Into the Light, page 22
part #2 of Dark Angel Series
“Charlotte.”
“Lex, what is all this?”
“Before you say anything else, I have a dress and shoes waiting for you over there.”
He pointed to the restroom. I was still confused as to what the hell was going on, but I followed his instructions. I walked over and entered the restroom; inside hanging on the door was a beautiful emerald green gown, almost a replica of my prom dress, with a pair of Silver Manolo Blahniks. I changed into the dress, which fit like a glove. I walked back out feeling extremely conscious. Why? I had no idea.
“Charlotte…you look breathtaking,” he whispered.
“I believe you’ve said that to me once before,” I reminded him.
“But this time I hope you don’t abandon me on the dance floor.”
“Lex, what is all this? I mean it’s beautiful, you’re beautiful.”
“We didn’t get to have our prom dance, in front of everyone to see. I didn’t get to hold you close to me, I wasn’t able to look at you the way I’m looking at you right now.”
“I kinda don’t want to ruin the moment, but it’s only us.”
“Is it?” he asked with a mischievous grin on his face.
I turned around and walking through the door was Rocky and Bulls, Adriana and Elijah, Eric, Emma, Kate, Logan and Jen. All eight of them were dressed formally in suits and gowns.
“Are you kidding me?” I laughed, unable to comprehend this moment.
“And I didn’t get to do this…”He cupped my face and gently placed his lips on mine. It was THE most perfect, gentle kiss, the kind of kiss that travelled down to the pit of the stomach, smothering it with butterflies.
With my head nestled on Lex’s shoulders, I watched as the others danced. Each one of them dressed to the nines, smiling, laughing, enjoying this trip down memory lane. Having the closest people to me in this one room tugged on my emotions and I couldn’t help the tear that slid down my cheek. Where the hell did Hard-Ass Charlie disappear to? I was seriously crying over the most nonsensical things these days.
“I have to confess something...” Lex spoke.
My stomach churned a little. Oh, for fuck sakes, Charlie, he is yours, he married you!
“What is it, Mr. Edwards?” I answered playfully.
“There was another reason why I did this.”
“Oh?”
He removed my hands from around his neck and placed them in his own hands. “If I had known seventeen years ago in the treehouse that you were the one, I would have saved myself a shit load of misery. No matter what life has thrown at the both of us, here we are, standing here – together. Charlotte, you complete me. For seven years I believed I had met my fate. I had been punished for my actions. But somehow, someone gave me a second chance at life, gave me a reason to breathe again. Charlotte, you are my reason that I stand here with a heart bursting full of love. You are the reason that in five months from now my wildest dreams will come true. I want every part of you, and I need to do this properly. Will you do me the honor of making our family complete? Will you marry me, again?
He knelt down on one knee and opened the small black velvet box, the emerald ring nestled perfectly inside. The diamonds almost blinded me, but I shifted my gaze and stared directly into his eyes, his beautiful eyes, and for some stupid reason my tongue was tied… Was I supposed to respond? I already said yes when I married him; c’mon, Charlie, don’t leave him hanging. Gosh, if only my brain would shut the fuck up… wait, what…
“Yes!” I blurted out.
With his eyes dancing, (I had never seen Lex as happy as I did in this moment) he gently slid the ring on my finger, kissing it softly before he stood and embraced me.
“You know I couldn’t say no, right? I am legally Mrs. Edwards already,” I teased.
“Legally, yes, but emotionally, I needed to do this. This makes it real, to me.”
A loud round of applause followed, along with some whistling (Rocky, of course), echoing throughout the room. One by one, each of them came up and congratulated us. Eric grabbed my hand before hugging me, rambling on about carats and diamonds, followed by more OMG’s.
“It’s so great that you guys are here. Are you guys planning on staying long?” My words were neglected, there was a hush and all eyes were on Lex. Was I missing something?
“The reason why I called them here is because we are getting married tonight.” Lex added.
“Huh? As in tonight, tonight? But we’re already married!”
He nodded.
