Epic (32 page)

What was the point
, I wondered desperately as the darkness around me enveloped me. What was the point in being happy? What was the point in being in love or pursuing a dream? It was all fleeting, like wisps of smoke no one could truly hold in their hands.

I cried myself to sleep and didn’t wake up again until I felt a hand on my leg. At first, I thought it was Jace. But the fingers were cruel as they climbed up my flesh. I shot up into a sitting position, but Sonny Quintero was quick to shove me back down.

“Well, well, well,” he said with that sick, lecherous smile. “What do we have here?”

“Wha
t are you doing here?” I hissed as I struggled against him.

He held up a small leather case I immediately recognized as my mother’s. She kept what few valuables she had in that leather satchel, and I knew anything I had purchased for her… including the solid gold ring with my and Diego’s birthstone, was hidden inside. “I forgot something,” he said.

I grabbed for the case. “That doesn’t belong to you!” I snapped.

He held it out of reach. “I was around
a lot longer than you, sweetheart,” he sneered and I smelled the alcohol on his breath. I gagged. “In fact, I was around when no one else was, including her lazy good-for-nothing son. I think I deserve a little compensation,” he said as he grabbed at my breast.

“Get off of me!” I screamed and he silenced me with a sloppy kiss soaked in whiskey and cigarette smoke.

“Come on,” he urged as he reached under my shirt. “I’ve seen the tape. I know what you’re capable of.”

My eyes widened in terror as he tried to fit himself between my legs. I fought him like an animal until I used every ounce of body weight to force him off of me. He flew completely backward off of the bed. I hopped off the bed and darted from the room, but he grabbed me by the ankle
just inside the bedroom door. I fell with a thud against the hardwood floor.

I thrashed and kicked at him as he tried to cover my body with his own. When that didn’t
faze him, I finally brought my knee up to smash his groin. He rolled off of me with a groan and I used the distraction to escape the bedroom. I didn’t stop running until I got to Hannah’s house down the block. By the time the police returned to my mother’s house, Sonny was long gone. Law enforcement caught him before he made it to Interstate 15, and by daybreak he was booked on attempted sexual assault.

The last thing I needed was more press, but there was no way I was going to let yet another abuser get away with assaulting me. I wasn’t a six-year-old anymore.

I did relent and go back to Dr. Challis, who helped me manage the publicity of the trial, which sidetracked my tour. My B!tches went on in my place, and were enjoying sold-out crowds. By the Christmas opening of
The Journey Home
, Jace walked the red carpet with Diego and me. It only took a week for the single to reach #1, where it stayed for three weeks.

It surprised no one when “
Pieces of Me” was nominated for an Oscar. I was invited to perform the song, which was stressful and nerve-wracking and wonderful as I worked closely with Griffin to perfect the performance.

Jace had just brought his tour to a close the weekend prior to the Oscars, so he was able to join me for my big night. Tempestuous debuted their formal line, Starlet, with the sparkling dress they designed for me, which perfectly fit my new size-1
4 figure.

Once Dr. Challis had unlocked how I had used my weight as a defense against another Shane, I was able to love my body enough to make the changes I needed to make to ensure a longer, healthier life than my mother had had.
I hadn’t lost it all, and I might never lose it all. But it wasn’t about fitting into a specific size anymore, or waiting for the Great Until, when my scale would validate me with a specific number I wanted to see.

It was all about eating well, moving more and respecting the gift of my body.
As a result, I was able to pick out a tailored gown to fit my curves, rather than hide them.

They no longer embarrassed me, so I refused to apologize for them.

Iris and her steady beau, Brant Rierden, had traveled to L.A. to coordinate the publicity. I ran around like a headless chicken all the way up to that Sunday afternoon, when I stepped out of that sleek black limo to walk the red carpet in a beaded lavender dress. I spoke to reporters, posed for the photographers on the red carpet, but who the hell knows what I said to anyone or what I looked like in any of them.

I co
uldn’t think about anything other than my performance. It was perhaps the most important performance of my entire life. I was a nervous wreck, nauseated to the point of actually blowing chunks right up to the moment the curtains opened and a lone spotlight fell upon me.

Right at the edge of my vision was every A-list celebrity I had ever dreamed to meet. I shoved all my nerves down out of reach as I opened my mouth and let that first note burst from my soul.

