Chapter 1

He couldn’t believe it.

He just COULDN’T believe it.

Why was this happening to him? 

A heavy sigh sounded from his lips as Ken sat down in his favorite little café, nursing a coffee that was straight black.  He didn’t want anything else, too confused at the moment.  The funeral was done with and all he had left was the words sounding from his grandfather’s lawyer’s mouth.  How could he be the beneficiary?  It didn’t make any sense.  Ken never showed any interest in his grandfather and the stipulations in order to gain that fortune infuriated him.  Why couldn’t his grandfather understand that he didn’t want what he wanted?

‘I have to get married in order to claim ten billion dollars??’ He thought for the umpteenth time, running a hand through his bleach blonde colored hair, and stared down at his black coffee broodingly.  It wasn’t fair.  He should get the fortune without having to get hitched, especially when his choices were very limited.

What was worse about this whole situation was the fact that he couldn’t tell his bride of choice about the fortune until after they were married.  He groaned more, raking both hands through his hair this time, and gripped it harshly.  He was so confused and wanted to kill his deceased grandfather for doing this to him.  Ten billion dollars.  Ken could retire with that money, but he wanted to do it alone.  He didn’t want a gold digging bitch spending it all and he wondered just what in the Hell his grandfather had been thinking when he wrote his will.  His words said that he wanted Ken to be happy and have a family to pass down the generation, but he couldn’t do that if he was with a different girl every holiday.

“Will that be all for you today, sir?” The waitress asked, breaking him out of his deep thoughts about his grandfather, smiling down at him, and Ken just waved her off with his hand, not in the mood to mess with her.  Every single time he walked in this place, the same woman would always serve him.  It was becoming unnerving, but Ken wouldn’t trade coming to this place for the world.  It had the best coffee and fastest service in town.

Though as Ken looked up, watching her walk away, he couldn’t help but notice she had quite the body on her.  Her long, smooth tanned legs looked like they went for miles and a short black skirt hugged her hips nicely.  ‘She’s probably a stripper at night.’ He decided with a snort, finishing his coffee, and looked out the window.

That’s when he saw her.

The most beautiful woman in the world, who always came to the same spot every Friday afternoon, unless it was raining, was in his vision.  He would always watch her.  She captivated him and he didn’t understand why.  She kept to herself, sitting on the far side of the bench, the fountain pouring softly behind her as the wind blew through her hair.  Speaking of, she had gorgeous, flowing brown hair that had natural blonde highlights in it.  When the sun hit it just right, it looked like a chestnut color.  It went down to her waist, pinned up on either side of her hair, and she was wearing that same gray sweater.  No matter how hot it was outside, he always seen her with it on.  As he admired her more, he noticed she was wearing a soft pink and white sundress that went past her knees along with a pair of white Sketcher shoes. 

Before Ken could stop himself, he was up out of his seat, throwing a few bills on the table to pay for his purchase, and walked out the door toward her.  His feet were doing the talking for him and before he knew it, he was sitting right beside her on the bench, just admiring her up close for the first time.  Ken didn’t know what he was thinking, what he was doing.  Hell, he was more than likely losing his damn mind, but he couldn’t stop himself from staring at the gorgeous woman before him.  He wondered what her name was, where she was from, if she lived around here, so many things he wanted to know and yet so little time.

She let out a dreamy sigh, leaning further back against the bench, her nose stuck in a book.  It looked like a cheesy romance novel to Ken, but he didn’t mind.  At least he knew she wasn’t a Virgin Mary or something like that.  She began twirling a strand of hair around her finger, looking thoughtfully sad at the book, and that caused Ken’s heart to lurch in his chest.  He didn’t know why, but seeing this beautiful angel frowning tore at his heart strings. 

“Sad book?” He questioned before he could stop himself, causing her head to lift from the book, and met his eyes for the first time.  He had to learn how to breathe again at the sight of beautiful amber colored orbs mixing with his soft, milk chocolate brown ones.

“Yes.” She simply answered, her voice soft and timid, causing him to smile back at her warmly.  He wasn’t going to hurt her that much she knew, but a person could never be too careful around strangers.

“I noticed.” He replied, that same heart stopping smile on his face, and she was starting to feel uncomfortable as he watched her close her book gently.

“May I help you with something?” She asked, sliding her book back in her bag, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, biting her bottom lip nervously.  “I’m not good with the area, but I’m willing to try…”

Shaking his head, Ken just continued gazing at her, something he wished he could do always, and suddenly found himself asking her, “Marry me.”

She’d just taken a sip of her raspberry Lipton white tea when he said that and spewed it out, coughing as she hit her chest.  Her amber eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at him in shock, blinking several times, and tried to stop coughing as the tears welled up in them.  “W-What?” She finally gasped out, patting her chest even harder, and shook herself mentally.

“Marry me.” He said again, causing her eyes to bug out of the sockets, and immediately stood up from the bench.

“I-I have to go.” She stammered, gathering her things hastily, and sighed when all of her belongings spilled out onto the street.  She went to retrieve them and gaped as the man who just asked her to marry him went after them, moving like a cat, weaving through the cars of traffic like they were nothing.  He returned a few moments later and handed the items to her without saying a word, just that same ridiculous smile.  “Thanks…”

“No problem.  So, what’s your answer?” He asked promptly, not wasting a second, and still couldn’t believe he was doing this.  Hell, the woman was beautiful, seemed smart, and was shy.  The perfect wife for him in his eyes, though nobody was perfect.  She came damn close though.

“Are you stoned?” She bluntly asked, trying to hide a smile when he blinked back at her, and giggled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“No.” He answered promptly, not expecting anything less.

“Drunk?”

“No.”

He was definitely a tricky one, she had to admit that, but that didn’t mean she had to play along in his sick game.  “I’m sorry, I have to go…” She trailed off and began walking down the sidewalk, holding her bag to her chest, her head down.

“Wait, I want an answer!” He called out to her, rushing down the sidewalk.  There was no way he was letting her slip through his fingers, not after what he just asked her.  If he let her go now, he’d never see her again because she probably thought he was a lunatic.  Who could blame her honestly?

“What do you want?” She asked, turning around to face him, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.  No fear shined in her amber eyes though, which confused Ken because any other woman would’ve run for their life.  Then again, this woman wasn’t ordinary.  She was different and that’s one of the reasons why he wanted her as his wife.

“I want an answer.” He replied, staring down into her hypnotic eyes, and could’ve sworn he lost himself in them. 

“Fine, then the answer is no.  Now goodbye.” She then turned on her heel and walked away, though no venom or malice was in her voice.  He frowned back at her and chased again, refusing to let her brush him off this easily. 

“Why not?” He pressed, causing her to groan inwardly, and stopped once again on the sidewalk as she turned around to look back at him.  She had to admit, he had beautiful brown eyes that had flickers of gold in them when the sun hit them just right.  Why she just thought about that was beyond her, but then again, maybe it was fate toying with her again.

“You’re insane.” She stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and had to tear her eyes away from his.  They were just too…interesting to stare into and it scared her that feelings of butterflies fluttering in her stomach were increasing.

“I’ve heard that I can’t tell her how many times.” He told her with a grin, causing her to shake her head in return, and shuffled her feet back and forth.  “What’s the catch?” She asked finally, causing his eyebrow to rise, and knew she’d hit a hard spot. 

“Nothing…” He trailed off, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, and swallowed past the lump that formed in his throat.  He had to keep to the will word for word, which meant under NO circumstances could she know until after they were married.  “Look, am I really THAT bad to look at?”

“That’s not the point.” She replied, sounding incredulous, and Ken had to admit it was adorable.  “Do you realize how crazy this sounds?”

Ken shrugged absentmindedly, not caring one bit if he was sounding crazy because all that was making him that way at the moment was her.  “I’ve heard worse.  I mean, come on, it’s not everyday that a charming, handsome devil like me proposes to a beautiful woman such as yourself?” He asked, his smile turning coy, and sighed when she began walking away from him again.

“And it’s not everyday that an egotistical, self centered guy walks up to me and proposes to me in the silliest way.” She retorted swiftly, causing Ken to gape at her, and that got a small giggle out of her.

“What’s your name?” He asked, raising his hands up in the air when she shot a glare in his direction.  “What?  Is it so bad that I want to know who I’m talking with?”

“You tell me yours first and I’ll THINK about telling you mine.” She replied, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, and Ken wondered what they would feel like against his. 

He’d watched her for the past few months and wanted to talk to her, but he didn’t know what he’d say to her.  Never in a million years did he think he’d be proposing to her.  It was his grandfather’s fault!  He’d given the man a month to find a woman and marry her or else his fortune was going to charity.  Ken REFUSED to allow HIS grandfather’s hard working fortune to go to waste, though he would give a lot of it to charity, and keep the rest for his retirement.  He sighed, knowing he was rushing this, but time was NOT on his side at the moment and it sucked because he really did want to get to know this woman better. 

“It’s Ken.” He answered, breaking out of his thoughts again, and smiled back at her, his hands still shoved in the front pockets of his jeans.

“Justina.” She replied in a soft voice, causing Ken’s heart to melt instantly.  Justina.  What a beautiful name that was.

“Justina…” He purred, the name rolling off his tongue in a fine, soothing caress, and extended his hand to her.  “It fits you.”

“So does yours.” She said, finally showing a genuine smile, needing to have a little more faith in him that he wouldn’t hurt her.  Taking a deep, silent breath, she slid her hand in his and shook it, feeling tingles run up her arm as their eyes locked momentarily.

Ken felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her smile and nodded in response.  “It’s very nice to meet you, Justina.”

“I must say the same about you, Ken.” She said, sliding her hand out of his, and shook her head in response when he went to lean in to potentially kiss her.  “You’re still insane…” She whispered before turning around and began walking away.  Ken was about to go after her again when a voice sounded behind him, causing a groan to escape his lips.  It couldn’t be.

He turned around and his worst nightmare was confirmed.

It was his ex-girlfriend Sheila, who he despised, and did the only thing he could think of.  In lightening quick speed, he had his arm wrapped around Justina’s waist and was whispering sweet nothings into her ear, or pretending too.  “Just go with it, please.” Is what he said, causing her to nod once at him, and giggled, acting like what he was saying was the most important thing in the world. 

She was willing to help him out, but after that, she was gone and he wasn’t following.

Chapter 2

“So this is it, eh?”

Justina sighed heavily as she took her gray sweater off, hanging it on the coat rack, and kicked her shoes off into the closet.  It was near the door, where the biggest pain in the ass stood, staring at her like she was a piece of meat. 

“Yes, this is it and you can leave now.  I’m home, safe and sound and I don’t think she followed us here.” Justina replied vaguely, raking a hand through her hair, and proceeded into the living room.  She was tired.  It’d been a long day for her, especially meeting this strange man who proposed to her.  She thought he was nuts or messed up in the head.  Maybe he escaped from a mental institution.  She didn’t know and, quite honestly, didn’t care to know.

Ken smirked at her, his arms crossed in front of his chest, watching her intently.  “Now why would I want to leave my future bride all by her lonesome?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow, and tried with all his might not to smirk at her when she shot him the deadliest of glares.  If looks could kill, he’d be dead on the ground.

“I am NOT nor will I ever BE your future wife.” She informed him coldly; narrowing her amber eyes narrowed to slits, and raked a hand through her chestnut hair hastily. 

That didn’t phase Ken one bit; he’d actually expected to hear her say it.  “We’ll see.  Hungry?” He asked, already making his way into the kitchen, starved.  He hadn’t been hungry at the diner, especially after speaking with his grandfather’s lawyers about the fortune and stipulation in order to attain it.  Now, he was famished and had a feeling Justina was too.

“You are NOT welcome here, sir.” She once again informed him, standing in the doorway, looking incredulous and unsure of what to do. 

“If I wasn’t, then why did you let me in?” He countered with a smirk, his brown eyes twinkling, liking this little game they were playing.  He didn’t have time for games and he knew it, but at the same time, he couldn’t help, but enjoy watching Justina squirm.  It was very attractive to say the least.  “And the name is Ken if you don’t mind.”

“Ken?” She practically spat out his name, raising a curious eyebrow at him.  He’d told her in the park, but she’d forgotten.  Why would she honestly want to remember this stranger’s name that was invading her private domain?  “Well do tell, where’s Barbie?”

A loud chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled out some hamburger meat from the fridge, shaking his head back at her.  “Right in front of me.” He simply replied, laughing out loud when she gaped at him in shock.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, Barbie, I have a lunch to make both of us.”

“But…”

“No buts now get in there and read something or do whatever it is you do.  Don’t worry; I won’t poison you or anything.” He promised with a smirk, causing her to bite her bottom lip.  She knew it was a joke, but at the same time, she didn’t trust people very easily.  It just came with the territory.

“My name is not Barbie.” She shot back at him, completely ignoring his demands, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “This is MY house and I will choose where I stay and go, thank you very much.”

“Then don’t make those jokes unless you plan on receiving them back.” He replied, smiling back at her charmingly, and proceeded to turn the stove on while opening the packaged hamburger meat. 

Justina just stared at him, wondering why he would propose to her out of every other girl who was out there along with her earlier that day.  It didn’t make sense.  She was plain and knew she wasn’t attractive.  She liked keeping to herself and sighed inwardly.  Her eyes widened when she glanced at the clock, seeing it was a little after three, and cleared her throat.  “I’ll be right back.  You can leave anytime, you know.” She reminded him before disappearing out of the kitchen and into the bathroom.

“I don’t plan on it.” Ken murmured to himself, whistling happily as he proceeded to walk over to the pantry door, and grinned when he found what he was looking for.  He closed the door behind him and walked back over to the stove, getting to work on the meal he was preparing for her, his future wife.

Justina looked in the mirror, sighing heavily when she seen the dark circles beneath her eyes, and shook her head.  She took a deep breath before popping the pills she’d gotten accustomed to taking for the past three years.  Swallowing them down with water, she raked a shaky hand through her hair and wondered how she was going to get rid of Ken.  It wasn’t going to be easy and she wondered if she had the strength to do it.  She was very tired from the walk to the bench that day, hating how little strength she had these days.

Her thoughts were broken when a knock sounded at her front door, causing her head to whip up, and eyes widen.  She immediately rushed out of the bathroom, a surge of adrenaline flowing through her veins, and held her hand up when Ken went to answer it.  She wasn’t surprised by who she saw and smiled genuinely as she was swept up in a massive embrace.  “Hello David.” She softly greeted, finally being lowered to the floor, and groaned when she was hugged again.  “Hey sis.”

Ember grinned at her, taking her turn, and kissed her forehead.  “How are you doing, Jus?” She asked, placing her hands gently on her sister’s shoulders, staring into her amber orbs intently. 

Ember was beautiful with honey blonde hair and intense blue eyes.  They looked alike as far as features went, but when it came down to the hair and eyes, they couldn’t be more different.  Both of their parents were dead, having been murdered in their sleep by a robber.  Their father had blue eyes with chestnut hair while their mother had the amber eyes Justina carried along with honey blonde hair.  It was all natural and both women were beautiful in their own way.

“I’m feeling alright.” Justina replied, sighing when she heard more whistling flow from the kitchen, and smiled shakily at her confused sister and brother-in-law. 

David and Ember met in college and married two years after serious dating.  He had dark, chocolate brown eyes with short black hair, and was very muscular.  He had muscles in places that they probably shouldn’t be, but Justina never thought about that.  David was captain of the football team while Ember was the outsider, a loner.  She never went to parties or anything.  They met in a local bar in town and instantly fell for one another.  Though David had to work VERY hard to acquire her trust and love.  They were total opposites, but then again, they couldn’t have been more perfect for each other, especially since Ember put him in his place when needed.

“Who’s here?” David asked raising a questionable eyebrow, and had a feeling whoever was in her house was not welcome.  He was right.

“Uhh…” Justina stammered, biting her bottom lip, not sure what to say at the moment.  How could she tell her sister the man in her kitchen actually proposed to her earlier that day and refused to leave?  Not to mention he was cooking her a lunch she probably wouldn’t eat!  “His name is Ken.” She sighed out, cringing when her sister crossed her arms in front of her chest.

If there was one thing about Ember that Justina wished would change, it was her over protectiveness.  “Who is Ken and why is he here?” Ember demanded, eyes narrowing, and sighed when she felt her husband’s hands on her shoulders. 

“Calm down, baby.  I’m sure she has a perfectly good explanation.” David assured her softly, his voice low in her ear, and pulled her in his chest, wrapping his arms around her body.

“I don’t know who he is!!  He followed me home, okay?!” Justina was getting sick and tired of not being able to live her life.  Just because of what she had did NOT mean she couldn’t take care of herself.

“Justina?  Everything alright?” Ken called from the kitchen, causing her to sigh heavily, and wrapped her arms around herself.

“It would be better if you would leave.” She replied back, causing a chuckle to flow from the kitchen.  A second later, Ken appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking thoroughly amused.

“Now you know you don’t want that.” Ken assured her, causing Ember to glare back at him, and held his hands up.  “Hey, don’t look at me like that.  She’s the one who won’t give me an answer.”

“An answer to what?” Ember demanded, her temper flaring, and went to take a step forward, only to have her husband pull her back.

He whispered soothingly in her ear, trying to get her to calm down, and knew there had to be a good reason for this.  “What is he talking about, Justina?” He softly asked, feeling his wife trembling with both fear and anger.  Not a good combination by any means, especially when it came to her.

“So you didn’t tell them…” Ken sighed and shook his head that smile still on his lips, and raked a hand through his short, bleach blonde colored hair.  “I’ve asked her to marry me and she refuses to give me an answer.”

“I did give you an answer and its no!” Justina shouted at him, her own temper flaring now, not believing the audacity of this man.

Ken waved her off absentmindedly, chuckling, and looked back at both David and Ember.  “She’s quite the jokester isn’t she?  We’ve been dating for months.” He lied, knowing he had to get them on his side somehow in order for this to work.  He wasn’t leaving unless she agreed to become his wife.

“You have?!” Ember choked out, her eyes wide as saucers, and looked at her sister in shock.

“WHAT?” David roared, finally letting his temper show, and went to lunge for Ken, but was sidestepped with ease.

“We have not!!” Justina cried, not believing what Ken was doing, and held her head in her hands, squeezing the hair between her fingers harshly. 

“Come now, Justina.  We can’t hide how we feel for each other from them any longer.  I know you said it was for the best, but I think our secret is out, babe.” Ken informed her, wanting to walk over and take her in his arms to make these two believe it even more.  Though the look that Ember shot him was enough to make him stop dead in his tracks.

“There’s no way…” Ember trailed off, not sure what to say at the moment, and looked back at her sister.  “So he knows…”

“NO!  He doesn’t know anything!!” Justina cried out harder, tears filling her amber eyes, and whipped around to face this intruder who was trying to ruin her life.  “GET OUT!  I’m NOT marrying you!!  You’re nothing, but a lunatic and…” She suddenly felt lightheaded, pressing a hand to her forehead, and swayed.  Her body stumbled, falling right into Ken’s arms, and closed her eyes tightly shut.  She knew it was the medicine working its way through her body.  “D-Don’t tell him…” She whispered out before finally going limp in his arms, causing Ken’s eyes to widen in wonder.

