Forever You Read online

  “Harper.” I go to hug her but she backs away.

  “No, my lipstick might get on the dress.” She wipes the tears off her face. “Ignore me. I’m happy for you. I really am. I’ll just miss you.” She sniffles as she approaches me again. “That dress looks so great on you, Jade. You’re getting it, right?”

  “Yeah, I think I am.” I turn to the old lady. “How much is it?”

  “It’s $800 but I know that’s a lot for someone your age so how about $650?”

  I glance around at the tiny dressing room, which could use some fixing up. She doesn’t seem to have much inventory either and given her location, I’m sure she doesn’t get much business.

  “You really helped me out here,” I tell her. “This dress is perfect and now I don’t have to keep looking. You saved me a ton of time so $800 is fine.” It’s so strange to hear myself say that. A few months ago I never would’ve even considered spending $800 on a dress. I still find it hard to spend that much, but it is my wedding dress and I have millions in the bank. Millions. I can’t even believe I have that much money.

  “Then I’ll throw in the shoes for free,” Mitzi says.

  “No, you don’t have to do that,” I insist. “Just add it to the bill.”

  “I always like to give the bride a little something. How about this?”

  She comes over with a hair clip covered in sparkly crystals just like the shoes.

  Harper takes the clip. “Jade, this is exactly what you need for your hair. Remember how I told you I was going to put it up and needed a clip? This is perfect.”

  I smile at Mitzi. “Thank you. But I’ll pay you for it.”

  “Nonsense. It’s my wedding gift to you and the lucky groom.” She pushes her sleeve up and I notice a bright red pincushion attached to her wrist. “Stand up straight. I’ll mark the alterations and then you’re free to go.”

  She tugs at the fabric around the neckline and the waist, placing pins here and there, then kneels down and starts yanking on the bottom of the dress until she figures out where the hem should be. Harper’s giggling off to the side at the odd woman. She’s so tiny and yet I’m kind of scared of her.

  “When should I pick it up?” I ask her.

  “I’ll have it ready in a week. Come get it anytime after that.” She puts one last pin in the hem, then stands up. “Go change.”

  “Can I get a picture quick?” Harper asks.

  Mitzi doesn’t answer as she leaves the room.

  “I don’t think she heard you,” I whisper.

  Harper quickly gets her phone out and takes the photo. She helps me off the wooden platform and unzips my dress and I go back behind the curtain.

  I change into my regular clothes and put the dress back on the hanger and look at it one last time. It’s such a great dress. Garret’s going to love it.

  Before we leave, I pay Mitzi the deposit for the dress. She wraps up the hair clip in some tissue paper and puts the shoes in a box and hands them to me.

  Harper and I tell Mitzi goodbye. Then as soon as we’re outside, Harper hugs me. “You found a dress! A dress you actually like. I think you might even love it!”

  I smile. “Yeah. I do love it. It’s perfect.”

  Finding that store. Finding the dress. It’s like it was meant to be.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  4

  “I can’t believe you found the perfect dress!” Harper squeals. “In this tiny town! How crazy is that? This place isn’t even on the main road. And how did that woman know what type of dress you’d like? I swear she’s a psychic, Jade.”

  “Get in the car,” I say, laughing as I drag her over to it. “We need to head back. The guys are probably wondering where we are.”

  Just as I say it, my phone rings and I answer it as I step in the car. “Hey, Garret. We’re heading back. We’re about a half hour away.”

  “So that must mean you found a dress.”

  “Yeah, I found one.”

  “Are you serious? I was kidding. I didn’t think you’d find one after just one day of shopping. You must’ve just picked one to get it over with. You don’t like it, do you?”

  “Actually I found one I really like.” I glance over at Harper. “In fact, I might even say it’s the perfect dress.”

  “It’s totally perfect,” Harper yells at the phone. “You’re going to love it, Garret.”

  “Harper’s a little excited about it,” I say to Garret.

  “It sounds like you are, too.”

  “Maybe a little. Anyway, how was your day?”

  “I want to hear about this dress. What’s it look like?”

  “I can’t tell you. You have to wait until our wedding. So when did you guys get done surfing?”

  “I came in around 4. Sean stayed out there. I don’t know what time he came back.”

  “Why didn’t you stay out there with him?”

  “I got a little scraped up today.”

  “Garret, what did you do? How bad is it?”

  “It’s nothing. I should go tell Sean when you guys will be back. I think he already started dinner.”

  “Okay, see you soon.” We hang up and I notice Harper glancing over at me. “What?”

  “You should’ve seen your face when you told him about the dress. It’s almost the same look you get when you talk about Garret, so I know you love it. I’m so happy for you.”

  I notice myself smiling in the side mirror. I’ve been smiling a lot lately. “So you think you’ll marry Sean someday?”

  She shrugs. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

  “Why? He totally loves you. And you love him, right?”

  “Yeah, but—” She hesitates. “It’s not the type of love you and Garret have. And I want that type of love. I don’t want to settle for anything less than that.”

  “What do you mean? I didn’t know there were types of love. I mean, you either love Sean or you don’t.”

