A V E R Y

'Jacob? What the fuck is going on?'

A sigh.

'You need to stop struggling.' I didn't know who this was, seeing as they had changed the tone of their voices.

I stilled. Had we been ambushed by one of our own? Again?

And Josh? He was a brother to me, for god's sake.

The blindfold was being untied. Someone undid the ropes on my hand. What in the hell was going on?

The blindfold fell away and I squinted at the difference in light. I was in the same room, but it was empty. Fairy lights were strung around the room, and there were petals on the floor.

'What the bloody hell is going on?' I asked, no longer mad. I was intrigued.

Whoever was behind this, they had a weird way of keeping someone hostage. Now that I thought of it, I was free to go. There was nothing binding me to the chair they had put me on.
I could go... unless this was all part of a sadistic plan to let me run and then catch me again.

That wasn't the case – right?

I sighed, scratching my head. Poised to leave, I frowned when I heard the music. It was softly playing, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. It intensified, until I realized what was playing.

'Time is Not on Our Side' by The Vamps.

One of my favorites from my younger years - I had an unhealthy obsession with those boys and their music. I closed my eyes, relaxing into the music. I hadn't relaxed like this in a while and it felt so gloriously good to let go and immerse myself in the mesmerizing voice of the lead singer.

Then the door creaked open, and my eyes flew open of their own accord. In came three hooded figures from behind me – dressed in white. It certainly didn't look threatening.

The last figure brushed a hand over my shoulder and stood in between the two that were already standing in front of me. The music stopped. I gulped.

Were they going to kill me? If so, wearing white was a bad idea when all my blood went everywhere.

Oh my god. Stop being so graphic.

The music started up again and I was even more confused than ever.

The figures in front of me looked at each other and nodded. I gripped the chair hard enough so that my knuckles turned white – I could swing it and knock at least one of them out.

Then they ripped their masks off and I gaped at my friends.

Maddie.

Josh.

Jacob.

They started to dance, grinning like fools. The three of them moved in sync with each other, their bodies flowing like silk. What the fuck? Troye Sivan's voice flooded in through hidden speakers.

We can just dance to this

Don't take much to start me

We can just dance to this

Push up on my body, yeah

You know we've already seen all of the parties

We can just dance to this.

I began to laugh, clapping along with joy. They had taken the time to learn this routine and organize this mission-

Oh my god. Even the mission was fake. And here I had been panicking over nothing.

They stopped, and the song changed again.

Imagine a world like that

Imagine a world like that

We go like up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest

Love how my face fits so good in your neck

Why can't you imagine a world like that?

Imagine a world.

Maddie leaped into the air, flipping through the air with the support of the twins. I clapped and whistled. This was so good.

The music changed yet again and my jaw dropped as Sophie and her girls ran out, already swinging their hips. They were also clad in white tank tops and white jeans. All of them moved to the beat, the smiles on their faces showing their happiness...

As surprised as I was to see them, there was something else, too.

You see, Maddie always had this expression when she was trying to hide something from me. And it was the expression she was wearing now. I wouldn't be surprised if my whole family came out and added to the flash mob.

And if you feel you're sinking,

I will jump right over,

Into cold, cold water

For you.

I choked on a sob. They weren't just casually doing a flash mob. They were dancing with meaning. They wanted me to stop, calm down and take a second to breathe. To live in the moment.

Maddie spun and the twins lifted her high into the air. I was smiling so much that my face hurt. Then she skipped over to me, holding a hand out.

I grasped it without thinking, letting her lead me to the middle of the room. She closed her eyes and kept a grip on me as she swayed. I did the same, forgetting everything but the music, the joy of dancing with my best friend, the exhilaration from letting go for a bit.

Being free.

But there was still someone on my mind. 'Mason?' I asked, opening my eyes to find Maddie watching me with a soft smile – not directed at me, but at something or someone behind me.

'I'm right here, love.' Strong arms wrapped around my waist, the sensation so familiar to me now. I smiled and leaned back into him for a second, before turning around and kissing him square on the mouth, not caring that all of our friends were there.

Mason pulled back and smiled with so much quiet joy in his eyes, that, for a moment, I had to focus on swallowing the lump in my throat. I wouldn't stop crying if I started now. 'Dance with me?' he whispered. I nodded, grinning.

'Even if I step all over your toes?'

'Even then.'

The music had stopped when he hugged me, but now it started up again. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. My hands were looped around his neck.

What would I do without your smart mouth?

Drawing me in, and you kicking me out,

Got my head spinning, no kidding,

I can't pin you down,

What's going on in that beautiful mind,

I'm on your magical mystery ride,

And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright.

My head's under water, But I'm breathing fine.

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind.

Mason held me tighter and when I looked up into those breath-taking eyes, that nefarious dimple of his showing up; the love in his eyes... I kissed him. Softly, my mouth connecting with his in a symphony only the two of us would ever dance to.

'I love you, Mason.' I breathed.

'I love you more, Avery. More than you will ever know.' He replied, not breaking the stare.
He smiled onto my mouth when I kissed him again and I leaned on him again, too overcome with emotion to do anything else.