“Justina!” Ember cried out, rushing to her sister, and pulled her from Ken’s arms.  She proceeded to walk her over to the couch, laying her down, not believing what she just found out.  Her baby sister was dating someone behind her back for months?  It didn’t make any sense, but then again, Justina did like keeping to herself as well as her secrets.

“Okay, someone mind telling me what the Hell is going on here?” David demanded, crossing his arms in front of his chest angrily, and glared back at Ken with venom dripping in his voice.

“I told you everything you need to know.  I finally proposed to her.  We’ve been dating for the past seven months or so.  I can’t really remember since time has just FLOWN by.” Ken explained, laying it on thick, and gazed down at Justina in wonder.  What did she mean when she said don’t tell him?  What was she hiding?  Ken was going to find out, even if he had to squeeze it out of these two and lie his way to the truth.

“She doesn’t seem that enthused…” Ember pointed out, her eyes focused solely on her little sister, and wiped away the few stray tears away from her eyes.  She stroked her face with the back of her hand, sighing deeply, and dropped a kiss on her forehead. 

“She seems like she doesn’t want anything to do with you…” David pointed out along with his wife, sitting on the edge of the couch, and was holding Justina’s hand protectively in his massive one.

Ken waved them off with another chuckle.  “It’s a game we like to play with each other.  No worries, she’ll come around and say yes.” He sounded convinced and rubbed his hands together, staring down at Justina.  For the first time, he noticed the dark circles that marred her eyes, not to mention how pale she looked.  He bit back a frown, raking a hand through his hair, and smiled at the skeptical looking David and Ember.  “So, what are your names?” He asked, quickly reversing the subject of conversation onto them.

“Ember, I’m her big sister.” She answered promptly, shooting Ken a glare, and then looked at her husband with that skeptical look still adorned on her face.  She didn’t know what to believe at the moment and sighed heavily to herself.  The only thing she cared about at the moment was her baby sister and hoped she woke up to see another day. 

“David.” He gruffly stated, keeping his voice lowered, and was secretly hoping the same thing his beautiful wife was.

“Well Ember and Davey,” Ken began, grinning when David just shot him a glare, and shrugged it off like it was nothing.  “Who’s hungry?”

Chapter 3

After making sure this lunatic wouldn’t harm her sister, Ember reluctantly allowed David to escort her back to their home.  He knew she was troubled, felt guilty for leaving her sister with that stranger, but it was obviously Ken wasn’t going anywhere.  They found out what his name was in a conversation that wasn’t very polite, actually downright rude.  It didn’t faze Ken in the slightest.  He knew Justina’s sister was worried about her and rightfully so, but he made it crystal clear that he wasn’t leaving her side.  He still acted like they’d been dating, even telling an entire story on how it happened.  Of course he used the fountain scene with her reading a book, but he went a little further than what really happened. 

Ken cut out all the necessities that they didn’t need to know, especially when Justina had asked him if he was on drugs or drunk.  He proceeded to tell them how a biker was coming straight at Justina and he saved the day, calling him her Knight in shining armor.  Ember and David just looked at him skeptically, but Ken managed to convince them it was the truth.  Once that was done, he politely asked them to leave, wanting Justina to get some much needed rest.  Ember threatened him like the big sister she was and Ken just told her he’d never do anything to harm her.  He loved Justina and, in truth, to some degree, he did, even though he hardly knew the woman.

“Something just doesn’t fit.” Ember stated, looking in the rearview mirror back at her sister’s apartment building.  “Wouldn’t he know what she has if they’ve been dating?”

“I doubt it.  You know how Justina is about that.” David reminded his wife, lifting her hand to press a soft kiss to the back of it, and sighed when Ember continued staring out the window.  “Do you want me to look into it?” David was a certified investigator and dealt with cases such as these all the time.  He’d been a cop until an injury prevented him from ever going on the streets again.  They offered him a desk job, but he refused to take it, saying it wasn’t worth being called an officer if he couldn’t be one. 

Ember bit her bottom lip, contemplating what her husband was offering, and sighed heavily with a final nod.  “I need to know his background.  I want you to check everything you can about him.” She said, causing her husband to quirk an eyebrow up at her, but didn’t question her requests.  He knew she was worried and in all honestly, Ember had a right.  She was Justina’s big sister after all and always felt she had to protect her, especially from lunatics like Ken.

“It’ll take a little time, but I’ll try to put a rush on it, baby.” David replied, once again kissing her hand, and finally pulled down the street they lived on.  They moved from Washington D.C., where David originally lived, right after they were married.  Ember wanted to be close to her sister and David didn’t mind, though he had to get used to the hot Texas weather.  It was different not seeing one speck of snow in December around Christmas time.

“I just wish she would’ve told me about him.” Ember said, still troubling over this situation, and sighed when they pulled in the driveway of their two story house.  She got out of the car and shut the door, mumbling under her breath, and jumped when those familiar arms wrapped around her waist.  She snuggled into her husband’s arms, needing his comfort and reassurance at that moment, and walked inside after he unlocked the front door and shut the alarm off.

The phone was ringing off the hook, causing Ember to groan.  That was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, but knew whoever it was wouldn’t stop calling until she answered.  “Hello.” Ember greeted, sounding exhausted.

“Hey girl!” came the chipper voice of her best friend, Evaline.  “Where have you been? I’ve been calling for the past hour!”

“Sorry, hon.  I was at my sister’s.  You won’t BELIEVE what happened.” Ember stated, kicking off her tennis shoes, and ignored David’s warning glance as she walked into the kitchen.  She definitely needed a drink after what she found out about her baby sister.

Getting all comfortable on her couch, Evaline smiled at her fiancé, Christopher, and accepted the glass of water he handed to her.  “Do tell.” She urged Ember, wondering what was up with Justina now, and rolled her eyes when Christopher turned on ESPN.  The man was addicted and normally she would somehow persuade him to watch what she wanted, but at the moment, she was too engrossed in the current phone conversation.

“She’s had a boyfriend for the past couple of months and neglected to tell me.” Ember explained, causing Evaline’s eyebrow to rise almost to her hairline.  “His name is Ken and he looks like one of those richy rich bastards we despise.” Christopher and David were partners on the force until he too received an injury.  He decided to retire early, but opened his own private investigator office since he couldn’t seem to get the joy of suspense out of his blood.  David and he were partners with another gentleman.  They were known around town as the Three Musketeers, always bailing one another out of trouble.  It was adorable, even though they hated being called that.

“Interesting…” Evaline thoughtfully sighed, rubbing her chin, and took a sip of her water.  They had just returned from their evening stroll along the lake of the three story house they lived in and she was bushed.  “So what did you find out exactly?”

“He proposed to her and she turned him down.  You should’ve seen it, Eva.  She was telling him to get out, actually sounding like she meant it, and he would just laugh at her, saying it was a game they played.  My sister does NOT play games like that so something is definitely up.” Ember went on, sounding more confused with each word that passed through her lips, and sighed heavily.

“Do you think he has something on her?” Evaline asked suddenly, thinking of all the possible scenarios that could be happening with this man and Justina.  Ember was right, it just didn’t add up. 

“I have no unearthly clue.  She fainted before I could even demand answers and do you know what she whispered to me before finally going to sleep?” Ember asked, causing Evaline’s eyebrow to rise and interest peek even further.

“Well damn it woman, don’t keep me in suspense!” Evaline shouted excitedly, glaring at her fiancé when he shushed her, wanting to watch his precious sports.  She smirked and took the remote from the coffee table, pressing the off button, and proceeded to throw it behind the couch.  “I’m talking on the phone, you moron!”

Christopher just gaped at her, his blue eyes widened, not believing she just did that!

Evaline waved him off absentmindedly, more intent on this phone conversation.  “Sorry about that, sweetie.  Christopher was being quite rude.  Please continue.” Her deep, British accent was coming into play, having been born and raised in England.  She knew how to speak regular English like the rest of them, but when she interested in something or annoyed, like now, it came out full force.

“Tell Irvine if he doesn’t stop interrupting, I’m going to stick my foot up his ass…or have Davey boy do it.” Ember threatened with a smirk and laughed when Evaline proceeded to relay the message to her fiancé. 

“That’s IT!  I’m going over to Mark’s!” Chris shouted, grabbing his coat, and stormed out of the front door, slamming it shut behind him.

Rolling her eyes, Evaline grinned as she took out her secret spare remote control and turned the television on something SHE wanted to watch.  “Now that that’s over, please continue.” She urged, causing Ember to laugh harder.

“You are certainly a piece of work.” Ember gasped out, causing David to quirk an amused eyebrow at her, and had a feeling his buddy got his ass handed to him verbally by Evaline…again.

“Did Chrissy get his ass kicked again?” David asked, not able to suppress chuckles when Ember nodded, laughing even harder.  It never ceased to amaze them how well Evaline could put that man in his place.

“He said he was going over to Mark’s.” Ember relayed, causing David to nod, and plopped down on the couch beside her, turning the television on.  He made sure to keep the volume low enough for her to hear, always being considerate, though there were times when Ember felt like strangling him.  The feeling was mutual when it came to David, which is why they made the perfect match.

“What for?  Mark will just tell him to suck it up and stop being a pansy ass.” David stated, suddenly getting a wondering expression, and hopped off the couch, dropping a kiss on her lips.  “I’ll be back.  I’ve GOTTA see this for myself.” He explained and rushed out the door, hoping he wasn’t too late.

Ember laughed harder at her husband, shaking her head, and proceeded to talk to Evaline once again.  “I just don’t understand it.  Why would my sister deliberately keep something like this away from me?” She asked, sounding hurt, and scrunched her eyebrows together as she poured herself another shot of Black Velvet.  It was her favorite alcoholic beverage.

“Maybe she was waiting for the proper moment to speak with you about it.” Evaline suggested, trying to help, and had poured herself a glass of wine.  Her nerves were on edge due to Christopher and she suddenly wondered why she was marrying him.

“Because you adore that man, even though he can be a schmuck at times.” Ember stated as if reading her mind, causing Evaline to roll her eyes, and took another sip of wine.

“Sometimes I just don’t know what I ever saw in him.  Father doesn’t approve, you know.  It’s his whole ‘rock n’ roll’ image that turns him off.” Evaline explained, running her thumb along the edge of the glass, and leaned further back against the couch.

“Your father can kiss both your asses.  Chrissy is perfect for you and you damn well know it.” Ember stated emphatically with a smirk, running a hand through her long, dishwater blonde hair, and shook her head when Evaline began laughing.  “You know it and I know it.  Shit, even Mark said you two should’ve been married LONG before him and Karrie.”

“You don’t know what it’s like living with a man who loves the mirror more than I do though.” Evaline argued promptly, taking another sip of her wine, and shook her head as she began smiling.  Even though Christopher had his downfalls, there were times when she remembered falling in love with him and that reminded her of why she was still with him.  They’d been together for three years, living with each other for two, and their wedding was only months away.  Evaline mentally smacked herself for ever thinking of leaving him, especially when she loved him more than her own life.  Ember and Karrie knew it too, along with Justina, who was a hopeless romantic at heart.

Ember sighed, deciding a change of subject was in order, and turned it back to her baby sister.  “Should I have left him alone with her?” She asked suddenly, fearing for her sister’s health, even though deep down she knew Ken would never harm her.  It was just a feeling she had about him, though she also knew he was up to no good.

“She’ll be fine, love.  Don’t worry so much.  You’re going to end up having more gray hairs than you should at your age.” Evaline warned good-naturedly, giggling when Ember growled at her over the phone.

“I can’t help it!  That’s my sister and with everything that’s happened…” Ember began, sounding both hurt and frantic.

“I know, love, but you cannot worry yourself like this.  If you truly felt in your heart he would hurt her, then you wouldn’t have left.  Trust me, she’ll be just fine.  Maybe it is time for her to find happiness like we have.” Evaline explained thoughtfully, standing up from the couch, and proceeded into the kitchen.  She was both agitated and upset and when combined, there was only one thing that could make her feel better.  Cooking.

As soon as she heard one of the pots cling together, Ember groaned, knowing exactly what Evaline was doing.  “You’re cooking aren’t you?” It wasn’t a question as she finished off another shot of Black Velvet, and proceeded onto another.

“So what if I am?” Evaline shot back, sighing when she realized what she’d done.  “I’m sorry, Em.  You know how I am when I get aggravated.  Cooking helps me think.” She defended, causing Ember to laugh at her, and Evaline sighed inwardly.  Sometimes she just didn’t understand why she cooked when she was upset, but for some strange reason, it helped her relax. 

“So what are you making now?” Ember asked raising a curious eyebrow, even though she had a feeling what dish her best friend was going to make.  Her famous Caramel Raspberry Chocolate three layer cake that Christopher positively DIED over every time she made it. 

“I don’t believe I have to tell you.” Evaline chirped with a grin and began stirring the batter for the first layer, which would be the raspberry part.

Ember laughed and nodded, not believing how well she knew Evaline, and sighed again, thinking of her baby sister.  “I hope she’s alright.  I’m having David look into it.” She revealed, causing Evaline to sigh back at her.

“Your sister is a big girl now, Ember.  Perhaps you should allow her to spend her life the say she wants too.” Evaline suggested, knowing sometimes Ember’s over protectiveness sent Justina for a loop.

“Maybe you’re right.  Listen, I’m gonna get off of here and head to bed.  David will be home shortly after seeing Mark ream Chrissy.  I’ll talk to you later, hon.  Thanks for the talk.” Ember said, letting a yawn escape her lips, and smiled when she heard more dishes cling together over the phone.

“Alright, love.  Just remember what I said.  Stop worrying about her so much.  It’s no way to live.” Evaline stated, placing the first pan of cake in the over and proceeded to make the chocolate layer next.  That would be the middle and caramel was always on top.  It was truly a mouth watering dessert that won her many awards, which is why she owned the best five star restaurant in town.

“I will.  Thanks again.  Happy cooking!” Ember chirped sarcastically, causing Evaline to grumble, and that got another laugh before they ended the call.  No matter how much Ember wanted to deny it, she knew Evaline was right.  Her sister was sick, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t live her life normally like the rest of them.  With a heavy sigh, Ember turned the television off along with the lights and headed upstairs, hoping David came home soon.  She needed his warmth and comfort more than ever at that moment.

Chapter 4

Justina’s eyes slowly fluttered open later on that night, her head feeling like it was going to explode at any given minute.  She didn’t know how long she’d been out, but felt extremely weak.  A slow grumble escaped her lips as she managed to push herself off the couch and tried adjusting her eyes to the darkness that surrounded her.  Once they did, she looked at her coffee table and couldn’t stop the smile from crossing her lips.  Sitting before her was a beautiful, single peach rose, not one petal withered.

Shakily, her hand stretched out and took it, bringing up to her nose and inhaled the sweet scent.  If there was one thing Justina loved, it was roses.  They were her favorite flower, especially the black ones.  She couldn’t understand why, but they fascinated her in ways that was indescribable.  A troubled look came over her face as she thought about this strange man named Ken and wondered what he wanted.  Why he was so determined to find a wife.  There had to be a motive and Justina was going to find out even if it killed her.

Her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall, seeing it was just past two in the morning, and yawned loudly.  She’d already taken her medicine for the evening so all she had to do was make the trip upstairs to her bedroom.  With a deep breath, she managed to pull herself up from the couch, leaning against the wall for support.  This was killing her, all her strength being drained.  It wasn’t fair, but she was fighting with everything in her to keep from giving up and losing her faith.  After all, that’s all she had.

Justina sighed, remembering when she found out the diagnosis, and felt the tears burn her eyes again.  Treatment after ungodly treatment was given to her, but nothing worked.  It was almost as if her body was purposely spitting them back out.  In this day and age, why couldn’t medicine find a cure for this illness called cancer?  That’s the one question that burned and plagued her mind for the past three years.

It was a sunny day surprisingly, not one cloud in the sky, but darkness fell upon Justina’s life when her doctor diagnosed her with leukemia.  It was in the family heritage, passed down to her from her great grandmother, who died of it at the age of fifty two.  She remembered her funeral, even though she was a little girl at the time, and didn’t want to die like that.  The doctor said she would move on and try to live life the best she could, but that was easier said than done, especially for Justina.

The woman was very energetic, had been her whole life.  She loved biking, taking strolls in the park, swimming, anything to do with the outdoors.  Summer was her favorite time of the year, especially around the fourth of July.  She loved the fireworks and smiled, knowing that holiday was only days away.  She would go to her favorite bench she’d proclaimed as her own and sit watching them alone.  It was one of those times that she’d always treasure, even after death.

Justina sighed again as she descended the stairs, remembering the day her doctor said there was absolutely nothing they could do for her.  They’d sent her to Switzerland and Australia to some of the best doctors on the planet, but nobody could help her.  The leukemia had spread after her first surgery, which she knew she should’ve never done.  As soon as they cut her open, the cancer spread rapidly, but not to the point where it killed her instantly.  After two long, grueling years of chemotherapy, Justina finally gave up and told the doctor she couldn’t take it anymore.  She wanted to life out the rest of her life in peace without all these treatments and surgeries.  She hadn’t lost her hair surprisingly, but people could tell she was sick because of her pale complexion, especially when she became stone cold tired.

The past year had been hard at first with her waking up every morning crying, wishing she wasn’t dying.  The cancer was slowly eating her alive, knocking out the cells, winning the battle.  Though that didn’t stop Justina from living, as much as she could with the energy her body allowed her to use up.  She missed her bike days, her walks, just the whole energetic part of life.  It didn’t make any sense why this was happening to her, but then again, nothing ever did when it came to cancer.  It was a vile, vindictive illness that Justina wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy.

Nobody deserved this in her mind and heart.

Once upstairs, Justina felt her energy slipping away and barely made it to the bed, collapsing on top of it.  Within seconds, darkness had claimed her body and she could only hope that she woke up for another morning.  Though in all honestly, Justina wanted to die in her sleep.

~*~*~*~

Ken was all smiles, whistling happily as he skipped down the sidewalk the following day.  After Ember and David left the following night, he made Justina comfortable on her couch and left her that rose.  He grinned; having a feeling she’d love it.  He didn’t know why, but something about the woman triggered his mind and made him want to know more about her.  He couldn’t explain it.  That’s how bizarre it was to him.  It was almost as if he’d met her previously, but that wasn’t possible.  Then again, anything was at this point. 

Suddenly, a flashback hit him hard, causing him to almost stumble into the busy street from the sidewalk he’d been walking on.  He had to lean against the lamp post to keep from falling, blinking rapidly, but the vision wouldn’t stop coming.  It was of a little boy and girl playing in a sandbox.  Just by looking at the little boy, Ken knew it was him, but he was confused by the little girl.  She was a vision with long, golden chestnut hair that curled at the ends.  She couldn’t have been more than five and was wearing a blue and white sundress with adorable white sandals. 

