𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 «Zaylena»

80 ; Revised

A/N: Buckle In Y'all 😅
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Stars Dance
Chapter 80
•••
Jackie's Point of View

ADAM AND I walked out of my dorm room that day hand in hand, to his car. People would probably think we were crazy, maybe that I was crazy for forgiving him and taking him back. The truth was Adam was the first guy ever in my life who has ever tried to make a relationship work.
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Men and came and went in my life, and I collected my feelings compacted them in a safe space in my heart and promised no one would ever see them. They would get me like I got them, no strings attached, a quickie in the back seat, and we'd move on.
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Not him, he tried and he kept trying. He'd be the first one I'd love again since Billie. Suppressing feelings for Adam for months, but I had fallen for him hard. I knew my own destruction and I knew I was capable of, Adam was very much aware of who I was but he accepted all of me while regardless.
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The car came to a stop and we were sitting in a parking lot, shops surrounded us but one of them stood out in particular. We were sitting in front of a jewelry store.
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"Why are we here?" I questioned him.
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He took my hand in his and left tiny pecks on my knuckles. "I want you to know that I'm serious." He says.
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I'll admit I was hesitant, I wanted to be with him of course. However, there were so many things stopping us from getting to this moment. His mom, Annalise? I smiled at him. "Are you sure?" I questioned him.
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"Are you?" He questioned me instead. "I've never been ready for anything more in my life than I am right now, with you." He smiled. "I love you."
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I smile and leaned over to kiss his lips. "I love you too." I assured him.
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We're we crazy? Maybe? But when hasn't my life ever been crazy? From the moment I've had a conscious my life has always been crazy. If I had ever found peace it would be now, in this moment. The post peaceful it's been.
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"Ok let's go." He says.
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"Ok." I smiled.
***
The bell from the door rung and our presence was immediately attended to by one of the men behind the counter. The lights in here were bright, and the rocks in the cases shined brightly. "How can we help you today?" The man in a suit smiled.
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"Hello yes— uh engagement rings?" Adam smiled, I looked down at our hands laced together and he rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. I took in a deep breath and smiled at the man behind the counter.
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"Right this way sir." He motioned us over to a very specific glass case. "Price range? If at all?" He questioned.
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Adam glanced over at me and then at the man. "None—it's whatever she chooses." He said holding a black credit card in his hand and setting it down on top of the glass.
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"Splendid!" The man cheered. "Here is are latest collection, all different shapes, sizes, and colors, if tradition is not your forte miss." He said to me as I leaned over the glass scanning the different options.
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Tradition never really was my forte, in one thing he was right. I leaned over the glass, and eyed every gem. I was overwhelmed at how a rock could hold so much value, there were times at home where my mom had to scrap everything together to put food on the table. Sometimes the fridge would remain empty and I had to find dinner else where.
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Here I stood where everything was being handed to me at no cost. The world was brought to my feet, for once and I didn't have to fight to survive. "That one there." I pointed through the glass.
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I spotted a round once with a big gem, if sparkled brightly under the bright lights of the case. It carried an extra ring. "Oh this is beautiful." The man behind the counter cooed.
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He brought it out and Adam took it from the small ring case. Taking my left hand in his and bringing the ring to my finger and sliding it down to the very end. "To prove to you, that I am serious about loving you for a lifetime." He whispered holding eye contact with me.
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I eyed the ring on my finger, and I'll admit it looked nice on me. "A perfect fit." I smile.
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"Excellent selection and fit, I can bag it up or she's free to wear it purchased." The man added.
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"She'll wear it." Adam said taking the card from the glass and handing it to the jeweler.
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"I'll ring it up, congratulations to you both." He smiled and quickly walked over to the other end towards the cashier, ringing up the gem.
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I eyed the rock on my finger, and then I glanced up at Adam, and wrapped mg arms around his neck. "I love you." I smiled.
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"I love you too." He whispered.
•••
Now here we stood in front of Adam's mother, and the girl I've come to know at Annalise. Who both stared at us in horror. Visible anger was present in Adam's mother face, and Annalise looked like she was going to break in tears any minute.
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"Good evening." Adam broke the silence. My hand latched with his and thumb caressing over my knuckles
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"What hell is she doing here?" His mother exclaimed exclaimed angrily. "I don't want her in my house!"
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"Adam who is she?" Annalise said in a shaky tone. "What is this? What's going on?"
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Zayn appeared next to Selena and James, and he locked eyes with mine, Selena's eyes widen and she brought both of her hands over her mouth. Zayn eyed Selena confused and then spotted the ring on my left hand, and his eyes widen as well.
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"This is my fiancé Jacqueline " He said holding my hand up and kissing it against his lips.
