"Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?"
~Carpenters, Close To You
***
"I spoke with the wedding planner and he's on his way."
"Aw, thank you." She sighs. "You, aunt and Mason have been so helpful."
"Of course, we're all happy to help."
My eyes move to Mason who is miserably staring at all the decorations we'll have to put up around the backyard.
Lilly wants to have her wedding here. Her first choice was the house she grew up in but Nebraska is a bit far for most of her friends and family and that house was sold years ago.
It had a spacious backyard with the brightest flowers. Her mother's greatest passion was gardening. You could see the most beautiful sunsets on the patio. While the sunset views here aren't the best, they're not too bad.
There aren't any flowers now but there are plenty of trees in the backyard. Their fallen leaves have created a beautiful carpet of red and orange that I never would've thought would work for a wedding.
Her biggest goal for a backyard wedding though is to dance under the moonlight and stars to a slowed version of Carpenters' Close To You. She says it's perfect for her fall wedding.
"What about the photographer?"
"They were here earlier on and they set up everything for the photoshoot."
At this point, I should send out an invoice along with the wedding planner.
"What about the setting for Brian, Mellie and I?"
I smile at the mention of my niece. I've never seen a baby as cute as her.
"All set."
"Okay, thank you. Nutty, we'll speak when I get home. I have another call coming in."
"Okay, sis." I hang up a second later.
"Why do you look so defeated?" I laugh, turning to Mason. "Haven't you done this before?"
The small smile that appears on his face tells me he remembers the event I'm referring to.
"That was one tree with a small picnic blanket and it was our first date so I could've climbed a mountain in two minutes to prepare everything and our friends were there to help. Where are they?"
"I spoke to Bianca and she said they're a few minutes away."
"I think they're hoping they can arrive late and find most of the work already done." Mason narrows his eyes.
"They don't know us very well, do they?" I laugh as I sit on my bed.
"No, no," he shakes his head and grabs my hand, "Lilly will kill us if she gets here to an empty backyard. As for your mom, she'll say I'm a bad influence."
My smile saddens at those words. It's basically a miracle that mom let him not only come here but attend the wedding. Well, I guess she didn't have a choice there. Lilly wants him at the wedding.
Slowly but surely, for the past three months, she's been working on accepting our relationship. It's been a bumpy ride but at least... She's trying.
The other weekend she went shopping with Mason and I for our dress and tux. She was too tired from work and wasn't much fun but, I was so happy to be spending time with her.
As for dad, as long as I don't close the bedroom door when I'm alone with Mason, he's fine.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"Okay." Mason gives me an uncertain smile.
"Ooh!" I jump of the bed, surprising him. "Let me show you the necklace I'll be wearing on Sunday."
I quickly head for the vanity and grab the black rectangular box and open it. My eyes widen and a large grin forms on my face.
"My dad got it for me." The grin grows as I turn it around to show to Mason.
Before he can get a good look at it, I tilt the box a few degrees lower and the necklace falls down. In my state of slight shock, I accidentally kick it to the wall. Before I can get on my knees and reach for it, Mason beats me to it.
"At this point you might cause a hole in the floor and make it disappear." He chuckles.
"Hey!" I pout.
He stretches his arm and reaches for it but before he can give it to me, he looks up at something under the vanity table.
"Here." He hands me back the necklace before ducking his head under the table again. "What's this?"
"What's what?" I'm now kneeling next to him, just as curious.
As soon as I see it, I recognise it. The dusty pink colour is as pretty as when I chose it. I picked it because out of all the envelopes I had then, it seemed to contradict blue the most. When I put it under this table, I was feeling bluer than I have ever felt.
"Oh, this... This..."
"Is it yours?" He glances at me.
"Yeah."
"Can I open it? Oh, no, it must be private if you've even hidden it."
"It's okay. It's for you." I sit cross legged.
"Me?" He sits down so we're facing each other.
"Yes," I reach for the envelope and carefully remove the sellotape keeping it to the wood of the table.
This is for the day I can think of you without getting teary eyed; when I can finally smile without sighing.
All these voices keep telling me to let go of you and all the memories. I know they're right, I cannot bear to miss you so much.
It's important that I heal; my heart is too frail for this unbearable pain. There's only so long I can go on missing you like this. I'm never going to be able to forget you nor can I hate you enough to feel what I feel for you, for someone else.
It's clear you've decided you don't want me in your life anymore. I'm not a fool; I'll accept this rejection. I can't help but come up with new excuses every day. It could be that I'm too afraid to admit you didn't love me half as much as I loved you or maybe my ego can't accept that you didn't find me as cute as I thought you did. Whatever the reason, I'll hold on to you, Mason.
I just hope next time I hear your name, I won't fall apart.
It's an entry from my diary. I ripped the page out as soon as I wrote the last word. I was angry and hurt and I scrumpled it up but couldn't throw it away. I wanted him to know how I felt but I didn't even know where he was.
How I came to the decision of sticking it under Lilly's old vanity table? That, I don't remember.
He looks up and our eyes meet. I try to quickly wipe off the sad smile because I don't want us to think of those times anymore. They're long gone.