‘Why am I having this?’ He wondered to himself, trying to shake it out, but the vision was overpowering all of his senses and rational thought.

~*~*~*~

“Hi!  Wanna play?” The little girl greeted the boy, smiling brightly, and handed him a yellow plastic shovel. 

“Sure!” The little boy replied with a small grin of his own, his platinum blonde hair shining in the sun, and proceeded to make a sand castle with her. 

They were silent for awhile, just busy playing in the sand together, their full concentration on what they were doing.  The little boy frowned when a woman came up and picked the little girl up, knowing it was probably time for her to go home.  “Come on, Justina, we have to go now.” The woman told the little girl, causing the little boy to raise an eyebrow.  For five years old, he could pretty much understand adults and what they were talking about.

“Oh come on, Mom!  Five more minutes, please?” She pleaded, her big, amber colored eyes looking at the woman, and grinned when she was set back down on the grass.  Her little legs carried her to the sandbox again, plopping down in it, and grinned at the little boy.  “What’s your name?” She asked, her sweet little voice flowing through the wind, and proceeded to start digging out the sand to make her mote around the castle they’d built together.

“Ken, yours?” He replied, helping her dig out the mote, and smiled up at the little girl when she became shy. 

“It’s…Justina.” She answered slowly, her cheeks growing red, and kept her head lowered as they continued building the mote for the sandcastle...

~*~*~*~

“What the-” Ken couldn’t even find the words as his eyes popped open, his mouth hanging open in shock.  So he KNEW Justina from their childhood?  Was that what the vision was trying to tell him?  It suddenly clicked in Ken’s mind why Justina was so captivating to him and he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his lips further. 

He remembered that day, even at the tender age of five.  People would be surprised what kids these days could remember and Ken couldn’t believe he’d forgotten that day until now.  It was hot, deep in the heart of summer, and Ken’s mother decided to take him to the park, after he begged her countless times to do so.  That’s when he saw her and even at five, Ken thought she was very pretty.  An angel sent from heaven.  He laughed at himself, knowing a five year old boy would never think that way about a little girl, but it was the truth.

“Kenny!!” A voice squealed from behind him, cutting his thoughts in half, and grumbled when he seen who it was.  His psycho ex-girlfriend, Sheila was running up to him, and Ken opted to jump in the bushes.  He would’ve done it if there were no thorns to stab his ass.

“What do you want, Sheila?  I’m busy.” He stated, his voice a low, monotone, causing her to pout at him after stopping just a few feet away.

“I just wanted to know what you wanted to do for our first year anniversary.” She replied happily, her blonde hair bobbing up and down since she was jumping like an excited two year old on Christmas Eve.

Ken sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face, and shook his head back at her.  “How many times do I have to tell you that we’re not together anymore?  I broke up with you, Sheila.  It’s over.  You cheated on me with that bastard ex of yours.” He explained for the umpteenth time, wishing she’d get the hint and leave him alone.  Wishing thinking on his part however.

Tears formed in her blue eyes, which were colored contacts, and felt her bottom lip begin to quiver.  “But-I told you I was sorry…” She argued softly, biting her quivering lip, and shuffled her feet back and forth.  “I thought maybe we could…start over…”

“Start over?” Ken echoed, laughing harshly back at her, and shook his head in disbelief.  “You cheat on me with that scumbag ex-husband of yours and then say you want to start over?” He couldn’t believe how ditzy and stupid this woman was.  What the Hell had he been thinking when he was dating her for the past two years?!  ‘Tits and ass, that’s what!’ He thought, groaning as he slapped his face in frustration.

“I told you he drugged me!!” Sheila cried out, sounding hysterical, and took a step toward him, frowning when Ken shook his head back at her and took a step back.  Wise choice.  He knew how Sheila’s temper was and she would certainly lash out at him out of nowhere.

“That’s a fuckin’ lie and you know it!” Ken growled out, becoming angry, and clenched his fists tightly at his side.  If she wasn’t a woman, Ken would have no problem knocking her lights in, but he wasn’t that type of man.  He never hit a woman in his life and wasn’t about to start now. 

“No it isn’t!!  He told me to meet him at the hotel and-” She couldn’t finish when Ken cut her off, feeling more tears sting her eyes.  Why couldn’t he understand that she’d made a mistake and wasn’t perfect?  She was human, damn it!

“And proceeded to give you a glass of wine in which you accepted like the fuckin idiot you are and that’s how he drugged you and proceeded to rape you, right?” Ken relayed the entire story she told him in a few seconds, scoffing when she nodded, and rolled his eyes.  He didn’t have time for this.  A REAL woman who was worth his time was waiting for him, not this platinum, fake boob slut who spread her legs to the first available guy she laid her eyes on.

“Kenny, please believe me!!” She cried out, grabbing his arm, and gasped when he practically ripped it from her hand.  “Don’t do this to us!!” She pleaded, causing him to shake his head sadly at her.  “I love you, damn it!!  I made a mistake, but I still love you!!”

He stopped when he heard that, closing his eyes tightly shut, and slowly turned around to face her.  “If you loved me, you would’ve never met him at the hotel room that night and put yourself in that predicament.  Not that I believe you because I don’t, but you made your own bed and now you will lie in it.” He informed her coldly, his brown eyes mirroring how he felt, and turned around, beginning to walk away from her again.

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!  I GAVE YOU MY HEART AND TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!” She shrieked out, her voice so shrill that it hurt his ears, and caused his entire body to cringe.  “WELL FUCK YOU THEN!!  I CAN DO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU!!”

Ken had to scoff at that remark, rolling his eyes again, and turned around to face her.  “Yeah, go find the first available male and fuck his brains out like the slut you are.” He spat back at her and stalked away, leaving her there gaping after him.  She couldn’t believe he just said that to her and in all honestly, neither could Ken.

A second later, a shoe came whizzing past Ken’s head, causing him to whirl around and glared a whole right through her.  Sheila’s left foot was bare, while her other heel was in her hand, ready to lunge it at him.  Before she could, Ken caught her hand, having closed the distance between them, and ripped the heel from her hand.  “Let go of me!!” She shouted at him, trying to wrench her wrist from his vise grip, but it wasn’t happening.

“The next time you throw something at me, you better hope and PRAY to God above that I don’t throw something BACK.” He threatened in a snarl and let go of her, throwing her to the ground harshly, and snorted before turning and walking away. 

He was done with the trash in his life such as her and wanted to focus on getting something much better.  Somebody like Justina.  Just the thought of her caused his heart to swell and his insides melt.  Ken felt like a little school boy and completely ignored the shrill shrieks of Sheila from behind him.  The woman needed a therapist or possibly locked up in a nuthouse for the rest of her life.  She was definitely not all there.  Ken shook his head and started thinking about the beautiful Justina, the woman he was determined to make his wife, and gain his grandfather’s inheritance.  Today, he would make the first step in doing so by inviting her to the town’s annual Fourth of July carnival.

He could only hope and pray she accepted.

Chapter 5

After much persuasion and promising to be a gentleman, Justina finally gave in and went to change.  Ken noticed how pale she looked, deciding to ask her about that later on.  He didn’t want to ruin this time to spend with her and felt his breath catch in his throat when she descended down the stairs.  She was wearing a red, white and blue dress made of the American flag with white Sketchers and a white sweater.  Her hair was up in a ponytail and she had little flag earrings in along with a matching necklace.  She was definitely in the spirit of the holiday and beautiful.

“Ready to go?” Ken asked with a grin, wearing a white beater with tight blue jeans that fit him in all the right spots.  He had on a flag bandana, not wanting his scalp to sunburn, especially when it was close to one hundred degrees outside.  “Are you sure you want to bring that sweater?” He asked hesitantly, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I get cold easily.” She simply replied, rolling her eyes when he stared at her skeptically, and walked past him toward the front door.  She was actually excited about going to see the fireworks and couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face even if her life depended on it.  “By the way, thank you for the rose.  That was really sweet.”

Ken grinned, waving her off, and shrugged his shoulders. “No biggie, I thought you’d enjoy it.  You seem like the rose type.” He commented and winked at her when he saw a hint of blush creep up in her cheeks.

“Thanks…I think.” She replied with a good-natured grumble, and walked out of the door.  Ken followed, waiting patiently for her to lock up, and when they both turned around, a car pulled up in the driveway.  Sighing, Justina had a feeling she knew who it was and her suspicions were confirmed when a near seven feet tall monster of a man stepped out of the huge black, Harley Davidson truck.  They were very rare.

“Is this the man who’s been botherin’ ya, darlin’?” His deep, smooth southern accent flowed through the air, sounding deceptively calm, but Justina knew better.

“Mark, please don’t make a scene.” She pleaded, stepping in front of Ken to protect him, and was shocked when Ken pulled her out of harm’s way.

“Don’t worry, J Mine, I can take care of myself.” Ken assured her, calling her by her nickname he came up with, and winked when she blushed harder.  Mark didn’t miss this and didn’t like it one bit.

Slowly sliding his black shades from his eyes, intense emerald green met milk chocolate brown as the men faced off.  Just as though it looked like Mark was about to pound the stuffing out of Ken, the men grinned at each other and shook hands, giving each other a brotherly embrace.  To say Justina was shocked would be the understatement of the year.

“What’s going on?” She demanded softly, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and heard laughter from behind.

“Mark, will you stop scaring the poor dear?” Karrie ordered, causing Justina to sigh with great relief, and bounced down the steps to embrace one of her best friends.  They’d been this way since sophomore year in high school.  Karrie had said something about a certain show and Justina had caught it.  They were best friends and probably always would be.

“What are you and the giant doing here?” She asked with a smile, causing Karrie to laugh, and rolled her eyes.

“The big teddy bear wants to go see the fireworks.  He thinks it’ll be romantic.” She laughed when Mark shot her a look and in return stuck her tongue out back at him.  They were engaged, but marriage had never been talked about.  It’d been two years since Mark proposed to her, but neither wanted to set a date.  They preferred the long engagement, even though they should’ve already been married.  They acted like an old married couple with how they fought and argued sometimes.

“Woman, yer the one who dragged my ass away from the TV.  I was perfectly content with watchin’ them from our backyard like we always do.” Mark argued causing Karrie to roll her eyes once again and completely ignored him.

“Of course I did.  Do you honestly think I wanted to stay in the backyard one more year and not join everyone else in the celebration?” Karrie argued back, glaring back at her future husband.

“She’s gotta point there, Callaway.” Ken chimed in and grinned when Mark just shot him a glare.  They’d been friends for a few years now, not as close as Karrie and Justina, but close.  “Come on, admit it.  You don’t like to do jack shit with her anymore.”

Mark’s lips curved in a devilish smirk, causing Karrie to blush, and loved the effect he had on her.  Just with one look, she was a puddle at his feet and Mark knew it.  “Well, yer wrong bout that, son.  See, I do love doin’ things with her, but in private, if ya know what I mean.”

“MARCUS!” Karrie shouted in embarrassment, not believing what he just said, and grumbled something about being an asshole.  That got Justina rolling with laughter as she leaned against Ken’s car, shaking her head, and was holding her sides.

“Are we gonna go or what?” Ken asked, not wanting to hear about his friend’s sex life, and walked over to Justina, who was laughing so hard, tears were burning her eyes.

After she calmed down, Justina allowed him to guide her to the car, and smiled when he opened the door for her.  “Thank you, sir.” She stated, stepping inside, and buckled herself in after he closed the door.

“We’ll follow.  I want to talk to ya more bout this situation, boy.” Mark called out, causing Ken to groan, knowing exactly what that meant.  David had already got to him and Ken knew he had some serious explaining to do.

“Everything alright?” Justina asked once Ken slid behind the wheel, looking at him worriedly, and smiled when he took her hand, entwining their fingers together.  She blushed and pulled her hand out of his, shaking her head gently.  “You said…”

“I know, I know, but holding hands isn’t going to kill us, Justina.” Ken reasoned, grabbing it again, and kissed the back of it.  Justina felt her insides begin to quake, the feeling of his lips sending tremors throughout her body, but she managed to keep them at bay. 

The entire ride, they held hands, even though Justina wanted to pull away several times.  She didn’t understand why Ken wanted her to marry him so badly and knew he’d change his mind if he ever found out what she had.  There was no cure and the more time she spent with him, the more she would grow to fall in love, and that couldn’t happen.  Love would only lead to heartbreak in her situation so after tonight, she was cutting him off completely from her life.  It was for his own good as well as hers.

However, tonight, Justina was going to enjoy herself to the fullest and felt her eyes widen when they pulled up to the carnival.  It was beautiful, all the lights flickering and lighting the place up.  She grinned at Ken and stepped out as soon as he shut the ignition off, not waiting for him.  Ken chuckled, following her, and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep a hold on her.  He winked down at her and pulled her against his side, not waiting for Mark and Karrie.  Tonight, he wanted it to just be the two of them, nobody else.

“So, what do you want to ride first?” Ken asked over the loud noise in her ear, causing Justina to tap her chin in thought, and looked around.  She finally grinned when she found her favorite carnival ride of all time and pulled him with her, standing in line.  “The Tilt-A-Whirl?” He questioned with a smirk, not believing she picked out his favorite ride. 

“You cannot come to a carnival and not ride this!” She shouted happily, her smile lighting up the place even more, and Ken couldn’t stop staring at her even if his life depended on it.

“I hope you don’t throw up because I love spinning this thing to the max.” She informed him coyly with a smirk, causing Ken to chuckle, and pulled her into his arms as his eyes locked with hers. 

“I love spinning too.” He whispered mere inches from her lips and released her when it was their turn to board the ride.  He laughed as she skipped along; not believing what energy she had, and sat in the ride once she picked which one she wanted.  A few moments later, it began, and both didn’t waste anytime in starting the spin. 

“Oh god!!” She laughed out, closing her eyes as she leaned back against the ride, and opened them to stare at Ken.  He was doing the same thing.

“Oh shit!” He shouted when they really got going and laughed together, shouting every time it got really fast, and then grumbled when it went slow.  The ride ended soon and both were so dizzy, they had to lean against each other for support as they stumbled down the steps.  Ken caught Justina in his arms when she tripped, keeping her from hitting the ground, and messing up her beautiful dress.  “Careful.” He whispered in her ear, causing shivers to flow down her spine, and reluctantly released her when he was sure she was alright.

“Thank you.” She whispered in return, turning around slowly to look in his eyes, and extended her hand to him.  Ken smiled, taking it without hesitation, and lead her to the next ride of choice, which was the Ferris wheel.  “I can’t.” She stated, shaking her head, seeing how high up they were.  “Ken, I’m scared to death of heights!”

“I won’t let anything happen to you, J Mine, I promise.” Ken murmured soothingly in her ear, stroking her back, encouraging her to ride this with him. 

“Would you stop calling me that?” She grumped, looking at the ride like it was Satan, and took a deep breath when they walked up to the guy with the ticket.  Ken raised her wrist, showing the band they purchased along with his own, and boarded.

“Why?” He shot back with a grin, causing her to grumble back at him, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “I like calling you J Mine.”

“Well I don’t.  I’m not yours and the name is Justina.” She informed him icily, not believing he was forcing her to ride this with him, and tried stopping her heart from pounding in her chest harshly.

“Relax, Justina.  Everything is going to be fine.  I promise, nothing will happen to you.” He assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her struggling form against him.  As soon as the ride started, that was not a problem.

Ken held her close, stroking her hair throughout the ride, and enjoyed the cool, summer night breeze that blew over both their bodies.  He smiled when she clutched at his side, chuckling softly, and began whispering words of soothing encouragement in her ear.  Her body slowly stopped trembling and Ken slowly kissed her neck.  He smiled, feeling her shiver, and proceeded to capture a portion of her flesh in his mouth, licking and suckling lightly on it. 

“W-What are you doing?” She breathed out; her eyes slowly drifting closed, and arched her neck to give him more access.  It felt wonderful and what he was doing to her neck was lighting her body on fire.  Something she hadn’t felt in so long.

“Loving you.” He simply murmured in reply just as the ride stopped and grumbled, not wanting it to be over.  He looked around, seeing it was near night, and knew the fireworks would be starting at any time.  “Come on, we have to find a good spot to watch them at.” He said, taking her hand, and pulled her off the ride.  His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his side, and their heads rested together, fingers entwined.  Justina didn’t know why, but she felt like she’d known Ken all her life, even though they just met a few days ago.

“Hey, there they are!” Karrie called out as she spotted a cozy Ken and Justina walking toward the firework spot the city had blocked off.

“Great.” Ken grumbled, causing Justina to giggle, and waved them over.  “Don’t worry; they won’t pay us any attention.” She whispered to him in assurance, kissing his cheek, and smiled when Mark and Karrie arrived.

“You two ditched us!!” Karrie mock cried, causing Justina to shrug her shoulders, and pointed at Ken.

“Blame him.  He’s the one who wanted to ride all the rides at once.” She stated, causing Karrie to glare at him playfully, and laughed when Mark lifted her up to lean over his shoulder.

“If you’ll excuse us, I want to spend some ‘quality’ time with my fiancée.” He stated, winking at Ken and Justina, and walked away with a kicking and screaming Karrie, calling him every name in the book.  Ken and Justina were rolling and ended up walking until they were on top of a small hill away from everyone.

“This is perfect.” He murmured, setting down, and pulled Justina between his legs as she leaned back against his chest.  “Comfy?” He asked, running his fingers through her chestnut locks, and inhaled the scent.  She had a sweet, intoxicating scent that made him drunk for her and only her.

“Yes.” She answered and pointed when the first firework was lit off, lighting up the sky in blue and purple. 

She smiled widely, snuggling against Ken, not believing she was here with him at that moment.  The fireworks began lighting off, a few causing her to cover her ears due to the loud booms, but Ken assisted with that.  He whispered soothingly words in her ear, sweet nothings, and that caused Justina to melt even more as the sky lit up with blues, purples, pinks, greens, and gold.  The gold ones that stuck around for a few seconds after being lit off were her favorites, even though they were the loudest.  She sighed happily, snuggling further against his warm body, and enjoyed this moment. 

Just as the finale of the firework show began, Ken looked down at Justina and met her golden amber eyes, watching the colors of the fireworks reflect in them, and couldn’t help it.  “Marry me, Justina.” He whispered and lowered his head, capturing her lips in a passionate, soul searing kiss that left her completely breathless and craving more.

When they parted, Justina stroked his cheek with the back of her hand, and knew she would regret what she was about to say.  “I’ll think about it.” She whispered in return and got another breathtaking kiss for it.

It was truly a Fourth of July Justina would always treasure and keep locked inside her heart and memories forever.

“What was I supposed to say?”

“How about sorry, but I think you’re psycho and want you to leave me alone?” Ember shot back promptly, causing Justina to sigh with a heavy heart. 

Why couldn’t her big sister understand that somehow she’d fallen in love with Ken?

“You don’t understand-”

“Yes I do and what I don’t understand is why you’re going to put that poor man through this.” Ember stated coldly, sipping her latte, and that was all Justina could take.