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"Adam but I'm— your" Annalise broke in tears. "We're suppose to get married!" She screamed. "What do you mean she's your fiancé? She can't be your fiancé? I'm standing right here!"
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Oh Annalise was a character, very put together girl, pear earrings and matching necklace. Stiletto heels, and skin tight dress, she looked straight out of a 1950's modeling catalog.
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"I don't know what sick game this is, but you will leave my house, and you and I will have a talk." His mother said angrily pointing at me and glancing at Adam right after.
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"This cannot be happening." Annalise cried sitting down on the sofa.
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"This isn't a game mom, this is what's happening right now." Adam defended. "I love her, and I will marry her with or without your approval." Adam defend.
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"You're give me an ultimatum? No, no, no Adam, we have been planning this for months, your fathers good earn money is going into this—" His mother explained.
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"Well? Dad are you oppose to Jackie and I?" He turned his attention to his father who stood across the room and approached the situation as Zayn and Selena followed behind.
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He took a deep breath. "While I don't think doing it like this is the right way, I'm not oppose of it." James admitted. "He loves her darling, what am I suppose to oppose to?"
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Adam's mother looked at James in disbelief. "You approve of this? This is who you want your son to marry?" She pointed at me in disgust. "What did you do to him? What did you—" His mother approached me and pulled at my arm.
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"With all of respect ma'am." I pulled myself away from her. "Nothing that he didn't want me to, to save you details." I bit back.
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"Oh my god, and you had sex with her?" Annalise gasped.
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"Annalise maybe if I loved you once, it didn't go past a childhood crush." Adam admitted. "I don't love you. I'm sorry."
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"I traveled countries for you! Adam, I we— talked night after night— we—" Anna explained.
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"I wish there was another way, but she left me no other choice." He glanced over at his mother.
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"James do something about this, James— I mean it." His mother pointed at Adam and I. "Who are you? You're not my son? I didn't raise you this way!" She exclaimed. "You don't love her" She eyed me and chuckled. "How could you possibly love her? She has nothing to give you!"
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"My hands are tied Lauren—" James lifted his shoulders defeated.
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"You're hands are tied? Your son's possibly about to make the worst mistake of this life— with this— floosy!" She says to me in disgust.
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I took im a deep breath. So help me god. "Mother!" Adam exclaimed. "Enough!"
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"James, get your wife I swear to god—" I finally spoke out.
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"And you know this girl?" His mother eyed James shocked his name came from my mouth. "Answer me? You know this girl?" She demanded. "Is that why your hands are tied?"
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"What is going on?" Annalise exclaimed.
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"Jackie—" James scolded me, and I rolled my eyes.
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"James I've forgiven you for many things—many things—" Adam's mom begins. "From accepting your estranged wife's children, building a relationship with your lawless estranged son? Inviting them into my home—"
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Zayn stepped forward. "Woah there Lauren— lawless?"
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"Lauren do not say anything you are going to regret!" James exclaimed.
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"You think meeting you at her house was a coincidence?" She said pointed at Selena. "No! You think this dinner didn't come with ultimatums? You're here because I allowed it!" Adam's mother exclaimed and Zayn glanced at his father. "If it were up to me, Adam would've never gone to college here, he'd be back home in California marrying Annalise right now! Meeting you was a mistake!" She spat at me.
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"So you're a fucking liar!" Zayn exclaimed. "You would have never  approached me if your partner didn't loosen your chains a little bit?" Zayn bit. "Fuck you!" He through at his father.
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"Is that true?" Adam questioned James.
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"No, no it's not!" James defended. "You have no right to martyr my children Lauren! They're my children I won't allow you to ridicule them." James defended. "If you must know, I know Jackie because she is Zayn's best friend and I pay for her education." He explains. "She is here on my own account, and I am in great debt to her, for allowing me to begin conversation with Zayn, sometime ago." He explains. "She's like another daughter me." He says proudly.
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"Oh my god." Adam's mother covers her mouth. "Then why didn't you stayed married to your estranged wife? You still provide for your other kids, and for his charity case!" She points at me.
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"Mom if you keep going on like this, you're going to end up pushing away people that love you." Adam warned her. "Including me." He said. "You're not a good person mom." He admitted.
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"I think I will!" James exclaimed.
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"What?" Zayn and I exclaimed in unison.
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"I know this comes as a surprise to you right now son." He looked over at Adam. "But Lauren you and I haven't spent enough time with each other lately since our son's been here in college." He admitted. "I'm sorry." He added. "I realized that maybe I still love your mother." He turned his attention to Zayn.
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"Oh my god." Lauren said in disbelief. "Figures, why you never signed divorce papers, to marry me." She was putting it all together.
