I Swear This Time I Mean It
Hoping That My Voice Can Get It Right
Holly stood at the entrance of the ballroom. She held up the front of her pure white gown as she slowly walked toward the middle. She smiled and nodded while the people she passed congratulated her. The faces were familiar but she couldn’t really place them, at least not until she came to a face that was beyond familiar.
Jake pulled her into a tight hug and squeezed until she thought she was going to break into two. “You look absolutely beautiful, Holls.” He whispered into her ear and her heart swelled as she listened to him. “I’m so happy for you guys.”
“I’m so happy too!” She squealed and her cheeks burned from smiling so wide for so long. She finally detached herself from his death grip and kissed his cheek.
“He’s lucky.” Jake squeezed her hand and then let her go. Holly laughed the words off her shoulder.She was the lucky one in all of this. He was the guy of her dreams and he was all hers.
She found him standing alone in the small circular clearing, his back to her. Her stomach flipped as she dropped her dress and stood frozen. She was hardly still breathing.
He was talking to Alex, who spotted her over his shoulder. Alex smiled at her and said something as he nodded toward her. He spun around and his sea green eyes met hers.Perfect, she thought as he strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Her fingers intertwined behind his neck and she laid her forehead against his collar bone. She’d been in his embrace a thousand times but it never lost its calming effect on her.
“You are gorgeously stunning, Mrs. Sanders.” He smirked as he muttered the compliment into her ear and rested his head on hers. He started to sway their bodies to the music and she could feel everyone’s eyes on them. It made her giggle.
“And you, Mr. Sanders, are gorgeously handsome.” She tugged on a strand of his hair and he chuckled, holding her closer to him. A high-pitched chime noise started and then more joined in, making the chime louder. Holly raised her head and glanced around.
“I’m pretty sure that means we’re supposed to kiss.” He informed her with another smirk.
She tilted her head back and stared at her best friend. “I love you, Derek Sanders.”
“I love you too, Holly Sanders.” He bent down to place his lips on hers. She sucked in her breath.
Holly sat straight up in bed, panting. Her eyes were wide and her mind was reeling. The dream had felt so real. She raised her hand to her lips as she replayed it. “Oh god,” she shook her head and jumped from the bed.
It was Derek’s bed. She was in Derek’s room. In Derek’s, her best friend, house. She suddenly felt like she had to vomit. She sighed and started to tiptoe from the room, down the hall, to the front room. She leaned against the back of the couch and looked at him.
He was peacefully sleeping with a thin blanket over him. He always slept on the couch when she stayed over. He was always a gentleman. She frowned and continued her walk to the kitchen. It was just a dream and he was just her best friend.
Holly grabbed a cup and filled it half way with water from the tap. She sipped on it to settle her stomach and ended up standing in front of the fridge. He had a calendar hanging up on it, one of those with a different saying for each day.
She was looking for tomorrow’s date when two arms slid around her waist and a head leaned on her shoulder. She jumped, but only slightly, and then relaxed against him. “I didn’t know you were into daily words of wisdom, Sanders.”
“My mom bought that when I moved in.” He smiled and closed his eyes. “Why are you so early?” Her eyes darted to the clock on the microwave. Three-fucking-seventeen in the morning.
“Weird dream.” Her stomach dropped and she took a gulp of the water. He chuckled.
“Did you have a wet dream in my bed?”
She choked on the water as he backed up and laughed. “I did not have a wet dream!” She defended in horror.
Derek raised his hands in defense. “Alright, alright, no wet dream.” He smiled as he walked toward her with his arms extended. “Hug and make up?” He overdramatically pouted, making her giggle just like he planned.
“Come here, goof ball.” She rolled her eyes and let him hug her. When she closed her eyes she saw the room from her dream again. The white dress and tuxedo flashed behind her eyelids.
“Look deep within yourself and recognize what brings life and grace into your heart.” Her eyes snapped open and she quickly pulled away, astonished.
“What?”
Derek smiled uneasily. “It’s what it says,” he pointed toward the calendar, “for today.” Holly followed his gaze and stared in amazement. “I think it’s talking about God. Go figure, my mom picks up the spiritual wisdom crap.”
Holly shook her head. “No,” she spoke softly as a small smile spread across her mouth. “It’s talking about love.” The universe had given her one too many signs today to deny it any longer.
“What brings life and grace into your heart,” He reread it as she turned her eyes to him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He grinned and turned to her. There was something in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. “What?”
“There’s something I need to tell you, Derek.” Both their stomach’s dropped. “It’s been brought to my attention,” she glanced to the calendar. “That you mean everything to me. You’re my very best friend and I love you.”
“I love you too, Holl.” He took a step forward and opened his mouth to continue.
“Well, my love has changed recently.” She twiddled with her fingers as her nerves got the best of her and her gaze fell to her shoes. “I don’t just love you anymore. I’m in love with you too.” She muttered the words so lowly, he almost didn’t hear them.
