Labeled Love (49 page)

When we get to the courthouse, I see Beau walking up to us. His head is hung low. He’s trying to not draw attention to himself. “You didn’t have to come,” I tell him softly as he pulls me in for a hug.

“Of course, I’m going to be here for you and Jace,” he says. I muster up my best smile. Jules looks over to Beau. “That’s really sweet, Beau,” she says. He smirks, not in a mean way, but I could tell it was a struggle to smile.

We all gather together and walk side by side into the courthouse. Right away, I feel nauseous. It smells cold, musky, and uncaring, as the door swings open. I have on the sundress I wore the day Jace asked me to marry him. I can’t wait to see him. I want to hold him desperately. Everyone is ushered inside in an assembly-line fashion. They check my mom’s handbag while they pat down the rest of us, like we have a weapon on us. Jules nudges me forward as my parents stay back. As I turn, Beau puts his arm around me, and we walk down the cold corridor into the room we were told to enter. When Beau opens the door for us, a rush of cold air hits me.

“It’s cold in here,” I tell him.

“It’s not cold in here, Shay.” My lips start to chatter as Beau guides me to the front row. Draping his arm behind me while whispering into my ear, he says, “You’re just nervous.”

Jules sits on the other side of me, and my parents sit behind us. I look up into my brother’s eyes. “I’m scared, Beau.” He leans down and kisses my temple.

The room slowly fills up. My dad says something quietly to my mom, so I turn back toward them. I see my father look over to the other side of the room. Turning my head, I see Cole’s parents sit down. Mr. Porter looks at me, and I look away quickly. My hands start sweating, so I rub them up and down my thighs. “When is this going to start? Where is Jace?”

Jules grabs my hand as the judge takes his place. I look down, saying a silent prayer for everything to work out, for Jace to be set free and walk out that door with me. When I look up, he walks into the room. My heart picks up at a rapid pace. I can’t breathe. He glances at the back of the room. Turning around, I see Landon sitting in the back, giving me a weak smile. I turn my head back around to Jace. My heart is pounding out of my chest, and my eyes fill with tears. “Jace,” I say weakly. He just looks at me, pained. Tears are flooding my eyes, and I wipe them away as fast as they drop, so I can see him. “I love you,” I say through trembling lips. He doesn’t say a word, just bites down on his lip. “Jace?”

Beau puts his hand on my knee with a little force, causing me to look up at him. “He can’t talk to you, Shay.”

I don’t take my eyes off Jace when I ask my brother, “Why? Why can’t he talk to me?”

“He just can’t.”

A sob escapes me. I can’t help it. He sits directly in front of me, with only an empty row separating us. I’m so close to my boy, and I can’t talk to him. I can see the rise and fall of his shoulders, and he flinches every time he hears me sob. As he turns his head slowly over his shoulder, I see the gash on his head where the officer threw him down. It’s already scarring. “I love you,” he mouths. It’s so weak I can barely make out his words, but my heart heard them loud and clear.

“Shay, you have to be quiet, baby, or they will ask you to leave,” Mom says, putting her hand on my shoulder as I sob freely.

“I’m trying.” I gasp, putting my hand over my mouth.

Everything happens in slow motion. Flashes of memories hit me at once.

“Do you know how to play football?”

“My name is Jace.”

“Be my girl.”

“Do you know how much I love you, Shay?”

“Let’s get wet, baby!”

“I’m going to make love to you, pretty girl.”

“One day I’m going to give you this.”

“Marry me, baby.”

The judge’s low, deep voice interrupts my thoughts. “We find Jace James guilty of aggravated assault. You will serve two years in state prison effectively immediately.”

Standing up, I yell, “No!” As I rush from the long-seated bench, Beau grabs my arm, and Jace turns around. Our eyes meet. The words come out in a rush. “Do you remember the day we first met?”

He looks at me in defeat. “I remember, baby,” he says quietly.

“Then you know that we are meant to be together forever. I will be waiting, just like I did every week to see you when we were kids. It will be just like when we were kids. Once a week… We will see each other once a week!”

He just stares at me through glossy eyes.

“Miss, you need to stay behind this line,” the guard warns.

“Please,” I beg him, “I just want to hold him!” I cry. “Let me hold him! He doesn’t deserve this!”

“Shay?” my dad says from behind me. The guard puts his arm out in front of me, stopping me so I can’t go any further.

“No, you can’t come past this point,” the guard says rudely. I feel Beau at my side, and my dad comes up along the other side of me.

“Shay?” Jace says in a whisper. “You can’t, baby.”

I stop.

Everyone falls away. Dark blue meets pale blue. No one else matters.

“Do you love me?” I ask him quietly as the guard starts leading him away.

Looking down, he answers, “More than anything.” He’s escorted to the side door.

“Dad! Do something!”

Turning around as he’s led through the door, Jace speaks his last words to me, “Don’t cry, baby.” Then the boy I fell in love with when I was twelve years old is gone.