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"I'm sorry but her home, my daughters small business is all under my name and I pay for my youngest daughters schooling." He explained. "I could never drop them out of my life, you knew that from the beginning Lauren— and son I know, if this makes you feel any type of way, we can talk about this, but please know that I'll never stop supporting you, or your dreams, you're still my son."
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"You can't spit this out— does my mum have any idea about this?" Zayn questioned as Selena stood there in silence.
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"James you can't just don't this, we have son— he's about to get married with this—" She eyes me. "And you're gonna leave me, and leave your son to marry this girl?"
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Adam cleared his throat. "I'll be alright." Adam admitted and I caressed his arm. "It will be like boarding school again, only summer visits. The only time I ever saw you, dad." Adam added. "It doesn't matter if you like what I've decided mom, I'm an adult now, and I'm choosing my own path in life this time, I'm going to marry Jackie because I love her." He glances over at me with a smile.
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"I raised you to be a good son, I raised you! Not him!" She points at James. "How can you be ok with the approval of your father when you said it yourself, was practically never around? Does my opinion mean that little to you? Your mother?" She cried.
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"Adam please listen to your mom, please, we have this whole life ahead of the both of us, you've known me longer than you known this girl!" Annalise pleaded with Adam, talking about me like I wasn't standing in front of her.
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"He's not marrying you." I bit making my presence known and showing off the rock on my finger. "Desperation isn't your look." I added.
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"I wasn't talking to you." She turned her attention to me.
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"I'm talking to you, and he's not fucking marrying you." I defended. "So pack your little bags and head back to the states." I motioned with two fingers. Next thing I knew there was lukewarm tea tossed in my face, and I gasped at the sudden contact. I chuckled and wiped the tea from my eyes. "You fucking bitch." I said under my teeth.
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Anger came over me and I charged towards Annalise and pulled her by the hair. She screamed and I slapped her across the face. Gasps we're heard through the home, and I heard my name being called three times "Jackie, Jackie, Jackie!"
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"Ok that's enough." I heard James and he stepped in between us.
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I felt arms wrap around me and they were Adam's pulling me away from completely destroying Annalise into pieces. I tried, I truly did try to remain civil but everything came crashing down when she threw tea in my face. "Sorry your fucking fairytale of a wedding didn't work out for you, but in this story Ariel doesn't get the Prince, Vanessa does." I exclaimed. "Get a fucking grip, you're delusional!" I exclaim.
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"That's enough, Jaqueline." James silenced me.
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"See, she has you wrapped around your finger! Son! Please open your eyes!" Adam's mother pleaded with her son. "Who talks like that?"
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"Are you ok?" Selena walked over to me with a paper towel and began wiping me down. I nodded my head, and smiled at her.
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"Selena you knew about this too?" Annalise exclaimed in disbelief.
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"Well I—" Selena began to explain. "I didn't think it was any of my business—"
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"You were suppose to be my friend." Annalise cried.
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I scoffed. "Are you listening to yourself? You're fucking delusional." I laughed. "What kind of world do you think you live in?"
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"Jaqueline." James scolded me.
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"Does your mom know you're dating this boy Selena?" Adam's mother took interest in Zayn and her relationship. "Because I wonder if she knew your dating this man's troubled son." She pointed at James about Zayn.
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"My mom is very much aware of it ma'am." Selena said in a calm tone. The most peaceful one out of all of us here. "Lucky for me she isn't like you." Selena defended with a smile.
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"You leave her out of this." Adam defended. "She has nothing to do with whatever this circus of a family is now."
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"Family?" His mother scoffed. "You're fathers leaving me, for his pathetic ex wife— you're marrying this very easy girl—" Lauren recalled tonight's events.
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One thing was me, the name calling, the fighting, getting scolded for saying words out of my mouth that were probably too harsh for others to hear. I've been told all my life that I was too much for guys to handle, I had the mouth of a sailor, but another thing was Zayn's mother.
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Zayn's mother was there for me in my darkest times, she had taken me in as one of her children, when my parents died, fed me, even let me stay under her roof at one point in time when my home life became too much for me to handle, and she was a woman battling her own battles. I would not take that disrespect for Zayn's mother.
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"You leave my mum's name out of your damn mouth, I don't fucking care if your his mother." Zayn defended his mother's absence while pointing at Adam.
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"If you weren't his mom I'd—" I chuckled trying to suppressed my growing anger. "You don't talk about Trisha like that." I defended.
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"Realize the people you'll be aligned with the rest of your life." His mother turns his attention to him Adam. "Your father was never there for you, ever." She begins to explain. "You're going to choose him, over me? I raised you, practically by myself!" She exclaims. "This is the thanks I get for being your mother!"
