If you find weird marks/words that make no sense, I'm sorry. Editting issues.

Chapter One: Double-Crossed

Saturday June 7, 2017

I, Nicholas Jerry Lucas, am getting married... I think to myself, astonished, it has now just hit me, the night before my wedding. 'Til death do us part... I gulp involuntarily. It's not that I'm second-guessing myself, no; nervous maybe, but never doubtful. I suddenly feel a pair of arms wrap around my neck, forcing me out of my trance.

"Hey," my soon-to-be wife, who is on her knees behind me on our large king-sized bed, mumbles against my ear, sending chills down my back.

I reach up, running my hands down her arms leading down to her hands, I our fingers. "Hi Mrs. Lucas." I lean my head back, smiling up at her as I thumb the band around her tiny ring finger.

"Hey, don't jinx it; who knows what may happen tomorrow." She tightens her arms around my neck and kisses the area beneath my ear almost as if begging me to assure her otherwise.

I then snort loudly. "What could possibly happen?" I shift pulling her in front of me so that she's straddling me. I caress Her legs, which extend out behind me, and gaze into her eyes with more admiration than I thought possible. She's so beautiful.

"Don't fall in love with another girl yet Nick, at least wait until after tomorrow; a girl's wedding day is more important than sex is to you men...so yeah, pretty big deal."

I throw my head back and fall back on the bed, erupting in laughter as I land with her on top of me. "I love you." I lock her lips in a quick, yet fervent kiss.

She smiles up at me, her eyes lighting up brighter than ever before; there is no denying she is genuinely in love with me and although she always tells me she feels as though she can never fully meet my expectations, at the moment, with the way I'm looking at her, the way I kiss her and how I handle her, for the very first time in our relationship, I know she truly feels like she has finally gained all my affection, the way she looks at me, I know I've succeeded in convincing her that she can trust me with anything, especially her heart. That was all she ever really wanted

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Sunday June 8, 2017

"What?" I'm standing in the living room of my parents' house, five hours prior to the beginning of the rest of my life. My older brother, Joe is standing in front of me, oblivious to what he has just done to my delicate heart. "What...what did you just say, Joe?"

"Just come with me and see for yourself." Joe turns around, heading for the already open front door that he barged into a couple of minutes ago.

I grab him roughly by the shoulder, forcing him to turn around. "This isn't funny Joe, it's not a damn joke, don't mess with me!"

"I'm not kidding, she's with Demi at our house right now."

"Joe, you don't want to mess with me like that; if I find out this is all a joke, Joe, I swear-"

"Its not a damn joke, just listen the hell up and come with me!"

Joe is rarely ever that serious, which means he really isn't kidding; I haven't seen her since...oh my God! I think to myself, how am I supposed to react to that? My heart is pounding against my chest with so much force I swear the whole world can hear it. All of a sudden the mere thought of my fiancé makes me sick to my stomach and that completely shatters my heart; she's incredible, the best girlfriend/fiancé/friend any man could ever ask for, she's beyond amazing. But... I rub my eyes in frustration and realize I have let a few tears escape my tired eyes. I notice Joe glance at me from his position as driver and wonder why we haven't reached Joe and Demi's house yet. I rapidly tap my knee and I swear Joe is driving excruciatingly slow just to get to me.

"Are you okay?"

"Can't you drive faster?" My own voice shocks me a bit; I don't mean to sound so vulnerable...so nervous and terrified. I clear my throat and face forward in an attempt to avoid Joe's curious gaze.

"Dude your shaking."

"I know."

"You need to calm down man, it's only-"

"Shut the hell up Joe! You need to stop acting like you know anything, because, honestly, you don't know crap; so just..." At this point I can't even think straight, so my ability to form complete sentences may just be disabled at the moment.

Joe opens his mouth to say something but thinks otherwise when he sees the look on My face. If there is one thing Joe, and basically everyone else that really knows me, knows about me, it's that whenever I'm upset, it's best to steer clear of me until I'm ready to talk, especially if it's about a certain girl. She is the only person that ever fully understood how I work; she always knew what to do or the right words to use to make me feel better, something even my own mother was never really able to do.

"Come on, are you getting out or are you just going to sit there and stare blankly into space?"

I Looks over at Joe, who is already climbing out of the car, and I realize we're merely feet away from her by now; once again my heart rate picks up speed, at an even faster rate than before. In one quick, yet clumsy motion, I reach for the car door, my trembling hands making it a challenge, and hop out of the fancy vehicle.

I literally charge for the door, all the while not really sure of what to expect. After so many years, is it appropriate for me to hug her like old times? How will I be able to refrain myself from the urges gradually taking over my entire body with every step I take that lead me to the other half of my heart.

I reach for the door knob, taking a moment to release a deep, shaky breath. My heart is now beating loud enough for it to be a potential danger to my own ears. Joe stands next to me, wise enough to allow me all the time I need.

I push the door open, eager to see the one person who understands me more than I understand myself, the one person whose happiness means more to me than my own life.

"Miley!" Her name falls naturally off my lips as though for the past six years it hasn't become foreign to me. "Where is she?" I demand, my eyes searching the entire living room area.

"Nicholas...?"

I freeze in my spot, contemplating what my next move ought to be.

"Nick!"

I turn my head and face where the familiar melodious voice has come from, tears already threatening to fall from my wandering eyes. Her ocean blue orbs meet my brown ones and it's almost as if my brain and my heart no longer function together; I want to do ten different things at once. I didn't know whether I should scream, kiss her senselessly, or cry first, so I just stand there, my mouth slightly agape from the mixture of emotions building up in me.

Step by step, she nears my position at the kitchen entrance but my impatience gets the best of me as I grab her arm and practically yank her body toward mine in a bone-crushing embrace. I caress her, desperately trying to reacquaint myself with her body, running my hands up and down her back, her arms, up to her neck and through her too familiar stringy yet lush hair, which now reaches halfway down her back. I repeatedly press my lips to the top of her head, never thinking twice about it as if it were the most casual gesture. In a way, to us it is.

Miley looks up at me, smiling through her tears. "How've you been, Hun?"

I half smile at her attempt to lighten up the mood; she was never too fond of seriousness. I don't bother answering her, I just stare at her, and with the pad of my thumbs, wipe her tears away.

Never pealing my eyes off of her, I bring our foreheads together and almost as if operating to the same heartbeat, we close our eyes at the same time, taking full advantage of the beautiful moment granted to us.

The beautiful, picture perfect moment, which seems to last a mere two seconds, comes to an all too quick ending as I hear the most heart wrenching sound any man will ever have to hear.

"Nick...?"

Both Miley and I turn to face the source of the sound that has just shattered my frail heart to pieces. Standing there is my Beautiful fiancé, clad in her stunning white, princess wedding dress, looking radiant in natural make-up, her long dark brown locks cascading down past her shoulders in big perfect curls. Her eyebrows are furrowed, confirming the confusion and hurt she must be experiencing.

"Lucie." I half whisper, not sure of how to fix the situation so the three of us may all be satisfied. I look at Lucie helplessly and our eyes lock. How will I possibly fix this one? My eyes descend down to her gown; can this be fixed? I'm almost positive it's bad luck for the Bride and Groom to see each other before the Ceremony on their Wedding day.

- D - O - U - B - L -E - C - R - O - S - S - E - D -

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