on her words.
“Please, call me Maria. What can I do for you both?”
“We’re looking for Charlie,” Adriana spoke quickly.
“Well, Charlotte’s not here.”
“Like you mean just now?”
“No, Charlotte does not live here.”
It was my turn to speak. I felt bad enough already for dragging Adriana into this mess and all the way to Cuba. “Please, can you help us get in contact with her?”
She stood still, but her eyes watched mine. As if she needed to consider the option. My head was screaming. I expected Charlotte to be here but she wasn’t, then where the hell was she?
“Alex, I know what happened. Believe it or not my ex-husband and I still talk. Do you think it’s wise of you to contact Charlotte after what you did to her?”
I had no response to that.
“Maria. Please, if you could help us. It’s not just about Alex. I lost my best friend, too,” Adriana said softly, like the words had been locked inside since this all happened.
“Look, Charlotte is not here. She went away to college and she is happy. She is in her element and thriving. I know how devastated she was, how hurt and angry she felt after she was betrayed, not to mention the whole town calling her every name under the sun. It’s taken her a lot of courage to move on and I would hate to see that all fall to pieces because the both of you decided one day that you couldn’t hack the guilt so you needed to see her again.”
“With all due respect, Maria, it’s not like that. I need to tell her things, explain things,” I said.
“Explain what, Alex? That you left her without saying goodbye to be with your pregnant wife who I can only assume is still pregnant? So I’m not sure why Charlotte would want to see you.”
“She’s not… I mean, it’s not his baby,” Adriana spoke up in my defense.
“Adriana, cariño. Whether it is his baby or not doesn’t erase the damage that has been done. You broke her. Not just you, Alex, but you as well, Adriana, for abandoning her when she could have used all the friends she had.”
I looked over at my sister, the tears running down her face as the reality of this situation finally set in. I placed my hand on top of hers and squeezed it tight.
“Look, I know you both love her. But the thing is…” she hesitated slightly, “The thing is she has moved on…with someone else.”
I took in her words and without warning my chest tightened, my walls caving as she said the words that I feared the most. Charlotte had found someone else. I bowed my head so I was able to close my eyes. The pain had spread all throughout me and I needed to get the hell out of here. I had been better in San Francisco where I hadn’t known this information, where I could pretend that Charlotte had moved on, just not with someone else.
“Charlie has a boyfriend?” Adriana asked.
“Yes, she has been seeing someone. He is great. I met him a week ago, he really is good for her and she seems…well, she seems really happy now. They practically live together.”
I didn’t need to hear any more. “Adriana, let’s go.”
My sister stood up and we quickly made our way to the door. I didn’t look back; Adriana said the words for me. “I don’t know if I should be thanking you. We came here to try and fix the mistake we made but now with what you’ve told us, well, now you’ve broken my brother.”
We walked outside and in the light of day it hit me like a ton of bricks and my natural instinct was to start hiding in that shell, the one that protected me from the harsh reality of my mistakes.
“Alex, c’mon, we can find her. Don’t let this stop you.”
“Didn’t you hear what she just said?”
“Yes, I did, but this is Charlotte we’re talking about. She wouldn’t just forget you and move on with some random college guy.”
“But she HAS moved on.”
“Alex, look, we can hire a private investigator and track her down, then at least the both of us can get a chance to apologize. We owe her that much, don’t we?”
“She moved on. How easy was that for her? Maybe I didn’t mean as much to her as she did to me.”
“No, don’t say that. You know how much she loved you. Don’t give up, Lex. How can you give up after everything you’ve been through?”
“Easy, Adriana. I already have.”
“You know, Elijah, the car’s got a full tank of gas… It’ll get you as far as Albany.” I chuckled.
“Thanks, but I've been waiting for this day my entire life.” He paused and waved to a few guests who had arrived. “Thank you, Lex. For helping me, you know, to be able to kick cancer’s butt, but most importantly to be able to marry my girl, and I know this isn’t easy for you...but thank you.”
“You’re taking on the responsibility of Adriana... I should be thanking you.”
“Soon it’ll be you, buddy,” said Elijah.
“I married her, Elijah, the last night of the Hamptons.”
“Huh? How? For starters you need to apply for a marriage license and then there is a twenty-four hour waiting period. Is this some wedding prank you’re pulling on me?”
“I bribed the city clerk, offered to pay for a new community hall he was currently trying to fund. It happened, Elijah, but after the way I treated her, I don’t know if she still wants to be married to me.”
“In the words of Rocky, dude, far out. For what it’s worth, congratulations man.”
