Fallen Crest Forever (Fallen Crest High #7)

He nodded. “Of course.”


She cleared her throat, patting the side of her dress so it was smooth. “So, I have a lot of friends from Roussou and my boyfriend . . .” She gave him a soft smile, and Channing nodded from where he sat at the end of Mason’s groomsmen. “He lives and works there, and he grew up there. I went to Fallen Crest, and Samantha doesn’t know this because she’s never stopped to think about it, but she was actually one of the first good friends I had. I grew up with Roussou people, so my Fallen Crest friends were lacking, until one day I’m sitting outside the bar my dad owned at the time, and here comes this skinny, gorgeous girl. She’s all sweaty and looking at me like she’s a lost puppy wondering if she can have something to eat. I think I scared you that day, but you thanked me earlier today for becoming your friend at just the right time. You don’t know this . . .”

Her voice grew hoarse, and she blinked back tears. “But you did the same for me. I needed a friend too; I just didn’t know it. You always say I’m the tough one, but that’s not true. It’s you. You’re so strong, and I am beyond blessed that you chose me. Like Nate and Logan, I don’t consider you a friend. You’re a sister to me, and I’ve never had one of those. So thank you for that.” She bit off the last word, unable to keep going. Her tears were blinding her.

Standing, I took the microphone from her and pulled her in for a hug. I struggled to keep my emotions in check, but that’d been the story today. I was crying one second, then laughing the next. I knew we were just starting the evening too.

Heather tucked her head into the crook of my neck and shoulder. “I’m pregnant.”

“What?” I pulled back and grabbed the microphone. It hadn’t caught that, but I wanted to be safe. I passed it off to Mason and looked back to Heather. “You’re sure?”

She nodded. “Channing knows, but don’t tell anyone. We’ll announce it later. Will you be her godmother?”

Her.

I touched my chest. I was going to be a godmother. “Yes! Yes.”

And we were back to hugging.

I had a feeling we’d be doing this all night long.

After we settled back in our seats, Matteo made a toast. Courtney and Grace did one together, and even Channing stood for a few words. After that, it was our parents’ turn. Malinda cried the whole time, so it was really just David speaking, but when he’d finished, she grabbed a piece of paper and shoved it into his hand. He read from it, so we heard Malinda’s word through him. Then it was James and Analise’s turn. Everyone tensed slightly, but James only laughed.

“This would be the perfect time to get you back, Mason, but I won’t,” James said. His eyes filled with mirth. “I’m hoping Logan will forget the favor I promised him too, so I’m going to be the doting and proud father I always should’ve been when you were growing up.”

And he was just that. He talked about how proud he was of Mason, how Mason was the man James aspired to become, and by the end, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Analise took the microphone next, a tender smile on her face.

She looked exceptionally beautiful tonight, but my mother was always stunning—especially lately because she’d continued to be stable since she returned from her long hospital stay. She’d even helped me pick out my wedding dress, and advised on the decorations too. I knew she’d offered to take control of the cleanup, but that was a job in itself. Still, it meant a lot. It meant more than a lot. We weren’t daughter and mother, but we were becoming friends in a way. It felt good. It felt right, and her toast was short, but very sweet.

“I have loved you since the day I met you,” she said. “I have loved you when I couldn’t show you. I have loved you when I was hurting you.” She began crying, and so did I. “And it was because of my love for you that I sought help. I loved you every day I was in the hospital. I loved you every day I was in the residential home. I loved you the day I came home, and I have loved you every day since. I will love you every day that you’ll let me, and if you choose not to, I will continue to love you even after that. I will never stop loving you, Samantha, and I am not the reason you are the amazing woman you’ve become, but my heart couldn’t be any prouder. Like Mason has done for his father, I thank you for showing me the type of woman I should be. I love you.”

I went to hug her, then moved to hug all the others.

There was more talking and celebrating after that. Helen stood up. Garrett stood up. My little sister even made a speech, and everyone melted into puddles when she waved her little hands in the air.

But then Logan announced it was time to party, and soon we were all on the dance floor.



A couple hours later, I began to wonder: Do newly wedded couples stay until the end of their receptions?

I had this idea in my head that they slunk off halfway through the night, eager for their time alone, and everyone else stayed dancing and partying until the deejay quit working. I don’t know if that’s the truth, but it’s not what Mason and I did—not because we didn’t want to be alone, but because we’d already broken the tradition of not seeing each other the night before. We not only saw each other, we slept in the same bed, and had some hot and rough sex. Oh yeah. We shattered that tradition, and we were also the last to go at the end of the party.

After the deejay finally cut the music and packed up his things, all of our friends remained in the banquet room for another hour, talking and laughing around a table. Logan held Taylor on his lap. She leaned against his chest, her eyes half closed the whole time. Nate was beside them, with Heather and Channing next to him, holding hands under the table. Matteo sat with Grace, and Courtney was beside her. Finally, with exhaustion growing, people began saying their goodnights and goodbyes.

Courtney was first to wave goodbye with tears in her eyes. She wound her little arms around me and whispered in my ear, “I wish all the blessings and happily ever afters for you, friend.” She squeezed me tight one more time. “I know you guys will be fine.” She kissed my forehead and waved to everyone else as she left.

Grace and Matteo were next, holding hands.

He went for the side-hug with Mason, but Mason wasn’t having it. He went straight for a real hug, and the two clasped each other tight. Matteo pulled back and flicked away a tear like it was never there as he reached for Grace again. I knew she meant it when she said congratulations to me.