I didn’t know if it was the low romantic lighting or the soft music in the background, but the kiss was everything I imagined a first kiss to be. The butterflies danced in my stomach and electric pulses ran down my arms as I felt him pull me closer to him. When he licked the bottom of my lower lip, I let out a small moan, enjoying the feeling he was putting my body through.
Finally pulling away from one another, he whispered in my ear, “I think I just stole your first kiss.” Which ruined the romantic moment we just had with the laughter in his voice.
I knew he was right though about the kiss, but I couldn’t think of a better way for it to play out. “Well, you are my husband after all. I think you have the right to kiss me when you want,” I replied, giving him my own little smirk which made his laugher stop.
“What happened to this being a fake marriage?” he asked.
“Even though it is, they don’t know that. We’re just showing them we’re a young happy couple.” I laughed.
He then leaned down to give me another small peck with a smile across his face. “Come on. Let’s go take a walk to the beach.” He pulled me away from the dance floor. Before we were out of the room, I turned and took one last look at my father, his head down while Mr. Mitchell patted his back. I knew I had hurt him this evening, but he needed to know I wasn’t that same little ten-year-old girl he left behind.
As we walked down the beach with the stars shining above us, I felt peace come over me. Even though my evening was filled with drama, this was still a magical night. Brandon didn’t say anything as we both walked barefoot in the sand, just enjoy the quietness of the night. Somehow I felt like we had crossed a threshold in our marriage, but I wasn’t going to think too much of it. I looked at the full moon above us, feeling thankful for having Brandon in my life now.
“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” I heard someone say. Brandon stopped in our tracks and gripped my hand a little tighter than usual before turning us around. When I saw my stepfather there with an unknown man, I felt my peace wash away into the ocean and brought out the fear that I was trying to escape from.
I looked over at Brandon to see the rage was back in his eyes as he watched the unknown man standing in front of us. “Hello, Greg.”
“Now is that any way to talk to your father, boy?”
I looked over at Brandon, wondering what this strange man meant by father. Was this man, who was standing next to my step-father, the same person who had shown his mother the same kind of abuse I was given? Brandon didn’t tell me what became of the man, but I just figured he was in jail for putting his mother in the hospital, but it seemed I was wrong.
Even in the dim lighting coming from the reception, I could make out his dark hair and ice-cold stare he was giving us. When his eyes landed on me, a spiteful grin appeared across his face. “I must say, son, you sure do know how to pick them. Too bad this one isn’t meant for you to keep.”
Brandon pulled me behind him, blocking my view of the two older men. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked with fury in his voice.
“Sorry, son, but that’s classified information,” his father told him laughingly. “How about you hand over the girl and we will be on our merry little way?”
“Or how about you both go to hell?!” Brandon counteracted, suddenly taking a step backwards that had me almost falling onto the sand. I looked up to see Brandon still looking at the two men, who were now watching me as I stood back up and hid behind my husband.
“Look, son, we don’t want any problems,” the man spoke again. “Just hand over the girl, so we can take her and let our master do with her as he pleases.”
“Not going to happen. I know what kind of men you both are, so there’s no telling what kind of person this guy is who wants her.” Brandon wrapped an arm behind me to make sure I was in place as he keep walking backwards to the area the wedding was being held. “What does he want Kami for, anyway?”
“That’s none of your concern,” my stepfather finally spoke up. “I’ve been in charge of that girl for the past ten years and I was about to finish the job when you had to butt in.”
“You mean when you tried to rape her?” Brandon yelled. I could tell now that he was angry with the way his back stiffened and his other hand balled up in a fist. “I think you should go before I make you leave.”
“Make me,” his father challenged. “I would love to see what my little boy has grown up to be.” The man laughed, and I felt Brandon release me, knowing that at any moment he was going to charge at one of these guys. I’ve seen Brandon fight off one guy, but never two, making me worry about his safety now.
When I looked up and saw him tackle my stepfather into the sand, I turned to see the other man looking at me with a playful smile on his lips, before turning back to the fight at hand. I kept my eye on the man, but I saw a small glimpse of Brandon on top of my stepfather punching him in the face. The other man picked a rock, and I let out a scream, making Brandon turn to face me, but the rock connected to the side of his head.
I watched as his body fell to the ground in a state of unconsciousness. My only thought was to run. The man helped my stepfather up to his feet and they both turned to me with wicked grins dancing on their face.
“Now it’s time to collect what we came here for.”
Fear enveloped my body as I turned and ran back to the wedding with hope that someone would see and help me and get Brandon the medical attention he needed. As I ran, I screamed at the top of my lungs for help, waiting for someone to overhear me above the music. But no one heard me. I was tackled to the ground moments later.
“Shut up, you little bitch,” my stepfather said from above me, and I felt my dress slowly being raised. “I’m going to finish what I started that night, before taking you to the man who wants to see your life drain from your eyes.”
