Summer Seventeen & You, page 22
He tightened his hold on me a little bit. “It will be. It has to be.”
“Sleep, Baby.” I kissed his arm and closed my eyes.
He moved so that I was lying next to him. He still held me close, but his breathing slowly evened out, and his muscles gradually began to relax. For the first time in days, he was finally getting some sleep.
When I woke up, Elliot was gone. The smell of food made my stomach growl. There was a soft knock on the door. Quinn, Mrs. Margaret, and Aunt Millie came into the room.
“We’re here to help you start getting ready. Elliot has left us with strict instructions that you aren’t to do much. Just let us pamper you,” Aunt Millie said with a smile.
“Brink is making breakfast. He’ll bring it to you once it’s finished,” Mrs. Margaret said with a bright smile. “Why don’t you help her get ready, Quinn? We’ll go help Brink out.”
“I’m getting married,” I said with a sleepy yawn.
Quinn smiled. “Yes, you are.”
I sat up and smiled at everyone in the room. “I’m getting married today!” I said with more excitement as I became more awake. I rubbed my stomach when Millie kicked. Everyone laughed.
Mrs. Margaret left the room, and Aunt Millie smiled at me. “Elliot was kicked out of the house and is at Zach’s getting ready. I had to literally shove him out to get him to leave you.”
I laughed. “So, do I get to help with the backyard?”
She shook her head. “It’s already finished. I guess Elliot did it. Everything was set up and ready, exactly like you said you wanted it when we got here.”
“Of course, it was.” I smiled and laid back in bed. I squealed. “I’m getting married today!”
Aunt Millie laughed and left me alone with Quinn.
“First, we get to be lazy. Then we eat. And then... We get you ready!”
I looked at Quinn. “Let’s watch our favorite movie.”
“Sweet Home Alabama!”
I laughed, nodded, and sat up to grab the remote.
I LOOKED AT myself in the mirror. Quinn put a few daisies in my hair and smiled. “You look great,” I said as I looked at her. “I’m glad you chose the yellow dress. It’s perfect.”
She laughed. “I’m supposed to be telling you that you look great. And you do. My best friend is gorgeous.” She hugged me and the door opened.
Margaret and Aunt Millie walked in. I looked out the window and saw the sun was setting. It was almost time.
“Are Zach and Wyatt meeting me in here?” I asked while Quinn helped me put my necklace on.
“Yes, we are,” Zach said with a smile as he and Wyatt came in.
I smiled at them both.
Zach stared at me and his smile grew. “You look gorgeous, Kiddo.”
“Yeah?” I scrunched my nose.
“Yes. Elliot is going to love it.”
I smiled again.
Quinn grabbed her flowers and mine and looked at me. “Ready?”
I nodded. “So ready!”
Zach and Wyatt held out their arms for me.
I whistled at them. “You two clean up nice.”
They both laughed. As we came outside, Elliot was talking to the minister. When the music started, his eyes found mine and his face lit up.
I smiled so big.
Tears filled his eyes as I came closer and closer to him. When I reached him, he held his hand out to me. When I took it, he pulled me close and kissed me.
“It’s not time for that yet, son’” the minister said with a chuckle.
Elliot chuckled too and winked at me.
Brink brought a chair over for me, and I sat down. I stared up at Elliot. He looked so amazing in his suit and tie. I loved the way the tiny lanterns that hung from the large oak tree lit up his eyes. I couldn’t stop smiling.
The minister started, but I heard nothing he said because I was too focused on Elliot and our future together. We said our vows, exchanged rings, and finally we kissed and were officially each other’s.
I held Elliot’s arm as we walked to our table after pictures. There were three picnic tables set up for our small group of friends and family. Brink had worked all day on cooking, and everything looked amazing.
I smiled up at my aunt and uncle when they came over to Elliot and me.
Aunt Michelle hugged me and Elliot. “I will be honest. I thought you two were crazy, but now, seeing the two of you together, I think you have what most people never will. I’m sorry your parents aren’t here, Samantha.”
