FATED (32 page)

‘I think you are the one who needs to talk, Alex, not me.’

With a loud expel of breath he moved himself to sit on the arm of the settee. I knew why, it was closer to me than the actual settee. He sat and put his long muscular legs out in front of him and crossed his bare feet. He lifted his gaze and my eyes fell into his beautiful green pools.

‘I was thirty on the sixth of January and with that coming of age, finally my father’s Company and property became completely mine, no more fucking bowing down to the board, no more fucking curtailing to my mother and stepfather... finally they have no more say in any of our lives.’ He said it with such complete and utter conviction, that I found it confusing.

‘But I thought you didn’t want the company?’ He lifted his hand asking for my patience.

‘On the seventh of January my mother and stepfather stepped down from their positions on the board and left the Blackmore family property in the Hamptons, and all of our lives, albeit somewhat reluctantly. We paid them off and they left to retire in Martha’s Vineyard. I resigned as CEO after making my final decision in that position and my stepsister Ruby is now in charge of the company.’

I knew my face was pulling into a deep frown at the mention of her name.

‘Also on the seventh of January, Ruby and my brother Scott were married, just a quiet affair with only Nathan and me as witnesses... They are very much looking forward to the birth of their baby.’ The silence that followed was almost deafening as I filtered the information. He crossed his arms over his huge chest as he waited for me to catch up.

‘So you aren’t in love with her? It isn’t your baby? What we had really was real?’ I watched as he fell to his knees, and sat back on his haunches next to my chair. He made a grab for my hands.

‘There’s no WAS about it...I LOVE YOU!... I love you so fucking much!’ He stared deeply into my eyes, trying to convince me.

‘You are my extraordinary light in what has been a pretty fucking dark existence. Without you, Frankie, I am a sad excuse for a human being.  I am just so sorry you got caught up in our fucking clusterfuck of a so called family, believe me it has fucking done me in being without you the past month. I hope you can forgive me?’ He threaded his fingers in between mine. ‘Please say you can forgive me?’ Taking my silence as an opportunity to continue, he carried on with the explanation.

‘I was only young when my dad died, but he made me promise to always look out for my little brothers ...’ He was shaking his head from side to side.

‘Ruby and Scott have been in love since she came back from university... She, like me, was sent away to school for looking too much like her mother, something my bitch of a mother wasn’t willing to accept... they never grew up together.

‘She is a strong lady, she can see past his illness, she sees him for the fantastic, creative man he is... his illness has meant we couldn’t risk them being found out, as he would have been made to leave our family home... he simply couldn’t have taken it, God forbid if they had found out she was pregnant by him... they see his illness as weakness, weakness that isn’t allowed in our old distinguished family.’ I could hear the disgust and sarcasm in his voice.

‘Which of course, is a fucking load of complete shit.’ he added with a strong vehemence.

I rubbed his hands with my fingertips, urging him to carry on.

‘My stepfather physically and mentally abused me from when I was young; he hated us but loved the money and status the Blackmore’s brought him.’ Tears started down my face. ‘That’s why he got rid of me ASAP. While I was at home Nate and Scotty were safe, once I left they were in his line of fire... Nathan it didn’t affect so much, but Scotty, well I think it has caused a lot of his problems... hopefully now they’re gone he can get on with his life with Ruby.’

‘I wasn’t meant to meet you again so soon, was I?’

‘Not if I’d had my way, Frankie, no... But make no mistake, I was always going to come for you... probably about now... but your uncle got sick and Nathan was injured... sometimes best laid fucking plans are thwarted by other circumstances. Please stop crying, baby; I am so sorry, so sorry for everything.’

I couldn’t restrain myself anymore and snatched my hands out of his. My right hand smacked the side of his face with as much force as I could muster and then upon hearing the crack it made and with my palm still burning, I flew into his arms. A smaller man might have been bowled over, but not Alex.

