"Caterina, where's my mom?" I ask stopping Cat as she runs around the house trying to make it look perfect for Thanksgiving.
We all had a lot of fun on Monday night (if you know what I mean), Tuesday and Wednesday. My parents were home and when they realized I wasn't dead or harmed in any way, they invited Noah and his parents for Thanksgiving. His brother, Johnny, and his girlfriend, Danielle, are also going to come.
"I believe she is in the foyer with your father letting in your cousins," she says kindly and goes into the kitchen.
I walk into the foyer and my mom and brothers are talking in hushed voices. I have a puzzled look on my face as I walk in. "What are we talking about?"
They turn and look at me and my mother smiles wearily.
"Sweetheart, come here," she says and ushers me over.
I slowly walk over to them and my heart starts racing. "Is Dennis out of jail? Is that why you guys are whispering? Is he out to get me? Was he proven not--"
"Jaclynn, slow down," Derek says.
"Babygirl, we'd never hide that from you," dad says and hugs me.
"It's about Chance," mom says and chokes on her words a little.
"What about him?" i ask.
"You were right when you were suspicious on Halloween," Sanders says.
My breath hitches in my throat and I feel like I can't breathe. "He-he has cancer again?"
Mom keeps herself from crying and nods. I move from dad to her and hug her tight saving myself from crying.
"It's not serious yet. Just a little bit of pain here and there. I'm treating him," Lauren says. "I promise he's going to be fine."
"Jackie!"I hear Chance yell and he runs up to me and I'm careful when I pick him up. I remember he would cry when I would hold him when he was a baby. I was only like eleven or twelve so that scared me.
"Hey, Bubba," I say and smile at him before planting a kiss on his forehead.
"All we need to do is just love him as much as our heart desire, okay?" Mom asks all of us and we nod. "Good, now let's have an amazing Thanksgiving."
The front door opens just as those words are said and I watch as Andrea, Aunt Bella, my mom's sister, Uncle Ron, her husband, Lewis, Uncle Jordan, my mom's brother, Aunt Wendy, his wife, Uncle Weston, my dads brother, Uncle Frank, my dad's brother, Aunt Regina, his wife, Uncle Elton,my dad's brother, Aunt Kendall, his wife, Becky, Maria, Danny, and Iris.
I swear this family travels in packs.
I put down Chance who runs and hugs Iris who's his age. I grin and hug Andrea and she twirls me around
"Ugh, I've missed you so much," she says and pulls away from me.
"I have too, but we have a lot of catching up to do..." I say trailing off.
Someone's arms snake around my waist and kiss my cheek and I smile. "Hey, Red."
"You've got to be shitting me," Andrea says grinning. "Noah Reed?"
"Andrea Somers," Noah says and smiles.
"What are you doing here?" she asks.
"Well for starters I moved here," He says holding me in front of him. "Then I met this pretty lady. It took a while but at some point, we went out and now here we are."
"He's the guy from the ball," i whisper to her and smile.
"You're joking!" she yells. "That's so cute."
I laugh and bury myself farther into Noah. "Guess its meant to be, huh?"
"You guess?" Noah asks. "I know we are."
"Oh, do you really?" I ask in a teasing tone
"Yes, I do," he whispers and just as he's about to kiss me, someone interrupts.
"Jaclynn!" I hear Dani, Johnny's girlfriend squeal and hug me tight.
"Dani, I'm so glad you could come," I say and smile at her.
"Thank you so much for inviting Johnny and I. It's such an honor," she says and pulls Johnny over from talking with Derek and Lauren.
"Well if it isn't little J, the girl who stole my brother's heart," Johnny says.
"Hey, Johnny," I say and he pulls me into a hug.
"Thanks for having us. Your brother is pretty cool," he says pointing in the direction of Lauren and Derek who are talking to my Aunt and Uncle now.
"Oh my goodness, I went to school with Lauren. She was my best friend in middle-school," Dani says. "Lauren?"
Lauren turns around and smiles. "Dani Sanchez?"
They go and queal and catch up and whatever. I see Dee walk in and when she sees me with Noah she winks at me and goes and plants a kiss on Ricky's lips. My mouth falls open and she smirks at me and I give her a thumbs up. I love Dee.
So apparently all of my brothers have girlfriends. Even the twins which seemed hard to believe. Go figure that they're another set of twins.
Well, all head into the dining room where there are three separate tables set up each one with seating cards. There's the kid's table which I'm so glad I don't have to sit there. My aunts, uncles, grandparents, and parents all sit at the medium table and the twins and up sit at the biggest table. Basically the cool table. Dinner is perfect and so is Thanksgiving.