My Uncle Tom kissed my cheek. “Congratulations. We are happy for the both of you and wish you all the best.”
I turned to look at Quinn when she stepped up on the deck that was set up with instruments I hadn’t noticed before.
Everyone fell silent and turned their attention to her.
“I have a toast and then a very special surprise for my best friend in the entire universe.”
She tapped the mic to make sure it was on and smiled at me.
Brink whistled, and we all laughed. She winked at him and then looked at me again.
“Her name is Samantha, most of you call her Sam, but only the coolest of people get to call her Sam-bam, which is only one person, and that’s me. After she stole Elliot from me,” she laughed as we all did and continued, “I watched those two fall in love, even though Sam was completely stubborn and almost gave him up. Elliot has been there for her in ways that not even I could be. He has been her biggest fan, a supporter even when we all want to yell at her, and loves her so deeply that it literally can be felt by all those who are around him when he’s with her. It’s tangible. It’s insane and completely perfect, and I couldn’t be happier for the two of them. Sam-bam, I love you more than anything. Elliot, thank you for loving my stubborn-as-hell bestie. Congrats to you both.”
Elliot wiped my tears and kissed me. We looked at Quinn again when she started talking again. “Sam has been obsessed with this song called, ‘One Call Away,’ ever since she found it on Elliot’s phone in a playlist that he labeled ‘Sam.’ So, with the help of my ridiculously sexy boyfriend and his amazing parents, we got the song’s original artist, Charlie Puth here to sing it for your first dance as husband and wife.”
My mouth fell open.
I watched as Charlie himself came out of my house and a band followed.
I looked at Elliot. “Did you know about this?”
He shook his head and laughed. “No, I didn’t.” He stood up and offered me his hand.
I took it and as Charlie started singing, and we danced under the stars and the lights strung in the trees. I cried the happiest tears I had ever cried as I stared in Elliot’s eyes.
He smiled at me and then leaned down and kissed me. “I love you, Trouble,” he whispered against my lips.
“I love you, too.”
When the song ended, Elliot picked me up. He kissed my nose and carried me back over to my chair. He knelt in front of me and touched my belly as Millie kicked.
As the night came to an end, we all lit lanterns and let them go flying into the sky. The night was completely perfect, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, after everyone left, Elliot laid a blanket out in the grass, so we could stare up at the stars.
I turned to look at him. “Can we keep the lights in the trees forever?”
He kissed my head. “Yes.” He kissed my nose and smiled. “And when they burn, out I’ll hang more.”
I closed my eyes. “Today was perfect.” I yawned and snuggled close to him. He draped his suit jacket over me and wrapped me in his arms.
“Yes, it was.”
He kissed my cheek. “You look so beautiful, My Love.” He propped himself up to look at me. He played with a curl that hung loose near my ear. “You’re so perfect. How did I ever get so lucky to be able to call you mine?”
“You just looked so hot cleaning my pool that I had to let you steal my heart.”
He laughed. “Then I’m glad I decided to work.” He rubbed his nose against mine, then laid back down and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m sorry I can’t give you everything tonight, Elliot. But, I promise to make it worth your wait.” I smiled sadly.
He ran his hand down my cheek. “Trouble, if I could never have sex with you, I would still be the happiest, luckiest man on the planet. I love you to the moon and so much farther. I don’t need sex for this night to be perfect. I just need you here in my arms.”
“Sometimes I wonder if your real.”
“Would you change me if you could?” he asked as he played with my hair and slowly worked the pins out of it.
“No way. Why would you ask that?”
He smiled. “Just wondering.” He kissed me, then finished with the pins. Once he was finished, he played with my hair as I laid my head on his arm.
“Think we’ll get eaten by mosquitoes if we sleep out here tonight?”
“Probably.” He kissed my head. “Plus, this probably isn’t good for your back.”
“Will you go get my phone for me before we go inside?”
He nodded. It didn’t take him long, and he was coming back outside. He laid back down and handed me my phone.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he started playing with my hair again.
