Read the sequal "If Only Through Heaven's Eyes"
(One Month Later)
“Ow, that’s hot!” Cari exclaimed as she slammed the mug back down on the table. Her two friends looked at her, glanced at each other, and then burst into giggles.
“Duh Cari! It’s coffee. It’s supposed to be hot,” Keeley said trying to stop her laughter. Cari rolled her eyes at Keeley before balling up a napkin and throwing it at her.
“Now, now Cari. No throwing things at the table,” Monica said. Cari stuck her tongue out at her before returning her attention back to her coffee mug. Just as soon as her attention was diverted from Monica, Monica threw a napkin at Cari, bounced it off her nose, and straight into her coffee cup. Cari once again slammed her mug down and threw an evil look at Monica
“Keeley!” Monica exclaimed with a shocked look on her face. “Didn’t I just tell Cari not to throw things?” Keeley look at her friend with her jaw dropped. It was now Cari’s turn to giggle. Keeley shook her head before glancing around the crowded coffee shop. Almost everyone was trying to figure out if the three girls at the table near the back corner were insane.
“Girls, we had better calm down. We are attracting attention,” Keeley suggested, nodding towards their “audience.”
“Good idea,” Monica replied and slid down farther in her chair to enjoy her cappuccino. She knew the last thing she or her two friends wanted was extra attention. After Derek was captured, the media had a field day with all the information. They soon found about the incident on the cruise ship, them running for their lives on the island, and then being held hostage in Justin and Keeley’s house. For awhile all eight of their names and faces were plastered everywhere.
Now that the trial was over, things were beginning to die down some. Derek had been convicted of breaking and entering, kidnapping with malicious intent, attempted murder and resisting arrest. He was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in jail with no chance of parole for 10 years. During the trial, the lawyers got out of Derek that he had hired the three men that had chased them on the cruise and the island. The eight had issued a public statement to thank Trisha and Tam for helping them escape the boat. They soon were able to get in contact with them and sent flowers and other presents to both of the sisters.
“So Cari, when are you leaving?” Keeley asked.
“Pretty soon. I am not exactly sure when they want me to start.”
“How does JC feel about you moving to San Francisco?” Monica asked with concern in her voice.
“He isn’t thrilled about it. That is for sure. We will make it work though. He will start touring with the group soon and wouldn’t have been home much anyway. I just couldn’t pass up this job opportunity. I would have been insane to even think about it. Besides it will probably do me some good to get out of Orlando for a little while. It’ll give me some time to start to forget,” Cari explained.
“Believe me, I understand.”
“I know you were scared about staying in your house, but I never thought you would sell it,” Monica spoke to Keeley. Keeley ran her hand through her hair and sighed.
“I didn’t want to. I love that house. I was hoping that now that everything was over I would be ok, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t even sleep in the house. I kept waking up from nightmares and during the day every little noise scared me. Justin wasn’t doing much better so we decided it would be for the best.” Monica and Cari both nodded their understandment. Monica then picked up her coffee mug in her right hand wrapping her fingers of her left hand around the front. After taking a sip she continued to hold the mug like that while she stared out the window watching the people hurrying past.
“Oh my gosh!” Cari exclaimed as she spit her coffee out all over Keeley before slamming her mug down yet again.
“Gee thanks, Cari. I always wanted a coffee bath,” Keeley said as she began to dry off the front of her black tank top. “Thank God I have on black or I would be a mess now.”
“What now?” Monica asked as she directed her attention back to Cari while setting her mug back on the table.
“Is that what I think it is?” Cari asked in such a high pitched voice that she was squeaking. Once again everyone’s attention was turned back to the group. Monica noticed this and rolled her eyes.
“Is what what?” She asked clearly getting annoyed. Cari sighed in response before leaning over the table to grab Monica’s left hand.
“This,” she said pointing to the ring on Monica’s ring finger. It was a simple gold band topped with a 1-carat diamond solitaire flanked by a ½ carat diamond on either side.
“Oh that,” Monica replied, quietly blushing.
“Yes that!” Cari exclaimed again. “Is that an engagement ring?” Monica nodded her head with a huge grin on her face in response. “Oh my gosh!” Keeley laughed at Cari’s astonishment. “You knew?” Keeley nodded still laughing. “Awe, why am I always the last one to know everything?” Cari began to whine.
“You aren’t,” Monica said as she tired to take her hand back. Cari still had a firm grip on it and she was unsuccessful. “Keeley is the only one that knows. She found out while we were waiting on you this morning.” Cari still looked hurt but soon got over it.
“When? How?” Cari asked. Monica told her about the night before when she and Lance had had a moonlight picnic on the beach.
“Awe that is so sweet.”
“Um, Cari…can I have my hand back? I am starting to lose feeling in it,” Monica grimaced.
“I’m really sorry!” said and released her hand.
“Yes you are, now apologize,” Cari heard a male voice speak up near by. She glanced up ready to jump on the owner of the voice only to find Justin standing beside her. He gave her an evil grin before plopping down in Keeley’s lap.
