Beautiful Misery (The Beautiful Series) (29 page)

“Wow, really?”

The tall, slender woman nodded and smiled. Three hours later our hair and makeup was done. I looked in the mirror and was amazed. I never wore a lot of makeup but even I had to admit I looked beautiful.

Gage’s mom handed me another clue.

Now that you look every part
of a princess it’s time to get your dress on and meet me at the place I first told you I was in love with you.

“
Hurry, we only have an hour before you need to meet Gage.” Leigha shoved me into the bathroom so I could change. Getting dressed as fast as possible I walked back out to find everyone else had on black dresses.

“Would someone please tell me what is going on? I am so confused.”

All the girls shook their heads. They ushered me out of the suite, back to the waiting limo. Chet drove us down the coast to Fairhope. We pulled into Wet Spot’s parking lot. Chet opened the door for us to get out. I saw Gage’s dad standing a few feet away in the sand leading to the beach, a clue in his hand.

When I was close he pulled me into a hug and whispered. “Thank you for making my son happy.” He handed me the next clue.

This was the place I first said ‘I love you’. I want this to be the last place I say I love you…

I looked up from the paper when I heard
Phoenix Rising playing God Gave Me You. It wasn’t coming from a radio. It was coming from Tristan, Jase, Kamp, Ryker, and Reid, themselves. Live. In person.

That was when everything started co
ming together and making sense. I saw Gage coming around the corner with Jinx who was carrying Londyn, Dylan who was holding Gabe’s hand, and Tyler, Trent, and Larkin.

Tyler, Larkin,
Trent, Jinx, Dylan, and the kids stopped when they reached the group of girls and Gage’s father. Gage kept walking to me.

When he got to me he grabbed my hands and said, “You look gorgeous.” He lightly kissed me before continuing, “Annie, a very wise woman
once told me ‘if you fight like your married, talk like best friends, and flirt like loves then you are meant to be. Well, that describes us perfectly. I guess we are meant to be. Life is about finding that one person who is your kind of crazy. You’re more than my kind of crazy, you’re my happily ever after. You were my heaven when my life was hell. You brought me peace I didn’t know I was searching for. Londyn and I are so lucky to have you in our lives and if you let us we want to be in yours and Gabe’s for the rest of ours. I love you and Gabe and would love nothing more than to spend my life showing the three of you how much I love you. Everything about you is so fucking beautiful and I want to spend forever with you. Would you do me the honor and marry me? Be mine. Today, tomorrow, and forever.”

Gage dropped down on one knee and pulled out the most gorgeous
ring I had ever seen. It was a vintage inspired, emerald cut, four carat diamond in the center with a one carat, emerald cut diamond on each side in a pave setting.

Swallowing hard I took a deep breath as my tears fell. “Yes, of course I will marry you! I want nothing more than to spend my life with you. I love you so much”

As Gage slid the ring on to my finger I heard all the cheers and clapping from our friends and family. Gage stood and pulled my face to his, kissing me deep and hard. “I love you.”

Through all of our
misery
came
beauty
, and without our
misery
we might not have gotten the
beauty
. It was our own kind of
beautiful misery
and I wouldn’t change a thing.

THE END.

ALMOST…..

You met the men of Phoenix Rising in Beautiful Misery. Now it’s their turn to tell their stories
.

(Don’t worry…The Beautiful Series is not over! They still have a lot going on in their lives and plan to share every last detail.)

SNEAKY PEEK:

Rockstar Call Girl
Coming Winter 2013
by Chandin Whitten
Rock Raising Hell #1

Prologue

I couldn’t help but watch as Tristan strutted across the stage. The looks he would give all those girls was making their panties drop. No, I mean literally lose their panties. The girls were taking them off and tossing them on the stage. I felt like I was watchin
g Magic Mike, Rockstar Edition…only gone wrong.
Very, very wrong
. Tristan was loving it. I was disgusted. It was like a really bad car wreck. You know the kind you really shouldn’t look at, afraid of what you might see. Yet, you can’t take your eyes off of it.

Tristan let his eyes search the crowd, no doubt looking for his next conquest. Then, he landed on me and his eyes were glued.
Those fucking eyes- once upon a time I fell in love with those honey colored irises. Tristan raised one side of his mouth, as if he was daring me to move.

Dammitmotherfucking
alltohell.

Rolling my eyes, I huffed and turned to walk away. Mistake. Tristan called me out. Of course he would. He was an asshole
.

“
Ah there she is. Where you goin’, Butterfly?”

