"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the efficient said. I could not stop smiling. "You may now kiss the bride." Before he could even finish his sentence Boston's lips were on mine.
I cannot believe we actually just did that. We actually went to the courthouse and got married. Married. I'm a wife. Boston is my husband. How did we go from best friends, to dating, to upcoming parents, to husband and wife in the span of three and a half months?
Maria was crying as she took pictures of us. When we got home that night she made us wait until the next day to get married. And made me wear a simple white dress. She said I had to be dressed for the occasion at least. "I can't believe you're m-married," she sobbed.
"I can't either," Boston smiled down at me. He tucked my hair behind my ear and kissed me again. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Boston's POV
This beautiful redhead asleep on my chest right now is my wife. Wife. The thought scared me out of my mind. And we were going to be parents in seven months. Parents.
Walking the halls at school hand in hand with my wife was the weirdest thing ever. She couldn't stop smiling and for that I just laughed at her.
I needed to talk to someone about this. I don't know who to talk to because Red was my best friend, usually I would just talk to her.
"So what's been going on with you?" Steven asked me in gym. He was my partner for sit-ups. I guess I could tell him. We were sorta close.
"So much shit man," I shook my head.
"How's the shoulder?"
"Better. A lot better."
"That's good. What about Scarlett, y'all still together?"
I took a deep breath. Should I tell him? Was Red telling people? "About that. We sort of, got married."
His eyes went wide. "What the fuck?" he shouted. "You got fucking married? No fucking way! Dude what the fuck, you're still in high school! Wait, is she pregnant?" I nodded slowly. "Fuck man!"
"It's not that. I really love her," as I said that his eyes went wide.
"You don't even date!"
"But you know i've always liked her. She's different," his look softened and he nodded. "I've been needing to talk to someone about this other than my fucking mom."
"So what the fuck? Start from the beginning."
"Okay so around four months ago Red's mom left, for reasons i'm not gonna get into," he nodded. "And she moved in with me. Then as you know we starting dating," he continued to nod. "Then she got pregnant," he winced. "Then I got shot and we decided that life was too short so we got married."
"What the actual fuck," he breathed. It wasn't a question so much as he was just in shock. "So like you seriously love her?" I nodded. "What the fuck?"
"I know," I sighed. "My dad came back too."
His eyes went wide. "What the fuck?! Why haven't you told me any of this shit?" he shoved me.
"I'm sorry! It's just been crazy," I sighed.
"Yeah, sounds really fucking crazy."
Then an announcement came on over the speakers, silencing everyone in the gym. "If any males above the age of eighteen are thinking about joining the military we have a recruiter here to speak with you. Teachers please excuse anyone who is serious about this and have them come to the office at this time."
Well, I guess that's me. I stood up. "Woah, you're going into the military too? So am I!" Steven said, following me.
"Woah, well at least i'll know one person. What do you want to do?"
"Pretty sure I just want to go into the infantry," he shrugged. "My dad did it and his dad so it just seems like the right thing. What about you?"
"I have no clue. Re- Scarlett doesn't want me to, but I suck at everything else. I'm not smart enough to do any of that other shit."
"Yeah," he shrugged. We told coach we were leaving, he looked sort of surprised but just nodded his head and let us go.
So I guess this is it. This is the start of my future. Wow.
Scarlett's POV
I still can't freaking believe i'm married and a junior in high school. What would Mom think?
"Oh my God," Anna screeched from behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I shut my locker, turning to her. "What is on your hand?"
"Uh," I trailed off. Is Boston telling people? "I um..."
"Are you freaking engaged?"
"Uh... I well... We are, married," I winced.
"What?!" She practically screamed. "Why didn't you tell me? Wait, what? You're in high school still! How, w-why? Wait! Are you pregnant? Please tell me you're not pregnant."
"Would you lower your voice," I whispered, pulling her arm away from the crowds if girls. "I am."
She ran her hands through her hair. "You're what? Oh God."
"I'm pregnant."
"Oh my God," she started to pace slowly. "When did this fucking happen? You never tell me anything! You didn't even tell me when your mom left, now this!"
"Okay well, i'm twelve weeks—"
"You've known about this for twelve weeks!"
"No, I only found out month ago—"
"Well that makes it better," she rolled her eyes. "How did you let this happen?"
"It's not as bad as you think. We've talked about it and we know we're young, but I wouldn't change it any other way."
"So wait, you're excited about this?" I nodded and her eyes went wide. Then the bell rang, signaling we were late for class.
"C'mon, we will talk more later," I pulled her arm.
"Oh my God I cannot even believe this. How did this even happen?"
"How do you think it happened?" I rolled my eyes and continued to pull her arm.
"Well obviously I know how, dumbass," she said sarcastically. "I just mean how?"
"I don't know," I sighed.
"You're coming to my house after school, we have to talk about this more," she whispered as we took our seats in History.
An announcement came over the speaker saying if you were thinking about the military, to come to the office. First they said guys then they announced girls. I felt my heart constrict in my chest, knowing that Boston was in the office right now.
I texted him telling him that I told Anna, he said he caved and told Steven and I felt less guilty. I also told him that I was going to Anna's before work.
"Okay, you have to start from the beginning and leave out no details!" Anna said as she flipped down into her bed. I followed close behind.
I told her everything. All starting from the day I found my mom looking at her bruises in the mirror. I didn't leave out any details. She cried a few times and I cried once or twice right along with her. It felt good to tell someone other than Boston and Maria.