I went to my camera and switched it to video. I moved the phone until Elliot and I were both on the screen.
“Millie, guess what? Your daddy and I got married! I’m only seventeen, and if you’re seventeen when you decide to get married, you better make sure daddy, uncle Brink, and Uncle Zach approve. If they don’t, listen. They are the three men in your life that will have your back when no one else does.” I looked at Elliot as I kept the video recording. “I love your daddy so much, and if you’re watching this,” I looked directly at the camera, “know that I’m watching over the both of you, and wish I was there to watch you grow.”
Elliot kissed my head, and I felt a tear fall onto my head.
“I hope...” I stopped when it became hard to talk as tears started to pour. “Millie, please don’t ever be mad at mommy for choosing you over herself. You deserve life. You will be the luckiest little girl in the entire universe to share this life with your daddy. I love you.”
I stopped the video and set the phone down as I cried.
“Elliot...I just have this awful feeling that something is going to happen to me. Have you ever had that gut feeling and just knew?” I had to be honest with him. I had to stop pretending like I thought I was going to be fine.
Elliot held me close to him. “The night my parents died,” he answered honestly.
His voice was raw with emotion.
“I don’t want to leave you.”
His hand was wrapped in my hair, and he was holding me close. “I don’t want you to leave me either. I don’t know...” He stopped talking as his voice broke. “I don’t know if I could handle losing you.”
I cried hard against his chest. “I’m so scared,” I admitted.
He rubbed my back gently. “Me too, Trouble. Me too.” he whispered as he cried with me.
“Don’t hate me if I die.”
He took a deep breath, then tilted my chin up, so I had to look at him. “I could never hate you. Ever.” He put his forehead to mine. “I will always love you, Trouble.”
I kissed him though both of our faces soaked with tears. I loved him so much, and it just wasn’t fair. He deserved to keep me because I loved him more than anyone ever could, and he deserved that happiness more than anyone on this earth. I felt so selfish by continuing the pregnancy when I could have ended it and stayed here with him.
But, the doctor was hopeful with the planned C-section. I needed to stop worrying and just trust that it would all be okay.
It would all be okay.
It had to be.
Twenty-five weeks and things were going smoothly. I had just left the doctor, and he had decided to take her next week because he didn’t like how things looked on the ultrasound. One more week. That’s all we had to accomplish before Millie was here and all of this worry and anticipation could be over.
I looked at Elliot and smiled. “It’s almost over, Baby. We’re so close.”
Elliot squeezed my hand. “Mrs. Margaret and Mr. Brandon flew in. They have the papers we need to sign.” Elliot’s eyes had permanent bags right now. He wasn’t sleeping at all.
“Logan is going to hate me.” I chewed on my lip nervously.
Elliot ran his thumb over my knuckles. “You know how I feel about him, but I will support you whatever you decide.” He ran his thumb over my wedding ring and smiled a little.
I nodded my head. “I’m sure this is the right decision. Maybe one day he will grow up and I, or you, can give him another chance. But he will really have to prove himself.” I smiled at Elliot. “I just don’t like people being mad at me.”
“I’m sure he’ll be madder at me then you once he finds out you married me,” he teased as we pulled into our driveway.
“I still can’t believe that hasn’t gotten around town yet.”
He yawned, then opened my door and got me out. “It will. This is Stockbridge, Georgia. I’m sure everyone already knows. We just haven’t been anywhere to hear about it.”
I kissed him. “So, how heavy am I? Don’t lie.”
He laughed. “You’re not heavy, Trouble.”
Brink opened the door for us with a smile. “I cooked dinner and cleaned up.”
Elliot laughed. “You’re going to make a great stay at home husband one day.” Brink laughed too as Elliot put me down on the couch. Elliot propped my feet up and put pillows behind my back. “And thanks, Brink, but I would have done it.”
“You look like the walking dead. You should be resting with Sam.”
I nodded. “He’s right, Elliot.”