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"You know what you were getting yourself into when you got with my father!" Adam grew angry. "I didn't ask to be born, I'm a child brought into this world out of wedlock and you're not going to condemn me for already being here!" He exclaimed. "You got with him" Adam points at James. "A man who could barely take care of the family he already had, and you still went and had me, none of this is my fault, and I will not let you keep controlling my life the way you have—"
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Her hand collided with Adam's cheek and she gasped. "I'm sorry— I'm so sorry sweetie!" She immediately apologized.
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"That's enough." James immediately stepped in. "Enough." He said to Adam's mother.
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I quickly brought my hands to Adam's face and caressed his cheeks with my thumbs. "Are you ok?" I whispered to him. He nodded his head.
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"Get away from him!" Annalise pushed me harshly from Adam's grasp and I saw red.
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"That's it—you fucking bitch." I mumbled under my breath and I pushed her back, by her chest. "I don't fight with women over men—but if you really want to fucking have a go at it—" I said angrily.
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Adam stood up and held me back. "Enough Annalise!" He said to her angrily. "I don't love you!" He exclaimed.
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"But we were suppose to be together forever." She cried and I rolled my eyes.
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"Forever is with her." He turned his attention to me and held my hand in his. "I'm sorry it had to be this way Annalise."
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James took a deep breath and looked around pinching the bridge of his nose, I assume trying to collect his thoughts. "I think everyone needs to go home, relax, collect their thoughts, and let this situation cool down." He said.
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"From here on out, nothing will ever be the same James." Adam's mother explained. "I know where I stand in your life, no matter how much I tell him to not marry this girl— he's not going to listen to me." She said defeated.
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"I just wish you'd support me the way you always have, mom." Adam admits. "Why can't you support me now as well? When I'm about to take the most important step my my life?" He questioned.
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"Cause she has trouble written all over her face." She eyed me. "She will leave you when she gets bored of you."
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"I love your son ma'am." I spoke up. "You probably think I'm the worst person your son could've fallen in love with, but I really do love him." I express. "I don't seek your approval, and never will, but note that I will always be in your sons' life, so tolerate me at least." I admitted.
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"Why can't you just be happy for me?" Adam questioned. "I'm your only son."
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His mother stayed silent. "Because your my only son, is which why I want the best for you." She admits. "She is not the best for you." She eyes me before turning her attention back to her son.
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"You do this, and you'll be pushing me away." Adam warns her. "I've chosen you my whole life, now I'm choosing her." He takes my hand in his.
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She stands up straight and proudly. "I hope she was worth it."
•••
That night Adam and I made it back to his flat and he seemed defended. Silent and defended. He sat on the sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose, and taking a deep breath and exhaling. Obviously frustrated.
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I sat beside him, not knowing what to really say. I hadn't gotten this far with my parents. I never experienced a parents disapproval, simple because they died to early.
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"I'm sorry." I broke the silence. "With everything that's happened in the last few hours, I bet you're regretting putting this ring on my finger and I understand if you think this is whole marriage thing between you and I is stupid and you want to go back to your mom—" I rambled on, preparing for the worst to come out of his mouth.
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He looked up at me confused at why was rambling like a sailor on a good fishing day. "What? No, baby— no." He laughed breathlessly.
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"You know I didn't get this whole parents experience thing." I admit to him. "My father wasn't the best of them, and my mother loved me when she had to run away from my fathers abuse." I confess to him. He turned his attention to me and listened attentively. "They died hating each other." I confess. "Even though they could never leave each other."
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"I can't blame your mom either, for acting the way she did." I truly admit.
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"Why do you say that?" He pulled me close to him and I rested my head on his shoulder and wrapped my armys around his waist.
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"Cause your mom at least wants the best for you." I admitted. "Adam I've been walking the streets alone for a long time." I tell him. "There wasn't a home life for me, I lived in chaos every single day of my childhood."
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"I'm so sorry that happened to you." He embraces me.
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"So I understand if maybe this is too crazy for you right now and you want to run after your mom before it's too late." I admit to him. "Cause I know in some way she probably expects just you'll snap back into you senses in these few days and go running to apologize to her and marry that Annalise girl."
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"Baby listen to me." He grabbed both sides of my head and eyed me down. "As much as it hurts me, and I know it hurts my mother, I love you." He smiles. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life." He pecks my lips. "Loosing you isn't an option." He says. "You're everything to me." He smiles. "I'm going to take care of you, the way you were always meant to be." He says. "Because you didn't deserve the life you got." He assured me.
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I smiled and pressed my mouth against his. From that moment I understood him, I understood that we moved together as one. This ring meant something to him, and now it meant something to me, we were one now.
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"I love you." I whispered and kissed him hungrily.
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All my life, all I ever wanted was someone to love me despite the baggage I carried. This facade that I felt life had given me to bare had finally fallen off. For the first time in my life, I was safe. I felt safe.
•••