Until I Met You (31 page)

Chapter 17

I woke up in the morning bright and early.  I turned over to find Seth was still sound asleep.  I felt restless and wanted up and out.  I decided the best course of action was a walk.  It was only six o’clock and I should imagine that everyone would be in bed still after last night’s celebrations.

Getting up, I stretched a little and rubbed my sleepy eyes.  It was then I really remembered last night, after the beautiful diamond ring nearly threatened to scratch my face.  Pulling my hand away, I inspected the ring.  A giddy, school-girl smile must have been plastered all over my face at that point. 

I looked over at Seth one more time and sighed contentedly.  He could still make me feel as light-headed and silly as the first day I met him.  He was always going to be in my life now and it felt absolutely brilliant.  Nothing could taint my happiness now.  Nothing could take away this feeling.  I wouldn’t let it.

I scooted off the edge of the bed as gently as possible so I didn’t disturb Seth.  He moved and then moaned a little once I was off, causing me to hesitate slightly.  Once I knew he must be back in his normal pattern of sleep, I pulled on a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt.  I snuck out of the room and down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible.  Everything was so calm; you could hear a pin drop. 

I opened the door to the already warm morning sun and set about a leisurely stroll down the road.  Everything was so peaceful.  All I could hear were the birds chirping and the occasional crow squawking.  I inhaled the fresh, clean, Cornwall air and closed my eyes.  I felt so happy to be alive at this point.  So full of hope for the future.  I was going to become Mrs Angelina Jacobs and it felt good.  Really good.  I never thought in a million years that I would contemplate being Mrs anybody—never mind feeling over the moon about the prospect.  I was on cloud nine, or even cloud one hundred and nine, if there was one.  Where does being on cloud nine come from anyway? 

I shook my head and kept on walking, just smiling and letting myself be wrapped up by the love I felt.

I took a walk down the familiar country path and gazed across the horizon.  The sun was invading my face, but it felt great.  I welcomed the feeling by closing my eyes and tilting my head back to feel the pleasant heat on my skin. 

My jaw still ached from the constant smiling I did last night.  I was still smiling now, and I so didn’t care.  It was one of the happiest moments of my life and for the first time in forever, it felt like I deserved to feel this way.  Angelina Bradshaw deserves to be happy.  It was strange telling myself that, but it felt good.  For once I wasn’t shying away from feeling this way.  Everything Seth does brings the best out of me. 

It was then I realised just how perfect he was for me.  He has managed to do the one thing no man I have ever encountered has done.  He taught me to love.  He also taught me that it was okay to be loved—that I should welcome it with open arms and realise that I had the right to have someone special in my life.  Someone whole.  He was like the missing jigsaw to my puzzle.  The better half of me.  He was the one I could see us growing old together with, holding hands when we’re still in our seventies, eighties.  It was not something that frightened me, or made me feel the need to run away as fast as I could.  Six months ago, maybe, but not now.  I wasn’t hiding anymore.  I wasn’t going to be that hard as nails on the outside, but vulnerable and timid on the inside little girl anymore.  Those days were gone now.  Replaced by a confident, happy-go-lucky, Angelina.  Someone who accepts with open arms, a man who truly adores her. 

And I knew he did.  I trusted that the feelings he showed me were genuine.  I knew he loved me and I knew he would do his utmost to make me happy.  Hell, I was more than happy.  I was heart stopping, spine tingling, melt in the mouth, euphoric.  I don’t know where that came from, but I’ll take it.  I’ll take any words that described just how happy I was right now.

Walking that little bit further, I kicked up my feet.  I was actually kicking my feet!!  I hadn’t done that since I was a child. 

I gazed in the distance and could see an elderly couple out, walking their dog.  It looked a happy sight, and one that immediately made me think of Seth and me again.  I didn’t think I could look at anything ever again, without thinking of Seth and me.  I was obsessed, crazy in love—you name it.

The gentleman tipped his hat and the lady smiled at me.  She had the same silly smile I must have plastered on my face.  Our delirium seemed to bounce off each other like a tennis ball.  It was actually rather infectious.

I said good morning and went on my way.  I was enjoying being by myself for a while, dizzy with excitement if I wanted to.  I hadn’t even realised I had walked a little too far until I was in unfamiliar territory.  I decided to halt in my tracks and retrace my steps back home.  It was time to be with my beloved.  I was kind of hoping he would still be asleep so I could crawl back into bed with him, and cuddle until we couldn’t possibly lay there any further.  The thought had me quickening my pace a little until I was back to knowing exactly where I was.  I was practically skipping all the way home, so wrapped up in my own delirium that I didn’t realise my spidey senses were picking up on something wrong until it was too late.

“Angelina,” a voice whispered from the trees.

My feet froze as the face appeared to me from nowhere.  A face I immediately recognised as one of my attackers from that night.

“Brandon,” I said, shocked. 

Please, not another one. 

He sensed my fear and immediately put his hands up.  “Please, don’t run.  I’m not here to hurt you.  I wanted to see you.  I heard about what happened with Jaden and I want you to know, you’re safe.  We don’t all feel that way.  Trent thought me coming here was a bad idea.  But I wanted you to know, and I wanted to apologise.”

Realising just how pathetic he looked made my blood boil.  I was no longer frightened anymore, I was livid.  “What, for almost raping me, or not getting the chance to?” I seethed.

I saw him cringe and he backed away slightly.  “You don’t understand,” he began.  “We were all so high on drink and drugs that we weren’t ourselves that night.  It all just seemed like a dream to me now.”

