Scars of the Present (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“I’m so nervous.” I wiped my sweaty palms down the side of my dress and let out the breath I’d been holding.

David’s hand grabbed mine softly, and he brought my knuckle to his lips. “Don’t be nervous, Tink. It’s going to be fine.”

We stood at the bottom of the stairs that led to my parent’s front door and I suddenly I was dreading dinner. I really wanted to believe that today’s dinner would be different than pretty much any dinner eaten here before, but I couldn’t. I was really worried that they would be rude or disrespectful to David and Claire, and I really couldn’t handle that.

“Can we go in, Sydney?” Claire said as she bounced on her toes. “I really want to swim.”

I nodded and walked up the stairs slowly, letting Claire push the button to ring the doorbell. Carol answered just seconds later, a huge smile on her face.

“Hello baby girl.” She pulled me into a tight hug that surprised me since I knew my mother was home, and when she released me she beamed at my companions. “You must be David.”

David nodded and shook her hand gently. “Yes ma’am, I’m David Bradley and this is my daughter, Claire.”

Carol bent over and gave Claire a smile. “Hi Ms. Claire. My name is Carol.”

Claire smiled back shyly and tucked her head into my side. “Hi.”

Carol straightened up and gestured for us to follow her. “Your parents are on the patio.”

We walked through the house and David’s eyebrows were raised as he took in the elegant house.

“This is so… ostentatious,” he whispered near my ear, and I let out a small giggle at the reminder of the first time he’d dropped me off at my car.

I walked through the back door and found my parents sitting at the patio table, both of them talking quietly. When my dad caught sight of us, he stood with a broad smile on his face.

“Hello, please make yourselves at home.” Dad opened his arms as I moved towards him and wrapped them around me in a tight hug. “Sydney.”

“Hi daddy,” I whispered quietly before hugging him back. When we pulled back I smiled at David. “I don’t believe you have ever officially met, but this is David Bradley and his daughter, Claire. These are my parents Harold and Diane Lewis.”

David reached his hand out and met dad’s in an earnest handshake. “Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Harold, please. And it’s good to meet you, too.” As mom stood my father turned and gently pulled her to his side.

She smiled and accepted David’s handshake too, although I didn’t miss how David’s face hardened slightly upon her approach. “And please call me Diane.”

Mom crouched in front of Claire and stretched her arm out for her. “Hello Claire. You are prettier than Sydney described. I’m Dee.”

Claire accepted the handshake with a shy nod and I saw her gaze flicker towards the pool. “Daddy and Sydney said I could go swimming.”

Both mom and dad laughed as mom bobbed her head. “Oh yes. Whenever you’d like.”

Claire looked up at her dad, who nodded once, and she peeled her clothes off to reveal an adorable pink bathing suit underneath. The white polka dots and ruffles made her about as cute as could be. She walked as fast as she could and maneuvered onto the stairs until the water was up to her middle, letting out a surprised squeal as she did.

The four of us watched her with smiles on our faces, and eventually I sat in the chair across from my mom as David fell into the one next to me. When I sat, my dress pulled up a little and David’s hand fell onto my bare thigh without a second thought. I didn’t miss my mother’s eyes following the hand and I waited for the trademark scowl. Instead, a small smile teased at her lips. Her eyes moved to meet mine and a full smile bloomed across her face. I didn’t return it- the shock of the small encounter had left me stunned.

“She’s lovely, David,” My father commented, inclining his head towards Claire.

David nodded in agreement and tore his eyes from his daughter to meet my father’s. “She lights up a room, that’s for sure.”

Claire continued to splash in the water while she played with a few of the pools toys we had brought with her and silence loomed over us for a few minutes. The silence wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t awkward either. I felt unsure of what to say to my parents for the first time in my life. I had never been one to censor what I felt and it was something that had driven them crazy from the start. The new attitude they had both taken on left me feeling like I was amongst strangers.

It was mom who finally decided to make conversation as she gave David a smile.

“How are you feeling David?”

“Almost one hundred percent,” He replied and I watched as his free hand absentminded rubbed his chest where the scar hid under his shirt. “I’ve been back to regular duty at work for about a week and it really feels great to be back.”

Dad nodded as David talked. “We read in the papers that you met with the clerk from the store. That was nice of you.”