"I can't believe you're just now telling me all of this," she said, wiping her eyes. "I also can't believe you kept all of this in. It must have been so hard."
"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want to burden you, you know?"
"I'm so sorry all of that happened," she pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back for a while, until I finally pulled away first.
"Want to see something?" I asked, she nodded. I went to my bag and pulled out a sonogram picture from my most recent appointment, handing it to her.
She started to tear up again. "Oh my God, I can't believe it."
"Me either," I said truthfully.
"You aren't even showing yet?" she looked confused, at my stomach.
I stood. "Yeah I am." I lifted up my loose shirt revealing my very small bump and she gasped.
"I'm so pissed at you for keeping this from me!" She sighed. "But I completely understand why you are keeping it and why you got married. Both of you have been through so fucking much," she sighed again, shaking her head. "I'm just sorry I couldn't have been there for you."
"Yeah," I mumbled, trying not to cry again. "I've got to go to work. I'll see you later?" I stood and grabbed my back from the floor.
"Of course," she stood to hug me.
Boston couldn't really work, with his shoulder and all so he ran the register mostly. He helped some, taking drinks to tables only if they only needed, he couldn't carry any more than that with only one arm. He was still supposed to wear his sling, but he took it off at times, saying it was 'annoying'.
"So how did the army thing go today?" I asked as we were locking up the place.
"It was good," he shrugged. "I learned a lot and I took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery."
"What is that?"
"Like a test sort of. It determines what field you should go into, what you're best suited for."
"What are you best suited for?" He looked down to the floor. "Boston?"
"I'm best suited for infantry. Front line." I shook my head, feeling the tears already threatening to spill over. "It's going to be okay. I can do it." He came closer to me and wrapped me up into a hug.
"No, you're going to war. They're going to ship you overseas," I cried. "Boston you said you would always come home."
"I said I would always come home and I will. I promise you," he reassured me, rubbing my back.
"If you die—" I started.
"I'm not going to. I'm going to be here for you guys and i'm going to protect you and make a living in the process. I talked to the recruiter about everything. There's housing on base, we can move into our own house and they will pay for my college, i'll even get an allowance for books," he laughed. "This is going to be good. This is what I want to do." I nodded, it did sound good. I still don't want him to leave. "I leave for Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training as soon as school ends."
"What?" I pulled my head up to look at him. "How long will you be gone?"
"Fourteen weeks. I get to come home on some weekends, I made sure to ask them. I can still take you to your doctors appointments and everything."
"Okay," I nodded. "Only if this is what you really want."
"It is," he reassured. "If I can make it through training," he laughed. That wasn't funny. That was scary. "It's fine, it was a joke," he said reading my mind.
"Not a funny one," I said, shoving him lightly. He just laughed.
"I promise you i'll always come home."
"You better," I said wiping my eyes. "I have a child inside me that is going to need its father. You can't leave me alone to do this."
"I won't baby, I won't. I'll come home."
"Promise?"
"I promise. Now stop crying. I hate it when you cry."
"I can't help it," I laughed. "My emotions are all over the place."
"Let's go home," he laughed. "Soon to be our own home. How great will that be?" He flipped off the back lights and we started to walk out.
"It would be great," I said, getting into the car. "This all seems so surreal," I said resting my head against the cold window.
"Tell me about it."
As we pulled up to the house, Boston's dad's truck was in the driveway. I could feel his mood shift as we got closer. He was pissed. I grabbed his hand in attempts to calm him, it didn't work.
He got out of the car, ready to hit something. He was going to tear his stitches if he did.
"Boston please!" He shouted.
"What?" Boston said, his voice eerily calm. I stood behind him, and put my had on his back. "What do you want?"
"I just want to talk."
"So talk." Woah, did he actually just agree to talk to his dad?
He looked taken back. I probably did too. "Can we go inside?"
Boston's jaw tensed, but he walked inside anyways.
"Hey," Maria chirped. "Dinners, on the table," she talked slowly as we all three walked in. She was probably just as confused as me. "What are you doing here Brett?"
"We are talking," Boston answered.
"Oh, okay, we will leave you two alone then." She picked up Bella and began to walk up the stairs, I started to follow her.
"Wait, Red. Stay," he grabbed my arm, pulling me slightly. I nodded and sat down on the couch, he sat close to me and Brett sat across from us on a chair. "Talk," Boston said, his tone demanding.
"I'm sorry," he sighed.
"You've said that before."
"I just want another chance. One more. That's all i'm asking for. I want to rebuild our relationship. I want to come back into your life. I want to be here for you." The man in front of me looked broken. It made me so sad to see Boston being so cold towards him.
"I don't want that. I think you need to leave and stop coming around here."
"Boston please, you're my only son. I only left because I was afraid I would hurt you. Now i'm better. I'm moving back to town and I want to see you," he pleaded.
"No."
"Boston," I sighed.
"No, he doesn't just get to do this!" He stood up, throwing his hands in the air. "You don't get to to this! You don't get to come back here after four fucking years without so much as a phone call and pretend like everything is okay! I wanted you to come back, can you believe that?" he laughed. "I wanted you to come back, no matter how fucked up you were. I prayed that you would come back and be sober. And you never fucking did! Now I don't even want to look at you." He turned on his heel and started up the stairs.
"Wait!" Bret called out. He grabbed Boston's shoulder, his uninjured one thankfully and pulled him back. In one swift motion when Boston turned around he punched him, square in the jaw.
"Don't you ever come back here again!" Boston said through his teeth. Then he turned back around and bolted up the stairs leaving his father lying on the floor.