Tears spilled from her eyes as she shook her head sadly and stood from the couch, feeling her heart shattering, and pointed to the door.  “Get out.” She ordered gravely, trying with all her might not to show how much Ember’s words had hurt her, but it was no use.

Ember looked up at her little sister and sighed, knowing she was out of line, but she couldn’t help it.  With what Justina had, there was no future for Ken and her to be together and for Justina to keep it dragging on was only making things worse in the end.  “I’m sorry…” She began, but was immediately cut off by Justina.

“No Ember.  I’m sick and tired of hearing that shit.  I’m sick and tired of being reminded that I’m sick with an illness that will end up sending me to an early grave.  I’m SICK and TIRED OF BEING TREATED LIKE A FUCKING FIVE YEAR OLD!!” Justina exploded, her face turning as red as a cherry, and began trembling with bottled up anger.  It wasn’t fair, but at least Justina was trying to live what was left of her life to the fullest and Ember was trying to take it away from her.

“I don’t try to treat you that way, Justina…” Ember quietly replied, not realizing just how much pain she’d put her through until now.  “I just…it’s hard to know that you’re dying and there’s nothing I can do about it.” She sniffled, allowing tears to burn her eyes, but that didn’t faze Justina in the slightest.

“If you don’t mean to do it, then why do you?” Justina shot back, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and felt more angry tears spill down her cheeks freely.  “I know I’m sick, Ember.  Christ, I know I have cancer and there’s NOTHING I can do to cure it, but why can’t I live what’s left of my life the way I want too?”

“I don’t want him getting hurt over this and neither should you, Justina.  That’s all I’m saying.” Ember replied truthfully, looking up at her little sister, and sniffled more as she wiped a few stray tears away from her eyes.  It was hard not treating Justina like a child when Ember practically raised her.  Before their parents died in a horrible car accident, they were nothing, but gamblers and never home to care for either child.  Ember had to change Justina’s diapers and everything, but of course she’d never speak badly about their parents in front of Justina.  That would just upset her further.

Justina bit her bottom lip and turned around, staring out the window, and closed her eyes as more tears fell.  Her mind went back to that night a week ago at the carnival, under the stars, under the brilliant colored fireworks that exploded in the sky, and the kiss they’d shared.  Tingles overtook her body like a forest fire, causing a big smile to stretch across her lips, and pressed a hand to her beating heart.  She didn’t know how it happened or why, but Justina had fallen hopefully, deeply in love with Ken and there was nothing she could do or say to change that.  It was there and whenever she was away from him, her heart ached to be back in his arms and to find his lips on hers, to feel him loving her like he did at the carnival. 

“He makes me feel alive, Em…” She finally said after a few moments of silence, letting out a heartfelt sigh, and slowly turned around to face her big sister.  “I know he’ll end up getting his heart broken if he stays with me, which is why I’m going to tell him tonight that I never want to see him again.”

Ember closed her eyes tightly shut and turned her back to face Justina, not wanting to cry in front of her.  “I have to go.  David will be worried if I’m not home.  I’ll call you.” She simply said and walked past Justina, not even giving her a glance, and closed the front door behind her quietly. 

Once she was in her car, Ember broke completely down, covering her face with her hands, and shook her head back and forth.  Life wasn’t fair, especially to her little sister.  She’d finally fallen in love like she did with David and she couldn’t go through with it because of her leukemia.  It broke Ember’s heart in pieces to watch the pain in her sister’s eyes, which is why she left so abruptly.  Finally getting her wits about her, Ember stuck the key in the ignition and pulled out of her sister’s driveway, heading home to see her husband.  She needed his arms and comfort more than anything at that moment.

Justina sighed heavily as she watched her sister drive away from her house and shook her head, knowing this was hard for her to deal with.  Ember and Justina were closer than sisters, they were best friends.  She didn’t know how Ember was going to be after she died, but knew David would be there to stick by her side through it all.  She pushed those thoughts aside and walked into the kitchen, staring out the window, and rested her head against the ledge.  The wind was blowing lightly, making the trees sway back and forth, and it was moments like these that Justina really wished she wasn’t sick.  That she didn’t have this horrible disease called leukemia.  It was moments like these where Justina wondered after she was gone would she be able to fly and sighed at the thought.

“I have to tell him tonight…” Justina softly whispered to the silence that surrounded her, closing her eyes tightly shut, and felt her heart shatter at the mere thought of having to tell Ken to go away.  “It’s for his own good…” She reminded herself and stood from the kitchen table after an hour of just looking outside, needing to get ready for his arrival.  He was coming over to take her out for the night.  They wouldn’t make it that far because Justina planned on telling him before he could even get her to walk out of the front door.

~*~*~*~*~

“What do you mean you know her from your past?” Mark asked with a raised eyebrow, staring at Ken like he’d grown two heads.

“I know it sounds weird, but it’s true.  She was a little girl I played at the park with, but suddenly disappeared.  Don’t give me that look!” Ken growled when Mark just kept staring at him like he was an alien from another planet. 

“This doesn’t make a lick of sense, boy.  Try startin’ from the beginnin’.” Mark’s thick, southern accent began showing through, stroking his black goatee in thought, and sighed when the door opened.  “David, do you ever knock?”

“Nope, never.” David replied with a grin, nodding at Ken.  The men knew each other, but not as well as Ken and Mark did.  David and Ember moved to the town a few years prior and the only way he knew Mark was through Justina and Ember.  Not to mention Mark’s intelligent, British bombshell of a fiancée named Karrie.  As far as Evaline and Christopher were concerned, David and Chris were best friends, like Mark and Ken, but Ken didn’t know either man very well.  He only knew Mark and kind of wanted to keep it that way.

“I’m not explaining it again, Callaway.” Ken stated, sounding annoyed, and sighed when David just looked at both man with a look that clearly said he didn’t know what the Hell was going on and didn’t WANT to know.

“So…are ya gonna tell her then?” Mark asked, swallowing hard when David suddenly got interested in the conversation.  Simply because of the fact that Justina was his sister-in-law and if Ken was going to screw with her, he was going to pound the little shit into the next century. 

“I don’t know…” Ken trailed off, looking thoughtful, and sighed when David just shot him that look.  “Yes, we’re talking about Justina so don’t get your panties in a wad, big man.”

David just gaped at him, his chocolate brown eyes opened in shock.

Mark ignored him for the time being, turning is full attention back at Ken, and crossed his tattooed sleeved arms over his chest.  “You should.  Maybe it’ll give her the more reason to think yer insane.”

David snickered and groaned when Mark popped him upside the head with his hand.  “What the Hell was THAT for?” He demanded angrily, rubbing his head.

“That’s for laughing at somethin’ ya have no clue about.” Mark simply replied with a smirk, daring David to contradict him, and shook his head when the big man backed down immediately.

“Well if you would INCLUDE me in the conversation once in a while, I MIGHT have something to add.” David shot back, sounding hurt and groaned as he rubbed his head more.

“Shut the fuck up and grow a set, boy.” Mark ordered gruffly, sounding bored, and looked back at a troubled looking Ken.  David shut his mouth and grumped silently.

It wasn’t that Ken didn’t want to tell Justina because he did.  It was just that…the man proposed to her out of the blue at a park, not knowing a damn thing about her!  He knew Justina probably thought he was insane, but he didn’t have much time to convince her to marry him.  The clock was ticking and time certainly wasn’t in his favor.  Not to mention Ken decided he wasn’t going to tell Mark because the last thing he needed was to spend the remainder of the month in the hospital in the ICU.  Though he didn’t want to marry Justina just for the money, he wanted her period because he’d fallen for her.

“Okay, alright, maybe I should tell her…” Ken said more to himself than the men that were in the room and groaned when Chris’s voice rung through the house.

“Well damn, I didn’t know ya’ll were having an orgy without me!” Chris cried mockingly with a grin on his face, blue eyes twinkling, his short blonde hair spiked somewhat.

“I would if I were ya, son.  I mean, the worst thing that can happen is she throws ya out on yer ass.” Mark stated, nodding to clarify what he just said was true, and what he felt was right.

“Would you do it if it was Karrie?” Ken asked suddenly, deciding to throw a spin in this conversation, and watched for Mark’s initial reaction.

Mark cleared his throat awkwardly and leaned forward; his elbows resting on his fitting black jean covered thighs, and slowly slid the sunglasses from his intense emerald gaze.  He looked Ken square in the eye and stated, “I’d do whatever it took to make her mine.” He answered honestly and bluntly, two things Mark was VERY good at doing.

Ken just nodded, acknowledging he listened to what Mark said, and stood from the chair.  “Then that’s what I’m gonna do.  I’m gonna make her mine no matter what it takes and no matter how much badgering, persuading, and ass kissing I have to do.” He stated with confidence, his chest puffed out, and patted Mark’s shoulder.  “Thanks for the advice, man.  I gotta get going.” He then rushed out the door, causing Chris and David to stare after him like he’d just grown a second head.

“What the Hell was THAT about?” Chris was the first to ask, deciding David was being a chickenshit, and never took his blue eyes from the door.

“He finally decided to grow a set, gents.” Mark replied, standing from his own chair, and cracked his neck before heading to the bar.  “Who wants one?”

~*~*~*~*~

The day slowly turned to night and Ken was all smiles.  He was wearing a pair of form fitting blue jeans with a white beater since it was a warm summer night.  A bouquet of beautiful peach roses was in his hand and his hair was spiked up just right.  He hadn’t seen Justina in over three days and was dying to have her in his arms again.  Tonight was the night he was going to make her accept his proposal.  He couldn’t wait, especially when it would probably take two weeks at least to plan a half decent wedding.  “We could just elope.” He muttered to himself and grinned, deciding that’s probably what they’d have to do.  Of course, if he didn’t invite her sister and David along with Mark, who would be his best man, he would get the ass kicking of the century.

Justina sighed as she stared out the window, wearing a simple blue jean skirt that went past her knees with a white tank top that had a blue star etched in it.  Her hair was down, flowing down her back, while her amber eyes gazed at the night sky with such longing.  She wished the cancer would just take her right then and there because it would be much easier to accept than what she had to do on this night to Ken.  The man she’d somehow managed to fall in love with.  That night at the carnival with the fireworks and everything sealed the deal and she was head over heels now.  Her heart broke that she had to tell Ken she couldn’t see him ever again without revealing the true reasoning behind it.  If she had to lie, cheat, do whatever it took, then that’s what she was going to have to do. 

“I’m sorry…” She whispered heartbrokenly, pressing her hand to her heart, and sucked in a sharp breath just as a knock sounded at her front door.  This was it.  It was now or never as Justina turned around and headed toward the door to greet and say goodbye for the last time.

Ken waited on the front steps, feeling like something wasn’t right.  An aura was in the air that chilled him to the bone and he couldn’t figure out why.  ‘You’re just nervous.  Take a few deep breaths, man.  It’s just Justina.  Beautiful, sophisticated, funny Justina…’ He thought and smiled dreamily, thinking of her, and wished she’d open the door already.  The first thing he was going to do was kiss her breathless and then slide the beautiful three stoned diamond ring on her finger, begging her to become his wife. 

As soon as the door opened and he started for her, a frown marred his features when she stepped back, tears shining in her amber eyes.  “What’s going on?” He asked softly, worry evident in his tone, and stepped inside as a silent Justina closed the door quietly behind them. 

This was going to be harder to do than she thought.

Chapter 7

Justina was pacing the floors of her living room, trying to think of the proper words to say, and watched as Ken followed her with his brown gaze.  She finally stopped, fiddling with the ring on her right pointer finger, and bit her bottom lip nervously.  “Ken, we have to talk…” She began, stepping away when he went to grab her, and shook her head slowly.  “About what’s been happening between us.”

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Ken asked with a grin, leaning back against the couch, and frowned when she just shook her head slowly at him.  “What’s going on, Justina?” Fear was in his tone now as he watched her begin to pace again, feeling like she had to tell him something that would probably devastate him.

“I can’t see you anymore…” She finally said after a moment of silence between them, tears welling in her amber eyes, and took another step back from him.  “I wanted you to come here tonight so I can tell you for good that I never want to see you again.”

Ken’s eyes narrowed, feeling like she was definitely hiding something from him, and rose from the couch.  “Tell me a real reason and maybe I’ll believe you.” He stated, causing her to stop, and looked back into his defiant, determined brown eyes.

“Why can’t you just listen to me?” She cried at him, feeling the panic overtaking her, knowing she couldn’t tell him what she had.  She just couldn’t.  It would be too painful for her to bear, to see the anger and humiliation in his eyes.  “Look, we had our fling and that’s it.  I don’t like you.  I think you’re a damn lunatic in fact, so just do us both a favor and walk out that door right now.” She ordered, turning around so her back was facing him, and sniffled a little.  She was desperately trying to hold her tears in.

“I’m not leaving.” He stated from behind, not touching her, but his hot breath could be felt on her ear.  “I’m not leaving you because I love you, Justina.”

“Please just go…” She weakly cried out, not wanting him to leave, but she had to force him.  “I hate you.  I don’t want to see you.  Don’t you get it?” The anger and hatred was back in her tone, even though it was killing her to say these words because they were all lies.

“You hate me?” Ken echoed, raising an eyebrow, and growled as he whipped her around by the upper arm, making her stare into his eyes.  “Say it to me now, Justina.” He challenged, pressing her against the wall, but giving her plenty of room to room.  “Tell me how much you hate me now that you’re staring in my eyes.” He wasn’t backing down from her, refusing to allow her to push him away.  He loved her damn it!

“Please don’t do this…” She murmured, tears spilling down her cheeks, and knew she couldn’t do it.  With her back turned to him, she could hide all the pain inside, but now there was no way she could.  She loved him too and she knew it, but in the end they would both end up heartbroken if this continued.

Taking another step toward her, Ken traced her jaw line with his finger, and stared deep into her bloodshot amber colored eyes.  “Tell me you hate me and want me gone.  If you can say it while looking directly at me, I’ll leave and never bother you again.” He stated, giving her an ultimatum, and pressed his forehead against hers when she made no attempt to move.  “Tell me you hate me if you want me gone so bad, J Mine.”

“I-I-I can’t…” She managed to choke out, dropping her head forward in shame, and covered her face with her hands as she began to cry. 

Sighing with relief, Ken took her into his arms, holding her close and stroked her hair gently with his hand.  “Shhh it’s alright, Justina.  It’s alright, baby girl.” He cooed in her ear, causing her to cry harder, and lifted her in his arms when her knees gave out.  Maybe tonight wasn’t the night to tell her his revelation, especially in the condition she was in.  He wondered what had triggered it and sighed, walking over to the couch, and sat down on it with her in his lap. 

“I don’t…wanna hurt you…” She stuttered out, hiccupping a little, and closed her eyes when his hand began stroking her back lovingly. 

“How can you hurt me more after what you just said?” He asked, not meaning for it to sound forceful, but he wondered what could have made her say such hateful things to him. 

Justina cried harder, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, knowing she was too weak to do this, to break off whatever they’re accomplished making.  “I’m sorry…” She whispered, causing Ken to smile as he nodded, and kissed her temple gently.

“You know how you can make it up to me?” He asked, lifting her chin to meet his eyes,  which were sparkling with mischief. 

Her breath caught in her throat when she seen that look in his eyes and blushed furiously, the color returning to her cheeks.  “How?” She murmured, having a pretty good idea what he wanted, but knew it would never happen. 

He didn’t answer her at first.  Instead, he pulled something out of his pocket, and handed it to her.  It was a black, velvet covered box, and Justina felt her heart begin pounding in her chest.  With a deep breath, she opened it, and felt the tears just burst at the beautiful ring that stood before her.  It was a three stoned ring, sapphires on either side of her birthstone, which was ruby, and it was set on a silver band.  She hated gold. 

“Read the inscription.” He whispered huskily in her ear, causing Justina to shake even more, and nodded as she turned the ring so she could see on the inside of the band. 

<I>Forever yours, J Mine.  Love Ken.</I>

“Why me?” She asked, looking up into his eyes, and sighed when he wiped a few stray tears away from her own.

“Because I love you.” He replied without hesitation, the money completely out of his mind, and leaned forward as his lips brushed softly against hers.  “Marry me.” He repeated, wrapping both arms around her, and took the ring from her trembling fingers, pulling it out of the box.  He took her left hand and slid it on her ring finger, grinning when it was a perfect fit.  “See?  I know your size so it would be a complete waste if you said no.”

Justina giggled for the first time, though it sounded watery, and looked down at the beautiful ring on her finger.  This man was insane and yet she loved him with all her heart and soul.  “When do I have to give you my answer?” She asked finally, deciding to give it some thought, and looked up into his troubled brown eyes.  “I need time to think about this, Ken.” She explained, stroking his face with the back of her hand.

That’s when the deadline popped into his head, but for some reason, Ken didn’t care if he got the fortune or not now.  He just wanted to be with Justina and was willing to give it up to be with her.  “Whenever you’re ready.” He murmured against her lips before claiming them again, groaning when she melted, and gently guided her down on the couch. 

They didn’t make love, but they did explore each other’s bodies until the sun rose over the horizon.

~*~*~*~*

“You’re WHAT?” Both women shouted, staring at Karrie like she’d just grown a second head.

Karrie sighed heavily, chewing on her bottom thumbnail, her knee bouncing with the nerves that were building inside of her.  “What am I going to do?” She asked, tears forming in her eyes. 

“You’re going to tell him, aren’t you love?” Evaline asked, still shocked by this sudden turn of events, but in all honesty, she was looking forward to this happening.

“I don’t know…” Karrie answered honestly, wiping a few stray tears away, and leaned further back on the couch.  “I mean…we never talked about something like this…” She trailed off, not sure what to say at the moment.

“You’re engaged though.” Ember reminded her, sighing heavily when Karrie just shot her a look.

“I know we are, Emmy, but that still doesn’t mean we have to talk about this.” Karrie stated, not sure if she was even making sense, and shook her head as more tears burned in her eyes.  “I know I have to tell him.” She whispered finally.

Evaline’s heart went out to Karrie as she patted her shoulder comfortingly, trying to get her to calm down somewhat.  “How far along are you, love?” She asked, her British accent peeking through full blast.

“Two months…” Karrie answered, causing both women to just stare at her.  “No, it’s not like that.  I JUST found out today with you!” She immediately defended, not wanting them to get the wrong impression or idea that she’d been keeping it a secret from them.

“Good because if you did keep it from us, we’d hogtie your ass and beat you with a stick.” Ember stated sweetly, grinning from ear to ear with teeth and all.

“Sure.” Karrie snorted, causing all three women to start laughing, and shook their heads.  They immediately turned their heads when the front door swung open and there stood a VERY serious looking Mark.  Chris and David were standing behind him, all three of their arms crossed, and Karrie suddenly felt like a small fish in the ocean.

“I need to speak with Karrie.  Now.” Mark ordered gruffly, stalking past the girls, and into the kitchen.  The swinging door came to a halt as Karrie’s eyes widened, wondering what the Hell this was about, and began trembling.

