Flaw (The Flaw Series) (24 page)

After my first glass of wine I excuse myself to the bathroom, warning Josh not to refill my glass. The last thing I want to do is show up for dinner tipsy at his parents’ house. I walk away from the table with an extra sway to my hips because I know he’s watching.

I finish drying my hands and linger in front of my reflection to apply some lip gloss. Blonde hair, killer boobs, and a snarl approach me from behind. This is nothing new. I turn around lean back on the sink with my arms folded and wait for it.

“I just have to warn you. That guy you’re with is an asshole.” She holds out her glittery purple nails and turns up her nose in disgust.

“No, he’s not.” I give her a smile and go to walk away.

“You should listen to her, he is,” chimes in another girl in line waiting for the next available stall. “He’s a piece of trash.”

The girl behind her nods her head. I usually only have to deal with this one girl, or at the most two, at a time. Tonight I’m in a bathroom filled with Josh haters.

“Listen, I’m sorry if you had a bad experience with Josh in the past. But he’s my boyfriend and he’s neither an asshole nor a piece of trash.” I put my tube of lip gloss back in my purse, ready to get the hell out of here.

“Honey, don’t kid yourself. That guy isn’t your boyfriend.” The girl sticks out her arm to keep me from passing by. “If you’re lucky he’ll drive you home after you give him head in his car tonight.” A few girls nod in agreement at what she said.
Yes, I’m aware. They always mention “head.”

“You better put your arm down if you know what’s good for you.” I feel my blood boiling, this girl is taking this too far and if I have to I will physically move her out of my way. “Josh is my boyfriend. We’ve been together the last six months. If you say one more thing about him, I’ll be forced to kick your ass.”

The girl drops her arm and sniffs out her exasperation, rolling her eyes. I storm past her only to come face to face with Patrick’s girlfriend Ashley at the end of the bathroom line.
Terrific
. She got to witness the whole thing. I turn my head away before she has time to add her own two cents. How long am I gonna have to deal with this for?

“Becca, wait up.” Ashley steps away from her place in line to catch up to me.

I grit my teeth. “Ashley, I’ve already heard all the shit everybody has to say about Josh but he’s not the same guy anymore. If you’re here to warn me or give me one of those ‘head in his car’ lectures… don’t. I’m with Josh. I love Josh and I know he loves me. I just want everyone to mind their own business about it. I mean, Patrick has his flaws but I didn’t go running to tell you and anyone else who listen all about them.”

She twists a piece of long blonde hair. “That’s not why I’m stopping you. I spoke with Josh when his dad was in the hospital and you’re right, he’s not that same guy anymore. I just wanted to let you know that I’m happy for you.” She starts to turn back towards the ladies room then stops, twirling back around on her fancy high heels, a wicked smile stretching across her face. “Oh, but just for the record, Patrick doesn’t have any flaws.”

Huh? Is she serious?
I’m not sure why she felt the need to say that. Is there some lingering jealousy because of my past with Patrick? If the comment makes her feel better than that’s fine. But before walking away I make a quick decision to respond with a comment of my own.

“Just for the record, I’ve never given Josh head.” I spin away quickly. If I see her face I know I’ll bust out laughing. Whether it’s the truth or not…
no one will ever know
.

Jordyn

I’m stunned.

In front of my entire family he gets down on one knee and presents a small box with a large ring. Looking at the faces around me, I can tell that I am not the only one who is surprised by what’s about to happen.

“I love you with all my heart. I have since the second I laid eyes on you. You are everything I have ever dreamed of and I can’t imagine my life without you by my side. Will you marry me?”

Mouths drop open, eyes go wide, and everyone around me is absolutely shocked. But none more than the curly blonde-haired girl who was just proposed to. Her eyes glisten with tears and she drops down to her knees to wrap her arms around him. “YES!” Tessa shouts. She gives Tucker a very enthusiastic kiss before having an enormous diamond ring slipped onto her shaky finger. He pulls her back in for another overzealous kiss. So zealous that it almost feels like we shouldn’t really be watching them anymore.