“I don’t get it…”
“Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, you will become Mrs. Charlotte Edwards again, but this time in front of all our family and friends. A wedding, Charlotte. We never had a wedding.”
“But…but… what?”
“Everything is taken care of. I won’t see you again until 11:50pm, Charlotte. Apparently…” he said in an annoyed tone “I have a stag night to attend to.”
“Yes, and dear Charlotte here has hers.” Bulls responded, much to Lex’s displeasure.
“Okay, I’m confused, really confused, but I don’t care. I trust you, Lex…”
His hands found their way back to my face, placing his lips on mine, this time with more pressure, and I knew without a doubt he was anxious. It was the same kiss he always gave me before we would say goodbye each day before work.
“Six hours till you’re my wife. In the eyes of our family, friends and the whole world…”
“That’s a long time.” I smiled back.
“Thank God you were thinking the same thing,” he murmured, rubbing his nose gently against mine.
“Okay, shows over, we need to get down to serious business,” Rocky announced.
Bulls and Rocky pulled us away from each other. I mouthed ‘I love you’ before being hustled out of the gymnasium and into a stretch Hummer that waited at the entrance of the building.
“Wow, nice ride. So what’s next?” I dared to ask. I still had no idea what was going on.
“Your dress, silly… finally I get to reveal my creation.” Adriana beamed as she clutched onto my arm and rested her head on my shoulder.
A wedding dress. When Lex said we didn’t have a wedding I thought he meant the reception. My insides were doing the cha cha, dancing on the ceiling, singing from the tops of their lungs. It was every girl’s dream, and why I thought I deserved anything different was beyond me. It was all systems go, I was prepared and ready to marry the man I loved in front of everyone. What I wasn’t prepared for was this bachelorette party, and if Bulls had anything to do with it, I was in trouble, deep trouble.
Chapter 19
Lex
“It’s a boat.”
“It’s a fucking boat, would you get a load of this guy? Dude, it’s a Lady M luxury yacht for fuck sakes!” An overly enthusiastic Rocky squealed as he stood beside me and Elijah on the dock; we continued to stare at the boat.
“Excuse my ignorance, yacht, why are we staring at it?” My head wasn’t clear but rather in a warm, fuzzy haze as my girl had just said she would marry me in front of everyone. Of course I knew it was a yacht, I also knew the builders after my stint last year that saw me yacht shopping.
“Because we’ve got five hours to celebrate your freedom before you’re tied to the ball and chain again,” Rocky explained, clearly impatient to get aboard.
“I highly doubt Charlie is a ball and chain kinda gal, Rocky. Perhaps you need to find your balls again. Should I call Nikki to see if she has them in her purse?” Elijah snickered.
“Dude, aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon? I thought you’d be porkin’ your new wife like the cowboy you claim to be.”
“Rocky, not all Texans are cowboys…” Elijah pointed out.
The conversations around me became a distant sound as I stood still, watching the ocean. The waves calmly lapped against the piers, the heavy scent of salt lingering in the air. The sun was setting on the horizon, a reminder that in five hours, Charlotte would walk down the aisle and say “I do” in front of our family and friends.
My mind refused to let go of that moment where I stood waiting for her to walk through the door of the gymnasium. I always knew how I wanted to propose; it was a no brainer. I promised her things back then that I couldn’t deliver, and if I had a time machine I would go back and act on them, but this was the next best thing. Adriana was thrilled that she was in charge of recreating the prom scene; it was the reason she decided to stay in New York instead of taking me up on my offer for her and Elijah to spend their honeymoon at the Virgin Islands.
“Adriana, c’mon, you deserve a honeymoon. You don’t need to help me.”
“Lex, I’m Mrs. Evans, nothing will ever change that. I don’t need a tropical island to enjoy my husband. Please let me do this, you are marrying my best friend, I don’t want to miss a thing.”
It was all set; Logan texted me at the café warning me they were about to leave. Everyone had flown in, Kate made sure all flights and accommodation were booked accordingly. Eric and Nikki had picked out the emerald green dress that she was to change into courtesy of a very good friend of mine, Vera Wang.
It was time.