He went in for a quick man-hug before the other groomsmen arrived. We took our place at the altar and I suddenly felt nervous, I mean, Christ, I wasn’t the one getting married here, but after a month of not seeing her, this was it. This was the decider. Would I be able to look at her the same? Would I still love her despite it all? Would I see my Charlotte or would I see this baby, his baby? My palms started to sweat and almost like he knew, he placed his hand on my shoulder squeezing it tight. The nerves were pushed aside as the music began and I focused on Adriana and Elijah’s moment.
Adriana was anything but traditional sometimes, depending on her mood. I expected the wedding march to play but instead a string quartet played Endless Love as the page boy and flower girl walked down the aisle. I had to admit, they were kind of cute in their little outfits. Next came the bridesmaids. I knew there were two walking down the aisle, then Charlotte would follow. I watched in anticipation as Adriana’s friend and Elijah’s cousin walked down the aisle, the girls were pretty but my focus wasn’t on them, and I didn’t even notice that I was holding my breath in anticipation.
My heart stopped when I saw her standing at the entrance of the church. She was wearing a pale pink strapless dress, the fabric and lace sitting perfectly against her skin. I looked at her face searching for something and instantly her eyes met mine…and in that moment I knew…
I saw her, only her. My Charlotte.
And once again my heart started beating.
How could we make this work?
She walked down the aisle, smiling with a look of content as she made her way to the front. My mind dared to explore this moment, just us, one day her walking down the aisle to be my wife in front of everyone. A proper ceremony, maybe that’s why this all went wrong. Like fate saying ‘hey, you rush me so I’ll fuck up everything for you guys.’ I knew that’s what I wanted; right there in that moment my future was sealed. I knew I wanted her and everything that came with her, including this baby. No, I had no idea how this would work but we would make this work, as long as I woke up every morning with her by my side. She was already Mrs. Edwards, I just needed to let her know that nothing would change that.
The music played louder and Adriana walked down the aisle with my father holding onto her. My mother of course, a basket case, sat at the front dabbing her eyes with a tissue. It was all so overwhelming, and Adriana looked...well, amazing. Quite ethereal.
The ceremony started but I couldn’t help sneaking a look at Charlotte every chance I got. She still looked the same, definitely a lot healthier than when I saw her last. Her skin looked more sun-kissed, her eyes shone again, the light had been switched back on, and her smile… When I caught her smiling at me I couldn’t help but smile back in return. My gaze was broken when the priest announced them husband and wife. The crowd clapped and the newlywed couple exchanged their first kiss. As they walked back down the aisle, I looked directly at Charlotte extending my arm out. She gracefully linked her arm in mine, there was that jolt…again. Its force was so powerful that I saw her jump, and she felt it too.
As we walked down the aisle, all eyes were on us. I wanted so much to talk to her, I needed to tell her what I was thinking but the cameras were everywhere and the chance never presented itself. Outside, people threw rice at the happy couple. Rocky being a sports junkie threw a hard shot at Elijah, smacking him in the face. I burst out laughing alongside Rocky but Elijah shot us an annoyed look while spitting rice out from his mouth. Charlotte was pulled away to take photos. I stood there watching her, the beauty she portrayed, and I couldn’t help feeling sick...but a good sick. Like that butterfly feeling that makes you want to puke. Okay, that came out wrong but all I knew was that I couldn’t take my eyes off her no matter how hard I tried.
I walked over to her when she finished, my tongue was tied, not able to find the right words.
“Hi,” was all I managed. Damn, I was never lost for words.
“Hi yourself.” She smiled back.
The photographer grabbed us once again and before you knew it we were lost in the wedding chaos. The cars pulled up to the church and we were separated yet again. It wasn’t a long drive to the reception but of course, in wedding tradition, and I am not exaggerating when I say a million photos were taken. From a pose by the pond, under the apple tree, against the cars, in the cars, you name it and it was done...three times! The photographer suggested a photo of the bridal party with their respective partners. Again, I thought it might be a chance to speak to her.
As we posed by the flower garden, the fussy photographer snapped pictures, directing us every which way. For a moment when he had to change the roll of film, I tilted my head to whisper in her ear but she was pulled away by Adriana for help on a wedding dress problem.
Fucking hell.
An hour later we were sitting inside the reception hall. I was sitting next to Elijah who kept making out with Adriana; who would have thought that I would be sitting in the most awkward spot there was? Just before the entree was being served, I decided to make a quick dash to the men’s room. On my way there I ran into Rocky and Nikki in the hallway. I could have sworn she had her hair in a bun at the church and now it was out, sitting messily on her shoulders.