Oh hell no he didn’t?! He did not just call me Butterfly. It felt like I was just stabbed a thousand times in my chest. Pausing mid step
, I turned to glare at him while others looked around for Tristan’s ‘Butterfly’. I was pissed. I was hurt. How dare he use that name? He knew what it meant…used to mean.

“Why you leaving so early? I was hoping you would join me for this next song. After all you are the inspiration behind it.”

People were finally figuring out who had Tristan’s attention. They had followed his gaze and found me on the receiving end. Albeit, not very happy. Fine. He wants to
play games? Well, I hope he packed his pads and a helmet, because game on baby. And, I don’t play fair. I had on my ball bustin’ boots and I was ready to do some damage.

Holding my middle finger up, I started toward
s the stage. The group of people dividing like I was Moses parting the Red Sea.
Don’t quote me on that, I haven’t brushed up on my Bible 101 lately
. The guys were gawking at me and the girls were shooting daggers at me. They wanted to be. They wanted to be the one going on stage to sing with Tristan Cole. I would gladly trade places with them.

Tristan smirked and his voice grew deeper. He practically growled, “Don’t tease me baby, unless you’re going to please me. You had better put that finger away or I might do something crazy like hold you accountable.  You know I’ve always been quite the wild child.” His little comment had the guys laughing and I swear I could feel all the different ways the girls were planning on killing me. Little did they know, Rockstar up there wasn’t trying to flirt with me. No, he was trying to piss me off. And
, I will give him credit, it was working. Not that I would let him know that.

I dropped my hand and straightened as I reached the
side of the stage. My eyes still locked with his. He was standing front and center, waiting. Waiting to make my life living hell, more than it already was.

“Boys, a little help for the lady?” Tristan asked, nodding at me.

Before I could protest I was being lifted by some guy behind me and sat on the stage. What the hell? Was I four? I wanted to turn around and kick and scream at that Neanderthal. Ok, so maybe I was a little closer to acting like a four year old than I wanted to admit.

The bassist, Ryker, just took a step back and bowed his head. Chicken ass. Looking across the stage I saw Kamp, one of the guitarist trying –and failing- to hide his laughter as he kept up a steady rhythm on his guitar. Shifting my eyes to the back of the stage where Reid was stationed behind his drums, he was looking straight ahead, shaking his head. Jase was my last resort, but of course that guitar playing twat box was looking at his cousin and smiling.  I was on my own with this one.

Taking a few steps in Tristan’s direction, I put my hands on my hips and squared up to him, smiling a little too sweetly. When he was within reach I placed a finger on his chest, he tensed, and tapped my finger as I spoke, “Well, playboy, you got me up here…now what are you going to do with me? Last time you got me this close you ran like a little girl. Think you can handle me this time?”

Told you
I don’t play fair. I fight dirty.

The room was silent except for the strumming coming from Jase and Kamp’s guitars
. Tristan’s eyes grew dark, making the green flecks in them stand out. His mouth twitched. “Why, Ms. Caine aren’t you just a sweet little lollipop all wrapped up in bitch?”

Narrowing my eyes I said, “And, you Mr. Cole, are a dick.”

His hazel eyes sparkled. “Yep.” Tristan took his eyes off me and shifted them back to the crowd while taking a few steps away from me. He drew his lip ring into his mouth. He knew exactly what that did to me. “Y’all ready for our new number one hit, Rockstar Call Girl?” The crowd went crazy, clapping and hollering. Tristan glanced at me, a smile playing at his lips. Pointing at me he said, “You can thank this hot little lady for that. If it wasn’t for her this song wouldn’t exist.”

The bands new song didn’t exactly put me in the best light. To be honest it made me sound like some sort of whore, which I wasn’t. There was a tap on my shoulder before a microphone was being shoved in my face. Looking over my sh
oulder I saw Ryker retreating back to his spot on stage. He actually had a little sympathy on his face. At least somebody cared…maybe. A little?

I heard Reid’s sticks hit the drums and both guitars came to life. Tr
istan looked at me, that stupid ass, shit eatin’ grin on his face as he started to sing.

She’s always looking for a little danger,

Just a little fun.

The dark bars, the street cars.

And everything in between.

The bad boys who want one thing,

She’s exactly what they need.

She’s a rockstar call girl,

An angel with demon wings.

Remember, bitch who you belong to,

Your body is my private domain.

Fuck you like the whore you are,

Drink away your memories at night.

Because you’re a rocsktar call girl,

And that’s all you’ll ever be.

Tristan took a breath then looked at me, motioning me to sing the next verse. The verse he knew that would hurt me the most. I held the microphone close to my mouth, almost letting in rest on my lips.

I should have took one look,

And knew the real you.

