Irrefutable (The Apprehensive Duet Book 2) (40 page)

“WE DID IT.” Jordan’s smile is so brilliant it could illuminate the entire room. I beam back at him as we head up the stairs of the raised platform set up in the front of the ballroom for us to use as a small stage. I have to fight the tears threatening to escape as I glance around the room at all we’ve accomplished

We launched our joint company officially tonight and I’ve never felt more complete in my entire life. Regardless of the struggle and strife to get here, I’d do it all over again to have this feeling.

My eyes find the tables right in front of the stage where all of our friends and family are. The people who have stood by us through everything that was thrown our way and never let us fall.

It has been an extremely long road to get where I am, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Ashley, Tanner, Alex, Diana, Tiff, and even my mother.

My mother has kept true to her word and has been trying to work on our relationship together. We’ve even had a session together with my therapist. Dr. Stein suggested I continue to give my mother the benefit of the doubt until I had a reason not to.

Diana even let my mother help her with all the last minute things and prep for the event tonight.

My father has been in prison for eight months and I don’t feel one ounce of remorse for putting him there. I should really send him a postcard thanking him. In his quest to bring me down, he brought me to Jordan who turned out to be the best friend and business partner any person could ask for. He could’ve turned and walked—no, run—far away from me. But he chose to stay and help me get out of the worst situation I’ve ever found myself in. And now we have the business we’ve always wanted together.

I got more than just this from Jordan. He gave me people who cared about me like parents should. Diana and Martin accepted me into their lives and showed me what it feels like to have people love you.

“I wish your dad could’ve made it to see this,” I say to Jordan as he steps up closer to the microphone.

It only lasts for a moment but a sad smile hits his lips as he says, “Me too.”

Jordan directs his attention to the crowd in front of us and clears his throat, “Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining us this evening.”

Jordan’s voice carries throughout the room as everyone begins to quiet. Jordan and I have earned the respect of every person here and we can see it in their eyes and actions as the entire room gives Jordan their undivided attention as he addresses them.

“Quinn and I are extremely thrilled to be launching New Capital Ventures. It’s a company we’ve built together from City Capital and Taylor Ventures. Your support over the last few months has been incredible. In return we’d love for you to enjoy this evening of celebration, and we look forward to making you a ton of money starting Monday.”

The crowd claps and cheers as Jordan finishes his speech. We decided weeks ago he would be the one to deliver our speech since he wasn’t the one recently investigated for fraud. There was a little worry in the beginning that my father’s actions could directly impact investors’ trust in us, but it was the opposite surprisingly. Top players in this cut-throat business actually praised me for having the guts to stand up to my father and turn his game back on him.

The band starts playing again. People stand from their tables and half head toward the dance floor and the other half to the open bar.

Alex meets me halfway between the stage and our table wearing a radiant smile just for me. “May I have this dance?” he asks, extending his hand for me to take.

Slipping my fingers into his, I allow him to lead me to the dance floor. Once we make it to the middle of the crowd, Alex yanks my body to his and I can’t keep the laugh he creates in me suppressed.

“I’m so fucking proud of you, angel.”

His eyes swirl with love. I can feel the truth in his words straight down to my bones. It’s a warm feeling that reaches deep within my soul and makes me feel whole. This man is my entire world. I fought it for so long and then I lost it. The saying is true, you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone. I had no clue I had the most precious of gems in Alex.

My world has been opened thanks to this amazing man. I never want to go back to the life I was living before. It was missing a lot. A lot I didn’t know I wanted.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” Alex asks, interrupting my thoughts.

Leaning forward into his body, as close as I can get, I say, “Because you are incredible and I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replies while guiding me across the floor. “I was serious though, Quinn. I’m so proud of what you and Jordan were able to do. Life kept trying to beat you down time after time. A lesser person would’ve given up. But you didn’t. You pushed and pushed and gave it your all to get here. I’ve always known you’d reach your dreams. Nothing was going to stand in your way. So, tonight is about you and celebrating this company that you created. Bravo, angel. Bravo.”

It never fails. This man always has the perfect thing to say to me but he’s forgetting something. “None of this would’ve been possible without you, babe. I wouldn’t have made it to today if you hadn’t been the person I needed. If anyone deserves the credit for me standing here right now, it’s you. You’ve always been the person I needed even when I didn’t want you to be. You’ve been my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, and my shoulder to lean on when times get tough. You’re my voice of reason when my fucked up brain doesn’t want to think logically. You never put me down and you always have my back, regardless of your personal feelings. It’s always been me before you. You deserve to be celebrated tonight as well. Getting here, not only launching the company, but us, has been a long, grueling road, and there’s no one I’d rather be standing with when things finally get easy. I fucking love you, Alexander Conway.”