I grinned proudly and glanced up at David. “She really wanted to thank him in person. But don’t you dare call him a hero. He hates that.”

“I’m not.” David said with a shrug and he glanced over at Claire. “I just did my job.”

Mom was still looking at David, a calculating expression on her face. After a moment, she smiled. “Did you convince her to move it yet?”

David let out a laugh and shook his head as he met my mother’s eyes. “She’s pretty tenacious and set in her ways. I’ll get her in eventually.”

I shook my head and looked at my mom. “Now I won’t just off principle.”

“We don’t like you being alone in the apartment, Sydney,” Dad said quietly. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the thought of them being concerned. If they had only known how I lived my life in the past, they would realize that sleeping in an apartment alone was child’s play.

“I haven’t slept at the apartment since the shooting, daddy,” I replied quietly. “You don’t need to worry. Besides, I have a stun gun if necessary.”

David rolled his eyes and Claire called my named from the pool. I excused myself from the table and bent down to where she was grinning at me.

“Wanna get in?” She gave me an adorable look that had me nodding my head. I peeled my shirt off and dropped my shorts, revealing the most modest bikini I had. I glanced back at David and he was running his eyes and down my body slowly, and I just shot him a smile.

Claire and I played in the water for a little bit while David talked to my parents. Eventually we all ate, and once Claire’s eyes started getting droopy we decided to leave.

Mom and dad hugged everyone, but both of them lingered on me for a bit. Mom kissed my forehead quickly and pulled back to smile.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered quietly and hugged me again.

“Thank mom,” I said as I stepped back so I could walk to the car where David and Claire were already waiting. We waved to my parents as David pulled out of the driveway and he sighed.

“Hating your mom is going to be hard, Tink.” He glanced over at me and I raised my brows in question. “She loves you fiercely and has pretty much won me over.

I laughed and shook my head. “You’re such a softy.”

David looked back into the mirror and I turned to see what he was glancing out. Claire had passed out in her seat and David reached over to grab my hand.

“Softy? Me? Hardly. Especially when you’re walking around in a fucking bikini. I felt like such a pervert in front of your parents. I’d say get a one-piece, but even that would be too much.” He brought my hand to his lips and let them linger against my skin for a moment.

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. “I hardly think it’s fair that I was in my bathing suit yet you remained fully clothed.”

“Hey, I can fix that when we get home.” David paused for a moment. “Well, later. San Francisco is playing New England and I want to watch.” His eyes gleamed mischievously and I rolled my eyes.

“Great. Let’s go home and watch them choke.”

His chuckle filled the car. “That’s my girl.”

Epilogue

“You look so gorgeous,” I blinked rapidly and shook my head. “Damn it, I’m going to ruin my make-up.”

Maddie stood in her wedding dress and flashed me a tearful smile. “Don’t you start because then I’ll start.” Her hair was curled and pulled up into a very delicate up-do, and she looked elegant in her soft, satin gown, and I knew Josh would go crazy when he saw her bare back. I helped Amanda add the veil to the back of her head and stepped back to observe.

“Damn it,” I dabbed my eye with a tissue and moved back to check my make-up. “Someone tell a funny story or something.

“I caught Claire sneaking chocolate candies into her basket and tucking them under her petals,” Amanda offered up, a big smile on her face. “She looked so guilty when I found her, it was so damn cute.”

I let out a soft laugh and shook my head. “She had the biggest sweet-tooth.”

I stepped into the heels that had been picked out for our dresses and gave myself a once over in the mirror. My hair was straight, now almost falling to my chin, and I was trying to decide if I was going to cut it again. I hadn’t had shoulder length hair in years and I wasn’t sure I missed it. I adjusted the earrings David had given me to celebrate one year since that night in the bar, something that had made me laugh, but the gorgeous diamonds complemented my dress well.

I had helped Amanda achieve a gorgeous up-do and the purple dress mixed well with her fiery locks. I couldn’t help but notice she looked exhausted though, and when she caught me scrutinizing her she gave me a smile.

Linda walked through the doors in a dress that was similar in color to ours and she had a cute little Claire walking by her side. Claire was wearing a white dress with a pale yellow bow, and her hair was pulled back by a flowery headband.