  “I do love him, but I don’t know, it’s different. I see you and Garret together and it’s like I can almost feel the love coming off you two. You seem meant for each other. Like a perfect match. I don’t know how to explain it, but I want what you guys have, and I don’t think I have that with Sean, which is depressing because I really don’t want to break up with him.”

  “Wait. You’re thinking of breaking up with Sean?”

  “No.” She sighs. “I mean, I’ve thought about it, but it’s not like I want to.”

  “Harper, you can’t break up with Sean. You guys are great together. And he really loves you.”

  “I know. And I love him, too. Just not the way you love Garret. And that makes me think that maybe I shouldn’t be with him.”

  “You need to give it more time. Garret and I have just been through a lot of stuff together and I think that brought us closer.”

  “What stuff?”

  I stop to think of what to say. I can’t tell her even half of the stuff Garret and I have been through.

  “Well, he lied to me when we first met, so we had to get through that. And then his dad kept trying to break us apart and then Frank was sick and then there was that whole thing with the reality show.”

  “Yeah, you guys have been through a lot. I see how that could strengthen your relationship. Maybe you’re right. I probably just need to give Sean and me more time.”

  I’m trying to make her feel better, but I really don’t understand what she means. I know she loves Sean and I know he loves her, so I don’t know why she’s saying this stuff. It’s like she’s trying to convince herself that she doesn’t love him as much as she really does.

  Even if there are different types of love, it’s still love. And every relationship is different. Her love for Sean doesn’t have to be the same as the love I have for Garret. I don’t know why she thinks it does.

  I’m not even sure how I’d describe the love Garret and I have, other than that it’s the type of love that is so pure and so real that I used to think love like that didn’t exist. Bu
t then I found it. At the age of 19. It’s not at all what I would’ve planned but you can’t always pick the timeline in life. I definitely didn’t think I’d get married at 19, which most people would say is way too young and a bad idea and will only lead to divorce.

  In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what Frank and Ryan were thinking when I told them the news back in May. I considered flying back to Iowa to tell them in person but then I changed my mind and decided to tell them over the phone. I didn’t want to see their reaction because I knew they’d be disappointed.

  And they were. I could hear it in their voices once they finally spoke after the initial shock subsided. Frank tried to act happy for me, and actually I think he was okay with the engagement. He just didn’t like the wedding date. He kept asking me why the wedding had to be this summer instead of next summer, or after I graduated from college, which was his preferred timing.

  Then Ryan complained because the wedding’s the same weekend in July that his girlfriend, Chloe, will be out of town. She and her friends are going to Jamaica for a week, a trip they’ve been planning for a year and have already paid for. So he’ll be dateless at the wedding.

  Now that a month has past, Frank and Ryan have accepted that I’m getting married, but they’re still not thrilled with the timing of the wedding. They keep dropping hints about postponing it a year or two and I just listen and don’t say anything.

  I’ve talked to Garret about this and we agreed that we can’t set our wedding date based on what makes everyone else happy. We have to do what makes us happy and what feels right for us. And getting married this summer feels like the right thing to to. Since the moment Garret proposed I haven’t even questioned my decision to marry him, or the timing of it. When I think about marrying him, I have zero doubts.

  When we told Garret’s dad about our engagement, he was thrilled. Garret and I told him together via an online video chat so I actually saw his dad’s expression. He looked really happy and he had no problem with us getting married this summer. I was a little surprised at his reaction, but also relieved. Given all the trouble he gave Garret and me last year, part of me feared he might try to forbid us from getting married.

  I shouldn’t think that way anymore because Pearce has changed a lot from when I first met him. He’s now very supportive of my relationship with Garret. He’s one of the few people who knows what went on last spring and I think that’s why he understands why Garret and I don’t want a long engagement.

  I’ve actually come to really like Pearce, and even respect some of the decisions he made last year. I may not have liked his decisions, but I know that he made those decisions because he was trying to protect his son while also protecting me. He’s a good dad, and although he probably could’ve handled some things a little better the past year, he did the best he could given the circumstances.

  Garret still doesn’t always get along with his dad, but things are definitely better between them. They have a long history of not getting along so it’ll take time for them to rebuild the good relationship they had before Garret’s mom died.

  I’ve been so deep in thought that I didn’t even notice that Harper hasn’t spoken the entire drive back. She never goes this long without talking.

  “Harper, are you okay? You want to talk about anything?”

  “I’m okay. I’m just tired.” She seems lost in her thoughts so I leave her alone.

  When we get home I put my stuff away, then wait on the deck for Garret. Sean said he went to the grocery store and would be back in a few minutes. I hang over the railing and gaze out at the ocean. I never get tired of this view.

  I hear Harper laughing and look over and see her giving Sean a huge hug. They’re out on their deck and Sean’s cooking something on the grill. He hugs her back and kisses her, and as I watch them I can see that Sean really does love Harper the way Garret loves me. I can tell by the way he looks at her. And I know deep down that Harper loves him just as much. So why is she talking about breaking up with him? Why would she even be thinking about it? She’s so happy with Sean. Her face lights up whenever she sees him. I don’t understand what’s going on with her.