'Cause all of me

Loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me

I'll give my all to you

You're my end and my beginning

Even when I lose I'm winning

'Cause I give you all, all of me

And you give me all, all of you.

The setting was beautiful. Him being here was beautiful. I just couldn't believe-

'Avery.'

'What?' I asked. Had he done this to tell me something, so that it might soften the blow? 'What is it?' I asked again.

I looked around. My friends stood on the side, smiling faintly.

'When I met you,' Mason began, pulling my attention back to him, 'I wasn't in the best of places. Hell, I was in deep hole, and I didn't think I'd ever get to climb out. But you... you walked into my life exactly when I needed it, and when I kissed you for the first time, when I told you things nobody had ever heard from me... I didn't regret it. Not one bit.'

He brushed a tear from my cheek and kissed my forehead. His lips lingered there for a moment.
'And, yeah, I knew shit would happen eventually, and I knew that our relationship would be stretched to breaking point, but I prayed that we'd stay together. Because I wasn't afraid of anything but losing you.'

My voice broke when I tried to speak. 'And we did. We made it – together,' I said, laying a hand on his chest.

He held the hand that was touching his chest with one of his own. 'We did. And I am grateful for that small blessing every day. I am so grateful for you every day.'

I turned my face away, drawing in deep breaths. The raw emotion in Mason's eyes was enough to send me over the edge and become an emotional wreck.

'And now, I want you to know that I love you. I love with my whole entire being. I love you in every way that is possible and I sure as hell am praying that we can make it through whatever hurdles life throws at us, because I'm not going to be leaving you anytime soon, I can promise you that.'

I said nothing, only held him tighter.

And then I nearly had a heart attack as he let go of my hands.

And got down on one knee.

'Oh my fucking god,' I blurted. 'Oh holy fucking burning hell.'

Mason looked up from his position on the floor smirking at my outburst, his gaze on me. Only me. He chuckled at my use of colourful language, but I couldn't help it. It was my reaction to pretty much everything.

'I swear to love you, Avery, for the rest of my days. I swear to stand by your side and support you in whatever you do.' The tears had hit me in full force now, and it was all I could do to keep upright and not collapse into his arms.

Maddie must've know that, because she walked up to me, hugged me from the side and whispered in my ear. 'Be brave. Don't think about anyone else – do this for you,' she said, and then walked away.

Mason held out a hand and I clutched it, my eyes never leaving his.

'You make me crazy, love. I know we're young, barely turning twenty, but I couldn't care less. You make me happy and leave me feeling loved and I don't want to spend the rest of my life thinking 'what if'. I don't want another day where I am not yours or you are not mine – even though we already are, I want to make it official.' His voice cracked a little at the end, but I knew he let me see that betrayal of strength.

Only for me.

'Be my wife, love. Let me love you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?' he asked, pulling a little box from his pocket and flipping it open to reveal a diamond encased in silver.

I sobbed again and nodded. I couldn't speak for a few seconds. When I found my voice, I laughed and wiped my tears. 'Yes! Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I'll marry you.'

My fiancé grinned at me and slipped the ring onto my finger as our friends cheered and clapped. Then I pulled him to me and I kissed him, eyes closed, running my hands through his hair.

'I love you, Mason. And I feel the same way. About all of it.'

Mason smiled softly, that smile that so few others got to see, and pressed his forehead to mine. 'I love you.'

The door opened suddenly and I spun around to find my sisters, Damien and Martha, and other family members walking in, each one of them beaming. 

Then the rest of my family reached me and I embraced each and every one of them, giving my thanks.

'Avey?' My two little sisters ran up to me and I lowered onto my knees, engulfing them in a hug.
Pulling away, I kissed both of them and smiled. They had grown up so much.

And this time, I had actually been there to see it.

'What is it?' I asked.

'Well... can we be bridesmaids?' Ivy asked, looking nervous. Nervous? That was a new one; she was fierce and boisterous, just like her little sister. Those two would grow up to be quite a pair.
I laughed, holding them close to me. 'Of course you can be bridesmaids. And you can pick the colour of your dresses too, how about that?'

Mia squealed, closely followed by Ivy, and they launched into another bear hug, knocking me over in the process. I couldn't stop laughing, and they clung to me.

We didn't move from the floor for a good ten seconds. My eyes were screwed shut, but I felt a flash of light and the sound of a camera snapping away.

I opened my eyes, carefully extracting myself and helping my sisters up. Maddie stood with a camera in her hands, grinning. As I raised a brow in her direction, she laughed.

'What?' She gestured to the photo on the screen. 'They captured the perfect moment. A happy memory.'

And when she showed me the photos, I agreed with her. No more negativity in my life, thank you very much.

I turned to Mason, not caring that my family was all around me, and kissed him hard, pouring out all my love into it. 

It was all uphill from here.

***

THAT IS THE END OF CHASING DAMNATION 😏

Thank you to every person who clicked on here and gave this slightly shitty story a chance, I am so grateful. Thank you for the comments, votes and support I received.

Thank you for it all. 

I hope this story wasn't too cringe (bearing in mind I started it a year and a half ago and my writing was, um, kinda bad).

I'm thinking of a new story idea, and the cover and blurb should be up in a while.

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart. 💖

Love,

-M 🥰