Piecing Together Sydney (A Sydney West Novel Book 3) (19 page)

“And this is mine.” He grabbed my ass and bit my bottom lip.

A moan escaped my hold.

“Come down here!” Amelia yelled. I could picture her tapping her foot. Yup, she had the mom gene for sure.

I chuckled. “Come on before we get grounded.” I took Jason’s hand, and we joined the rest of our family around the kitchen table.

***

Finally, after eating and talking for another hour, everyone inside the house cleared out. Hugs and kisses were exchanged, and Jason and I were free to explore each other. Amelia winked at me as we parted ways to our rooms. She clung to Hunter and looked up at him lovingly before they disappeared into their room. I knew deep down in my gut they were going to be wonderful parents, even though this baby came way before they planned. Their relationship was already like a couple who has been together for a decade.

I closed our door and watched as Jason took off his shirt, revealing the bruises on his chest. I went to him like a cat to catnip. As gently as I could, I traced the marks on his body with my fingertips. “Baby, I’ve missed you so much. This bed wasn’t the same without you.”

He brushed a tear from my cheek. “I’ll never leave you, Syd. You’re my one and only.” He kissed me on the lips, moving me backward toward the bed. “Now it’s time you got naked, woman.” Jason grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head. His hands went up my sides, unhooking my bra and tossing it to the floor.

I fell back on the bed, and for the first time in forever, I didn’t mind being on the bottom.

He slid my shorts and panties down. I kicked them off. His eyes greedily took in my nude body before he climbed on top of me. I spread my legs and welcomed him between my thighs.

“I missed your breasts.” He cupped each of my breasts and kissed them lightly. They ached for more. Soon his lips sucked on my left nipple as his fingers rolled the right one.

“Jason!” I screamed, arching my back and curling my toes. Jason licked his way down my belly and nipped my hip, making me laugh. “Baby, please. I don’t want any more teasing.” The pounding down south was so fierce it felt stronger than my heartbeat.

He quickly grabbed a condom from the nightstand and glided it on his impressive member. Jason slid into me perfectly where my juices were awaiting him. Missing his touch for days made my body go wild. My walls exploded and stars filled my eyes. He rode me hard into the bed, making my ass sink deep into the mattress.

We touched, kissed, and made love until the break of dawn and fell asleep in each other’s arms. I could never ask for more.

The days flew by, and everything turned out to be perfect with the wedding plans. So perfect I worried something else could go wrong. Did people really get happily ever after?

Our wedding rehearsal was today, and tomorrow’s the actual day. I had to take the day hour by hour so I didn’t hyperventilate.

Amelia and my mom were on everything, making sure the beach was set up just right. Funny how I was worried about heels, and I was going to walk on sand. I tossed that idea and planned on going barefoot. Jason was the only man who made me happily take my heels off and sleep next to him in bed.

Family and friends from Arizona drove and flew in. They stayed in nearby hotels, and some rented beach houses not too far from us. My mom stayed at our beach house and kept fussing over my dress and what makeup would make me look like the prettiest bride ever. Her words, not mine.

My Uncle Lucas bumped my arm in the kitchen. “Hey kid, I can’t believe you’re getting hitched. The other day you were this big.” He held his hand down to his waist. I was that height when I was like five.

I smiled. “Yeah, crazy, I know.”

“Let me know if you need any help, though I don’t advise me helping with makeup, unless you wanna look clownish.”

He got a laugh out of me. My uncle had a strange sense of humor, and it was always best to play along or he got worse. “My mom and maid of honor are on that. Thanks, though.”

“Of course.” He touched my shoulder, acting more serious. “Do you have anyone walking you down the aisle?”

My heart ached as if a knife went through it. That’s my father’s job. He was supposed to walk me down the aisle to my future husband, and later we’d have a father-daughter dance at the reception. I didn’t know how much I’d wanted that until now. Who would walk me? Could I walk alone? Give myself away?

“Ummm…” I blinked back tears.