I suddenly wanted him to stop talking.  Every time he opened his mouth I wanted to shut it back down again.  “Well, I’m glad it feels that way to you, because I’ve been in hell since that day.  I can tell you now that it wasn’t a dream; it was my worst living nightmare.  I can prove it to you, Brandon, if you like?  I know which one you were.  I remember like it was yesterday.  You were the third one to cut me.  Do you want to see the nice shiny scar you have marked me with for the rest of my life?  Well, do you?” 

I walked a little bit closer to him, feeling my adrenaline kicking in.  I wanted to hurt him, and I wanted it more than anything in my life right now.

“Please, no, no,” he said, putting his hands up again.  “I’m so sorry for everything.  I wish I could take back that night, wish I never took so many drugs.  I’m so sorry, Angelina, and I’m sorry for Jack and David, too.”

That was it, I was off.  I ran towards him, kicking and punching him with all my might.  Anger was at boiling point at the mention of the fact he was one of the ones who helped put my best friends in hospital.  Right now I wanted to hurt him because of them, wanted some kind of morbid justice for the two men in my life who were like brothers to me.

“You dirty, rotten bastard!” I began screaming.  “How dare you come here and apologise to me for what you and your scumbag friends did to me and my friends.  How dare you think that everything will be okay.  It’s not okay.  You ruined my life, you fucking arsehole!”

I was beating and beating him until I thought the sob would come.  The one that I held onto for years.  The one I was determined not to escape me now.  It angered me that he could reduce me to this—so much so, I just kept going.

Brandon just coward in the corner, taking every kick and every punch I had to offer.  I was screaming blue murder at him and I didn’t care who heard me.  What was supposed to be a nice peaceful stroll had now resurfaced my nightmares.  I hated him with all my might for that.  Hated that he came along and spoiled my tranquillity.  Hated that he made me spoil the peacefulness of this day, with only the birds singing and the crow’s squawking.  I hated him for every painful day I have had to endure since that horrible night.  Hated him for just about everything.

I was so engrossed in my terror that I didn’t even realise a pair of arms were now invading me.  I tried to struggle out of them, tried to charge at the now, sobbing, pathetic little creature who was crying his eyes out on the floor.

“I can’t, I can’t!” I started shouting.  “He won’t make me cry, I won’t let him see me cry!”

“Shh, Angelina.  It’s okay.  I’m here.”

His words soothed me instantly as I relaxed into his arms.  He pulled me further away and cradled me, stroking my hair.

“It’s okay, you’re safe,” he whispered.

I buried my head into his shoulder and took some slow deep breaths.  I could feel it rising, feel it burning my throat, but I was determined not to let the sob escape—determined not to give that to him.

Turning my head to look at Seth, I could see the murderous look he was giving Brandon.  Brandon tried to get up, but stumbled and fell.  Blood was dripping from his nose and he was still crying.  All of a sudden the anger subsided and all I felt was pity.  I pitied the man who attacked me all those years ago.  Pitied him, even after all those years of dealing with my pain.  I realised then he was not someone I could be frightened of anymore.  He was just a pathetic shell of a man.  Someone who I couldn’t understand had once haunted me in my nightmares.

Eventually he got up, stumbled a little bit more and looked towards us.  His face was smeared with blood and tears, his eyes all puffy and red.  He tried to wipe his nose, but winced.  He looked up, sobbed again, and was about to say something when Seth beat him to it.

“You better run, pal, before I finish off what she started.”

It was then I felt that the tight grip Seth had around me wasn’t to try and keep me in check.  It was to keep himself in check.

Brandon did what he was told and found his feet quickly after that.  It was one thing having me set upon him, but another thing entirely to have Seth beating the living shit out of him.  After seeing him with Jaden, I knew full well what he was capable of.  Brandon had a lucky escape with just me.

Once we knew he was gone, Seth inspected my hands and I winced when he touched them.  I had never beaten someone like that before, so it was a strange pain for me.  My hands hurt like hell.  I didn’t feel it at the time, but now they were throbbing like a bugger.

“I think I need to take you to hospital.  You may have broken your hand,” he said, caressing it as gently as possible.

“Thank you,” I said, gazing lovingly into his eyes.

“What for?” he asked.

“For holding me back, and for you holding back for me.  I know it took a lot for you to not charge at him.” 

He squeezed me in tighter to him and smiled.  “It was hard—really hard.  But I didn’t want you to lose something of me I hope you have.”

“What’s that?” I asked, searching his beautiful face.

“Your respect.  I knew that if I did start on him, I wouldn’t have been able to stop.  If I had killed him—which I truly wanted to—I would be no good a husband to you locked behind bars now, would I?”

“What you say is true, Seth, but I could never lose respect for you.  Not in a million years.”

I don’t know why, but I suddenly started laughing.  The euphoria was back because Seth was here, but this time it was added by the fact I had just kicked the living shit out of Brandon.  Something I had replayed over and over again in the past.  Something I always wished I could have done.

Seth’s worried, angry baby blues were replaced quickly with a glint of humour at my sudden outburst.  “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m more than okay, Seth.  You made sure of that last night.  I can’t wait to be your wife and no one, not even that scumbag, can take that away from me.  I’m not going to let him.  I kicked his butt!” I shouted, laughing again.

“You sure did, Angel.  You sure did.  You never cease to amaze me.  Have I ever told you that before?” he asked, cupping my face in his hands.

“I think you may have once or twice,” I said, giggling this time.

He kissed me gently and all thoughts of Brandon were quickly erased from my mind.  I tried grabbing at his t-shirt, completely forgetting about what just happened.  I was quickly reminded when my hand cried out in protest.  “Oh my fucking God, this hurts!”

“Come on, Angelina.  We have to go now and see to that hand.”