“Go on, love.” Evaline ordered in a whisper, trying to encourage their friend, and scooted her off the couch. 

“It’ll be alright, Kar.  We have the getaway car.” Ember winked, causing Karrie to shoot her a quick smile before venturing toward the kitchen door.  Taking a deep breath, she walked through it, seeing her future husband leaning over the kitchen sink, his hands planted firmly on the counter.

“Mark…everything alright?” She asked softly, truly afraid of what he was so angry about.  Karrie was never one to fear anything, but when it came to this near seven footer for her fiancée…what girl in their right mind WOULDN’T be afraid?

Mark tensed upon hearing her voice and had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down before he exploded.  “Why didn’t you tell me?” He finally asked, his tone grave and dark, but didn’t turn around to face her.

Swallowing hard, Karrie felt tremors take over her body as she pressed a hand to her abdomen, biting her bottom lip.  “So…I take it you’re not happy about this?” She whispered, not trusting her normal voice, and kept her eyes glued to the floor.

“Why would I be, Karrie?  This is going to fuck up our lives!!” Mark shouted angrily, gripping the counter so hard, his knuckles were turning white.  He couldn’t believe what he’d found out and it was taking all of the resolve in his body not to strangle her.

Heartbreaking tears flowed down her cheeks as she backed away from him, shaking her head, and wrapped both arms around her stomach, feeling sick.  Damn morning sickness was striking at the WRONG time!  “I thought you’d be happy about this…” She softly said, slowly lifting her head to stare at his broad, tensed back.

“You will call and get rid of it.” He ordered gruffly, not even giving her the chance to change her mind.  “I’m not dealin’ with this and will do what I want, WHEN I want!” He shouted, his anger boiling over, and finally couldn’t take it anymore as he whipped around to face her.  “Cancel this or it’s over.” He threatened gravely, green eyes narrowed to slits, and stalked out of the kitchen, through the living room, and slammed the front door behind him so hard, the windows rattled and walls shook.

Karrie felt her legs buckle and collapsed on the kitchen floor, burying her face in her hands, not believing what just happened.  How could he be so cruel toward their unborn child?!  How did he find out to begin with?  “He must’ve found the stick.” She reasoned, sounding heartbroken as she spoke, and doubled over as more tears streamed down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, in the living room, two couples were sitting together, and staring at the front door like it would all off the hinges at any given moment.  “What the Hell…” Ember trailed off and bolted into the kitchen, wanting to make sure Karrie was alright.

“What the Hell is right.  You would think the man would be happy.” Evaline stated, standing from the couch, and began walking toward the kitchen when Chris stopped her.

“You would be happy to interfere in my work life?” He asked, anger flaring in his blue eyes, and caused Evaline’s to widen as she stared at her fiancé.

“What are you talking about?  What work life?” She demanded, planting her hands on her hips, and blinked as Chris and David shared a knowing look.

“Mark is upset at Karrie because she called her father to try and get him a job with the firm…” David began, raking a hand through his dark hair.

“After he specifically told her NOT too.” Chris finished, causing the realization to dawn on Evaline, and knew this wasn’t good.

“Oh god…” She whispered and rushed into the kitchen, seeing Karrie was doubled over while Ember comforted her, stroking her hair gently with her hand.  “Calm down, love.  It’s not good for the little one.”

She hadn’t realized David and Christopher had followed her, jumping when they both shouted at the same time, “WHAT LITTLE ONE?”

“You two are more dense than a box of rocks.” Ember growled, shaking her head, and began rocking with Karrie, not believing how cold Mark could be.  He was going to be a father, damn it!!

“Wait a damn minute here!” David shouted in defense, nostrils flaring, eyes narrowed to slits at his wife.  “What the Hell do you mean there’s a little one?” He demanded, feeling his head spiral out of control.

“They don’t know?” Karrie choked out, coughing more as she buried her face more in Ember’s shoulder, needing the comfort at the moment. 

“Would someone please explain what the Sam Hell is going on here?” Chris demanded, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and stared at his fiancé hardening. 

“She’s pregnant, Christopher.” Evaline revealed and shook her head sadly, brewing some warm tea, knowing that would help calm Karrie down.

“SHE’S WHAT?”

“Would you STOP shouting in my kitchen before I boot you out?” Evaline snapped, her own eyes narrowed now, and proceeded to start cooking since she was upset. 

David cursed under his breath, knowing Mark had NO unearthly clue Karrie was pregnant.  He’d yelled at her for a completely different reason and knew he had to find the man before it was too late.  “Karrie, he didn’t know…”

“Just go away.” She whispered heartbrokenly, not wanting to listen to anything more and cried harder than ever.  “Go find him and tell him it’s over.”

Chapter 8

A few days later, Evaline decided to have a barbeque to try to smooth things over, especially after everything that transpired with Karrie’s pregnancy news and all.  Not to mention Justina was more confused than ever about Ken’s wedding proposal.  What was worse was the fact that nobody, not even her girls, knew about it yet and also knew that Ken was dying for her to give him an answer.  She decided she’d have to decline the offer, knowing she wouldn’t be around long enough for the wedding to proceed because of her Leukemia.  Not wanting to think about that right now, Justina focused on the task at hand which was to get Karrie and Mark back together.

The girls had met a few days prior and planned this barbeque, deciding they wouldn’t tell Mark or Karrie that the other was invited.  It was one of those match making type deals and the girls just hoped and prayed Karrie didn’t get upset with them for doing this.  It was Hell around Karrie ever since she split with Mark.  It was only four days ago, but for the girls, it seemed like an eternity. 

“Do you think this will work?” Ember asked softly, taking the roast out of the oven to baste it to give it a little more spice and flavor.  Nothing too drastic though, since Justina was not allowed to eat anything spicy because of what she had.

“I do not know, but I do hope it works.  They were meant for each other for Merlin’s sake!” Evaline replied, a little overzealous as she started making the crust for her famous pie chocolate raspberry pie.

“You’ve been watching too much Harry Potter lately.” Justina commented, causing Evaline to smirk back at her with a simple shrug of her shoulders. 

“So what?  You cannot tell me you don’t fancy those movies, love.” She gently shot back, causing Justina to sigh as she shook her head while stirring the vegetables on the stove.  The girls refused to let her do anything too strenuous.

“By the way, how is what’s his face?” Ember asked, deciding to change the subject as she placed the roast back in the oven, letting it simmer for a bit before turning it on high once more.  They still had a long ways to go and talking killed time in her mind.

Justina sighed resignedly, hoping her sister wouldn’t bring up Ken, and bit her bottom lip.  “He’s fine…” She answered slowly before placing the lid back on the pot.  She then wiped her hands off on the kitchen towel and smoothed down her blue and silver sundress since it was close to ninety degrees outside.

“Just fine?” Evaline pried, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, and groaned when Ember elbowed her in the stomach.  “Bloody Hell…”

“Justina, is there something wrong?” Ember asked suddenly, seeing the worry in her sister’s eyes, and took a step toward her.  She sighed when Justina backed away immediately, her big amber eyes widened.  “What’s going on?”

“N-Nothing.  Oh look, more guests are arriving.  I’ll let them in.” Justina quickly said before literally dashing out of the kitchen, trying with all her might to avoid a confrontation with her sister. 

“Something definitely is not right.” Evaline stated as soon as Justina was out of earshot, causing Ember to nod in agreement.  The girls decided secretly that they would find out what it was, with or without Justina telling them herself.

Justina’s heart was pounding in her chest as she slowed down, walking toward the door.  A groan came from her lips when those blue eyes met hers as soon as she opened it, causing her pulse to begin racing rapidly.  “Hi.” She softly whispered, stepping aside to let him in, followed by Chris and surprisingly enough, Mark.  “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”

“Hello darlin’.” Mark gruffly replied, groaning when Chris elbowed him, and that caused Justina to sigh harder.

“Everyone is seated out back.” She stated, motioning toward the sliding glass door that led out to the patio and pool. 

Mark and Chris nodded, heading in that direction, but not before dropping a kiss on Justina’s forehead.  Ken decided to stay behind and stopped Justina when she tried walking away from him.  She sighed, looking up into his eyes, and knew he was begging for her to give him an answer.  In all honesty, she already knew she couldn’t, but was simply trying to find a way to tell him without breaking him completely in half.

“You look beautiful.” He said softly, causing Justina’s cheeks to tinge red as she looked down, knowing he was saying that just to be nice.  She was nothing special and she knew it. 

“Thanks, you don’t look so bad yourself.” She replied, sighing when he raised her chin with his strong hand, staring deep into those blue pools of his once more.  “What?”

“Justina, have you given any thought to my proposal?” He asked softly, causing the tears to instantly well up in her amber eyes as she tried to pull away, but his arm wrapping around her waist prevented that from happening.  “Don’t run away from me.” He pleaded, running his finger down her cheek, wiping a single tear away.  “What’s wrong?  Why are you crying, J Mine?”

“Please don’t call me that…” She managed to choke out, sniffling hard, and tried pulling away from him, but he was just too strong for her.  Not to mention, her energy level wasn’t exactly up to par that day to begin with.

Ken raised an eyebrow down at her, wondering why she was getting so emotional, and pulled her fully into his embrace as he stroked her back, trying to calm her down.  “What’s wrong, Justina?  Please, just tell me what’s going on.” He was pleading with her, begging to know the truth, not realizing that Justina’s heart was shattering over and over again in her chest while he held her like this.  “I want to know what’s going on, beautiful.  Please just tell me.”

“I-I can’t…” She murmured out and with all the strength in her small frame, pushed him away from her, wrapping her arms around herself.  “Go make yourself comfortable outside.” With that said, she walked away from him, leaving Ken standing there completely dumbfounded and looking more lost than ever.

“Justina wait…” He began, but was stopped when Ember stepped in front of him, her calculating blue eyes boring into his own.

“Leave her be for now.  She has a lot going on right now, Ken.” Ember stated in an even tone of voice, though a hint of danger was clearly evident as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Why do you insist on trying to keep us apart?  I love her and she loves me too.” Ken shot back, causing Ember’s eyes to widen slightly, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“You don’t know anything about my sister or you’d know exactly WHY she’s trying to avoid you.” Ember retorted, causing Ken’s eyebrow to raise once more, knowing there was a lot more than he thought was wrong.  “If you really love her, you’ll let her go and move on.  She’s not worth it, Ken.”

Now he was getting pissed off.  “What do you mean she’s not worth it?  You damn right she is!  She’s worth every fucking moment I spend with her and she’s worth that ring I proposed to her with!” Ken shouted, causing Ember’s eyes to shoot open in shock, a small gasp escaping her lips.

“W-What proposal?  What the fuck are you talking about, Blondie?” She demanded hotly, hands on her hips now in full bitch mode.

“She didn’t tell you?” Ken asked, causing Ember to simply shake her head in response, and he groaned as he raked a hand through his bleach blonde hair in frustration.  “I proposed to her a few nights ago.  She tried pushing me away, but I refused to let her and popped the question.   I want to marry her and have a hundred babies with her and grow old together.  I fucking LOVE her.”

This was NOT good.  This was not good at all.  Ember didn’t say a single word as she turned on her heel and stalked away from him before she ended up decking him into the next century.  “JUSTINA!” She shouted out, walking out of the sliding glass door, her jaw dropping at the sight before her.

“Just get out of my way, Callaway!  I don’t want to see you!” Karrie shouted at him, not believing the audacity of her friends to do this to her when all she wanted was some time to herself.  She wasn’t happy when Mark stepped through that door and instantly advanced on her.  The only thing that was separating them at the moment was poor Chris, who was literally getting smashed between their two bodies.

“That’s tough shit, Karrie!  Yer gonna talk to me or else I’ll force ya!” Mark growled back, trying to shove Chris out of his way, but the man was not budging.

“Why?  So you can ridicule me some more, you no good insensitive bastard!” She shouted back at him, her hormones in an uproar at the moment from her pregnancy.  She was barely showing, but if looked at close enough, there was a small pouch slowly beginning to form.  “You don’t care about me and you don’t care about this baby!  All you fucking care about is yourself!”

“That’s not fuckin’ true and ya know it, Karrie!  I love ya, darlin’, but I was pissed off because ya went to yer father after I SPECIFICALLY asked ya not too!” Mark growled, his emerald green eyes blazing a hole in her purple ones, causing Karrie to narrow them back at him in return.

“Bullshit!!  This isn’t about my father and you damn well know it, Mark!  You found out I was pregnant and got all mad at me because the birth control didn’t work!  That’s fine, you don’t want the baby? I’ll raise it MYSELF!!” Karrie screamed that last part, raking a hand through her raven colored hair, and stalked away from him back inside the house.  Mark was hot on her trail, causing Chris to groan as he followed, not wanting his friend to do something he’d regret later.

“This isn’t good…” Justina groaned as she shook her head and walked over to the pool siding, staring down at the cool water.  It looked inviting.  She slowly kicked her sandals off and sat down, sighing when her feet met the cool water and closed her eyes as the soft wind blew through her honey locks.

“Mind if I join you?”

Justina didn’t even have to look up, knowing exactly who it was, and just nodded her head, knowing Ken would do it anyway.

Meanwhile back in the house, Karrie was currently throwing food at Mark, who was a raging bull at the moment.  “NO!  You two are not fighting in my house damn it!!  Christopher do something!” Evaline shrieked, not wanting her five thousand dollar new remodeled kitchen destroyed at the hands of these two.

“What the fuck does it look like I’m TRYING to do?” Chris shot back, groaning when Mark just shoved him to the side as a tomato splattered on his cheek.

“Yer askin’ fer it, Karrie!” Mark growled menacingly, wiping the tomato from his cheek as he kept advancing on her.  “Yer gonna talk to me darlin’ or I’ll force ya.”

“No you will not!!  I’m not afraid of you, Mark!  Unlike your pussy ass friends, I actually have a backbone and I’ll kick the shit out of you if you even THINK about trying to force me to talk to you!!”

“HEY!  I resent that!!” Chris bellowed out from the kitchen, currently wrapping some ice in a towel to put on his shoulder since it smacked the edge of the counter when Mark shoved him away.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, CHRIS!!” Both Mark and Karrie shouted at him from the living room, causing Evaline to groan as she raked a hand through her hair just as Ember and David came storming in.

“Don’t talk to me, you overbearing pompous asshole!!” Ember shouted at him, causing Evaline’s eyes to widen, not believing this barbeque was turning into World War III in her house!

“Oh, so now I’m an asshole for being concerned about my WIFE hanging out with the likes of Matt Hardy?” David shot back, his brown eyes blazing with fury as he stared holes right through her.

“Hey, if you can fuck around on me, then I can most certainly fuck around on YOU!” Ember shot back, causing David’s jaw to drop as his eyes shot open to the size of saucers, staring at her in complete disarray.

“I NEVER CHEATED ON YOU!”

“Oh please!” Ember retorted with a roll of her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  “Don’t tell me you haven’t fucked your secretary, Jillian on MORE than one occasion, sweetheart!!”

“I DIDN’T!!” David exploded, advancing on her while Karrie and Mark were still arguing. 

“You’re a lyin’ sack of shit and I want a fuckin’ divorce!!” Ember shouted, causing everyone to stop in their tracks, staring at Ember wide eyed while David’s face completely fell, his heart dropping down to his bowels.

“What?” He softly asked, his brown eyes filled with so many emotions at that moment as he watched the tears fall down his wife’s cheeks, wanting to take her in his arms and hold her close.

“You heard me.  I’m sick of you screwin’ around on me, David.  You want that whore Jillian so bad, that’s fine.  You can HAVE her because I already got me a REAL man and his name is Matt Hardy.” With that said, Ember stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind her, leaving her husband standing there looking like a regular fish out of water.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO, BATISTA?” Evaline snapped, finally shaking the shock from her body, and stalked over to him, her hands on her hips.  Just the guilt ridden look in David’s eyes told her all she needed to know.  “You fucked Jillian?  That no good, no talent whore?”

“Calm down, sweetheart.” Chris soothingly said behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, knowing she was going to completely tear David apart for what he’d done.

“It was only one time.  It was late at night and Jillian can be VERY persuasive…” David began and a second later, a loud smack could be heard in the room as a mean red handprint was slowly forming on his cheek.

“GET OUT OF MY BLOODY HOUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU CHEATING BASTARD!!” Evaline shrieked, shoving him with all the strength that was inside of her body, causing Chris to just blink back at her in shock.

“How could ya do that, man?” Mark asked softly, shaking his head in disappointment while David just allowed this tiny woman to shove him until he was on her porch and the door was slammed in his face.

“God, are ALL men assholes in this world?!” Karrie snapped before rushing up the stairs, Mark hot on her trail, refusing to allow her to get away from him.  They were going to talk, whether she liked it or not.

Chapter 9

“Why won’t you tell me what’s bothering you, Justina?” Ken finally asked, breaking the silence that’d formed between them, his feet also in the water.  He was wearing a white beater with blue jean shorts, black shades on his head since the sun was blinding him at the moment.

“Because it’s not your business.” She replied simply, her voice soft as she swished her feet back and forth in the pool, her peaceful moment suddenly deteriorating.

Ken snorted, shaking his head back at answer.  “It’s not my business, huh?  I love you and it’s not my business.” He shot back defensively, causing her to groan as she raked her hands through her hair in frustration.

“Ken, please don’t do this…” She pleaded, looking down at the cool water, wanting more than anything to dive in, but she knew she couldn’t.  She didn’t have the strength to swim anymore, that’s how tired she’d been lately.

“Don’t do what?  Try to find out what’s bothering you and why you won’t tell me your answer to my proposal?” He retorted swiftly, causing her to sigh heavily as her shoulders began to slump.

“I can’t marry you.” She finally whispered after thinking it over and refused to look at him.  “You will thank me for this some day.”

“You won’t marry me because of your fuckin’ sister.” Ken stated, causing Justina’s eyes to widen as she looked up at him in shock, tears forming instantly.

“How can you say something like that?!  It isn’t because of her!  It’s because-” She stopped herself before she revealed the truth and shook her head, pulling her feet out of the water, and shakily stood up on the patio.  “Never mind, it’s not important.”

“THE HELL IT ISN’T!” Ken exploded, suddenly up on his feet in the blink of an eye, and was staring holes through her.  “See, this is what I’m fucking talking about, Justina!  You start saying something and then stop!  Why?  Why can’t you let me in?”

“Because I-I hardly know you!!  You’re such a lunatic!!  You came up to me at the park and…proposed to me, a complete stranger!  How do I know there isn’t something in it for you, Ken?” She shot back, suddenly feeling defensive, her shoulders squared as if to challenge him.

Ken knew she was right as he opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped, raking a hand through his hair.  He had to tell her.  It was the only way for her to see that they weren’t strangers, that they knew each other at one point in their lives.  “We aren’t strangers, J Mine.” He softly replied, causing her to glare back at him at the nickname, but he didn’t care.