Was I really having a breakdown over this? Shit. Pull it together!

He touched my arm. “I’m sorry, Syd. I didn’t mean to bring up—”

I ran my fingers under my eyes to whisk away the tears. “No worries. Just emotional, I guess. I’ll let you know.”

He nodded, squeezing my shoulder. “You going to be okay?”

“Yeah.” I looked past him to see Jason looking confused while staring at something in the living room. “I gotta go.” I broke away and went to see what was troubling my fiancé.

“What’s wrong?” I ran my fingers down his prickly cheek.

“Aren’t the wedding’s colors white and black?” His voice was low and seemed lost.

“Yeah, why?” He pointed to whatever he was staring at. I turned around and gasped. Before me were dozens of flowers that were orange and red. They were roses. They were so wrong. “What the hell?”

Amelia appeared, as if knowing I was having a panic attack. “I’m already on it. They mixed up the orders, and I yelled at them. Someone is coming now to fix it. They will probably get an earful too. I’m using this whole pregnancy thing to my advantage.” She took my arm, towing me away. “Stop staring at them. Go try on your dress or something with your mom.” She tugged me toward the stairs.

I stood on the first step. “Why can’t I be with Jason?”

“Because I need to check his tux. You’re spending your whole life with him. Just go.” She motioned me away with her hands.

A sigh escaped from me. I bit my bottom lip, watching her direct people outside for the barbecue we were having in a couple hours. Jason stepped up with me and placed his thumb on my bottom lip, freeing it. “You remember that drives me mad, right?” he whispered into the shell of my ear.

Things low in me clenched.
God, this is the man I am tied to forever? Thank you!

“Jason!” Amelia shouted from the kitchen.

“Gotta go before she ends me.” He kissed my lips and jogged over to my loving yet demanding best friend.

“Good-bye, Mr. King.” I waved, using each of my fingers to draw it out.

He turned his head and gave me a wicked grin. “Good-bye, soon-to-be Mrs. King.” He winked and was gone.

Funny how much I loved that. And to think last year Amelia was practicing her name with Hunter’s last name, and I freaked out.

I went to my room where my mom was already fixing my veil. “Hey, sweetie.” She sniffed. “Do you want to try your dress on one last time before the big day?”

“Are you crying?” I closed the door behind me.

She dabbed her eyes and sniffed again. “My only child is getting married. Of course I’m crying.”

I hugged my mom close to me, which only made her cry harder. “I love you, baby. I’m so sorry your dad couldn’t be here to—”

“It’s okay, Mom. Life loves to give and take.” I moved away to kiss her tear stained cheek. “Do you want to walk me down the aisle?”

She blew her nose and then smiled at me. Her face was a little red, but I could see why people always said we looked alike. We had the same smile, ocean blue eyes, and cheek bones. I was proud to look like her.

“Baby, I’d love to.” She cupped my chin for a few seconds, looking at me and giving me a wistful grin. Her blue eyes seemed distant, as if thinking of the past. “My sweet baby, I remember when you’d play dress up and wear my heels around the house, and I thought it was so cute yet didn’t want you to fall on your face.”

I had to laugh. I remembered the pictures she showed of me doing that. I was always such a diva. “Heels are a girl’s best friend, unless she’s getting married on a beach.”

“Agreed. But you can wear them for the reception. Where is it again?”

“Amelia planned it at a hotel in LA I let her deal with that stuff.”

“She’s a good wedding planner. We’re going to have to do something extra special for her baby shower.” She shook her head as she picked up my dress. “I can’t believe how much you two girls have grown. Soon she’ll have a baby, and then you and—”

I grabbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down. “One thing at a time. For me, that means a wedding.”

“Of course. Let’s try this on.”

I took off my shirt and jeans. This day was insane. I saw family I hadn’t seen in years, and they were currently eating food outside my beach house. Jason’s father wasn’t invited to this intimate family gathering, but he’d be at the beach tomorrow with his wife and son in tow.