“This calls for some champagne,” my uncle announces, motioning for us to all follow him into the dining room. I glance back and see Tessa pull away from Tucker. She reaches up on tiptoes and whispers something in his ear. His jaw clenches and the expression on his face changes as he takes a large gulp. She bites her lip giggling and Tucker grabs her by the hand, the two of them bolting frantically towards the front door.

A glass of champagne is handed to me. “Where did the happy couple go?” Erin asks, peeking her head into the other room.

“I think they went off to do a little celebrating on their own,” I supply. We exchange knowing smiles and clink our glasses together, toasting Tucker’s lucky night. There’s always been talk about Tessa’s innocence.
I knew she was waiting for the ring
.

Aidan comes up from behind and nuzzles his mouth into my neck. “That was exciting.”

“Definitely,” I agree. His little kisses send shocks straight through my body.

“Who’d have ever guessed that Tucker would be married before you?” Erin takes a sip of her champagne and walks away. I shift a bit uncomfortably and Aidan tightens his grip on my waist. Erin doesn’t know about my short marriage to Aidan. No one really does. My mother and Josh were the only people I had shared that information with. It’s been almost a year since that wedding. Aidan and I rarely speak of it. I think about it often, still wishing I was his wife. Hoping one day I will be again.

Aidan and I are together, building trust and moving forward. He’s my prince again, although I have some competition. I have to tear him away from the little girls at the events we attend both in and out of the hospital. I love him and show off that love to anyone and everyone I can.

“Do you remember that little chapel we were married in?” Aidan surprises me by asking.

“Of course.” I turn in his arms, facing him, excited to hear him bring it up. Every image is burned in my mind. I smile recalling the crazy wonderful details. “Tacky red carpet, that strange smell, the guy who kinda-sorta looked like Elvis who married us, he sang to us and we had our first dance in front of that weird couple who was getting married next. Remember they were wearing matching Hawaiian shirts and they just stared at us while you twirled me around?” We both laugh and he tucks a piece of my short hair behind my ear.

“Your next wedding will be a lot better, I’m sure,” he says.

My next wedding, not ours?
My face falls at the idea of any other groom at my side. “There’s no way that would be possible. Everything about that wedding was perfect. If I ever get the chance to get married again, I would do it the exact same way. Every last bit of it, including the groom.”

“That probably won’t happen,” Aidan says, and my heart nearly stops beating. He tips my chin up and his beautiful eyes come alive. “What are the chances we’d ever be able to find that same weird couple?”

***

It took time. A lot of time. But we got there again
.

We went back to Vegas and I walked down that same tacky red aisle, carrying silk flowers to a rhinestone covered Elvis and a handsome groom. This time there was no weird couple, but there was friends and family. And in front of them all I excitedly, happily, proudly married my prince… again
.

The end.

∼
Bonus Chapter
∼

Tucker &Tessa – The Wait is Over

Tessa

“I love you with all my heart. I have since the second I laid eyes on you. You are everything I have ever dreamed of and I can’t imagine my life without you by my side. Will you marry me?”

“YES!” I drop down onto my knees and wrap my arms around him. I don’t even care that his entire family is staring at us. I go right ahead and smash my lips down onto his. When I pull back he slides one large perfect diamond onto my ring finger. I’m shaking. I want to call my parents, my sister, Ashley, everyone I know. I want to go online and look up the menus at The Summit and La’ Terraza. I want to buy one of every single bridal magazine they make.
I want to…
I look back up at Tucker. Handsome, amazing, extremely patient, Tucker. All those things can wait. This time when my mouth lands back on his, it’s for no small kiss. I open my mouth and welcome the wild passion of the deep kiss. Tucker is mine. Forever. With our lips still connected, I raise my hand behind his back and open one eye to peek at the brilliant stone on my finger.

The clinking of glasses and the popping of a champagne bottle sounds in the next room where his family is waiting to toast us. I pull back from our kiss and look up at Tucker’s gorgeous smile. I don’t want champagne. I pull up on my fiancé to whisper in his ear.

“Tucker,” I whisper. “The wait is over.”