Two years…

I CAN’T BREATHE.
I think I’m going to pass out. I feel the guard taking me by the arm to a holding cell
.

Her face.

Shay is all I see the entire way down the cold hallway. Ripped jeans, pink tank top, dirty Converse, big blue eyes, and soft, dark, wavy hair.

“My name’s Shay.”

“Do you think I can’t play because I’m a girl?”

“You can count on me, Jace.”

“You can share my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

“You have all of my heart.”

“Can I try something?”

“Be my Valentine.”

“I love you, Jace.”

“Give me your lips, baby.”

“Let’s make music together, baby.”

“Yes, I will marry you.”

“I’m having a hard time breathing,” I tell the guard.

“You’re fine, trust me,” he says evenly, shutting me inside the cell. The cold metal bars close me in.

I can’t stand up. Dropping to my knees, I put my hands over my ears, hearing the voice that means everything to me. I hear her. Her voice is everywhere. I can’t escape it. Visions of her are blinding me. Her dad and brother are holding her back from trying to get to me. She’s wearing that pretty pink dress, the same one she was wearing the day I asked her to marry me. I see it spill around us while we make love. My eyes still.

As I look around the cell, my fate encases me. The metal bars are closing in on me with the vibration of her voice against them.

Scared and desperate, she screamed,
“Let me hold him!”
and
“It will be just like when we were kids. Once a week… We will see each other once a week!”

Pushing on my ears as hard as I can, I let the tears finally spill from my eyes for the first time since this fucked-up mess happened. “Please, stop, baby. Please, don’t be scared.” I lean my back against the cold wall and close my eyes.

“You’re everything to me, baby.”

“Please, stop crying, baby.”

I put my head between my legs as the tears fall endlessly while I picture the girl I fell in love with when I was thirteen years old. I don’t know how I’m going to survive being away from her for two years.

Two years...

The End

This was the beginning of our love story…

I want to start with saying, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the readers for taking a chance on a brand new author and reading my story. This has been the most incredible journey I have ever taken on a personal level in my life. For those of you that know me personally you know this is quite an accomplishment for little old me. I have so many stories to tell and Labeled Love is only the beginning, and will always hold a special place in my heart. You never forget your first, right? My heart is full for the people in my life that have made this experience possible.

First and foremost

Shannon Diaz, Pernille Pedersen, Terry Thomas

and my Rockstar editor Paige Maroney Smith

I could not have achieved this journey writing Labeled Love without you.

You have showed me the absolute definition of friendship, love and patience throughout this process. Writing a book was something that just came to me one night after my daughter Danni had a dramatic teenage moment. That moment sparked a story that without the help of the ladies mentioned would not have been achieved.

Shannon, our friendship spans many years from the time we were teenagers. We started this crazy book world together as reading buddies. You have been the best cheerleader ever. I could send you a quick text anytime day or night and you would give me the biggest ego boost ever with your reaction. You have cheered me on through every single moment and I love you.

Pernille and Terry my beta readers, I can’t tell you how instrumental your guidance has been writing Labeled Love. I love you both and appreciate everything you do for me. The list is way to long. Like, WAY TO LONG!

Just know that I could never have completed this story without your help.

My editor Paige Maroney Smith, you saw the tears you brought to my face when I read Labeled Love after our final edits. Shay is Jace’s light, and you are mine.

I’m completely in awe of how you made Jace and Shay’s story shine. You are a Rock star. I count my lucky stars to have found you as my editor; you are the sweetest southern girl ever. And, when I hear your voice it totally reminds me of what Shay’s would sound like. Not the cute accent, because Shay is a California girl. But, your soft sweet voice is just so cute and perfectly Shay.

Hang Le, my cover designer, thank you for giving Labeled Love a movie worthy cover. You captured exactly what the story is about and I’m so grateful.

I have so many book friends along the way that have been so helpful and encouraging.

Author Mary Elizabeth, I will always be in awe of your writing, and thankful to have you as a genuine friend in this crazy book world. You inspire me.

To My favorite book club ever, Fiction N Friends, the girls that I sit in my backyard or on my bed like a virtual slumber party night after night, chatting about our fav books. Stacy Mascaro, if it wasn’t for you I would have never picked up my first book and found out that you could have a fictional boyfriend. Cynthia Heisner, Teri Beth Cameron, Nicole Page-Tant, Pernille Pedersen, Jennifer Norris, Sunny Boatright, Amy Jennings, Tina Siders, Shannon Diaz. You are the originals and I love you girls. I have the best book friends and can’t possibly name them all, just know that I’m so grateful to all of you for believing in me and chatting it up with me over books.

To all the book blogs that have taken the time to read and review Labeled Love, I thank you so very much for your time. Truly it means the world to me.

To my mom, you always said I was dramatic and could tell a story. Well, I did it. I told a story. I hope dad is looking down and is proud.

Once again, to my family that I love more then anything in the world, thank you for sharing mommy. This has been an adjustment for you all, your patience and love is something I will cherish. You are everything to me.