"I'm sorry I ruined your plans."
"Hmm?" I lift my eyebrows in confusion.
"You wanted to forget me and move on and I just showed up."
"You didn't exactly just show up. I somehow decided to go to college in the city you were hiding in."
"Potatoe potato." He grins and I chuckle. "If we're being honest though, it was going to be an impossible task."
"Huh?"
"I'm devilishly handsome, smart and-"
"Shut up." I cut in, rolling my eyes.
"Ah," He puts a hand on his chest as his jaw falls.
"I love you, you idiot." I smile and he smiles back.
"I love you too." He pulls me into his arms.
My phone rings and I grab it from the table.
"Justin?"
"We're outside. Can you guys come?" He sounds irritated.
"Yeah, sure. Are you okay?"
"No..." He groans. "These two are too cheesy. You and Mason were never like this when you started dating. You guys were the best."
"Hey! I can hear you!" Bianca shouts and I look up at the window. They're in the backyard.
"What's going on?" Mason chuckles.
"It's Max and Bianca, they're driving Justin crazy."
"When does Priya get here? I need someone who's a single pringle like me. Any way, get down here."
I laugh as I put my phone in the pocket of my dress.
He's going to be disappointed when he realises he's the only one that's single in the group. Well, Zoe's there I guess.
"I'm so excited about this wedding." I grin as we walk down the stairs.
"Me too."
"I'm not gonna lie, I never imagined Lilly actually getting married."
"Why?"
"I don't know," I laugh, "she and I just always spoke about ending up as two cat ladies forever. We always said we'd never get married."
"Really? So I should stop planning our wedding in my head?"
I stop and he takes another step before also coming to a halt. He turns around and looks at me with a look and smile that melts my heart.
"What?" I whisper.
"Don't get scared." He takes my hands in his and his smile grows.
"I'm not scared." I finally manage a smile.
The idea makes an entrance into my thoughts and I smile. I never imagined it but now, it makes me feel... Happy.
"We can dance to your favourite songs." He begins, taking the last two steps while still holding on to my hands.
"Go to your favourite place."
"Invite all our friends."
"Maybe elope." I close my eyes and laugh.
"Do you want your dad to kill me before we even get to our honeymoon?" I laugh even harder.
If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be talking about a wedding, with Mason, in my parents' house, I would've laughed at your face. My heart would've broken because I'd miss him but I would've laughed nonetheless.
I look down at our joined hands and an overwhelming feeling of happiness washes over me.
I love this boy more than I'll ever be able to describe. I don't know how but I managed to fall for him harder every day.
I know it seemed, no, it was stupid for me to try and stop fight between two strangers and proceed to get into one of their cars but look. It was all worth it.
He's worth it and I want to love him until my heart can't manage another beat.
"C'mon, let's go, my love." He wraps his arm around my shoulders and we walk out of the house.
****
"I hope you have a good time with your new roommates!" The prison guard shoved Duncan Wilder into the cell.
"Oh, look who it is." A grating voice spoke from one of the beds.
"Welcome!" Another voice yelled sarcastically.
Duncan let out a heavy sigh and sat down on the bed facing the iron bars he'd just entered through.
He was transferred to The Man's cell. Everyone in here hadn't been able to breathe without being threatened. Now that he and Ace had been transferred to maximum security, their old inmates were not wasting any opportunity to pull their weight around.
He immediately laid down on the hardened mattress and worn out blanket.
This definitely wasn't where The Man or his right hand man slept. The others for sure took advantage and took their beds.
He'd lost hope of getting out soon. He had quite a number of years to go but he was happy it wouldn't be in the same prison as Ace. He hadn't forgotten what he'd done that night when he saved Mason and his girlfriend. Each chance he got, he'd gotten his revenge.
Coming to think of it, these new cellmates couldn't be as hellish as his old bosses.
He closed his eyes, putting his arm under his head and releasing another heavy sigh.
Who could he blame for all of this? His father who'd actually been the one to introduce him to that life? The scumbag had only come to see him once since he was incarcerated. Could he blame The Man for taking advantage of little kids? Now, where would that get him?
It was no use. At least he could sleep at night knowing that his cousin had a better chance at life. It was even better now with The Man completely locked away. His family was safe.
His eyes opened momentarily as he thought of Mason. They had never been close but he was the only real family he had.
His eyes landed on a piece of cardboard shoved under the mattress above him. Through the spaces between the bars holding it, he could see words and numbers scribbled on it in a marker or something.
It oddly seemed familiar but he dismissed it as his new cellmates began shouting about something. He closed his eyes again, hoping to drown them out.
483 Fall Street, San Francisco.
His eyes shot wide open and he felt his throat constrict for a split second. He jumped off the bed, climbing on the upper bunker in a minute. He ignored the whining of the old man sleeping as he pushed him aside and pulled the mattress up.
His eyes widened further as he took the cardboard piece and read it over and over.
This was familiar. He knew it. He'd seen and heard it from Maxwell many times before.
483 Fall Street, San Francisco.
This was their home address.
The final chapter.❤️🥺