Despite the new guests, this wedding was going to be perfect. Well, after Amelia fixed the flower issue. But she was amazing at things like that. By this time tomorrow, I’d be Mrs. Sydney Anne King. I thought I’d freak and have a meltdown. That my old self would raise her head and want to have some kind of last sexcapade and line up summer boys from all over. Yet I was still that love sick girl I turned into after falling for Jason last summer. No guy could compare to him. None of their hands got my heart racing. They didn’t do anything for me, and I was happy about that.

***

Of course I took the dress off before the rehearsal. Jason was not allowed to see it until the right moment. Not everyone came to this practice run. Some went back to their hotels to sleep, and others went on a road trip to visit Hollywood. I forgot how touristy California was. I always came here and knew it just as well as Arizona, so nothing amazed me anymore.

My family sat on the left of the aisle and Jason’s on the right. My mom cried in the front row, unable to walk me, but swore she was getting it all out for tomorrow.

The music played, and I started my walk. Tomorrow, it would be the walk that changed my life forever.

God, I can’t believe I am getting married before graduating college.

Jason had a smile that could light the entire night sky. I loved him so much that I’m pretty sure he literally held a piece of my heart with him. Maybe he cut it out while I was asleep. I was a sound sleeper after all.

My mom told me I looked at Jason as if he hung the moon. Not sure what that meant, but I knew it was something mushy. Oh well, I was kind of done with the whole rough exterior now. Jason did demolish that wall of mine.

We stood before one another, staring into each other’s eyes, and burst into laughter. I couldn’t stop, and then couldn’t breathe.

Amelia stood behind me and hit my back a few times. “Stop it, Syd,” she muttered under her breath.

I wiped away a few tears. “Sorry, couldn’t help it.”

Jason got his composure back and stood straight with his hands behind his back. The pastor wasn’t there, so our outburst wasn’t too bad. We just had to hope we didn’t laugh tomorrow when it was the real deal.

“I think it went well. Let’s call it a day!” I said, clapping my hands. “Thanks for coming to the dry run, everyone.”

People said their good-byes and went back to their crash pads.

I grabbed Jason’s hand. “We’re going to bed early…”

An evil smirk stole his lips. “Syd, I can’t wait until—”

Amelia cut in front of us and stole Jason away. “Nope. You two are not going together. The bride and groom can’t see each other until the wedding now.”

I stomped my foot like a spoiled child. “What? Are you fucking kidding? We’re so not traditional. Why can’t we—”

She pointed to her little belly bump. “Don’t talk to me about traditional, Syd.” She pushed Jason to Hunter. “He will crash at Hunter’s. All his stuff is there right now, so he’s good. Good-bye, boys.” She waved them away.

Hunter punched Jason’s arm and nodded toward his truck. Jason shrugged at me and shouted, “I love you, Syd. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

I gave the stink eye to Amelia before shouting back. “I love you too. See you then, baby!”

Amelia put her arm around me. “Come on, Syd. Cheer up. It will just be your mom, you, and me. We can watch movies and eat popcorn. Or ketchup and pretzels.”

“Yuck!” I stuck my tongue out.

She laughed and elbowed me in the ribs. “Just wait until you get knocked up and have weird cravings.”

“Yeah, if you say so.” I looked behind me. The boys were small, but I could still make out Jason by his messy hair. “Can I at least drink?”

“No, Syd. I hid all the Jack. You need to cut yourself off from that. Your liver is going to fall out one of these days.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ugh. I don’t need a second mother.” I nudged her arm.

“Very funny.” She rubbed her stomach. “We’ll have fun tonight. Don’t you worry.”

My mom was already waiting by my Charger. We stopped to get some sweets and then went back to the beach house. It felt empty without everyone buzzing around.

We watched
Gone in 60 Seconds
and ate a bunch of food. Life was good. I sat on a couch with two out of three of my favorite people in the world. Tonight was all about the girls. I relaxed and took it all in. After all, it was my last night as Sydney West.