Oh my
-There’s no hesitation. I gasp and giggle as my hand is gripped tightly and we make a quick exit from his aunt’s home. We race to his red pick-up parked in the driveway. He swings the door open and his strong hands hoist me into the passenger seat. I hook my arms around his neck, stopping him from walking away from me just yet, and take a delicious little lick at the coconut-scented skin next to his ear.

“Oh God, Tessa, I love you so much.” He groans into my hair. His hands slide down over my breasts in his expert way. Tucker has had a lot of time to learn my body. He’s perfected just about every way there is to touch and taste me. And now I’m finally ready for what comes next.

“Go.” I push him away. “Or else our first time is gonna wind up being right here in your aunt’s driveway.”

Tucker shuts my door and before I know it, he’s hopped up in the driver’s seat beside me. Too riled to take the time to back up carefully and avoid the other guests’ cars, he puts the truck in drive and pulls forward right across the beautifully manicured yard. I look back and see deep tire tracks embedded in the front lawn. His family is gonna wonder what the hell happened to us. They’re probably standing in the dining room right this minute, raising their glasses to the couple who just baled on their own engagement celebration.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask. Tucker’s apartment is in New Jersey, two hours away. Our apartments at school aren’t much closer. My parent’s house is nearby but we’re certainly not going there.

“I’m taking you to The Westchire and I’m gonna get the best room they have.”

The Westchire is the finest hotel in the area. And about forty minutes away. I crane my neck to glance at the speedometer, eighty miles an hour and it still seems too slow.

“Tucker, I know a private place where we can park the truck that’s only 5 minutes away from here.”

“I’m not making love to you in this truck.”

“Why not? We’ve had lots of fun firsts in this truck.”

“Tessa, I can barely think straight as it is. We waited all this time. A little while longer isn’t gonna kill us,” he says. But the way he says it almost does sound like he’s dying.

He has patiently explored my body for quite some time now. He knows it well. Very well. The heat of my flushed skin rises up to my face. “Tucker, at the next light make the left.”

A luxurious hotel room sounds lovely, really it does. Having Tucker lay me down across this front seat just sounds… better, more exciting, the way I want it. I inch my dress up and lean forward, sliding the pink silk panties I’m wearing down my legs and over my heels. I toss them over at the sexy driver who nearly swerves right off the road. “I’ve been on the pill for over three months now. You won’t need to use a condom.”

“God Dammit, Tessa!” At the light, Tucker takes the left turn so sharply I hold my breath, wondering if the truck’s gonna tip over.

“Tucker!” I grab onto the handle overhead. All this time and I’m gonna wind up dying a virgin. The truck slows down and I point a shaky finger up ahead to the private place I mentioned. “You can pull in there.”

Tucker pulls into the parking lot of a large office building. I instruct him to pull around to the back and he parks the car in the far corner of the lot. Dark and hidden from the oversized landscaping, the spot is very private.

“How do you know about this place? Are we trespassing?” Tucker asks, unclicking his seatbelt and sliding towards me. Something tells me it doesn’t matter even if we are trespassing.

“This is my dad’s building. He owns it, so
technically
it’s not trespassing.” I lean over to kiss him.

“Geez, Tessa. Your dad’s building? Really?” He sighs loudly. “I just asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage and now I’m sneaking her off to do, grrr.” He stops.

“Do what?” I tease, bringing my lips close to his. “What are you gonna do to me?”

Tucker answers my question with his lips. He parts my mouth, his tongue slowly finding mine. The music in the car plays softly in the background and the heat from the vents fills the truck with extra warmth. My coat gets lowered over my shoulders and Tuckers reaches back to unzip my dress. I slide my arms out and let the fabric drop down to my waist. A few shaky breaths and the dress is completely off.

Tucker’s seen my body, just not all at once. His hands have been underneath my clothes. He’s lifted and lowered articles of clothing, but not once has it all been removed. All that’s left now is my bra. I unhook it and drop it down to the car floor with my dress. I feel vulnerable but the darkness helps, keeping me protected.

Tucker’s raspy breaths in the pitch dark come towards me. I hold my breath as his hand reaches up. His fingers press onto a button and the car fills with the dim overhead light in his truck. Immediately my hands cross protectively to cover my body. “Tucker,” I squeal.