Impossibly True (Impossibly Duology) (22 page)

  
They shrugged and continued out the doors.

  
Steadying my sprinting heart, I lifted her hands into mine and basked in the warmth
of her touch. It felt as if I was falling in love all over again.

  
“Are they going out to celebrate?” she asked, her was voice was like music to
my ear.

  
I gazed into her chocolate brown eyes. “Yeah, and they want me to come, but—”

  
“Go,” she urged. “Celebrate. You deserve it. You were amazing tonight.”

  
I stood at the doors; their boisterous laughter echoed from outside. There was
a time when the only thing I anticipated was the victory party, raving along
with my teammates. Now, it didn’t seem as exhilarating as before. I wanted to
share my win with the one person who mattered most, because I already had
everything: my health, hockey, and my girl. My life felt complete.

  
Turning back to Moya, I shook my head. “No. I just want to be with you right
now.”

  
She squinted her eyes, asking, “You sure? I don’t want them to come down on you
for not hanging out.” Her expression was caught between joy and guilt.

  
“It’s okay,” I heaved her closer. “Some of the guys left already too. Let’s get
out of here.”

  
I slipped my arm around her waist and guided her towards the exit.

  
“Where to?” she asked, diminishing her worry.

  
Reaching the doors, I stopped walking as my mind drifted down memory lane, recalling
the moments that brought us closer than we’d imagined.

  
I stared into her eyes and stroked her cheek, thinking how the only place I
wanted to go right this instant was the place where she unlocked her heart to
me.

  
“Let’s go watch the fireflies.”

EPILOGUE

Moya

  
I stood outside the oakwood doors
, anxious, clutching my dad’s arm for
support. Soft, romantic music resounded from inside; voices murmured in the
air. Until this very moment, I hadn’t realized just how much I’d been yearning
for love, and more than anything, to love someone in return.

   Marriage was a huge step, a brave one at that.
And I was eager to build something this beautiful with Branden, to uphold the
validation and permanence of our love for each other. I’d never been more
certain about anything in my entire life the way I was sure that he was truly
the one for me.

   Taking a deep breath, I nudged my dad to let him
know I was ready to going inside. The wedding planner opened the door, and Dad
smiled broadly, taking the first step.

   Everyone stood on cue as the music changed. Dad and
I walked down the long, ivory carpet covered in yellow and peach rose petals
that matched my bouquet.

   I heard gasps and “She’s beautiful” as I made my
way towards Branden’s smiling face; the one I never stopped looking at from the
moment I entered. If I turned away now, I feared I’d pass out from nervousness,
now that butterflies were multiplying inside my tummy.

   He moved his lips, mouthing “Wow” as he regarded
my ivory dotted, strapless tea length organza wedding dress. I opted for a less
than traditional gown since we wanted a summer wedding by the ocean, and this
was my grandma’s back in the day. It meant a lot to me that Momma let me wear
it.

   As I reached the man of my dreams—looking sharp
in a gray two-button tuxedo, his hair sleek and edgy, brushed back at the
top—Dad handed me over to him following the officiating minister’s words. But
before he let go completely, he kissed me on the cheek and gave me one final
glance over. He seemed to have collected himself then, filling the spot next to
Momma. Everyone sat down once the ceremony began.

   I didn’t hear much of what the minister said,
caught in a daze of how dreamlike it seemed. Were we really these two young
lovers, getting married on this day? If Vanessa hadn’t nudged me to take my bouquet
so Branden could put the ring on my finger, I probably would have pinched
myself to be sure.

   He finished his vows and kissed me on the lips
before he was supposed to, convincing me even more that this magical moment was
real.

   When it was my turn to say my vows, I spoke
boldly, “I, Moya Jeanine Douglas, take you Branden Christopher McCarthy, to be
my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for
worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to
cherish, for as long as we both shall live.”

   His mouth curved into a smile as I put the ring
on his finger, and I felt tempted to kiss him too.

   We waited for what seemed like forever until
finally, the minister said, “I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy. You may
now kiss your bride.” Branden didn’t wait another second. He towed me into his
arms and kissed me as passionately as he could, lifting me into the air
afterwards.

   Everyone clapped, took pictures, and cheered for
us. I even spotted tears on both our mothers’ faces. Dad beamed at me with
sheer pride, and Mr. McCarthy’s lips twitched as if he was going to break down
and cry. They each looked so proud.

   “Congratulations!” Vanessa squealed, with Warren
patting Branden’s shoulder in joy. They joined in with everyone else in tossing
rose petals at us as we treaded down the aisle, hand in hand, excited to start
the next phase of our lives together.

   One thing was for certain, we were ready to take
on anything. We had each other.         

   The following week when we returned from our
second getaway to his family cabin, Branden and I moved into our cozy one
bedroom apartment in Harrington. He’d be going to work part-time with his dad
in a few days for the remainder of the summer, and I still had my job at the
clothing store near school.

   I placed the last box on the floor and peered
around the living room, taking it all in. Branden engulfed me in his arms and
we stood quietly for a while.

   Many would say we were impulsive, that we should
have waited until we finished college at least, or until we landed decent jobs
to afford a nicer house, maybe even start a family. But then I’d tell them that
we didn’t want to wait. The timing felt right for us. “When you know, you
know,” Grandma used to tell me.

   And now that Branden has achieved his goal, given
the opportunity to join the Washington Capitals hockey team for their next
season, I’d say we were going to be just fine. Big things would come, and we
might experience failure along the way, but we’d always have each other, and
that’s when they’d see that our love was true after all.

   This was it. Forever was starting right now.

***

Thank you for reading Moya and Branden’s story.

Get
Impossibly Forever: The Complete Duology
in
hardcover available March 2014.

Acknowledgement

This one had my emotions all over the place. It’s true what
they say, about being your own worst critic, because I really came down on myself
with this one. Thank God for family, friends, and the many readers who messaged
me about the book and when I planned on releasing it, because I almost gave
up.

Thank you to everyone who provided great critique and helped
me to improve the story. Laurie Treacy,
my gosh
, words
fail me. I am so appreciative of all you’ve done, not only on the Impossibly
Duology, but on my other novel, and ones to come (yes, I will be bugging you
again).

Finally, thank you to everyone who took the time to leave
reviews. I’m forever grateful. Thank you!

About the Writer

Shane’s love for writing started the moment she picked up a
Nancy Drew book. At a young age, she began writing short stories, dabbling in a
variety of genres: from comedy and drama, to horror and contemporary romance.
Shane's quite intrigued by the otherworldly or things otherwise deemed
"impossible." Well, in her opinion, people never really grow up, do
they?

goodreads.com/shanemorgan

shanemorganwrites.com

[email protected]

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