“What are you talking about?  Of course we are!  We’d never met up until a few weeks ago!” She shouted back at him, her anger too high to calm down right now, even though he wasn’t shouting back at her.  “And stop calling me that!  I’m not yours!”

Ken ignored that last part as he looked back at her, his brown eyes staring into hers, and sighed as he shuffled his feet back and forth.  “It was a long time ago, I won’t deny it, but I still remember it.  It was when we were little…”

“You sound insane, you know that right?” She retorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest, allowing him to continue.

“I know I do, but it’s the truth.  We were playing in the sandbox at the park.  Don’t you remember?”

“No, I don’t.  How could I remember something like that?” She retorted once more, though her voice was now softer and much lower than usual.  “I don’t remember much of anything anymore…”

“I know it’s a dumb memory, but I do remember you.  I had the flashback a few days ago and I couldn’t believe it was you.  You had the same honey blonde hair and those fuckin’ eyes that just…I don’t know…swept me away.” Ken said, now staring back at her, his eyes intense and full of passion and love for her.

“Ken…I…” She sighed, not able to find the words and took the ring out, handing it over to him.  “I can’t be your wife.  Please understand.”

“No, I’m not going to understand it.” Ken shook his head as if to emphasize his point and flat out refused to take the ring from her.  “That’s yours no matter if you decide to marry me or not, Justina.  Do with it as you please.”

“I don’t want it.” She stated, her voice hoarse as the tears threatened to spill, holding on by a thread on her thick, long eyelashes.  “Please take it, Ken.  I don’t want the reminder.”

“Why?” He shot back, suddenly advancing on her, and took her by the arms as he stared deep into her eyes.  “Are you afraid of loving me, Justina?  Is that what it is?  Tell me why you won’t.” He demanded, his voice shaky from how much intense emotion was inside of his big body.

“I can’t…” She choked out, not able to look in his eyes for fear of buckling and spilling her secret to him.  “Please, try to understand…”

Ken wasn’t budging and he refused to let her go until she told him what she was hiding.  He knew it was something big and just by the look on her face, he knew he wouldn’t like it.  He didn’t care though.  He loved her and wanted to know why she refused to marry him.  If it wasn’t her sister, then what else could it possibly be?

“No, I won’t understand until you tell me why.” He retorted, lifting her chin with his strong hand to stare into her beautiful amber orbs that he’d fallen for.  His grandfather’s money didn’t matter anymore.  All he wanted was her and ONLY her.

“I can’t tell you…and I can’t love you…” She rasped out, her heart thundering against her chest, making it feel like it would jump out of her chest at any given moment.  She had to get away from him and fast before she spilled everything.  “Ken please let me go…”

“No, I will never let you go until you give me one good and legitimate reason too.” He stated, his eyes mirroring what he was feeling plus so much more.  “Tell me why, Justina.”

The tears finally gave as they began sliding slowly down her cheeks, shaking her head, her stubbornness kicking into high gear.  “I’m not telling you.” She shakily stated, trying to stay brave and strong.  It was for his own good, didn’t he understand that?  If she told him the truth, he would stay by her side and end up heartbroken in the end.  She refused to allow that to happen to him!  It was bad enough her sister had to witness it!  “Now let me go.”

“I’ll let you go if you tell me what’s really going on.” He compromised, not releasing her for a second.  He knew if he did, she would run and he would probably never see her again.  “Tell me.” He whispered, his forehead pressing against hers, his lips mere inches away from her own.

“I can’t…” She repeated, her bravery beginning to break little by little, feeling the walls around her heart crumbling piece by piece.

“Why not?” He softly pried, knowing he was slowly beginning to break her down, and would continue to do so until she told him what was really going on.  “I love you, J Mine.  Tell me what’s going on, baby please.”

“It will hurt you if I tell you.  I can’t take that risk.” She whispered, not trusting her voice since she was swallowing down sobs that were threatening to overtake her as she began trembling in his arms.

“Some risks are worth taking, beautiful.” He argued gently, beginning to run his fingers through her hair, his cheek resting against her forehead as he held her close to him.  “Please tell me, Justina.”

“I can’t…” She started crying, her legs buckling as she fell to her knees on the patio, Ken going right along with her as she buried her face her hands.  “Please don’t make me tell you.”

Ken’s heart was breaking at her tears and especially at the sobs that soon started after, causing him to pull her into his arms as she sat between his legs.  “No matter what you tell me, it won’t change how I feel about you.” He assured her, knowing that was part of the fear she was feeling at the moment.  "Please tell me what’s wrong.  Tell me why you can’t be my wife.”

“I’m sick…” She whispered finally, not looking up at him as her trembling increased, her face growing pale white as a ghost.

“What?” Ken asked, confusion registering clearly on his face as he stared down at her.  “You have the flu or something?”

“No…” She shook her head and slowly pulled away from him enough to stare up at him, the tears flowing more.  “I’m sick, Ken.” She stopped for a moment to take a deep shaky breath.  “I have Leukemia.” She finally whispered out, causing Ken’s eyes to widen down at her, his heart dropping in the pit of his stomach.

A shaky laugh came from his lips as he stared back at her and shook his head.  “No.  You’re perfect, now tell me what’s really going on.” He demanded softly, though the panic was evident in his tone.

“I found out two years ago and I’ve stopped responding to treatments.” She revealed with a shrug of her shoulders, not sure what else to do as she raked a hand through her hair, staring down at the water again.

Ken was beside himself as he opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, not sure what to say, what to think, what to feel.  He’d picked this woman to be his wife to get a fortune his grandfather left him and she had cancer.  The guilt was eating him alive now, not believing what a bastard he’d been.  He’d only been thinking of himself and didn’t even realize she was this sick.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He finally asked, his voice low and calm, though on the inside he felt like dying because the woman before him was.  “How much longer do you have?”

“I didn’t want you being weird around me or coddling me.  I get it enough from my sister and I don’t know how much longer I have.  It just depends how fast the cancer eats away at me.  I’m hoping to die in my sleep…” She stated, talking about it as if it was an everyday thing, and that disturbed Ken more than words could say.  It was almost as if Justina was welcoming her death.

“So you’re just going to give up?” He demanded, his brown eyes boring into her own, still not believing this, but he refused to leave her side and get all bent out of shape.  “What if we took you to the best doctors?”

Justina looked at him, a ghost of a smile on her lips, her eyes telling him what he needed to know.  “It’s won, Ken.” She whispered, slowly bringing her hand up to caress his face with her back of it.  “Now do you understand why I didn’t want to marry you and why I’ve been trying to push you away?”

Ken just nodded, as much as it pained him to do so, and placed his hand over hers that was on his cheek.  “We can fight this.  We can beat this together, Justina.” He wasn’t giving up, knowing she already had. 

“That’s very sweet of you, Ken, but there is nothing that can be done.  Just please allow me to go in peace.  Don’t let me hurt you with this.” She pleaded with him, taking both of his hands in her own.  “Just walk away before both of us end up doing something we’ll regret later.”

Locking eyes with her own, Ken shook his head before his lips found hers in a passionate, soul searing kiss, their bodies molding together.  He broke it a few moments later and stated emphatically and in a final tone, “I’m not going anywhere.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Karrie, you’re gonna talk to me, darlin’.” Mark ordered as he followed her into the bedroom, sighing when she attempted to slam the door in his face.  His big boot blocked it though as he pushed it open with ease, shaking his head back at her.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!  I HATE YOU, YOU COLD HEARTED PRICK!” She screeched, picking up the vase that was on the dresser, but didn’t throw it yet.  She wanted to wait and see if he would abide by her wishes or defy them like he normally did.

“Well I love ya and I’m not goin’ anywhere until we talk this out like two RATIONAL adults.” He replied, crossing those massive, tattooed sleeved arms in front of his chest, the defiance oozing from the pores of his huge frame.

“I’m not talking to you about this.  It’s over, Mark.  You don’t want this baby and you’re using what happened with my father as an excuse.” She stated in a low, even tone, the vase threatening to be hurled at him at any given moment. 

Mark shook his head, not believing how stubborn she was being about this.  “Karrie, violence won’t solve anythin’, darlin’.  Just put it down and let’s talk about this.” He coaxed, deciding instead of charging at her and trying to force her, he’d simply persuade her into doing so.  It was something Mark was VERY good at doing.

“N-No.  Y-You told me to get rid of it or it was over!” She shouted at him, remembering his words as they’d plagued her mind for the past few days and nights.  Not to mention the fact that the baby had been active and causing her morning sickness to be more violent than ever.

“I didn’t mean the baby.  I didn’t even KNOW about the baby until Chris and David sat me down and told me about it the following day.  After that, I decided to give ya a few days to calm down and now here we are.  I wasn’t angry bout the baby.  I was shocked more than anythin’, but I honestly can’t wait to be a father.” He explained, his voice low and soothing, knowing he was slowly breaking her down. 

Karrie sighed as she slowly lowered the vase, but still held it, showing him she was still angry at him for what he’d said to her.  She had to admit though, he was doing an excellent job of making it hard for her to be angry at him.  “I called my father because we need the money, Mark.” She softly said, sighing when he growled back at her.

“I told ya, I don’t need or want that damn stinkin’ job from yer father.  We’re doin’ just fine, I assure ya.” Mark replied, trying to keep his cool because he knew if he exploded, he’d ruin all the effort he’d put into calming her down.  “As fer the baby, Hell darlin’, I can’t wait fer it to be born.” He puffed out his chest proudly, a smile on his face as his green eyes sparkled back at her.  “How far along are ya?”

“A-About two months…” She whispered softly, chewing on her lower lip, and pressed a free hand to her stomach, beginning to rub it gently.  “It’s been giving me mornin’ sickness like crazy though.”

Mark sighed when he heard that and nodded, slowly walking toward her.  “I’m comin’ very slowly.” He whispered and pushed the vase from her hand as it dropped to the carpeted floor, placing his hand on her stomach.  Within moments, the baby instantly calmed down and the morning sickness seemed to vanished into thin air.

“I’m still mad at you.” She said, trying to salvage what was left of her dignity, and stared up into his eyes, those damn eyes that she’d fallen for long ago, and knew he had her.  He always did and he always would.

“I love you, Karrie.  There’s somethin’ I wanted to ask ya.” He stated, suddenly, not believing the next set of words that were about to come out of his mouth, but knew it was time. 

“What is it?” She softly asked, fear evident in her tone of voice, and gasped softly when he kissed her.

“When do ya wanna set the date?”

Chapter 10

“I can’t believe they actually FELL for it!!” Jillian cackled wickedly, running her fingers through the black locks of her accomplice in all of this.  It didn’t take long to seduce David, god knows the man was addicted to sex, and apparently his wife hadn’t been giving it out lately.  She didn’t care though as she sighed, leaning back as she hummed a small tune under her breath.

“Believe me, I didn’t think she’d actually do it.” His deep voice replied, chuckling along with her, and growled when she continued running her fingers through his hair.  If she didn’t knock it off, he was going to spin around and pin her to the bed.

“Poor little Ember.  I must admit her husband is a great fuck, but not as good as you, baby.” Jillian lured, causing him to snort as he took another shot of Jack Daniels, groaning as the liquid burned down his esophagus. 

His dark eyes slowly turned to face her, licking his lips, and smirked as Ember popped into his mind.  He had to admit he enjoyed their sexual encounters together, but he knew Ember wasn’t for him.  Matt growled as he pinned Jillian to the bed, nuzzling her neck with his nose and mouth, and stated evenly, “You leave Ember to me and deal with David.  He’ll regret breaking your heart and she’ll be sorry she didn’t choose me over him.”

Nothing more was said as Matt and Jillian played a little tonsil hockey before finally getting down to business.

~*~*~*~*~*~

David was miserable without his wife and couldn’t believe she’d actually asked for a divorce.  It wasn’t his fault he was practically raped by Jillian.  She gave him some kind of drug that immobilized him to do anything.  He went to the hospital and even they determined it was the date rape drug called ‘GHB’.  Basically, the drug affected his self-control and it’s also known as a sedative.  It made David completely immobilized, unable to shove Jillian off of him even if he wanted too.  She didn’t know how he did it, probably when he went to the bathroom while she waited in his office for him to finish.  In truth, David hated the bitch, always had and always would.  He remembered everything that happened, but for the life of him, that drug messed him up.

What was worse was the fact that David found out that Matt was in his office that night, due to some heavy investigating on his part.  He found a cut shoelace and had tests done on it, linking Matt to the drugging.  David wanted to beat the shit out of him, but first, he had to get his wife in a secluded area alone long enough to show her the test results.  This was proof that he’d been drugged and he’d never meant to fuck Jillian, even though he said she was very persuasive.  He was saying that because Ember was angering him and when David got mad, all bets were off.

He sighed, his thoughts broken when a knock sounded at his door, causing him to stand as he walked over to answer it.  He wasn’t surprised to see Mark and guided him inside silently, shutting the door behind him.  “What’s up, Callaway?” He gruffly asked, raking a hand through his hair, feeling like his entire world was crumbling before him.

“How could ya cheat on her like that, David?” Mark bluntly asked, getting straight to the point, removing the shades from his emerald green eyes.  “I mean, I thought ya loved her…”

“I didn’t cheat on her.” David softly said, causing Mark’s eyebrow to quirk, wondering if he’d heard the big man right or not.

“You said at the barbeque you did.” Mark shot back, wondering truly if David had some kind of bipolar or if he just had a selective memory.  With the way things were going lately, anything was possible.

David sighed with a nod, knowing he couldn’t deny it, and scrubbed his hand down his face in frustration.  “I only said that because she was pissing me off.  You know how defensive I get, man.”

“That’s no fuckin’ reason to tell yer wife that ya cheated on her!!” Mark retorted, raising his low voice a bit, and glared back at the man he considered to be his best friend.  “What the Hell has gotten into you lately, David?  What’s goin’ on?”

“Nothing.  I’ll take care of it.” David replied evenly, not appreciating Mark coming here to basically give him the third degree.  He knew he messed up, that was no secret, but now he had a chance to make things right.  He had proof of what really happened.

Mark sighed, knowing he shouldn’t yell, and decided to try another method.  “Look man, I don’t know what’s goin’ on and quite frankly, I don’t care.  What I DO care about is  what’s goin’ on and why ya said ya cheated on Em if ya didn’t.” Mark replied, his voice lower as he walked over, settling down on the couch as he stretched his massive frame out.

That was much better.  David walked over to him and sat in the chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, looking deep in thought.  “What if I told you it was all a setup?  Would you believe me?” He asked, a picture of him and Ember at their first anniversary party on the table he’d managed to hide from her to have as his own. 

Confusion registered on Mark’s face as he stroked his goatee in thought, wondering what David meant.  “What do ya mean it was a setup?  How can fuckin’ someone else be a setup, David?”

He didn’t answer.  Instead, David reached over on the table, picking up a manila envelope, and threw it at him as it landed in his lap.  “That’s what really happened.” He stated as Mark opened the envelope and dumped the contents from it out on the coffee table.

Inside, there was a legitimate hospital record with the test results on it.  Also, it stated what the drug was called and what time it was administered to David.  Mark’s eyes widened as he read it before slowly looking at his best friend, not believing he’d actually yelled at the man for something that was out of his control.  “GHB is a dangerous drug, man.  The boys in the motorcycle gang I used to belong too way back in the day used it on defenseless women.  It’s supposed to immobilize them to where they can’t do a damn thing, but sit or lay there and take what’s comin’.” Mark explained, raking a hand through his hair before throwing the papers on the table, shaking his head.  “You have to show Em these.”

“I can’t, not yet.  I need to figure out a plan first to get back at that slut and Hardy for doing this to us.” David replied, causing Mark to raise an eyebrow, wondering if David had truly lost his mind.

“Man, fuck a plan!!  Em is currently with that asshole!!” Mark barked, standing up and shaking him again, trying to knock some damn sense into this man.  “You say ya love her, yet ya won’t show her what really happened?  Are ya really THAT fucked up, man?”

“Man, get the fuck off of me!  I know what the Hell I’m doing!” David shot back angrily, shoving Mark away from him, and squared his shoulders, refusing to be pushed around a moment longer by him. 

“No ya don’t, son!!  If ya did, ya wouldn’t be sittin’ here right now plottin’ revenge!  You’d be tryin’ to get yer wife back!!” Mark shouted, his voice low and menacing that would make any normal man piss himself from fright.  “Get yer head outta yer ass and realize what the fuck yer doin’!”

“Fuck you, Mark!!  You’re not right about every goddamn thing!” David was on the brink of tackling Mark to the floor and beating the shit out of him.  The only thing that was holding him back was because of the tight knit bond the two men had with each other.

“No, I’m not, but at least I’m not a fuckin’ idiot who refuses to see what he’s losin’ right before his fuckin’ eyes!  It’s not my fault ya decided to be a jackass and lie to yer wife bout what happened!!”

“GET THE FUCK OUT NOW!” David exploded, his temper boiling over, and tipped the coffee table over, papers flying all over the place.

Mark growled angrily as he shook his head, not believing this fool, and sighed heavily as he threw his hands up in defeat.  “Very well.  But don’t say I didn’t come here and tried pullin’ yer head outta yer ass.  When ya lose her to that creep fer good, don’t come cryin’ to me cause you’ll have nobody to blame but yerself.” With that said, Mark stalked out of the house, slamming the front door behind him so hard the walls and windows shook, leaving David standing there with a ton to think about.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Love, do you want some pie?” Evaline asked as she walked into the living room, staring down at her heartbroken friend Ember, who had a pile of tissues in her lap. 

“No.” She whispered softly, sniffling as she curled her feet beneath her, more tears falling down her cheeks.  “I just can’t believe he’d sleep with the likes of her.”

“I know, it’s really hard to believe, but you have Matthew.  He seems like a nice lad.” Evaline stated as she walked over and sat down beside Ember, pulling her into her arms.  “I know you hurt right now, love, but just remember I’m always here for you if you need me.”

“I am too.” Justina chimed in as she walked out of the kitchen and sat on the other side of her sister, hating to see her in such pain.

Ember sighed, knowing she was being a complete sap about this, but she couldn’t help it.  She loved David, truly loved him, and he betrayed her by sleeping with that snatch Jillian.  “I just don’t understand…” She shook her head, refusing to feel sorry for herself.  Her sister was dying from Leukemia and here she was crying over the fact that her marriage was ending.  “You shouldn’t be worrying about me, Jus.  You should be worrying about…other things.”

“What’s more important than my sister’s heart being broken?” Justina softly retorted, placing her hand on Ember’s shoulder, her amber eyes filled with unshed tears.  “Nothing is more important right now, Em.  Nothing.”

Evaline decided to leave them alone for a moment as she snuck out of the living room and into the kitchen, gasping when she was grabbed from behind.  She spun around, her eyes widening at the sight of her ex-husband, Adam Copeland, standing before her.  “What are you doing here?” She demanded angrily, keeping her voice down so Ember and Justina didn’t overhear.