  “Hey.” Garret grabs me from behind. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing.” I spin around to face him. My stomach gets fluttery whenever I see him, especially when we’ve been apart all day. I used to scold myself for reacting that way, but now I like it. It just shows how much I love him and how much he still excites me. I hope that feeling never goes away.

  “You seemed like you were deep in thought.”

  “Nope. I was just trying to see what Sean was cooking.”

  “Steaks. He had them in some type of marinade all day. I just ran to the store and got some peppers to throw on the grill. We’re having steak fajitas.”

  “I’m starving so that sounds really good.”

  If Harper breaks up with Sean, she’s going to miss out on some great meals. Since being with him she’s had her own personal chef who makes her whatever she wants.

  “I missed you today.” Garret draws me closer and presses his soft lips to mine. It gets me all tingly inside. Again, it used to concern me that I reacted this way. I mean, come on. I should be able to control the effect he has on me, right? You’d think so, but my body disagrees. It goes crazy whenever he kisses me, touches me. Basically, it goes crazy whenever he does anything to me.

  “So tell me what you did to yourself out there.”

  “I just scraped against the sand.” He steps back and lifts his shirt up. There’s a big patch of red along his side.

  “Garret, that looks horrible. Are you okay?” I run my hand near it, making sure not to touch it. “Did you put anything on it?”

  “I don’t need anything. It’ll heal on its own.”

  “Get inside. I’m putting something on that.” I drag him inside and up the stairs to our room.

  “Jade, really. It’s nothing.”

  “Just wait there on the bed.”

  I go in the bathroom and search through the drawers. “I’m sure we have something in here.” But after looking in every drawer, I realize that we don’t. I go back to the bedroom and sit beside him. “Sorry. I guess we don’t have anything. I’ll go to the store and get something.”

  “You know what would make it better?” He eases me down on the bed.

  “What?”

  “This.” He kisses me, softly at first, then deeper as his tongue goes past my lips. I gently lift his shirt up and take it off. Within a minute we’re both naked and doing it for the third time today. I know it’s probably too much, but damn he feels good. I can’t seem to get enough of him.

  “You feel better now?” I ask when we’re done.

  “Much,” he says, running his hand along my skin.

  His touch is so addictive. I want him to continue touching me, but I’m sure dinner is done and Harper and Sean are waiting for us out on the deck.

  “We need to get to dinner.” I scoot off the bed and grab my clothes.

  He gets up and puts his shorts on. “After dinner you’re all mine. Just you and me.”

  “Garret, I think we’ve done it enough today. I’m starting to get sore.”

  He laughs. “I wasn’t talking about sex. I just want to watch a movie and hang out on the couch with you.”

  “We do that all the time.”

  “No, we don’t. We’re always with Sean and Harper. I just want you tonight.”

  I guess we have been spending all our time with Sean and Harper. Maybe that’s why Harper isn’t feeling more in love with Sean. She doesn’t get much alone time with him when Garret and I are always over there.

  We go outside and as expected, Harper and Sean are waiting for us at the table.

  “Sorry we’re late.” I take a seat next to Harper.

  She gives me a smile that says she knows why we’re late. “It’s okay. We just sat down.”

  “It looks delicious,” I tell Sean, eyeing the fajitas.


  “Thanks. It was easy. And it’s one of Harper’s favorite meals.” He leans over and kisses her.

  Yeah, he’s definitely in love with her. She better not break up with him. He’d be totally crushed.

  After dinner, I tell Harper that Garret and I want to hang out alone tonight and she’s totally cool with it. She was feeling the same way. She wanted some alone time with Sean, too.

  Garret and I find a movie to watch on TV and snuggle on the couch. Any other person our age might say it’s boring, but to me it’s not at all. I like going out, but sometimes staying in is better.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  5

  The next day Harper and I go shopping again, this time for her bridesmaid dress and to find a dress for Lilly. We go back to some of the same bridal shops we went to yesterday.

  I let Harper pick out her dress because I always hear that bridesmaids never like the dress the bride picks out so I decided to let Harper get whatever she wants. Besides, I have no idea what she should wear. I was lucky I found a dress for myself that I liked.

  After we find a dress for Harper, we search for one for Lilly. It’s more fun looking for dresses for her. They all look cute so it’s hard to decide, but we finally just pick one. I’m sure Katherine will hate it but she’d hate anything I pick so it’s no use trying to find something she’d like.

  On Friday, the weather is cloudy for a change and a light drizzle is falling. Harper says she has errands to run, so she goes into town and I stay home and try to write my vows. Garret and Sean don’t want to surf in the bad weather, so Garret stays home with me and Sean takes an extra shift at the restaurant since he can’t work this weekend.

  Tomorrow the four of us are going to LA for a party that Harper’s parents are hosting. At first I was worried about having Garret in a town full of paparazzi, but we’re going directly to Harper’s house in Malibu so we shouldn’t encounter any photographers.

  Harper really wants me to meet her family. She talks about them all the time, especially her sisters. Even though I’ve never met her parents, I invited them to the wedding because her dad helped Garret and me get into that college on short notice. I didn’t think her parents would accept the invitation since they don’t know me, but they did, so they’re coming.