Claire ran to me and Linda smiled at the four of us. “Oh, my girls. You all look fantastic.” She stopped at Maddie and placed a tender kiss on her cheek before wiping her face. “The limo is here. Are you all ready?”

We followed Linda out to where a limo was waiting to take us to the beach, and when we got in Matt, Sean, and Ben were already waiting for us.

They were all wearing the same black tux with pale yellow vest and ties. Matt’s hair had grown out considerably over the past year, and it had the same wavy way about it that Maddie’s did. The yellow went with Sean’s dark complexion well, and he gave me a lopsided smile as I checked him out. Ben grinned at the three of us, and he adjusted his glasses on his face. Ben was about as tall as Josh, and he looked nothing like him except for the hair color. Instead of the curls Josh had, Ben had a shaggy hairstyle that reminded me of Justin Bieber. I had only met him a few days before, but he was the biggest sweetheart ever and adored Maddie to pieces.

“Wow,” Matt said as we all climbed in. “You all look amazing.” He gazed at his baby sister with an affectionate look on his face, but when his eyes moved to Amanda I saw a hunger in there that made me feel hot just witnessing it.

I sat next to Sean, pulling Claire in beside me, and he squeezed my hand. “You look fantastic, Syd.” He fixed his gaze on Claire and beamed at her. “Claire, you look like a princess.”

She smiled shyly as everyone turned and complimented her and she hid her face in my dress. “Thank you, Uncle Sean,” she said with her voice muffled.

“Is Kayla here?” I asked Sean as the limo drove us to the beach that Maddie and Josh had chosen for their ceremony.

He shook his head and tugged slightly on his tie. “She couldn’t make it because of work.”

Sean had started dating Kayla not too soon after David had been hurt, and I really liked her. It made me grin whenever I saw the happy smile on his face as he talked about her.

The limo came to a stop, and when I stepped out I reveled in the feeling of the California sun washing over me. We moved to the end of the path where we were tucked to the side just out of sight of the guests. Claire tugged on my skirt and when I looked down she had a terrified expression on her face.

I crouched in front of her and gave her a serious look. “What’s wrong, cupcake?”

“What if I mess up?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I shook my head and let my lips turn up into a smile. “Sweetie, you are so adorable that you could just run down that aisle and everyone would love you. But, you won’t mess up- I know you won’t. You just walk down that aisle and spread the petals around. I’ll meet you at the end, okay?”

She nodded, still looking unsure and I adjusted her bow. “Uncle Josh is at the end waiting for you. Just look at him if as you walk if you feel nervous, okay?”

“Okay.”

The music started as I pulled her to me, giving her a kiss. “I love you, Claire.”

She grinned at me. “I love you too, Sydney.”

I gave her a quick tickle and a giggle escaped her lips as she squirmed away from me. I watched as she took a deep breath, straightened her back, and started moving down the aisle as if she was born to do so.

Once she had disappeared I moved back to where Sean was standing with a smile on his lips. We watched as Amanda and Ben began their walk, a bit slower than Claire as Ben leaned on his cane, and I turned to look as Sean offered his arm out to me.

“Ready, Syd?”

I ignored his arm and instead reached over to straighten his tie. I gave it a satisfied nod before gripping his upper arm lightly. “Now I am.”

We started down the aisle after Ben and Amanda were out of sight and as we turned the corner I knew the view had to be spectacular. My eyes didn’t take in the view though, instead they glanced amongst the many guests sitting in white chairs until they found him.

David was looking back at me, a look of affection on his face. As we got closer, I could see his eyes roam up and down my body and his gaze turned hungry. Our eyes remained locked as Sean and I passed him, and my body flushed as I resisted the urge to squirm.

I barely made it through the ceremony and had to avoid my boyfriend’s eyes the entire time. After the wedding party made it to where the reception was being held, I walked in the door with Claire’s hand clasped in mine. I searched the room for David and pursed my lips when I couldn’t find him. Claire and I walked to the table we would be sitting at when Linda stepped in front of me with a smile.

“Do you want me to take Claire and get her some food, Sydney?”

I nodded and looked down at Claire. “Want to go with Grandma?”

I barely had the words out of my mouth before Claire dropped my hand and moved towards Linda excitedly. Those two had bonded so fiercely that I couldn’t help but smile as they walked towards where the food was. Claire was bouncing up and down as she chatted excitedly and I shook my head with a laugh.