“I came to reclaim what is mine.” Adam replied in a grave voice, chuckling wickedly, and spun her around as his hand clamped over her mouth before she could scream.  “Mmm I’ve missed you, sweets.” He purred in her ear, flicking her earlobe with his tongue, and smirked when she shivered.  “I see I still have the same effect on you.”

“Release my fiancée NOW.” An angry voice sounded behind him, causing Adam to spin around, holding Evaline tightly against him as he pulled out a knife, running it down her shirt covered chest. 

“Or what?” He taunted the man, smirking when a helpless look came over Chris’s eyes.  “You’ll do what exactly?”

“Just let her go, man.  She loves me, not you.  You need to get over it and move on.  How did you escape from the prison anyway?” Chris demanded, his blue eyes lit ablaze as he stared back at his fiancée, who was crying and sobbing against Adam, but only faint sounds could be heard since his mouth was covering them up mostly.

“Kill a few guards, slip the warden something…It was rather easy actually.” Adam crowed proudly as he pressed the knife against Evaline’s neck, his arm wrapped firmly around her waist.  “Now be a good little bitch and tell Chris you want ME and not him, sweets.  Tell him or I’ll cut you inside and OUT.”

“Please don’t do this…ADAM!” She cried out when the knife pressed harder against her neck and by now, Justina and Ember had ran in the kitchen, stopping at what they saw before them. 

“Evaline!” Ember cried out, going for Adam, but Justina held her back. 

“It won’t do any good!” She whispered frightfully to her sister, who wanted to rip Adam’s heart out.  Justina gasped when she seen someone slid through the back door silently and secretly nodded at Chris, who seen the individual as well.

“Now then, say it or I’ll kill you in front of everyone.” Adam menacingly whispered into her ear, causing Evaline to cry out harder as her entire body trembled violently against him.  He’d gone to prison due to almost beating her within an inch of her life with his weight belt.  Evaline, in all honesty, was lucky to be alive after what Adam put her through.  He’d gotten life in prison, but somehow managed to escape.

“I-I will NEVER SAY IT!!” She shrieked and gasped when she was suddenly shoved into Chris, causing him to catch her instantly, and looked up wide eyed at the sight of David.  Blood began slowly pouring out of Adam’s mouth as he fell to his knees and on his stomach, the knife in his back courtesy of David. 

“Hey asshole, next time just stay where you belong.” David stated heatedly before whipping out his cell phone and dialed 911, demanding an ambulance and police get here pronto to retrieve their fugitive.

Justina was holding a shaking Ember while Chris tried comforting a scared to death Evaline.  “I-I knew h-he escaped…I just didn’t want to w-worry any of you…” She stuttered out, causing Chris to stop holding her as he backed away, his blue eyes infuriated.

“YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?” He exploded, his voice bouncing off the kitchen walls as Evaline backed away from him, pure fear in her eyes.  “ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?  WHAT IF NOBODY WAS HERE, EVALINE?  HE COULD’VE KILLED YOU INSTANTLY!!”

“CHRISTOPHER!  Now is NOT the time to berate her!!” Justina chastised, causing Chris to sigh, knowing she was right.  He couldn’t believe what poor judgment Evaline had though and needed air.

“Excuse me.” He gruffly stated, walking out the back door just as the EMT’s rushed in, immediately checking on a bewildered and frightened Evaline.

David shoved his hands in the front pocket of his jeans, walking over to Ember, who took a few steps back from him.  “I just came to give you this.” He handed her the manila envelope.  “When you’re ready to know the truth about what happened, just open it .” He then turned around and headed out the door, telling the police he’d fax them a report on what happened, and stopped as he slowly turned around to face her.  “I love you, no matter what.” He then walked out, leaving Ember with that thought.

“I wonder what it is.” Justina softly said, causing Ember to snort as she stalked over to the trash and began dropping it in, but something stopped her.  It was Justina’s hand as she looked back at her little sister, sighing heavily.  “Just open it and see what it is.  How bad could it be?”

She really had no idea just how bad it was as Ember pulled the envelope from the trash, deciding she’d open it after the police and EMT’s left, carting an unconscious and hurt Adam with them.

Chapter 11

“How could he lie to me like that?”

“I have no idea…maybe he was just angry at you or something…” Justina replied, biting her bottom lip, and sighed as another wave of nausea crashed over her.  She ignored it though, wanting to be there for her sister, and placed her hand over Ember’s in comfort.

“I slept with Matt because I thought David slept with Jillian willingly.  Now I find out he was drugged?” Ember was more confused than ever as she stared down at the paperwork, the proof that her husband didn’t really cheat on her.  What made her even sicker was the fact that Matt was apart of this.  “I slept with him…god I fucking slept with the man who drugged my husband!”

Justina sighed and just nodded, knowing she couldn’t deny it.  She knew Ember was feeling guilty for doing this and Justina just wished there was something she could do, something she could say to make her feel better.  “Why don’t you go talk to him?” She suggested, raising an eyebrow at her sister.  “I mean, he said whenever you’re ready, he’d be willing.”

“I don’t know…” Ember trailed off with a heavy sigh, raking her hands through her hair, and grumbled when her cell phone began to ring.  She flipped the lid open and put it to her ear, her eyes widening at who it was.  Pressing a finger to her lips to silence her sister, Ember silently cleared her throat and said, “Hello Matt.”

“Hey baby.  I was just calling to see how you were holding up with the divorce and everything.” Matt said, causing Ember’s blood to start boiling as her eyes narrowed, but she refused to lose her temper.

“Oh-it’s going fine.  That prick won’t know what hit him.” She replied sweetly, winking down at Justina, who nodded in complete understanding, knowing exactly who she was talking too.

Matt smirked when he heard that and rubbed his hands together, holding back a grunt as Jillian continued massaging his back.  “Listen, I wanted to know if you wanted to go out tonight.  We could get something to eat and then go back to my place…” He trailed off, letting her work the imagination a bit on what could happen between them.

“Sure…that sounds great.” Ember said, already forming an idea in her mind as she tapped her fingernails against the table.  “What time do you want to pick me up?” She asked, her voice dropping to a sultry, seductive tone, knowing that would light Matt’s blood on fire. 

Matt groaned in the phone as his eyes closed, imagining Ember’s beautiful body rocking on top of him, and shoved Jillian away as he stood up from the massage table.  “Whatever time is convenient for you, baby.  We could just skip dinner and head for dessert.”

“Mmm sounds enticing…Maybe I could show you that horizontal move you loved so much?” She suggested, giggling when Matt groaned even louder in the phone, and knew she had him going.  “Listen, I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you then, Ember.” He replied and hung up, smirking over at an irate Jillian.  “Tonight, we both get what we want.”

Jillian scoffed, folding her arms in front of her chest.  “That’s easy for you to say, moron.  David hasn’t even called me since our fuck session in his office.” She whined, studying her nails.

Ember smirked in the phone as she stared back at her little sister, seeing the look of sheer disarray, and shook her head.  “Don’t worry, I’m not going to fuck him again.  Instead, I’m going to wish he was never born.”

“How are you going to do that?” Justina asked, looking genuinely confused, and sighed when Ember dialed another number on her phone.  She didn’t like the wicked gleam in her sister’s eyes and just hoped she knew what she was doing.

David groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, having taken a nap on the couch, and sighed as he reached for it.  He flipped it open, not even looking at the caller ID, and gruffly said, “What?”

“Is that anyway to greet your wife?” Ember shot back, causing David to bolt up off of the couch, his brown eyes shooting open as he held the phone to his ear.

“Em?”

She couldn’t help, but laugh, knowing he was taking his afternoon nap after a strenuous day on the job.  “Yeah, are you busy cause I could call back later if you are?”

“No honey, I’m not.” David replied softly, not believing she called him, and cleared his throat with a sigh.  “It’s great to hear your voice.”

“Yeah…listen I have an idea to get back at Matt and that whore.” Ember stated, getting right to the point, and walked out of the other room because a knock sounded at Justina’s door.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” David asked after Ember went over the details with him, causing her to nod, and he could actually feel her do it.  That’s how determined she was to pull this off.  “Whatever you want, Em.  Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“Good, you know what you have to do.  We leave at seven.  Be at the place around eight.  I don’t want to spend more time with this bastard than I absolutely have too.” She stated, her voice a monotone, no emotion evident in it.

“I’ll be there.  If he touches you, I’ll kill him.” David growled in the phone, causing Ember to smirk as she studied her nails, wondering what to wear for this date with Matt tonight.

“Honey, I don’t want my husband thrown in prison before we can talk face to face, alright?  Just do what I said.  You are not allowed to kill him, understand?”

“Yeah, yeah I got it.” David grumbled, sounding genuinely bummed out that he couldn’t commit murder against Matt.  “Hey Em?”

“What?” She asked, looking down at the floor, twisting her wedding ring around on her finger.

“I love you, Em.” David said before hanging up the phone, causing tears to sting her eyes as she slowly closed her cell phone slid shut.

“I love you too, David.” She whispered before heading into the living room, raising an eyebrow when she seen Ken and Justina talking.  “I’m going to head out.  I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, please be careful tonight.” Justina said in a pleading tone, causing Ember to snort with a roll of her eyes as they embraced before she walked out the door.  “I’m so worried about her.”

Ken sighed heavily, raking a hand through his hair, knowing he had to tell her about his grandfather’s fortune before time ran out.  If they didn’t get married by midnight, he would lose it.  It was quite a fortune that could be used for good and to possibly find a cure for her.  He wasn’t giving up hope and never would. 

“Justina, there’s something we have to talk about.” He finally said, causing Justina’s attention to advert from her sister to him, and stared into his brown eyes.

“What’s going on, Ken?  Is everything alright?” She asked softly, pure concern evident in her eyes, and placed her hand on his, letting him know she was there for him no matter what.

Ken cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand awkwardly, not sure how he was going to tell her this.  “I-I need to talk to you about my grandfather…” He began, trailing off, wondering how he was going to tell her this without completely losing her all together.

“Okay…what about him?” She asked, her eyebrows drawing together, already knowing she wouldn’t like what he was about to say to her.

“Well, he passed away not too long ago, J Mine.  He…He had cancer, a tumor in his lungs from smoking for over fifty years.” Ken explained, causing Justina to gasp softly as she placed a hand over her mouth.

“Oh Ken, I’m so sorry, sweetheart.  At least he’s resting in peace now.” She replied, genuinely feeling sorry for the man, and knew he had more to say as she patted his hand in comfort.  “Go on.”

He smiled at her, not believing how innocent and sweet she was, but it killed him that she was dying and there was nothing that was being done about it.  “Well, in his will, he left me something.  Something big…huge in fact…” He trailed off again, speaking slower than normal now, wanting to get this out right so he didn’t sound like a complete dickhead.

“That’s wonderful.  That means he thought highly of you.  So what did he leave you?” She pressed softly, not wanting to push him too much because it was obvious he was finding it hard enough to speak right now.  “Take your time, it’s alright.”

“He made me his beneficiary.” Ken revealed, causing Justina’s eyes to widen slightly, the gold specks in them flickering.

“Oh my…” She whispered, blinking rapidly, and reached over to take a long gulp of water, not sure what to say or think so she just remained quiet.

“His estate totals to ten billion dollars…” Ken stopped again, causing Justina’s head to whip up, her eyes even wider than before, causing him to nod to let her know he wasn’t kidding.

“T-Ten billion dollars???” She managed to breathe out, her chest feeling like it was tightening, not believing what he just told her.  “What in the world are you doing in this neighborhood then with that kind of money?”

“Just because I have that much money doesn’t mean I shut out people I love and like.” Ken stated, causing Justina to look down as she shook her head, biting her bottom lip.

“Why are you pursuing someone like me then?” She whispered, causing Ken to slowly lift her chin with his strong hand, staring deep into those amber eyes he loved gazing into.

“I love you, Justina.  I’m here until the end, beautiful.” He stated, wiping away a single tear that slipped down her cheek with his thumb, his heart breaking.

“I-I love you too, Ken.” She said, causing him to smile as their lips met in a soft, passionate kiss.  She broke it first and caressed his face with the back of her hand.  “What else did you want to tell me?”

Ken sighed as he pressed his forehead to hers, not wanting her to hate him for what he was about to say.  “Before I say this, I just want you to know that I love you for you and nothing else and that I’m not using you for anything.” He stated, wanting her to understand that before he continued, and sighed with relief when she nodded.

“I know, Ken.  Now what is it?” She asked, taking both of his hands in her own, and squeezed them gently to let him know she was on his side all the way no matter what he said to her next.

Taking a deep breath, Ken looked at her as he placed his hands on her hips, not wanting her to run away from him if she didn’t like what he was about to say.  “There was a stipulation in my grandfather’s will-” He stopped, wanting to let that sink in, taking this slow so she wasn’t overwhelmed by the news.  When she nodded, he continued reluctantly.  “He stated in his will that in order for me to gain his ten billion dollar fortune, I had to…” He trailed off, not believing what he was about to say, but knew it had to be done.  He owed it to Justina to tell her the truth, no matter what the consequences were in the end.

“Had to what, Ken?  What did he want you to do?” She pried, not meaning too, but her curiosity was peaked too high now as she looked at him intently. 

“He wanted me to get married...and there’s a deadline.” Ken finally revealed, causing Justina’s eyes to widen, and swallowed past the lump that’d formed in her throat.

“So that’s why you’ve been so pushy about getting me to marry you.” The pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together and this was what Justina had been waiting for.  She knew there had to be some reason why he would come up to a complete stranger out of the blue in a park and ask them to marry him.  This was the reason.  “When is the deadline?” She asked, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her, looking more guilty than ever.

“Midnight tonight.” He answered, causing her to nod, and chewed on her bottom lip in thought.

“I thought we could use the money to find a cure…”

“There is no cure, Ken.” Justina stopped him before he could even finish that sentence and stood up from the couch, raking a hand through her hair, wrapping her arms around herself.  “What you have to understand is that I am dying and there’s nothing that can be done to stop it from happening, not even hope.”

“You are my only hope though, Justina!” Ken stated heatedly, standing up as well, and walked over to her as he placed his hands on her shoulders, inhaling the scent of her hair.  “I can’t lose you after I spent all my life trying to find you.  I love you, beautiful.”

Justina bit her bottom lip as the tears threatened to fall, but she wouldn’t allow them too.  “We don’t have much time.” She whispered, stepping away from him, and slowly turned around to face him after the tears dried up in her eyes.

“What?” Ken was taken aback as he stared at her, blinking rapidly as he watched her straighten up the living room from when Ember was over.  “What are you talking about, Justina?”

Knowing she was dying and there was nothing she could do about it didn’t mean that Justina couldn’t give Ken what he obviously wanted, besides her to stay alive.  “If we don’t hurry, there won’t time to book a chapel for our wedding tonight.” She stated calmly, causing Ken’s eyes to bug out of his skull, wondering if he heard her right.  “You better run home and grab a suit or something better to wear than jeans and a beater if we’re going to do this.”

Ken walked over to her and took her hands in his own, staring deep into her eyes.  “I don’t care about the money.  I love you.  All I want is you.”

“You have me for as long as I’m allowed to stay, Ken.  The money can make you live in peace for the rest of your life though.  You’ll find another wife after me and have babies and…”

“No I won’t.” Ken cut her off gruffly, his eyes mirroring how he felt, and it was breaking Justina’s heart.

“You knew what was going to happen going into this, Ken.  I told you I didn’t want you getting hurt, but you were just too damn stubborn.  Now here we are at the crossroads.  So it’s your decision if you want to marry me or not and claim that fortune of your grandfather’s.” Justina was putting it all into perspective for him and now the ball was in his court.  He was either going to take it and run with it or drop it.

After a few minutes of pure silence, Ken looked back at her, and pulled her into his arms as he kissed her with all the love he could muster up in his big body.  “What time should I pick you up?”

Chapter 12

After finding out about her sister’s last minute wedding, Ember and David decided to do their plan a little earlier than expected.  There was no way Ember was missing Justine’s wedding, especially since she didn’t know how long her baby sister was going to be around.  With a sigh, Ember shook her head, not wanting to think about that right now.  Her main goal and target was Matt Hardy and smirked at what her and David has planned for the little fucker who tried splitting them up.

Ember took one last look in the mirror and nodded her approval, knowing Matt would die when he seen what she was wearing.  It was an army green tank dress that went down to her thighs, two inches above the knee.  Her honey blonde hair was up in a ton of messy spiral curls and she had black eyeliner on with army green eye shadow that brought out her blue eyes nicely.  She had on knee high black army steel toed boots that laced up the front to finish her outfit of choice off.

The doorbell rang five after four, causing Ember to smirk as her eyes twinkled wickedly and bounded for the door.  She waited until the bell rang a second time before answering it, smiling sweetly back at Matt.  “Hi there.” Her tone was seductive, knowing that would get him going instantly.

“Damn, you look fantastic.” He complimented, giving her a cheeky grin, and Ember had to fight back from throwing up on him.

“Thanks, shall we?” She extended her arm to him and smiled when he took it, leading her to his car.  “So where are we going?” She asked once they were in the car and on their way toward the unknown destination.

“I don’t know, where do you feel like going?” He asked with a smirk, his dark eyes drinking her in like a man who was dying of thirst.  Ember felt dirty and violated under his heated gaze, but she had to remain cool, calm and collected for this plan to work.  That’s what she kept telling herself.

Ember pretended to think it over before finally smirking and leaned over, her hot breath brushing against his earlobe, and whispered suggestively, “How bout Lover’s Lane?”

It was a corny name, even she had to admit that, but that’s what the younger kids called it.  She grew up in this town and was frequently at this place with her ex-boyfriends, so it was comforting to her in a way.

“Lover’s Lane, eh?” Matt purred, causing her to nod, and groaned when she flicked her tongue against his earlobe.  “Baby, you keep doin’ that and you’ll be in trouble.” His voice turned thick and lustful as he drove down the road, trying to focus on it.

“I promise if you take me there, I’ll make it worth your while.” She purred back, causing Matt to wiggle his eyebrows, which she thought was the dumbest thing he could’ve done.  Of course, she pretended like it was the sexiest thing she ever saw a man do and played the part.

Matt did not have to be told twice as he gunned it down the road, needing this woman now more than ever.  Ember knew he’d be in a rush to get down to business so she already had a decoy for that as she continued blowing on his ear, giggling in it.  They arrived fifteen minutes later and as predicted, Matt instantly went after her.

“Now wait a sec, big boy.  I want a little foreplay first.” Ember requested with a smirk, causing Matt to groan in frustration, and she knew she had him.  “Oh come on, a little foreplay with me isn’t so bad, is it?”

“I suppose not…” Matt grunted out, not really in the mood for foreplay, but then again, he’d do anything to get in this woman’s pants at the moment. 

“Good, now sit back and enjoy.” Ember ordered in a purr, running her hands up and down his shirt covered chest, and smirked before ripping it open right down the middle.  “Now let the fun begin...”  Ember kept talking herself through this mentally, feeling sick as she began kissing down his neck, wishing he was David.  She smiled as she thought about her husband and started thinking about him, imagining it was him she was doing this too, and that made it easier to get through it without hurling all him.