He wrapped his arms around me as tight as I could stand and he began to kiss me. It was one of his kisses that made me lose my mind. Our tongues danced together and it became more and more desperate. We sucked and nipped at each other’s lips in a bid to almost consume one another. Alex started to stand up, taking me with him, my arms were around his neck and I never wanted to let go again. Finally we reluctantly broke free of each other. There was still so much to say.

‘I totally accept that crack around the face, I fucking deserved it... but do you forgive me, baby?’

‘I do... I understand,’ I said resting my forehead on his, my feet not touching the ground as he held me up to his level. ‘Once I had the time to think about it all, I knew there had to be a good reason for everything... but let me add... If you ever lie to me, cover up the truth, or manipulate me again, I will walk, even if it is done with the very best intentions. I never want to cry like I have in the last month ever again; never... do you understand me?’

I watched as the corners of his mouth began to curl as he broke out into a huge smile, his dimples came out to play and his gorgeous green eyes twinkled. ‘Yeah, baby, I understand you,’ and he winked at me.

I was a seriously lucky cow!

‘Now before I carry you up those fucking ridiculous looking stairs,’ I followed his gaze as our foreheads rolled against each other’s a little. The stairs in the lighthouse were of course very narrow and wrapped around the inside edge of the building. I laughed cathartically out loud.

‘Now this I’ve got to see.’ I was rewarded with a smack on my bum cheek.

‘First, baby, I need to give you just one more tear.’ He let me slide all the way down the front of him in his trademark way, making me feel every hard part of him. My eyes never left his as I struggled to clarify what the hell he was talking about. My boots hit the floor and he released me, swiftly he went down on one knee, whilst delving in his front pocket for a box, which he now opened in front of me.  Inside was the ring I had seen in New York, the beautiful tear-drop diamond one. My hands found their way into his hair, as his beautiful face looked up into mine.

‘I’m a lucky bastard. Thank you for your forgiveness. I have carried this ring around with me since our last weekend together. It is the last tear I ever want to give you, baby. Please, Frankie, will you be my wife?

‘Will you come with me and live in this lighthouse, which I bought especially for you? Even if it does have fucking stupid stairs.’ He was laughing now, ‘It’s on your beach, and in your flight place. You will no longer have any reason to run. I will always look after your heart, I promise.’

‘Yes... absolutely, YES!’

He took out the ring and pushed it onto my finger, chucking the box over his shoulder and behind him. I listened to his deep laugh as he stood up and picked me up easily into his arms, and twirled me around and around. We laughed as he tried to safely carry me up stairs that were never meant for passion. I watched in a mirror at the two of us in sync, I knew looking at us now we had always been meant for each other.

We were Fated to be together.

Epilogue

JUNE FIVE MONTHS LATER

Tick, tick, tick. The time was moving on.

‘Come on, gorgeous girl, you need to get
a bloody move on.’ Bella was peering over my shoulder, looking at my reflection as I put the finishing touches to my hair, and added a couple of blue sprigs of forget me nots. I had it piled up on top of my head with a few long loose curls falling down and around my neck.

‘Oh, my love, you look simply stunning, I am so proud of you.’ I found my aunt’s eyes with my own in the mirror, and smiled at her.

‘I’m going to go down now and take my place.’ She grabbed my hand, squeezed it and blew me a kiss. I watched her until she had vacated our room.

Bella moved off towards the large balcony windows, which lit up our beautiful cream bedroom. She disappeared out onto the wooden balcony and I could just make out her elegant bridesmaid dress, the striking blue suited her so well. It had been a good choice. The style was exactly the same as mine.

I looked back at the mirror, ‘Not bad, you’ll do.’ My off-white, Grecian style dress crossed over my now more than ample bust, underneath it fell like a waterfall to the floor. I was pleased with my choice. My makeup was simple as Alex preferred me more natural than heavily made up. I giggled a little at the thought of the lingerie I had chosen for this day. I was without knickers, all I had on was a supportive balcony bra in bright white, but the colour was the only thing that was innocent about it. It hardly concealed anything and was completely see through.

Alex would love it!

‘Frankie, you really have to get a move on, I can just see Alex from here and he’s beginning to shuffle his feet,’ she laughed, even my bestie knew it was the only tell my husband-to-be had. He was starting to feel uncomfortable waiting for me.