You told me things to make me believe,

That I was more than just money.

There was fire in my veins,

You turned it into ice and never thought twice.

I’ll never make the same mistake,

And trust someone like you.

Because…

Tristan started signing with me. Getting closer and closer to me. He held his hand out to me. He turned from the crowd to my face, meeting me eye for eye.

She’s a rockstar call girl,

An angel with demon wings.

Remember, bitch who you belong to,

Your body is my private domain.

Fuck you like the whore you are,

Drink away your memories at night.

Because you’re a rockstar call girl,

And that’s all you’ll ever be.

I stopped singing. I let the microphone drop to my feet. Tristan took another step closer, towering over me. His body just inches from me. His breath in my face. He finished the song.

That’s all you’re ever going to be,

To everyone.

Now you’re nothing,

Nothing else to me.

Tristan was breathing hard and incredibly close. My eyes were shut. I could smell his cologne mixed with sweat. I slowly peeled my eyes open to find him staring at me.

He wasn’t singing to the crowd now,
he was talking to me. He flicked his lip ring and licked his lips. “You’re nothing but a memory”

I don’t know where my tears came from. One minute I was standing there looking at Tristan, the next I was running off the stage. The bands bodyguards didn’t try to stop me from going backstage. Both men stepped to the side as I ran passed them.
When I was far enough away so that the band or the crowd couldn’t see me I collapsed onto the floor.

“There you have it ladies and gentlemen. You just witnessed what that girl does best. She runs.” Tristan spoke to the crowd. He sounded proud
of himself. The crowd actually cheered. Unbelievable.

I wanted to get out of this place before the guys came off stage. Standing, I ran my fingers under my eyes, hoping I didn’t look like a drunk raccoon. When I rounded the corner where the exit sign was hanging from ceiling I saw a very pregnant and a very pissed off Lydia Cole coming in my direction.

She was yelling at her bodyguard, “What the fuck is his problem! I swear, I am so sick of his selfish bullshit. If he wasn’t Jase’s cousin I would beat the shit outta him. What he did was fuckin’ ridiculous. I can’t believe he made Em do that. If I was her before I ran off stage I would have kicked him square in his dick.”

Lydia finally looked up and saw me standing against the wall. Her face instantly softened as did her voice. “Oh my God, Em! I am so sorry. I had no idea that asshole would do that to you. I never thought he would see you in the crowd. I feel so bad for inviting you then you having to go through that.”

Sniffing, I attempted a smile. “This wasn’t your fault, it was mine. I should have walked away the minute he saw me in the crowd. Hell, I should have walked away eighteen months ago.” I dropped my head and pushed my tears back. “I just want to get outta here before the guys are finished.”

I no more than got the words out of mouth before I heard the rowdy band
coming down the hall. There were now two more body guards behind Lydia, making it near impossible to make an escape without the guys noticing.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t this convenient?” Tristan snickered.

Lydia stepped in front of me, attempting to shield me from Tristan. “Don’t start, T. What you did was uncalled for and you know it. She never did anything wrong to you. It’s time you grow up and act like the twenty six year old that you are, not the six year old little boy pulling the cute girls piggy tails at recess. You are an arrogant ass and if it wasn’t for Jase I would love to knock you out myself for that shit you pulled. You owe her an apology.”

Tristan just laughed in Lydia’s face. “Jase, can you control you wife?”

Jase held his hand up in front of him as if surrendering and shook his head. “Hell no. She scares me and I am not stupid enough to piss of the pregnant lady.”

Tristan scoffed, “Fuckin’ great.” He leaned down so he was face to face with Lydia. She never budged. Tristan stuck his hand out and pointed at me, accusingly. “She deserved every bit of hu
miliation she got tonight. Emersyn Caine is a fuckin’ whore. She doesn’t deserve my respect or my apology. I want her away from my band before we catch some disease from her.”

Before he saw it coming Lydia connected her fist with Tristan’s jaw. She hit him hard enough he stumbled backwards, losing his balance long enough for Lydia to throw another punch. This time she connected with th
e apple of his cheek. Tristan fell into the wall, grabbing his face. The bodyguards started to step in and reached for Lydia. Jase held his arm up in front of them. “No. It’s fine. Let her go.” The oversized men dropped their hands and took a few steps back.

Leaning down so she was in Tristan’s face, Lydia bit out,
“Call her a whore again and I swear I will make sure your dick is made into a smoothie and fed to you, you idiotic prick. You don’t deserve to be around a girl like Em.” Lydia turned on her heel, grabbed my hand, and drug me out of the building into the warm Los Angeles night.