“Oh fuck…” Matt groaned out when she bit his nipple teasingly, running his hands up and down her sides, and grunted when she shoved his hands away.

“Uh, uh big boy you don’t get to touch.” She said seductively, not looking up at him, and started working her way down.  Just as her hand landed on the button of his jeans, Ember stopped and slowly sat back as she looked him directly in the eye.  “I’m not finishing this until you tell me what’s really going on.”

Matt blinked, not expecting that, and stared back at her with confusion swimming in his dark eyes.  “What are you talking about, baby?” He asked, running his finger down her arm, and sighed when she shoved his hand away.

“Come on, Matt.  I know you’ve planned something with Jillian to split me and my husband up.” Ember revealed, causing Matt’s eyes to widen, and she seen him swallow hard, knowing it was the truth.  A slow smirk spread across her lips as she raked her nails down his chest, licking her upper one with her tongue.  “I find it incredibly sexy.  I think I’ll suck your cock harder if you tell me the details.  Why don’t you tell me them while I’m sucking you off, hmm?” She suggested, her tone low and sultry, feeling sick on the inside, but she managed to stay convincing. 

“Uh…are you sure?” He asked, looking incredibly skeptical now, and groaned when her hand reached down in his jeans and began stroking his rock hard cock, all skeptical thoughts flying out the window.  “Well…Jillian wants David to pay for breaking her heart a few years back before you two got hitched and I’ve always wanted you for myself so we came up with this plan…” He hissed when her thumb ran over the tip of him, causing shivers to run throughout his body.

“Go on…” She breathed out, reaching down on the side, and pulled the lever as the seat went back, causing Matt’s eyes to widen slightly.  “Keep goin’ or I’ll stop.”

“We came up with the plan to drug David after hours when him and Jillian were alone.  I was hiding in the closet in his office, waiting for the moment to…oh fuck yeah…to slip the drug in his water…” Matt groaned out louder when she began pumping him slowly, teasingly, driving him almost to the brink of insanity.

“Mmm I do love a man who takes control of a situation…” Ember purred, kissing down his chest as she began nipping at his abs, doing one by one as slow as she possibly could, wanting to prolong this.  “So go on…what did you do next?”

Matt chuckled, shaking his head as the memory over swept him along with the ecstasy Ember was causing him to feel at the moment.  “The big oaf decided to go to the bathroom and that’s when…Oh yeah…that’s when I slipped the pill in his drink.  I used a drug called GHB...not wanting him to be able to fight off what we had planned…” He trailed off as he felt his balls begin to tingle, knowing he was close to cumming all over her hand.

“Ooo very sexy…and great choice.” Ember replied, her tone remaining the same, and flicked her tongue out to taste his skin, David seared in her mind as she kept reminding herself this would pay off in the end.  “So go on…what happened after the asshole was drugged?”

“Jillian did the nasty with him, fucked him three ways from Sunday.  Ya should’ve seen it, baby.  He was completely helpless, lying there on the floor, not knowing what the Hell was going on.  He couldn’t even push her off, that’s how great the drug worked.” Matt gloated, a proud grin on his face, not even worried about saying this to David’s own wife he was getting ready to screw.

“So Jillian raped him?” Ember asked, biting into his skin as she moved a little lower while continuing to pump his cock up and down, wishing she could rip his balls off for what he did to her husband, but knew now wasn’t the time to do it.

Matt smirked wickedly and nodded, licking his lips hungrily back at her.  “That would be correct.  Though nobody will ever find out and Jillian is going to get what she wants.” Matt stated, groaning again as he arched his hips into her hand, wishing it was her pussy instead of her fingers that were wrapped around him.

“Which is?” She pried, her stomach rumbling, and knew she would end up throwing up after this predicament was over with.

“She wants to get pregnant by him and then take him for everything he has.  We made a video and it looks like David was the one who was raping her.  Isn’t that priceless, baby?” Matt gloated more, causing Ember’s eyes to sting with tears as she just nodded, knowing she had all the information she needed.

“Yeah, it is.” Her voice was quiet now, the sobs threatening to overtake her body, not believing Matt and Jillian would go this far just to destroy her marriage and her husband because of their past relationship.  Jillian and David dated a mere three days before he let her go, claiming she was a psycho bitch who was addicted to sex and singing to him.  He couldn’t handle it, she sounded worse than a piece of chalk scrapping against a chalkboard.  “Thank you.”

Matt raised his eyebrow down at her, seeing her head slowly lift up to meet his eyes, and knew he was screwed instantly.  “For what?” He asked nervously, causing Ember to smirk as she slowly got off of him, smoothing her dress out.

She didn’t answer him as the door was flung open moments later and Matt was drug out of the car by his dick, causing him to screech in pain.  What Matt didn’t know was that Ember had a wire on her that was connected to a tape recorder, which was shoved in her panties.  It was very small so Matt wouldn’t notice even if his hands brushed against it, which they did when he was touching her.  She slowly stepped out of the car, seeing Jillian cowering from David, begging him not to hurt her, and snorted.

“Davey, I love you!!  All I ever wanted was to be with you!!” Jillian whined, causing Ember to shake her head in disgust as she walked over, standing next to her very irate husband.

“Thank you sweetie.” She replied, pulling out the tape recorder from her panties, and looked at both of them directly before pressing the play button.  Everything Matt had said was on it, causing him to grow incredibly pale, almost putting Casper the friendly ghost to shame.

“We’re not going to beat the shit out of you two because we’re not going to jail for what you two bastards did.” David stated in a low, even tone, wanting to rip Matt limb from limb as he wrapped a firm arm around his wife’s waist.

“Instead, we’re going to the authorities with this and you two are being put away for a very LONG time.” Ember chimed in, sounding happy about it, though on the inside she felt like dying as she glared back at Jillian.  Without a word, she walked over to the woman, who was cowering in fear, her eyes widened with tears pooling in them.  “You think you’re really smart don’t you?” She taunted, causing Jillian to squeak, the tears falling down her cheeks.

“N-No…I just w-wanted him to p-pay…” She stuttered out and yelped in pain when Ember's hand connected with her face, slapping the taste right out of her mouth.  Ember slapped her so hard, Jillian’s head snapped back, making it look like her neck went along with it, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

“You fucking bitch!!  You drugged my husband with this asshole’s help and then RAPED him!!” Ember shrieked before kicking Jillian in the stomach hard, knowing this wasn’t apart of the plan, but the authorities were sure to understand after hearing the tape.  “YOU WILL NOT HAVE HIS CHILD!!” She bellowed, kicking the woman hard in the stomach multiple times, knowing if she was pregnant with David’s kid, it was now dead.

David’s eyes widened when he seen his wife freak out and rushed over, pulling Ember’s flailing body off of Jillian’s, holding her close from behind.  “Calm down sweetheart.  Jesus, don’t kill her before she gets raped by a sweaty lesbian in prison named Betty.”

Ember couldn’t help, but giggle as the tears poured down her cheeks, holding her husband close as her entire body trembled from head to toe.  The audacity for these two to put her and David through this!  She started heading over to Matt, who was checking on the condition of Jillian, but David stopped her.  It was his turn.

A tap on Matt’s shoulder caused him to freeze and squeezed his eyes shut, knowing what awaited him next.  As soon as he turned around, David’s fist plunged into his gut, knocking the wind out of him as he dropped to the ground on his knees, gasping for air.  “That’s for touching my wife.” He growled before kicking him square in the head, knocking Matt’s body on the ground as his head hit the asphalt.  “That’s for drugging me and allowing this slutbag whore to rape me.” He then lifted Matt’s body from the ground and lifted him over his shoulder before slamming him down on the hard, unforgiving concrete, knowing he just broke Matt’s back.  No remorse shined in David’s eyes as he leaned down and stated finally, “And that was for trying to break my marriage up.” He spat on Matt’s body before standing up and turned around to face Ember, who was still crying and smiling at the same time.  He smiled back at her and nodded before walking over and taking her in his arms, lifting her up, and passionately kissed her.

Ember moaned instantly as she wrapped her arms around his thick neck, her legs wrapping around his waist, and kissed her husband like it was the last time she would.  They both parted at the same time, needing to regain their breath, and Ember pressed her forehead to his, whispering, “Let’s go home.”

“Not yet, we have a wedding to attend first.” David reminded her with a smirk, causing Ember to sigh as she nodded, knowing their reunion and makeup sex would have to wait.  It would be worth it though as they got in David’s car and drove off toward the chapel, needing to make a quick stop to the police station first to drop the tape off.

Chapter 13

~Two years later~

The rain poured down in buckets, a curtain it seemed, but all Ken could stare at was the object before him. The tears poured down his cheeks as fast as the rain and no matter how much he wanted them to stop, he couldn’t. It’d been one year since Justina died of her cancer. They had a beautiful wedding ceremony, one moment he would never forget as long as he lived. He couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked in the simple, yet elegant white gown, her long chestnut locks swept up in curls on top of her head like a crown. In a matter of five hours, alone, Justina had brought together a small, but gorgeous wedding with just their friends and family. Just as the clock struck midnight, their lips met in a passionate, yet soft kiss that had everyone applauding, happy for the newlywed couple.

Sniffling a bit, Ken wiped his tears away, even though they kept flowing while the rain drenched him. He didn’t care as he shoved his hands in the front pockets of his blue jeans, a leather jacket on. It was mid fall, getting ready to turn to winter any day. Ken didn’t care, he loved winter and that brought another fresh memory to his mind as he thought about his and Justina’s first and last Christmas together. The thought burned his heart with pain, searing it with the reminder that she was never coming back again.

“Why couldn’t you have given us just a bit more time?” He asked aloud, his tone sad, and bent down to run his fingertips down the beautiful angel carved headstone he’d picked out especially for her. She was his angel and always would be. “I’m sorry we didn’t meet sooner in life, J Mine. God, there are so many things I want to say to you, so many things…” He trailed off, his eyes landing on the saying he’d picked out along with Ember.

Our Lives are Made

In These Small Hours

These Twists & Turns of Fate

Time Falls Away

In These Small Hours

These Small Hours Still Remain

To our Angel and Only Hope.

We love you and wish you a safe journey.

Justina Elizabeth Anderson.

The words were chosen by Ken since it was a verse from their wedding song. Justina loved it and he knew it would make her happy to be buried with those words. They were also used in her wedding vows to him, letting him know that no matter what, time didn’t stop, not even for love and to make the most of what was given to them. Ken memorized those words and actually had an entire CD made up of just the one song, thinking of his Justina whenever it played.

“I have to go now, J Mine. You’re always with me.” He whispered, slowly standing as the rain began to subside, but it was still a pretty decent downpour. He leaned over and pressed his lips to the cold stoned angel’s lips, more tears falling before rising to his feet. He glanced back at the angel stone one last time before walking back to his car. He visited her every year on their wedding anniversary, which was today. It helped cope with the pain and loss he’d suffered when he lost her.

As Ken was driving through the cemetery, he suddenly felt like he could use a coffee at the same diner where he’d spotted Justina those few years ago. He didn’t know why, but knew he had to go there as he pulled on the street where the diner was located. His eyes went to the bench where he’d popped the question unexpectedly to her, chuckling tearfully at the memory of her face, her expression was priceless. He sighed heavily and pulled into a parking spot near the diner, cutting the engine, and took a deep breath before stepping out of the vehicle. He pressed the button on his keys that automatically locked it up before pushing them in his leather jacket pocket and walked up the sidewalk, not caring if he was soaking wet. It didn’t matter to him, nothing did much these days.

Once he was inside the coffee diner, Ken walked over to the register, that feeling he’d experienced earlier returning, this time more intense. What the Hell was going on? His ears perked when a voice sounded and looked toward the individual, the owner, her back to him.

“Be with you in a sec!” She called out, her long ravenous hair pooling down her back, even though it was up in a messy ponytail.

“Take your time.” Ken mumbled, too focused on who this woman was, intrigued actually.

A few seconds later, the woman slowly turned around, her amber colored eyes staring back at the gentleman before her. She had to admit, he was rather gorgeous with his dark brown hair and brown eyes. “Hi, what can I get for you?” She asked politely, wearing a white apron on top of her short sleeved red shirt and blue jeans. Her name tag was pinned on the right side above her breast where it was clearly visible.

Ken couldn’t believe what he was seeing before him as he stared at the woman, blinking rapidly. Was this a dream? Could it really be his Justina? His J Mine? Swallowing hard, Ken slowly slid on a stool at the counter, folding his shaking hands. “I’ll take a mocha latte.” He requested gruffly, clearing his throat, trying to get the look of shock from his features he knew was there.

Besides the hair, that was the ONLY difference this woman had from his deceased wife.

“Coming right up!” She cheerfully replied, her energy leaking throughout the entire diner, brightening it even though it was a rainy, gloomy day outside. She didn’t care; her mood was never swayed by the weather. If anything, she loved the rain because she knew it was helping the environment grow around her.

“D-Do you mind me asking you a question?” Ken asked slowly, causing her to slowly turn around to stare at him, surprised when she just laughed.

“No of course not! Why would I?” She replied happily, making his latte, and stirred it before setting it down before him. “Would you like whipped cream topping?”

“Sure.” Ken chuckled, the darkness that was in his eyes, the sadness suddenly vanishing as he stared back at her, hypnotized by her beauty and resemblance to his Justina. “What’s your name?”

“Jetta, but most people just call me J for short. I don’t get why my parents named me after a car, but there you have it.” She explained, laughing and shaking her head, a bright smile on her face as she ran a hand through the top of her hair. “Now what’s yours sweets?”

Ken was taken aback by that nickname, but quickly recovered, clearing his throat as he took a long slip of his latte. He hadn’t had one in ages so it felt wonderful going down, that familiar taste returning to his buds. “Ken.” He answered softly.

“That’s a nice name.” She commented, leaning against the counter, placing her chin on her fists as she stared back at him intently.

“Thanks. Yours is too.” He replied, taking another sip, not believing how great the latte tasted or maybe it was just her. He didn’t know. “You remind me someone…”

“I do?” Jetta looked both confused and intrigued now as she began whipping down the countertop with a rag. “Who?”

“My-uh…My wife…” Ken whispered, the pain clearly back in his eyes, and that caused Jetta to frown back at him, the empathy clearly in her own.

“I-I’m sorry?” She said it in a question, but just by the look in his eyes, she knew his wife was dead. It was a given as she took a bowl of cherries from beneath the counter and handed them to him. “Knock yourself out.” Her voice had become saddened as well and the light hit her left hand, revealing what looked like a single silver band that had one diamond on it.

Ken quirked an eyebrow when he seen it, wondering what had changed her tune suddenly, but decided not to ask. It was none of his business as he simply stared down at his latte, deep in thought about Justina again. She’d haunted his mind, his dreams, everywhere he went he seen her. He knew he was losing it because Jetta looked a spitting image of her except for the hair. That was the only difference and it boggled him. Was he imaging it?

“Are you okay?” He asked finally, breaking the silence that fell between them, and looked around when he realized nobody else was in the diner. Did he just sit here for the past four hours staring into his latte?

“I’m fine, why?” Jetta asked her cheerfulness back in full swing as she continued cleaning up. “You do realize we’re closing in five minutes right?” She couldn’t help, but let a giggle escape her. He was too adorable.

“Oh…right.” Ken muttered, taking a few large bills out and throwing them on the counter. He was a millionaire now so money was no object. Every time he looked at the money though, he thought about Justina who was the sole reason why he had it to begin with. He was ridden with guilt and had been since their wedding night, though he didn’t regret marrying her because he truly loved Justina. He would give up his grandfather’s fortune just to have her in his arms again.

Jetta looked down at the counter and raised an eyebrow, not believing he just tipped her three hundred dollars. Was this man INSANE? “Um I think you gave me the wrong bills, Ken.” She called to him just before he made it out of the diner door, causing him to turn around to face her.

“Keep it.” He replied, smiling sadly back at her, and started out the door again when a flash of lightening hit the ground, causing him to jump back. The damn thing nearly struck him to death! It was almost as if fate was forcing him to stay in this diner and it was starting to piss him off.

“Lord, are you okay?!” Jetta rushed to his side since he’d fallen back and cracked his head on one of the chairs, gently helping him up. “You nearly got bolted to death.”

“No shit.” Ken muttered, raising an eyebrow at her when she began laughing at him. She was actually LAUGHING at his near death experience!

“I’m sorry, god I know it’s not funny, but the look on your face was priceless!” She roared harder, shaking her head, and pulled him over to the counter, needing to bandage up the cut he’d gotten from one of the chairs. “Can I ask you something?” She asked suddenly while pouring some peroxide on his forehead.

“Sure…damn, that stings!” He cursed, wincing slightly. He was the biggest baby when it came to pain.

“You big baby, come here!” She demanded, pulling his face toward her, and blew on his cut, her eyes slowly meeting his as she smiled. “Better?”

“Much.” He whispered in return, a genuine smile crossing his lips as he stared back at her, his heart thundering in his chest. It’d been over a year since Justina died and Ken refused to get involved with someone else so soon. “What was your question?”

“How long has she been gone?” Jetta asked bluntly, causing Ken’s eyes to shoot out of their sockets practically, shocked that she would ask such a thing that was still a tender spot for Ken to even talk about.

“Uh…a little over a year…” He trailed off, looking down at the floor, both of their wedding rings hanging on a silver chain that was around his neck. He never took it off, not even to shower, and cleaned them once a week. “How did you-”

“My husband, George, died a year ago. I’m sorry for your loss.” Jetta explained with empathy in her tone, patting him gently on the shoulder. “It was hard at first, but as time goes by, you heal and learn how to cope with your loss.”

“I’m sorry for your loss as well…” Ken trailed off again, not sure if he was comfortable talking to this complete stranger about his deceased wife.

“It’s alright, I miss him and will always love him, but I have to remember I’m still alive and his memory will grow through me.” Jetta smiled softly as she twisted the ring on her left ring finger, looking back at him. “Sorry, sometimes I get carried away.” She then went back to cleaning the counter while Ken looked deep in thought about something. She decided to leave him alone for the time being; knowing the wound of his wife’s death was still fresh.

~*~*~*~

A few months passed and everyday Ken would visit the coffee diner, wanting to talk to Jetta more and more. She was very insightful and her happiness was contagious. She had Ken laughing about the tiniest things, but it helped his wound slowly close. After a year passed, Ken finally got up the courage to ask Jetta out on a date, hoping their friendship wasn’t ruined by his forwardness. Jetta happily accepted and finally took her ring off on their second date, wanting to give this a real shot with Ken. She would always love George, but she was alive and had plenty of love to give. She knew Ken did as well and together, they would help each other heal.

Before they knew it, two years passed and Ken finally asked Jetta to marry him, not believing he’d fallen in love again. He didn’t think it was possible after Justina’s death, but somehow, someway she’d found her way back to him. That’s what she said on her deathbed to him that she’d find her way to him. Through Jetta, he knew Justina was in there somewhere and that he’d gotten his only hope back.

The End.