***
The trial was yesterday. I had to see Dennis again. I nearly threw up when I was testifying. It was rough hearing all of those girls have similar stories to mine. Leah was there to hold my hand through it al whenever she could. When I was testifying I almost didn't say anything. I almost just kept it to myself and not get Dennis arrested. My head was filled with so many thoughts. the main one being what if we lost the case? Then Dennis would be pressed with no chargers and he would be out on the streets doing god knows what to poor girls out there like me and he would come after me for nearly ruining his football career and reputation. But then I saw Noah from across the room. He was sitting there listening to every word that came out of my mouth so when I stumbled across my words and stopped talking he smiled at me and mouthed that it's okay.
That's the only reason Dennis Sutton is in jail for the next seventy plus years.
I was so ecstatic when it was announced.
Now it's just me and my friends, at night, on the beach, with a bonfire going. It's chilly but not freezing because it is California after all. The music is playing and everyone is with their person wrapped in a blanket.
"Noah, why don't you play your guitar?" Beck asks.
"I don't know..." Noah says rubbing the back of his neck and looking down. I move away from him so I'm facing him and wrap myself up in his hoodie.
"I've never heard you play before. Come on, for me?" I ask pouting my lip.
He looks up at me and his eyes seep into mine. He smiles at me and nods. I clap my hands together and peck him on the lips. He reaches behind him and pulls out his guitar case.
"You guys know so much about each other, but you haven't been dating long. How?" Leah asks.
"Oh, you haven't heard the story," Beck says as his hands comb through Tonya's hair.
"What story?" Leah asks.
"Their story," Lydia says and winks at me and I feel myself blush as Noah tunes his guitar.
"Which is...?"
"Well noah used to live in Idaho," Ray says.
"I have a cousin who lives there. Same town and everything," I chime in.
"My school used to have an annual mascarade ball and I saw her there but had no clue what she looked like or what her name was because we were saving it for midnight," Noah says and looks at me. "Glad to know she's gorgeous."
I smile.
"So they talked for hours and hours learning every last detail about each other," Lydia says.
"But, all good things must come to an end," Tonya says sighing dramatically. "Andrea, Lynn's cousin, grabbed Lynn thirty seconds before midnight and Lynn lost her ring and mask while she was running out the door."
"They thought they'd never see each other again," Jax says in a sappy girl voice and i throw sand at him and he laughs.
"But I found her," Noah says. "I knew it by her smile."
I laugh and shake my head gazing up at the stars.
"And that laugh. It's better than any song could compare," he says.
"That's how you have the perfect couple," Beck says.
"That's adorable," Leah gushes. "You guys are going to end up being high school sweethearts or something,"
"Yeah," I say gazing at Noah. "Or something."
He smirks at me. "It's for you."
I smile and watch him as the perfect harmony of chords are played. I recognize the song immediately. It's my favorite one and he knows it.
"You're an angel in disguise
When you color your eyes.
But angels don't need covering."
I smile at him and I can hear Lydia whispering about how cute this is.
"You're a princess, you're a queen
You don't need finer things
But I'll buy you diamond rings just because."
"'Cause you break the rules of beautiful
So stay with me for a minute more
No need to fix what's beautiful, you're beautiful."
I bite my lip to keep myself from crying and tilt m head to the side and watch him as he strums the guitar and looks into my eyes as he sings.
"Like a flower all alone in a field of weeds
You don't need to change you just need to be
The way you were made is just for me
You're beautiful, 'cause you break the rules of beautiful,"
"The rules, as they are, overlook your heart
But we got history that's deeper than these scars.
Oh and I'll take it all, all of your secrets and flaws
You make history by being who you are"
I laugh while my eyes tear up and watching the smile on his face grows gives me more happiness that I can possibly explain.
'"Cause you break the rules of beautiful
So stay with me for a minute more
No need to fix what's beautiful, you're beautiful"
"Like a flower all alone in a field of weeds
You don't need to change you just need to be
The way you were made is just for me
You're beautiful, you break the rules of beautiful
Oh you're beautiful, oh you're beautiful, oh you're beautiful"
"Noah," I say in a quiet voice and wipe my eyes from the tears. This only seems to make him smile wider.
'"Cause you break the rules of beautiful
So stay with me for a minute more
No need to fix what's beautiful, you're beautiful"
"Like a flower all alone in a field of weeds
You don't need to change you just need to be
The way you were made is just for me
You're beautiful you break the rules of beautiful"
"If I re-wrote the rules for beautiful
I would trace you on a page and put it up
So the whole wide world can finally see what's beautiful, you
Break the rules of beautiful"
He stops playing and stands up holding a hand out for me. "You mean more than the world to me."
"I know," I whisper nodding and laugh wiping my eyes again.
He pulls me into a hug and kisses the top of my head swaying me from side to side.
"Oh my fucking god that's so flipping adorable," Lydia says.
"What? I don't do enough for you?" Jax asks.
"Not like that you don't," Lydia mumbles and I laugh at her.
This, is what a perfect moment is.