‘OK let’s do it, I’m ready.’ I turned away from the mirror to see Bella coming back into the room.

Bella handed me my bouquet, a simple bunch of blue and white flowers tied together with a white ribbon, she had one to match. We said not a word between us; we just smiled at each other in understanding.

My uncle waited for me at the bottom of the wooden balcony steps, he looked so smart and extremely proud. Before walking down I glanced out over the beach. I could see Alex waiting there, with his back to me. The few people we had wanted to share our day with were also there. Nathan was next to Alex, sharing best man duties with Scotty. To one side stood my aunt and Ruby, who was holding hers and Scott’s new born daughter in her arms. To create a balance Norah and Bill stood on the other side. Apart from the official waiting to marry us, that was it. It was more than enough, we had all the love we needed right there.

I started to make my way down the steps and towards my uncle’s outstretched arm; the sun was just beginning its slow descent on the horizon. Nathan and Scotty walked away from Alex now and bent down to the ground lighting candles. I stopped my procession and watched as the candles in the sand began to glow. Being a short distance away I could see it was in the shape of a heart, it was stunning.

I quickened my step and took hold of my uncle’s arm, he patted my hand, ‘Your father would have been

very proud, my love, I am so honoured to do this in his place.’ I raised my hand and wiped at the tears just under his eyes. I nodded in understanding. He pulled me to him in a quick embrace.

‘OK lets go, his feet are fidgeting more and more by the minute,’ I smiled.

The moment my bare feet hit the sand I stopped again and gazed at the beautiful man that was just about to become my husband. He was wearing a smart white shirt, open at the collar and with the sleeves rolled up. It was tucked into a smart pair of navy blue trousers that fitted him like a glove. His almost black hair was flopped over slightly just as he liked it.  Suddenly he seemed to sense I was there and he turned around. The expression on his face was priceless as he took in my wedding dress. He stopped shuffling his feet immediately.

I touched my hand to the bracelet he had given me, holding all of our charms so far; one had arrived this morning to be added later. It was a collection of three rings, engagement, marriage and eternity all in miniature.

My feet shifted all the time in the warm sand to stop them being consumed into the ground, and I placed one hand on my very pregnant torso, to touch the child that Alex and I had conceived on our last wonderful day together in New York. It seemed the pill didn’t like migraines and the subsequent sickness that followed. This child, although it had been unplanned, would be born to two parents who loved and wanted it badly; it appeared my life had gone full circle.

The man I loved took one hand out of his pocket now, lifting it up and using just his curled index finger, he beckoned me towards him and my feet moved on command. As I started to walk towards him once again, he winked and held out his hand for me. The ceremony went by in a blur as I stared into his eyes. It was only when our small gathering burst into applause I realised we were finally married.

‘Mine,’ was the word he spoke for all to hear. I smacked his shoulder in embarrassment.

Alex pulled me to him quickly. His hands found their way slowly down my spine to my arse cheeks as he bent down to consummate our marriage with a kiss. It was a quick kiss and he broke away. His eyes took on their feral look; the green was being consumed by the fiery amber, his eyebrows raised in question. I couldn’t help but smile, I knew he had found me sans knickers. His forehead rested on mine.

‘Holy hell, what you do to me, baby.’ He picked me up suddenly into his arms and started striding towards our balcony stairs. Our small gathering burst out laughing as I was carried off the beach so quickly, laughing and clinging hard onto the man I loved. I threw my bouquet over his shoulder and straight to Bella.

‘Thank God we’re in the Hamptons,’ I whispered in his ear, ‘At least the stairs are wide enough for you to carry me up,’ I teased.

‘Just you wait, Mrs. Blackmore, just you fucking wait...teasing baby deserves equal punishment, playing with fire will get you burnt.’ He took off now running, with me in his arms shrieking.

He makes me laugh.

He makes me want.

He makes me need.

For the rest of our lives, I would always be grateful to the fate that brought us together. 

The End