The moment she walked through the double doors, she was completely stunned by the scenery, her eyes scanning the room. I knew she was taken back to a time and moment that held a lot of promises for us. When her eyes found me standing in the middle of the dance floor in my tux, she ran to me. Her kiss smothering me, not allowing me to get a single word in, but I couldn’t help it. I allowed it to linger, because I knew at midnight she would be officially mine, and that thought alone made me not want to let her go.
When she emerged from the restroom, I couldn’t help but be in awe of this beautiful woman walking towards me. The words came out perfectly, exactly how I pictured it, having rehearsed it a million times in my head.
She said yes to marrying me… again.
“Look at this pussy whipped fucker, all daydreaming and shit. C’mon, we only have five hours to partay!” Rocky hurried us along onto the yacht. We climbed on board; other guests somehow were already there. As well as Rocky and Elijah, there was my dad, Mark Mason, Logan, my Uncle Hank, Eric (for some unknown reason) and fuck me dead - my mate from London, Bentley James Woods.
“Well, look here, if it isn’t my long lost mate, Lex Edwards,” Bentley spoke loud enough that everyone on board could hear.
“BJ, where the hell have you been?”
“Not getting engaged and having babies. You’ve gone arse over tit for a bird? Who would have thought?”
“BJ?” Eric quizzed “Do I dare assume?”
“Mate, the initials are an instant pick up line and my instincts tell me you ain’t gonna get a kick out of the pussy on parade tonight,” BJ insinuated.
“Oh hell no, I’m all about the Tallywhacker!”
“Dude, you’ve been spending way too much time with Kate.” Rocky said as he walked passed.
BJ’s face lit up; I knew what he was thinking. “How is my good ole chum Kate?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, not wanting to delve into the history of Kate and BJ. Kate’s personal life was exactly that – personal. But when she started screwing BJ, it became my business, much to my dismay. I motioned for us to head to the bar where this conversation could be held in private. I was almost certain Eric was texting Kate already wanting her version of this story. I quickly greeted everyone, Mark pulling my arm in for a moment.
“Listen here, boy. No touching anything that comes on this boat. I’m watching you,” he warned.
“Not with a ten foot sail, Mark.” Such terrible boat humor.
I headed to the bar where BJ stood; the music had started, not so loud that I wasn’t able to hear him speak. He ordered a round of shots, ignoring his signature drink, a rum and coke.
“It’s been four months since our last pint at the Yorkshire Grey and you’re a changed man.” BJ coaxed me to take the shot that the bartender placed before us. We counted down, and in unison, drank the nasty liquor that threatened to compromise my judgment on anything that may take place tonight.
“Changed for the better. I may have spoken about her once.” The shot was almost like swallowing acid; I let out a loose cough.
“Once? When you got on the piss you would always ramble on about her… Char… something or other. Bugger, this shot is strong, I can’t even remember her name.”
“Charlotte.”
“That’s right. So that’s it, Lex Edwards is off the market? You were my wingman.”
“It’s best you don’t bring that up here,” I cautioned.
There were memories that I wanted to erase, the endless nights of fucking random women. Bentley James Woods was trouble; trouble that I didn’t want near Charlotte. We all had a past, right? It’s just that I did things I wasn’t proud of, and unfortunately, BJ was a witness to it all.
“Look, Lex, I won’t fart arse around the topic. We had fun, I get it buddy, you’re gonna be a daddy. Just don’t forget about little old London town. I assume you’ll be moving to New York?”
“Yes, but quit the Mr. Nice Guy act. Who invited you here?” I questioned.
“Your lovely sister, Adriana. Relax, will ya, buddy ole pal? Adriana thought you should have a least one friend here. Look, I’m here to have fun, I won’t go bringing up your colorful past with anyone, ok?”
He patted me on the back, switching the topic to business; now I was in my element. BJ was born into a rich family like every other pretentious bastard in London. His family owned property all over Europe. However, BJ was heavily into the real estate game, which made him a fucking millionaire in his own right. Money could buy you a lot of things, but apparently not class. He was known for being a womanizer; marriage and babies definitely were not on his agenda.
