Into the Crowd. ✔

CHAPTER 17

Two Months Later:

*
There was a noise in the reaching my ears as I crack open my eyes and listened to the breath against my ear.
"Wake up sleepy head." Josh whispers against my cheek and kisses it sweetly.
"Please let me sleep." I mumble, trying to turn back around and burry my head in my pillow, but he kisses the side of my neck, the tender gesture making me weak in the knees even though I was laying down.
"No…You, Vicky and Taylor need to go pick up your dresses." His hands moving up and down my naked waist and thighs.
"Five more minutes." I whimper, soaking in the feeling of his hard hands on my skin. We forget about everything else for a minute as my mouth seeks his. We drew strength from each other as we lazily kiss the minutes away.
"You said that at nine am and its ten now..." He got up from the bed walking over to the balcony doors to open then up, leaving only the white curtains close. I really wanted to take a Saturday to sleep in, but tonight is the BoweHeart foundation gala that took us almost two months to organize. I look at Josh from where I sat. He was standing on the balcony the slight wind in the air breezing through his almost too long hair. He's such a beautiful man, inside and out. He makes me feel like I can do anything. Concur the world. Everything he has done the last two months was for me and Taylor. Always putting us before anything else. The way he loves can only be describe as a miracle. We were put on this earth meant for each other, even though we took the long road. He gave me a child, a beautiful girl that’s fading by the day. He gave me a home filled with laughter and enough love to last a million lifetimes. He bought me back from the dead, literally and figuratively. I silently got dressed and joined him on the balcony where he still stood deep in thought.
"Nervous?" I ask him when I slide in from behind, wrapping my arms around him. My arms were tied around his waist while I lay my head on his shoulder. Always am, but tonight it's going to be different."
"I know, but no matter what happens, we have each other."
"Always." He turns, kissing me softly whispering his love.
"I have to go now, I'm already late. I'll see you tonight."
"Be save." I press a final kiss to his lips before I left.

*

I look up and down the full length mirror. The wine red floor length dress hugged my body like a second skin. I felt alive and beautiful. I turn around looking over my shoulder at the bare back and the slit coming up to mid-thigh. I reached up to pull my hair out of the clip and let it fall down my shoulders and bare back. I could not wait to see the look on Josh's face when he sees me in this dress. I could already feel the jitters so I pulled the curtain aside and stepped out to where Vicky and Taylor were twirling around in their dresses. I heard a gasp coming from one of them.
"Mum!" Taylor stopped spinning, grinning when she saw me in the dress.
"What do you think?" I ask them, taking my turn to slowly twirl in a small circle.
"Mum you look beautiful." Taylor said, tears in her eyes when I finally caught her tired gaze. She rushes over to give me a quick hug and went to sit down.
"Gorgeous Maddie." Vicky says coming closer to inspect the dress. The lace patterns covering my chest screams modest, but the back and slit? Screams sexy and seductress.
"You think your daddy would like it?" I ask were Taylor was sitting, quietly inspecting her own purple dress looking like the princess she is.
"Mum, he only has eyes for you… Always."
"And I know for a fact that he won’t be able to wait to get you out of it, that's for sure." Vicky says, leaning in closer so she could whisper it near my ear.
"Vicky!"
"What?! You know I am right." I have to admit. She would be correct. He always did love me in red. Now that we have our dresses we need to do our nails and hair. After that the makeup and then it was show time. I look back at my reflection in the mirror. The girl standing in front of me now, I haven't seen in ten years. I honestly can't remember the last time I had a dress on, nothing like this. Vicky came and stood behind me, her arms hugging around my shoulders.
"You do look beautiful Maddie. From what I have seen the last three months, you've never been this happy, even though through all the bad news you kept a smile on your face. You've always been like a sister to me and I want to thank you for everything you've ever done for me, even if there were times I didn't deserve it…" She gently lays her chin on my shoulder. I turn around and look at her elegant black slit dress. I smiled at her. Her eyes the exact shade as mine teared up. Her soft blond- curly hair framing her face. She’s indeed like a sister to me.
"You know what? Charlie's not going to be able to keep his eyes off of you.” I say to her reflection.
"What!?" She blushes looking down at her shoes, her tattletale of the shyness she hides beneath her thick skinned attitude.
"You know what I mean. Don't think I don't see the way you two look at each other when you think no one is watching."
"It's- no… you’re wrong." I lift an eyebrow and waited until she looked me in the eyes. I could see the moment she admits defeat.
"Fine! I may have a little, very little-big crush on him."
"Vicky, I know what happened four years ago." For a moment she looked confused then it clicked. A shadow crosses her eyes at the thoughts I knew was running through her mind.
"Who told you?"
"Charlie confessed when Josh found me." She took a step backwards hugging her waist.
"I should've came forward a long time ago. I was stupid and young, I thought I could spare my family’s reputation, when the only family I really should have trusted was you. I wish every day that I could have made it right, to spare you and Josh all the hurt." She looked so sad, hurt about the past. It was stupid, but I can’t blame her for the actions of our family.
"So you and Charlie, no?" She sucked in a deep breath.
"Nothing actually happened between us."