All I could do was cry. Was this what fate brought upon me? I began to see darkness behind my eyes and I barely heard someone screaming, “Get the hell off her!”
11
I slowly opened my eyes and took in the beeping sound and the white walls around me. There wasn’t anyone else in the room, making me wonder how I got in the hospital. The last thing I remembered was walking along the beach with Brandon and enjoying the night.
The heart monitor started beeping at a rapid pace as I sat up, looking around the room for any sign of the boy who promised to protect me. He would know why I was here and what happened, but where could he be?
The door busted open and a woman dressed in a nurse uniform was standing there with a look of relief over her face. “Thank God you’re awake. Let me go get the doctor so he can tell your family, Miss Van,” she said before shutting the door behind her. I just sat there wondering why she had called me by my old surname and not my married one. Did something happen to Brandon? Why wasn’t he in the room with me?
Before I could fully comprehend what the nurse had said, a man wearing a white coat walked in with the same nurse from earlier. As he looked over a clipboard at some papers, the nurse walked over to check the medication. The doctor looked up, giving me a fake smile. “Well, Miss Van, how are you feeling?”
“Confused,” I said, looking around the room again. “Where is my husband?”
“Husband?” he repeated, looking over at the nurse how just pointed to the wall behind me. “Oh, the young man you were bought in with? He’s still sleeping in the room next to you.”
“Sleeping? What do you mean he’s sleeping? What happened? Why are we here? How long have we been here?”
“I’m not sure what happened to both of you, but from what I understand, you and that boy were attacked on the beach last night. You’ve been here about twelve hours.” He looked back down at the clipboard. “Let me go get your father and maybe that will help shed some light on your questions.” Then the nurse took some vitals as I sat there still lost on what was happening before they both walked out.
It felt as though as soon as the door closed, it
was slammed open with my father walking in. The feeling of abandonment washed back over to me, making me feel confused as to why he was here. I took in his tux that was now all wrinkled as if he had been sleeping in it all night. “Kami,” he spoke with uncertainty in his voice, as he stepped closer to the bed. “What happened on the beach?”
I looked at this man, dumbfounded. How did he expect me to tell him what happened if I couldn’t remember? “I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I remembered was walking on the beach with Brandon and waking up in this room, so how about you tell me why I’m here?”
Looking into the stone-cold blue eyes, I thought back when I was little and how he always had the same look when I spent the weekends with him. He never seemed happy, but always distant, not the loving father a little girl should have. I was too young to notice this before he disappeared, but now that I was able to reflect back, I could tell this man didn’t really love me.
“We heard screaming coming from outside and when we ran out, we saw some guys attacking you and that trouble boy you were with.”
“Did you catch the guys who attacked us?” I asked, trying hard to think about what happened on the beach during our walk, but I only remembered feeling at peace. “What happened to Brandon?
“That boy was found unconscious and they are monitoring him in the next room. It looked as if one of the guys hit him in the head with a rock, causing a small concussion, which was what happened to you as well,” he answered as he sat down in a chair against the wall. “The guys ran off before we could get to you though, so they’re still running around free. Unless you remember who they were we can have the police find them.”
“I don’t remember any of this,” I answered, looking around the room not wanting to be in here anymore. I swung my legs off the bed and pulled the heart monitor off, making the machine go haywire.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked, getting to his feet. “Lie back down and rest. The doctor didn’t give you the permission to get out of bed.”
“How about you not tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I’m eighteen years old, an adult now, so you have no say over my life anymore,” I angrily replied, grabbing the IV bag off the hook. “I’m going to find my husband, so how about you leave me alone?”
“Husband!” he yelled. “Kami, I will not have you married to a guy like that. That guy is nothing but a trouble child, who’s probably on a fast track to prison.”
“I don’t care what you think about Brandon. He’s my husband and there’s nothing you can do about it,” I yelled back. “Now please move. I want to find my husband.”
“No,” was all he was able to say before the nurse walked back in the room and saw me standing up, having a face off with my father. When he noticed her, he gave her a smirk, showing that he was about to win the battle. “Will you please tell her to get back in that damn bed?”
“No! I want to see my husband!” I repeated, stomping my foot in frustration. “I don’t give a damn what you want me to do. I need to make sure Brandon’s all right.”
When the nurse turned off the machine, I became aware of her laugher, confusing me about what was so funny about the situation at hand.
Then I heard his voice out in the hall. “I don’t give a damn about your protocols. Where’s my wife?”
A smile washed over my face, realizing he was feeling the same way I was at the moment. It warmed my heart to know that he really did care about me and that he was willing to cause more trouble for the nurse and doctor just to see me.
“As you can see, we’re handling the same problem in the other room. He woke up about the same time you did and wouldn’t talk to the doctor till he made sure you’re all right.” The nurse laughed again as she walked to the door and opened it. “Mr. Mitchell, please let go of Shane’s collar. She’s in here.”