I turned and started my searched for David again before my eyes finally collided with his. He leaned up against the wall near a side door, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at me. When I didn’t move, he tipped his head toward the door and my feet began walking in that direction automatically. He disappeared through it once I was five feet away and I followed him without a second thought.

I was in the hall for less than five seconds before strong arms wrapped around me and soft lips pushed against mine urgently. I savored the taste of David and almost whimpered when he pulled his mouth from mine.

“Josh and Maddie will be taking pictures for another thirty minutes, and seeing you in this dress is almost too much for me.” David all but growled as his arms tightened around me. “I want to take you upstairs.”

I shook my head and pushed my body into his before grabbing his hands and walking down the empty hallway. I found a doorway labeled ‘Laundry’ and shoved it open as we moved inside. David stopped to lock the door behind us and I glanced around at the collection of machines. There was probably about twenty in all, but the room was empty otherwise.

David tangled his arms back around me and our frantic kissing resumed, filling the room with our noises. My hands moved to the belt buckle of his dress pants and David abruptly turned me so I was facing a washing machine.

“Brace yourself against it, Tink,” he demanded quietly.

I did as he said and my palms pressed against the cool metal as I leaned forward slightly. I listened as his belt clinked and the unmistakable sound of his zipper echoed through the room. I writhed in anticipation and his rough chuckle sounded behind me. I felt his lips at my ear, grazing against my lobe softly as he ran a hand up my spine over my dress.

“I wanted to grab you from that aisle and throw you over my shoulder, Syd.” He pulled my dress up until it was bunched around my waist, and his palms gently caressed the bare skin that wasn’t covered by my lacey panties.

“I know,” I breathed as I arched my back to press myself into his hands even more. I glanced over my shoulder so I could see him. “I had to look anywhere but at you. You make me feel like my body is on fire, David.”

He hooked his fingers in the elastic and dragged the lace down, gently lifting each foot and tucking it into his suit pocket. He tugged at his own pants and underwear before wrapping his hands around my thighs and widening my stance slightly.

“Hold on, short stuff.” His hands lifted me from behind so my feet were off the floor, lining us up perfectly.

“I love you,” he whispered as he pushed himself inside of me slowly. “I love you so much.”

I gasped and only nodded in response, unable to find my voice. David’s trusts were painfully slow and I let out a soft moan as his lips found my neck. He sucked in time with his movements, giving my sensitive skin tiny nips as we went.

David knew my body better than I did and it wasn’t long until I felt it start to tremble with pleasure as I threw my head back. David captured my lips as he groaned in fullfillment and stopped his motions. We didn’t move for a moment, both of us breathing heavily, and finally David stepped backwards. He let my feet down and walked towards the sink. He grabbed some paper towels and cleaned me up before doing the same to himself. He pulled the skirt of my dress down before attempting to tuck his dress shirt back into his pants. After a moment of fussing with it, I helped him until he looked perfect. He grabbed my hand in his and started to tug me towards the door, but I stopped him.

“David. My panties.” I looked at him expectantly and he smiled.

“You don’t need them, Tink.” David winked as he turned the lock and pulled the door open.

I just gaped at him as he gently towed me through the open space. As we made it back out to the hallway, I noticed a lady staring at us with a scandalized expression on her face and I felt my cheeks flush. As we neared the door to where the reception was, I stopped him and attempted to reach into his pocket.

David’s hand stopped mine and he shook his head. “You better sit like a lady tonight, Syd.” He smirked as he moved us through the door towards where Claire and Linda were, effectively ending the conversation.

Maddie and Josh showed up not too long after we’d entered the reception hall, and we spent the evening celebrating our friends. Claire made it almost three hours before she passed out in her father’s arms. Sarah took her from him and up to her room for the night since Randy couldn’t come.

After Claire was gone, David pulled me to the dance floor and cradled me in his arms like I was something precious that could potentially be broken. He seemed to forget that before he came along, I was broken. David was the one who put me back together and showed me that I was worthy of more than I had ever thought. I was worthy of being loved. As we danced to a slow melody about adoration, I cuddled deeper into his arms and decided that I wouldn’t change anything because living in the present was beyond my dreams.