Elliot rolled his eyes and sat on the couch. He picked up my feet and put them in his lap. He closed his eyes as he laid his head back. “Happy?” He muttered.
“A little, but I’ll be happier if you fall asleep.” I ran my fingers through his hair. That always helped him relax.
Brink smiled. “Mom and dad will be over with Quinn soon. They want you to sign papers; plus, they said they had some stuff for Millie.” His eyebrows scrunched. “And something for me. That makes me kind of nervous.” He shrugged. “I’m going to go clean up the dishes.” He winked at me and pointed to Elliot. Elliot was sound asleep.
I smiled. “Hey, Brink?”
He stopped and looked at me. “Yeah, Little Momma?”
“Thanks for everything.” I continued running my fingers through Elliot’s hair. “Did your parents write up the will and everything like we talked about?”
He walked over and sat next to me in the recliner. “Yes.” He looked at me and then at Elliot. “You have to be alright, Sam. I don’t know how Elliot—hell—how any of us would handle losing you.”
I kept my eyes on Elliot. “I hope I am. But if I’m not...all of you will be okay. You’ll have to be for Millie.” I smiled a little at Brink. “But if something happens to Millie and me...well, you will all still be okay, too. Everything happens for reasons we can’t understand.”
Brink looked away from me and Elliot. “Elliot will be crushed enough if he loses you, but I think if he lost Millie too, the last link to you, we’d lose him, too. Honestly, Zach and I still worry we’ll lose him either way.”
I kissed Elliot’s cheek and shook my head. “He’ll be okay. He’s strong.” I looked at Brink. “I’m gonna go take a bath. The doctor said it was okay.”
“If you need me yell. I’ll either run in with eyes closed or wake up your hubby.” He chuckled. “Actually, I’ll wake up your hubby. I don’t want him breaking my nose like he did Logan’s.”
I laughed and got up. “Yeah, wake him up if you know what’s good for you.”
Elliot didn’t move. He kept sleeping. He was exhausted.
I rubbed my back. “My back has been killing me today, and I think a bath will help. And again, thanks for everything, Brink. We’re lucky to have you.”
I was about to walk into the hall when the door opened. “Well, a bath after I sign the papers.” I smiled at Mrs. Margaret and Quinn as they came in.
I put my finger to lips and pointed to Elliot.
Mrs. Margaret smiled at me, then looked at Elliot. “About time he went to sleep.” She kissed my cheek then did the same to Brink’s. She pulled the papers out of her purse and handed them to me. “Everything you asked for, Sweetie.”
Quinn walked over and sat in Brink’s lap.
“Quinn, honey, can you take Brink outside to show him our gift?” Mrs. Margaret asked.
Quinn jumped up and pulled at Brink’s hand. “Come on! You’re going to love it!”
Elliot sat upright. “What happened!” he asked in a panic.
Quinn cursed and started giggling as she pulled Brink outside.
I hid the papers behind my back. “Nothing. Go back to sleep.”
Elliot blinked a few times, then looked to me. He nodded and laid back down. He was out in a matter of seconds.
“You’re not telling him?” Mrs. Margaret asked.
I walked to the dining room, and she followed. “He found the videos and had a break down. If he knew I was signing over full custody of Millie to him in the event of my death, I think it’d push him over the edge.” I sat down and started reading through the papers. I signed the ones taking away Logan’s rights first.
Mrs. Margaret nodded. “He loves you very much.”
As I read over the papers giving Millie to Elliot, tears hit the page. I closed my eyes, wiped away the tears, took a steadying breath, and signed them.
Mrs. Margaret grabbed my free hand. “This is just a formality. You’re going to be fine.”
I nodded as I slid the papers across the table to her. “I’m going to go take a bath and try to relax.”
“Alright. I will go fax these to the office.” She got up and kissed my head. “I’ll see you soon, Sweetie.”
I watched as she covered Elliot with a blanket, kissed him, then left the house. A few seconds later, Brink and Quinn came quietly back in.