I lost myself so much in the music that there were tears in my eyes as the last note faded. The audience applauded and I escaped backstage. That was where I was standing when our category was announced and the winner was selected.

“And the winner for Best Original Song is…”

I don’t know if I would have heard the results at all had Griffin not grabbed me by the elbow and led me out to accept our award. He had long before added me to the songwriting credits for all the work I had put into it. So he let me go first to issue my thanks.

I was numb when I stared out at the audience. “
Two years ago, I faced my own image in the bathroom mirror and sang into a hairbrush.  If you had told me then that I would be here now holding this,” I said, indicated the pretty gold award, “I would have thought you were insane. I had a dream board a million years ago, but even I didn’t know I could dream this big. That was something I learned along the way, thanks to the amazing people I’ve met along my journey. Graham Baxter, Shannon McKenna and Dixie: you all gave me the opportunity of a lifetime when you opened up popular music to all the rejects and the outcasts. You made it acceptable to be different, to stand out. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. Vanni, Allison and Ryder, you were my judges and my mentors as I learned to crawl under your faithful eye. Vanni in particular has always been a brotherly influence, when I thought I was an orphan in this world.”

I took a deep breath as I glanced to Griffin. He gave me a subtle nod, so I continued. “
Gwen and Iris, you made it look so easy as you transformed me, I could do nothing but grow into your expectations. Iris, you heard my scream when no one else could. Thanks for always having my back. And of course, my Fierce family. You were the single greatest gift I ever got when I got to L.A. I’ve done so many amazing things and met so many incredible people. Shelby Goddard in particular helped teach me about friendship and about courage. I met Griffin,” I said as I motioned to him, “but I thought he hated me. Turns out he’s not a bad guy, I don’t care what the press says.”

Griffin laughed and so did the audience.

My voice cracked as I went on. “And then I met my new family, my mother Maya and my talented brother, Diego. It wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it. And I cherish every single day I had with my mom.” Tears fell. I let them. “And I know she’s looking down at me right now. This,” I motioned again to the award, “Is yours.”

I glanced out at the audience, where I could see Jace smiling at me. “
My award was finding the love of my life. Jace Riga, you are truly my hero. You saved my life in every way it needed saving. Yet every single day, you somehow made me believe that it was I that saved you.”

He nodded, his own tears coursing down his face.

“So I can think of no better way to end this night than to ask you this very important question in front of these very important people. Jace, I love you more every single day. I don’t have to search anymore. I know who I am and I know what I want. I’m the woman who was created to love you. And what I want is to be your wife. For real, and forever.” I could barely speak as I ended my epic, overly long acceptance speech with, “Marry me?”

The orchestra began to play my song as Jace hopped
out of his chair and flew down the row as fast as he could get there. The audience thundered with applause as they jumped to their feet, while the cameras rolled to catch each historic moment as Jace bounded up the steps to join me on stage. He repeated, “Yes,” as he spun me around.

Griffin stepped up to the microphone with a cheeky, happy grin. “In case you missed it, he said yes.”

I laughed before I reached to kiss my love. He was my true reward. Jace Riga, and this amazing, fierce, unstoppable and epic life I was so fucking lucky to have.

THE END

Ginger Voight is a prolific author, optioned screenwriter, and freelance writer, covering topics from entertainment to travel. Her fiction is equally diverse, with novels like the edgy, coming-of-age drama DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS
, and the fun family adventure for kids of all ages, COMIC SQUAD
.

Having grown up reading different authors like Danielle Steel and Stephen King, Ginger has always been drawn more to story than to genre. This shows up in her various stories. Titles such as MY IMMORTAL
and TASTE OF BLOOD
are a delicious, heady mix of horror, suspense, and romance.

Genre romance, however, has held a special place in her heart, ever since she read her first Harlequin novel when she was only eleven. As a result, Ginger is making a name for herself writing romances of her own, starring women who look more like the average American woman rather than those traditionally represented in the size-biased American media. Her Rubenesque romances were created especially for those heroines with fuller figures, who can still get the man of their dreams if only they believe they can. Such titles include UNDER TEXAS SKIES
, LOVE PLUS ONE
, PICTURE POSTCARDS and the best-selling GROUPIE saga.