Without warning, Rocky yelled out, “It’s show time,” interrupting our conversation.
Fuck.
Eight (and I mean eight) strippers came out to the makeshift stage and started dancing. I could handle this, it was pretty tame. Besides, it was just tits. Panties were in check, for now. I will be fine. I had a beautiful woman waiting for me, ready to marry me, but who right now was probably being smothered by sweaty man-whores dressed up in uniforms.
Fuck fuck fuck.
I motioned for Eric to come over; I needed to ease my jealous mind.
“Okay, so do all vajayjays look like that?” He pointed to the girl dancing butt naked, his head tilting sideways cringing at the sight.
“Her lips are out of proportion,” Rocky interrupted
“Lips can be out of proportion?!”, a shocked Eric asked.
“Eric, what are the girls doing? Surely Charlotte or Kate would have texted you?”
“Uh uh… Nikki banned all cells. ‘What happens at the party, stays at the party’. Her words, not mine.”
Fucking bitch!
Logan and Elijah sat beside me, smirks on their faces. I knew enough to know that something was about to go down; I had absolutely no idea what.
“So, you enjoying yourself?” Logan asked.
“Cut the bullshit, Rodriguez, why are you two looking at me like that?”
“No reason, just wanted to make sure you were enjoying your night,” repeated Elijah.
“Listen to you bunch of pussies sitting around yapping when you should be watching that.” Rocky pointed to three of the girls practically having an orgy with each other. Eric’s facial expressions were priceless. One minute he was intrigued, the next minute he cringed and covered his eyes.
“Guys, relax, have a drink,” Logan handed us the shots and we all drank fast. I reminded myself to slow down; I was getting married in a few hours. My mother would kill me if I was drunk at the altar.
We sat around drinking as the girls danced in front of us; they were not half bad, fake tits and all. Uncle Hank was having the time of his life, I officially declared him a clone of Rocky. The similarities were uncanny, and of course they got along like a house on fire. Several times I caught them in the corner, getting their own private lap dance, neither one of them backwards at coming forwards.
“You shouldn’t be looking at that, you’re marrying my best friend,” Logan pointed out.
“When I look at you I’m reminded that you’ve been with my Charlotte,” I slurred.
“You called a truce on that! Besides, I was fucking seventeen, I knew nothing about pussy.”
“Please do not use that word when referring to my future wife.”
“Get over it Edwards. It was dark so I didn’t see anything, just fumbled around for stuff, you know.”
“Are we still talking about this?”
“I guess we aren’t. So tell me, how did you finally get her to break up with Batman?”
“Who?”
“Julian.” Great, Rodriguez had to go there.
“My friend, let me tell you this. I didn’t make her do anything, he got what was coming to him. Let’s be honest, he never had her to begin with.”
“Nice play, Edwards. For a moment, I believed you. However, I know your type. Dominating and shit. Like that stupid book that Jen and Charlie always talk about… something grey, I don’t know but it’s a load of shit.”
“It ain’t that bad,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, well, I guess I can’t complain. Jen’s a wild one. Fuck, she’ll kill me for saying that.”
“Your secret is safe with me, plus it explains why you have four kids.”
“I’ll tell you now, Edwards, once that baby comes along, say goodbye to any pussy you’re getting.”
Was that the truth? It had crossed my mind, and I was conscious when I was fucking her, but luckily I studied this in med school and knew my dick couldn’t get anywhere near that baby’s head.
“Don’t listen to him, son, you and Adriana never ruined…”
“Dad, I love you, but please please please do not mention your sex life EVER to me again.”
Amused, he placed his arm around me. Was he drunk? Shit, I decided no more for me since I had to get married in less than three hours. Control, Edwards, you’re fucking used to this.
Rocky clapped his hands and motioned for me to take a seat on the chair that sat in the middle of the room; I get it, striptease. I could handle this, it wouldn’t be my first, but it would be my fucking last. The girls meant nothing; tits in my face did nothing for me unless there were Charlotte’s.