But he did and his insides warmed from them. He moved closer without thought and lifted Holly’s chin before lowering his lips tenderly to hers.
“You stole the words right from my mouth.”
Jake pulled her into a tight hug and squeezed until she thought she was going to break into two. “You look absolutely beautiful, Holls.” He whispered into her ear and her heart swelled as she listened to him. “I’m so happy for you guys.”
“I’m so happy too!” She squealed and her cheeks burned from smiling so wide for so long. She finally detached herself from his death grip and kissed his cheek.
“He’s lucky.” Jake squeezed her hand and then let her go. Holly laughed the words off her shoulder.She was the lucky one in all of this. He was the guy of her dreams and he was all hers.
She found him standing alone in the small circular clearing, his back to her. Her stomach flipped as she dropped her dress and stood frozen. She was hardly still breathing.
He was talking to Alex, who spotted her over his shoulder. Alex smiled at her and said something as he nodded toward her. He spun around and his sea green eyes met hers.Perfect, she thought as he strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Her fingers intertwined behind his neck and she laid her forehead against his collar bone. She’d been in his embrace a thousand times but it never lost its calming effect on her.
“You are gorgeously stunning, Mrs. Sanders.” He smirked as he muttered the compliment into her ear and rested his head on hers. He started to sway their bodies to the music and she could feel everyone’s eyes on them. It made her giggle.
“And you, Mr. Sanders, are gorgeously handsome.” She tugged on a strand of his hair and he chuckled, holding her closer to him. A high-pitched chime noise started and then more joined in, making the chime louder. Holly raised her head and glanced around.
“I’m pretty sure that means we’re supposed to kiss.” He informed her with another smirk.
She tilted her head back and stared at her best friend. “I love you, Derek Sanders.”
“I love you too, Holly Sanders.” He bent down to place his lips on hers. She sucked in her breath.
Holly sat straight up in bed, panting. Her eyes were wide and her mind was reeling. The dream had felt so real. She raised her hand to her lips as she replayed it. “Oh god,” she shook her head and jumped from the bed.
It was Derek’s bed. She was in Derek’s room. In Derek’s, her best friend, house. She suddenly felt like she had to vomit. She sighed and started to tiptoe from the room, down the hall, to the front room. She leaned against the back of the couch and looked at him.
He was peacefully sleeping with a thin blanket over him. He always slept on the couch when she stayed over. He was always a gentleman. She frowned and continued her walk to the kitchen. It was just a dream and he was just her best friend.
Holly grabbed a cup and filled it half way with water from the tap. She sipped on it to settle her stomach and ended up standing in front of the fridge. He had a calendar hanging up on it, one of those with a different saying for each day.
She was looking for tomorrow’s date when two arms slid around her waist and a head leaned on her shoulder. She jumped, but only slightly, and then relaxed against him. “I didn’t know you were into daily words of wisdom, Sanders.”
“My mom bought that when I moved in.” He smiled and closed his eyes. “Why are you so early?” Her eyes darted to the clock on the microwave. Three-fucking-seventeen in the morning.
“Weird dream.” Her stomach dropped and she took a gulp of the water. He chuckled.
“Did you have a wet dream in my bed?”
She choked on the water as he backed up and laughed. “I did not have a wet dream!” She defended in horror.
Derek raised his hands in defense. “Alright, alright, no wet dream.” He smiled as he walked toward her with his arms extended. “Hug and make up?” He overdramatically pouted, making her giggle just like he planned.
“Come here, goof ball.” She rolled her eyes and let him hug her. When she closed her eyes she saw the room from her dream again. The white dress and tuxedo flashed behind her eyelids.
“Look deep within yourself and recognize what brings life and grace into your heart.” Her eyes snapped open and she quickly pulled away, astonished.
“What?”
Derek smiled uneasily. “It’s what it says,” he pointed toward the calendar, “for today.” Holly followed his gaze and stared in amazement. “I think it’s talking about God. Go figure, my mom picks up the spiritual wisdom crap.”
Holly shook her head. “No,” she spoke softly as a small smile spread across her mouth. “It’s talking about love.” The universe had given her one too many signs today to deny it any longer.
“What brings life and grace into your heart,” He reread it as she turned her eyes to him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He grinned and turned to her. There was something in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. “What?”
“There’s something I need to tell you, Derek.” Both their stomach’s dropped. “It’s been brought to my attention,” she glanced to the calendar. “That you mean everything to me. You’re my very best friend and I love you.”
“I love you too, Holl.” He took a step forward and opened his mouth to continue.
“Well, my love has changed recently.” She twiddled with her fingers as her nerves got the best of her and her gaze fell to her shoes. “I don’t just love you anymore. I’m in love with you too.” She muttered the words so lowly, he almost didn’t hear them.
But he did and his insides warmed from them. He moved closer without thought and lifted Holly’s chin before lowering his lips tenderly to hers.
“You stole the words right from my mouth.”