Vindicated (23 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Butterflies filled my stomach as we went through the motions of our tiny “reception” after the ceremony.
 
The wedding cake Alex made was divine, as little of it as I actually ate.
 
Caroline was picked up by a worker at the rehab facility and Emily ran Sal home when it all started to be too much for her.
 
We changed afterward and went to some fancy restaurant.
 
Apparently my dad had a goal of running his account dry as he encouraged everyone to order more and more.
 

The entire day I kept stealing glances at Alex.
 
And I kept catching his eyes on me.
 
The heat behind them was enough to make my knees feel like melting butter.
 
His hand would brush against mine, I would feel his breath against my bare shoulder.
 
His fingers slipped beneath the lacy fabric of my dress at my back, his body positioned so that no one else could see.

The anticipation was going to kill me.

Eventually the good-byes were said, Alex and I loaded our bags into the GTO and made the two hour drive down to SeaTac airport, arriving just in time to catch our flight.
 
With all of the excitement of the day, all of the nerves I had felt, I slumped into Alex’s side and let sleep wash over me.
 

And finally, nineteen hours later, we parked at the house on the beach.

I opened the door of the rental car and stepped out into the brilliant morning light.
 
The bluest water I had ever seen lapped softly at the sand, light dancing off of the tiny granules.
 
Palm trees nearly swarmed the small house, two hammocks swinging lazily in the light breeze.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist, Alex’s chin resting on my shoulder.
 
Just his simple touch was enough to send my heart racing.

“What do you think of it?” he asked quietly.

“It’s perfect,” I couldn’t help but smiling, reaching up and placing my palm against his cheek.
 
“A week, just the two of us.”

“Just us,” Alex said suggestively, squeezing my midsection.
 

I bit my lower lips as the smile crept back onto my face.
 
Yet butterflies filled my stomach.

“Come on,” Alex said as he stepped away back toward the car.
 
“Let’s get our stuff inside.”

The house was small but it felt perfectly comfortable with its oversized chairs and couches, terra cotta tiling everywhere, indoor and outdoor showers, and massive all white bed in the master suite.

Another round of butterflies filled my stomach as we stashed our suitcases in the closet attached to the enormous bathroom.
 
We stood there for a moment, neither of us saying anything, just staring at our bags on the floor.

“Are you scared?” I asked finally.

“Terrified,” he said seriously.
 
And then he laughed.

I couldn’t help but chuckle with him.
 
“Why is this so scary now?” I shook my head.
 
“With as many close calls as we’ve had before it shouldn’t sound so terrifying.”

“Because we always knew before that we couldn’t ever actually do it,” Alex said as he slipped his hand into mine.
 
“Now we can.”

“Wow,” I breathed, looking up into Alex’s face finally.
 

“Wow,” he repeated, a smile cracking at the corner of his lips.

And then the awkward moment was broken by the sound of my stomach growling.
 

“Hungry are we?” Alex asked as he raised his eyebrow at me with a smirk.

“I’m never hungry,” I said.
 
I could feel my face blushing already.

Alex chuckled and led me out into the kitchen area.
 
“It’s the nerves,” he said as he opened the fridge we had just unloaded a few things into.
 
“If I still ate I would be hungry right now.”

“You were
always
hungry,” I chuckled as I sat at the small table and propped my sandaled feet up on the other chair.
 
I felt myself finally start to relax.

“What sounds good?” Alex asked, his head in the recently loaded fridge.

“You,” I teased, feeling my face blush all the more.
 
I was trying to think how Emily might talk in an awkward situation like this.

“I’m what’s for dessert,” Alex said as he pulled out the makings for a sandwich.

I chuckled, shaking my head at him.
 
“I could make that for myself you know.”

“I know,” he smiled as he spread the mayo.
 
“I just… miss cooking, so even with how little you eat anymore, it’s still some cooking.”

“I like when you cook for me too,” I said, smiling as I watched him.
 
“It’s sweet.”

He glanced up at me, his eyes lingering on my not quite human looking face for a moment.
 
I sensed a shift in his line of thought.
 
“So it’s true then,” he suddenly said, turning his focus back to the sandwich.
 
“You’re more… angel than human?”

I nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at me.
 
“That’s what Cole said.
 
I’m basically more dead than alive.
 
He said I was as close to death as I could come and not be dead.
 
I’ve felt, just… really disconnected from everyone normal lately.”

“Neither of us has been normal for a while now,” Alex said as he put the sandwich on a small plate and handed it to me.

I nodded and took a bite.
 
“I’ve never really been normal though I guess.”

Alex gave me a sad smile.
 
“Sometimes being unique is better than being normal.
 
It’s what brought us together.”

“What do you mean?” I asked him, furrowing my brow at him.

“Well, if you hadn’t have had your nightmares, you never would have run away from home.
 
If it wasn’t for them you never would have met Jason, he never would have broken up with you because he thought you were crazy, and you never would have fled to Washington, gotten the job from my grandparents.
 
And I never would have found you in the stairwell with a baseball bat.”

A small smile spread on my lips.
 
“I’ve never thought of it like that I guess.
 
That if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have met you.
 
Makes it all worth it.
 
All the hell I experienced.”

A few bites was all it took to fill my stomach.
 
I washed the plate, and together we headed out to one of the gigantic hammocks next to the water.
 
Folding myself into Alex’s side, I closed my eyes for a moment, just breathing in the warm air.

“Feel better now?” he said quietly into my ear.

“Yeah,” I said, hugging his chest.

“Are you tired?”

“Are you kidding?” I asked with a chuckle.
 
“I probably slept for five hours on the plane.”

Alex laughed.
 
“You were out.
 
I’ve never seen you sleep like the dead like that before.”

“I think I was just so relieved to get all that stuff of my chest that I finally just… relaxed.
 
So no,” I said.
 
“I’m not tired.”

“Good,” Alex whispered, tilting my face up to his.
 
His eyes smoldered as he looked into mine, and very slowly his lips met mine.

It felt like my blood surged with electricity as our lips connected.
 
They touched briefly at first, the anticipation of action enough to drive me into a furnace of heat.
 
Gradually, our lips moved in unison, my tongue sliding over his bottom lip, his hand coming to the back of my neck.
 
I smiled as I felt the cool surface of his wedding ring on the back of my brand.

Shifting his hands on me, Alex maneuvered me until I was straddling his waist.
 
Our lips never leaving each other, Alex’s hands slipped under the thin fabric of my tank top and slowly slid it up and over my head.
 
His eyes lingered briefly on the blue lacy bra I wore underneath, a million thoughts rushing through his body all at once.
 
I could see it in his eyes.

“I’ve wanted you so bad for so long, Jessica,” he whispered as his lips connected with my skin again, traveling to my throat.
 
At the same time, his hands slid down to my denim shorts.

“I’m all yours now,” I breathed as I closed my eyes.
 
“There’s nothing stopping us now.”

A light breeze picked up, rocking the hammock softly.
 
My hands slid under the fabric of Alex’s shirt and I let my hands run over the surface of his stomach and chest as I drew it up.
 
As it dropped to the sand below us, I couldn’t help but stare at the perfection that was Alex.

“I love you, Jessica Wright,” he said as my shorts were maneuvered off.

Everything inside of me surged at finally hearing the name and knowing it was actually mine.
 
“And I love you.
 
Forever”