“Babe, can you excuse us for a second?” Nikki asked Rocky. He walked back into ballroom with a giant smirk on his face. That fucker just got blown. Nikki’s lipstick looked fresh, like it was reapplied minutes ago.
“First of all, that prank you pulled wasn’t funny. However, it serves him right for begging for the floorshow.”
“I can’t argue with that one,” I replied with a small chuckle.
“Look, you know me, I’m just going to say it how it is… I was there when Charlie found out. She’s very fragile right now. I want you to take that into consideration.”
“Nikki...”
“No, Lex, look, I’m butting out. This is your business. She’s your wife now. All I ask is that you take good care of her, okay? She’s family to me.”
I nodded; I understood exactly how much Charlotte meant to her. How much Charlotte meant to everyone.
Then I remembered she just said she was my wife now. So Charlotte told her, did that mean what I thought it meant? She walked away and I was left standing there, thinking about what she said and forgetting my urgent need to take a piss.
I quickly ducked in and out of the bathroom, then made my way back to the table. Dinner was served and we all sat there chatting amongst ourselves. I knew it was almost time for the speeches but of course some moron in the crowd kept tinkering with their glass, that stupid tradition where one person starts tapping their fork against the glass and the whole room follows, forcing the couple to kiss. It was like the tenth time it had happened tonight and after close examination I realized it was Rocky who always started it. I looked over at him, shooting him a ‘fuck off and stop doing that’ look. He just shot me back a wide grin and raised his glass to me. A few moments later, the MC announced it was speech time. Thankfully I was last, not that I was worried since this was nothing compared to the speeches I had given in front of the most powerful men in the world, but I would have to follow my dad. He was up first and I knew that it would be a tear jerker. Not for me, I didn’t cry over wedding shit, but for all the women in the crowd, especially my mother.
“Thank you all for coming here today to celebrate the marriage of my beautiful and only daughter, Adriana, and my new and hopefully only son-in-law, Elijah.” The crowd let out a small laugh; my father always had a way with crowds.
“Even since Adriana could talk she was obsessed with weddings. Her first failed marriage was at three. I walked into the living room and found all her dolls and bears dressed up sitting in rows. Adriana was wearing a Cinderella costume with a crown; I asked her what she was doing and she said she was getting married and waiting at the altar for her groom. I couldn’t help but be amused by this little girl’s imagination so I asked her who her groom was and she simply replied, ‘Alex’.” The crowd erupted into laughter and even I remembered how funny that was. “Well, needless to say that was followed by a long lecture on who you were and weren’t allowed to get married to.”
“Her second failed marriage was at the age of eight. We were due to move to Carmel in about a week. Adriana came rushing through the house with a basket full of items. I asked her why the rush and what she was doing. She explained that she was eloping in the backyard and that we all needed to be there because she was marrying the next door neighbors’ kid before we left. I explained to her again that marriage wasn’t something that you committed to with just anyone. I still remember her exact words to me: ‘Daddy, if I don’t lock him down now then God knows who I could end up with.’ I’m thinking little Jimmy next door must have been glad we decided to move three days early.” The crowd again let out a laugh, my mother beaming as my father continued on.
“As for her third marriage attempt, now this one will last. Elijah,” he said holding his glass towards him, “I have never seen a man so in love, so taken with a woman as much as I have seen you with my little girl. You are the light in her day, the contentment in her night. You have given her so much joy and happiness, and anyone who can make my little girl smile the way you do, well that’s the only thing a father can wish for his daughter. So, to a lifetime of happiness. Please raise a toast to the newly wedded couple.”
My mother, an absolute wreck, had probably gone through a box of tissues. I had to admit it was a pretty good speech. My father hugged my sister tight before leaning over to give Elijah a quick man-hug. It was Elijah’s turn to speak next; slightly nervous, he drank an entire glass of champagne in one gulp.
“First of all, I would like to thank you all for attending this very special day of ours. Each one of you in this room holds a special place in our hearts and it has brought us joy to be able to share this with you… I want to take a moment to thank my mother. Momma, you have sacrificed so much for me, you gave me the strength to follow my dreams. Your love and support will forever be the reason why I am the man I am today. To my poppa, I know you are looking down on us and as we take a moment to look up at you, just know that I love you and can feel your presence with us. You didn’t miss out, poppa...you’re right here.” His voice slightly quivered and the majority of the bridal party and crowd were in tears. Rocky was no exception. I caught Nikki passing him a tissue which he blew his nose into.