Emotion overtakes Alex’s face. His eyes glisten with moisture, and his lips curl up at the sides. I love that my words alone can do that to him. He loves me so much, and I can make him react like that with just words. I have the means to give him so much and yet all he wants is this. And this is exactly what I’ve always wanted but never thought I could have.

“I’m going to need to fuck you, now,” he laughs, fighting back the wetness trying to leak down his face. “You can’t say shit like that to me and use my full name and expect me not to need to be buried inside you. And just in case you didn’t already know, I fucking love you too, Quinn Taylor.”

3 years later

A BREEZE BLOWS, rustling my hair, just as my bare feet hit the warm sand. The salty scent of the sea fills the air, calming me as I reach the opening between the few rows of white folding chairs set up on the beach.

My eyes immediately land on a breathtaking Alex as he stands at the end of the aisle waiting for me. His still-long hair blows in the same breeze that catches mine. He looks delectable in his white linen button down and rolled up khakis. Today, this man becomes my husband.

If anyone had told me eight years ago there would be a day when I willingly married Alex Conway, I’d have laughed right in their faces and told them to fuck off. Yet here we are.

Taking my first steps down the aisle, I think about all the events leading up to today.

Alex proposed to me ten months ago, after waiting years longer than he wanted. His words not mine. He told me that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me six years ago.

We’ve—I’ve—come so far since then. Alex and I have a relationship that most people would envy. He’s everything I could’ve ever wanted for myself and so much more. He’s done so much to help make me the woman I am today. A woman I’m very proud to be. A woman who has everything she could’ve ever wished for.

All the most important people in my life are waiting for me at the end of this aisle. The love of my life surrounded by our best friends.

For a woman who had a problem trusting and connecting to people, I’ve now got a ton of people who I trust my life with.

Ashley and Tanner beam at me with joy. These two brought Alex and I together and opened up all these doors for us. I honestly don’t know what we would’ve done without them. Our three-year-old nephew, TJ, stands proudly, holding his ring bearer pillow, next to his father and Uncle Alex, and Michaela, who is now four, smiles big at me from her mother’s side.

Tiffany, Candace, and a very pregnant Hailey McCallahan also stand with huge smiles at Ashley’s side while Jordan makes goo-goo eyes from Tanner’s side at his gorgeous wife.

Hailey and Jordan got married a year and a half ago. Seeing the two of them so in love kind of makes me happy my father did what he did to us. That string of terrible events brought them back together and created this beautiful love between them.

Tiff and Candace got married as soon as gay marriage became legal in New York. They’ve even started the process of adopting a baby.

Babies have become a topic of conversation in the last few months. Between Hailey, Tiffany, Candace, and Ashley, who informed us all last night that she and Tanner are expecting another baby, my feelings on having children have gradually changed.

Just last week, Alex and I made the decision to see what the future has in store for us. While we aren’t planning on making an extra effort to get pregnant, when we feel the time is right, we will stop preventing it. If it happens then it’s meant to be, and if it doesn’t then we know it’s not in our destiny.

I hear sniffles the closer I get to where everyone is waiting for me and I glance over to see my mother and Diana wiping a few stray tears from their faces.

My relationship with my mother has grown into something I never thought possible. Once she left my father, I started to see the woman I remembered from the early years of my childhood. She even found herself a man who truly appreciates and cherishes her. Harold has been a godsend for my mother, and I’ve never seen her so happy.

Diana and I still have a fabulous relationship. After the launch of New Capital Ventures, my mother and she opened a business together planning events. They stick mostly to charity events and anything we need for the business, but they’ve made quite the reputation for themselves over the last three years and have become very good friends.

My heart is so full of love thanks to the people here today.

I told Alex I didn’t want some huge ridiculous wedding. I wanted to go someplace beautiful and private to start our lives together and not one person here argued. Everyone told us to tell them when and where to be and they’d be there.

As I reach the beautiful arbor, decorated elegantly with white lilies, at the end of the aisle, I know I made the right choice. The Caribbean makes the perfect backdrop for marrying the love of my life.

“You take my breath away,” Alex says reverently as he reaches out his hand to take mine. I went with a simple, yet elegant, wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline. The dress is loose and flowy and blows in the wind. It’s the perfect beachside wedding. My hair is down with soft curls at the end and my makeup is minimal.