I laughed, thinking how he probably had that defenseless nurse pushed up against the wall, screaming in his face, about to punch him if he didn’t give him what he wanted. He looked relieved when he saw me and took big steps till he was in front of me. When I was pulled into the embrace of my safe haven, I knew this was where I belonged.
“Thank God you’re okay. Are you hurt anywhere?” I heard him whisper in my ear, pulling me closer to him.
“Just a minor headache, but nothing I can’t handle,” I answered as I wrapped my arms around his waist and lay my head against his chest. In his arms, I felt the safety and protection I have longed to feel. I couldn’t remember the last time I was totally cared for, even by my father who was still standing there. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now that I know you’re okay,” he said as he let me go and gave me a warm smile. “Waking up in that hospital bed and not seeing you scared me. Then when that dumbass of a doctor acted like he didn’t understand I wanted to see my wife, it only pissed me off.”
I was so happy to hear how worried he became over me in just a short amount of time and it was pleasant knowing he was keeping his vow to keep me safe.
“They did the same thing to me,” I told him as I looked into his eyes. “They said you were just some boy I was found with. Didn’t your parents at least tell them that we were married?” I asked, looking over at my father who was giving us both a deathly glare. “Unless you had something to do with this?”
It was only then that Brandon noticed my father in the room. “You! What the hell are you doing in my wife’s room? Get the hell out!” he yelled, stepping away from me as though ready to pounce at my father. “I frankly don’t like you for the shit you’ve done to Kami, so I think its best that you disappear and not show up again.”
I watched as my father gave Brandon an annoying little smirk. “I’m her father, so I’ll be sticking around for a while. I’ve heard about what kind of trouble you like to get into, and how you treat young women like play toys, so this marriage doesn’t sit well with me. I think I’ll be getting a hold of my lawyers to see what’s needed to annul this marriage.” Then he walked out before either one of us could say anything.
I turned to Brandon. As though he read my mind, he pulled me back into his embrace and said, “We’re of age, so don’t worry. He can’t do anything to separate us. I promise to keep you safe till graduation and that’s what I plan on doing. At this point I don’t care if it’s for the rest of my life.”
I withdrew from his embrace to look in his eyes. “Brandon, what do you mean?” I asked, wondering what was going through his head at this point. He knew this arrangement was just till school ended so I could get my inheritance then we would go our separate ways.
“Kami, what do you remember from the beach?” he questioned with a worried look in his eyes. “Do you remember who attacked us?”
“No, do you?” I answered back, scared to know what it was I couldn’t remember.
Brandon shook his head. “No, but it’s not good that we both can’t remember. I know the doctor said someone had hit me in the head and gave me a concussion, but I couldn’t recall who it was.”
Something told me he was lying, by the way he kept shifting his eyes back and forth and not looking me in the eye.
“Maybe you should go back to your room and lie down,” I suggested as I stepped back from him to sit back down on my bed. “They told me I had hit my head, which was probably why I couldn’t remember what happened.” I looked down at the ground, trying to think who could have caused this, but came up blank.
“Kami, are you okay? You look a little pale.” There was concern in Brandon’s voice as he knelt in front of me. “What is it?”
“Just trying to remember what happened to us. I think I’m going to rest for a moment, maybe you should do the same,” I answered as the room started to spin a little. I lied down, placing the IV bag on my chest and looking up at the ceiling. Brandon picked up the bag and hooked it back up in the pole.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Doing what I vowed I would do: keeping you safe,” he
simply said and walked to the other side of the bed. “Move over so I can lie down beside you.”
“Brandon, are you crazy? They won’t allow that,” I told him and I sat up and looked at him.
“I don’t care if they won’t allow this. I’m not leaving your side.” He picked me up as he moved onto the hospital bed before placing me down next to him. “Just lay your head on my chest and close your eyes and there will be plenty of room for us.”
Not really in the mood to fight with him anymore, I did as he instructed, feeling his arm wrap around me and pull me to him. I haven’t fallen asleep in Brandon’s arms since that first night when I had that nightmare, but being in them, I felt that nothing could touch me.
12
It was no surprise that when the nurses came in a little later and saw me and Brandon wrapped in each other’s arms, they weren’t happy. They went about how they were against lovemaking in a hospital bed, only for Brandon and I to laugh, thinking about how many people had been caught doing such a thing. As they spoke, Brandon just layed there holding me closer to him, telling them that whatever room I was in he was also going to be in.
When they told us about not following hospital policy, we weren’t pleased. But I didn’t want to take the chance of seeing my father back in the room and causing more problems for us. It seemed he had been the reason why the hospital didn’t know we were married, till Brandon’s parents informed the hospital that we had been married the previous week without my father being aware.
We were finally released from the hospital. Walking into the house, Brandon’s parents let out a deep sigh. “I guess we’ll go start dinner to give you two some alone time,” his mother said as I looked at Brandon, who seemed uneasy about something.
When they walked down the hall, we stood there before Brandon pulled me into the living room, letting out a deep breath. “Kami, we need to talk.”