“Can’t breathe here!” she exclaimed before trying to shove him off of her. He took the hint and got up before he was knocked onto the floor. The laugher of four other men greeted her, the rest of the group. Cari realized that Lance was now standing beside the table and she jumped up to hug him.
“Well I feel loved,” JC huffed as he stole Cari’s chair.
“Congratulations Lance!”
“Oh you know?” he asked grinning. Cari nodded with a silly grin on her face. The rest began to ask questions, trying to find out what was going on. Soon the entire coffee shop knew the news. “Well it should be no time no before the tabloids find out huh?” Lance asked, laughing as he gave his new fiancée a quick kiss. She blushed a bright red before speaking up.
“Um, y’all can we leave? I think we are disturbing everyone.”
“Yeah and we all have a bunch of work to do. You guys promised to help us pack,” Keeley said we a sly grin on her face. The entire group, including Justin, let out a groan. Keeley reached over and elbowed him in the ribs. “It is mostly your stuff we are moving. I don’t have anywhere near as much stuff as you do.” Justin just rolled his eyes, helped her out of her chair, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and then began to lead her out of the shop. The rest of the group followed. They had a long day of packing ahead of them. Keeley and Justin had already bought a new house across town and were eager to get moved in.
(Two and a half months later)
“Keeley, could you get the door?” Justin called from the living room. He was engrossed in a baseball game on TV. Keeley, who was laying on the couch reading a magazine sighed and got up to answer the door. As she walked by Justin she hit in the back of the head. “You are asking for it woman.”
“To get to me, you would actually have to get up out of your chair,” she replied blowing a raspberry. He rolled his eyes at her as she disappeared around the corner. Keeley opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Monica and Lance standing at the door.
“Well look who finally decided to come home,” Keeley said before embracing Monica. “Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah, the Bahamas was great! It was so hot there!” Monica replied.
“I can tell! You’re so tan!” Keeley said with an evil grin on her face. Monica just turned and glared at her.
“I told you, I don’t tan!” she cried.
“Well actually you aren’t your pasty, ghost white self so that’s an improvement!” Keeley said while pulling her friend into another hug.
“You’re one to talk,” Monica replied as she returned the hug. Just then Justin walked around the corner to see what was taking Keeley so long at the door. He smiled when he saw them at the door.
Justin walked over and hugged his bandmate and friend. “It’s great to see you man!”
“You too!” Lance replied as he returned the hug.
“Well let’s go sit out on the back porch, I want to hear about the trip!” Keeley said as she began to lead the group through the house. Monica looked around the house as she and her friends walked through. The last time she had been there, the house was still littered with boxes. Now they had gotten most of the unpacking done and the house was truly beautiful. Maybe even more so than their old house. Both Justin and Keeley looked relaxed and happy. Once on the patio the group sat down and began to chat about what had been going on the past couple of weeks.
“Keeley you would have loved the Bahamas. The water was clear blue; the sand was pure white. It was beautiful!” Monica gushed.
“You mean you actually went outside the hotel room?” Justin asked in mock shock. Monica’s face turned beet red at Justin’s question. Lance had to laugh at her sudden onset of shyness.
“Yeah we decided to venture out of the room a couple of times,” Lance started, “but somehow we always managed to end up back inside the room before too long! The room was really nice though. We had a huge hot tub in the room and a huge bed!” He looked at Justin with an evil grin on his face.
“Did you use the hot tub?” Justin asked. Keeley just rolled her eyes.
“Hell yeah, we took some lessons from you and Keeley!” Monica was turning redder and redder by the second from the guys’ conversation.
“Man I wish Chris and Joey were here…maybe they would start bugging you and leave me and Justin alone.” Keeley said.
“Kee, I seriously doubt that will ever happen,” Monica answered.
As they were chatting on the porch Riley came running up to them carried a worn out stuffed monkey in his mouth. He sat down in front of Justin and dropped the toy into his lap. Justin picked up the slobbery toy and threw it across the lawn.
“Wow, Riley’s gotten huge! He’s almost full grown!” Monica exclaimed as she watched the dog chase after the toy.
“Yeah, he’s still just a big puppy though!” Keeley replied.
“Have you talked to Cari lately?” Lance asked.
“Yeah I talked to her a couple of days ago. She loves her new job. In fact she is dating one of her coworkers,” Keeley responded.
“Really?” Monica asked in amazement. “How is JC handling it?”
“Not too bad actually,” Justin started. “They mutually decided to start seeing other people since they were so far apart, but they want to try and remain close.”
“Speaking of close, have you met the people that bought the house across the street that was for sale?” Lance asked.
“No not yet. We want to go over and introduce ourselves but no one has been home,” Justin said.
“Oh, that is because they were on their honeymoon,” Monica stated matter-of-factly.
“How do you know that?” Keeley questioned. A sly grin formed on Monica’s face before she responded.
“Hello neighbor!”
“What?” Justin asked. “You bought the house?” Lance began to nod his head.
“Oh man that is so cool!” Keeley replied happily.
“It is a beautiful house and now Keeley and Monica won’t be by themselves while we are gone on tour.” Lance reasoned.
“Awe, isn’t that cute, the boys can carpool to work now!” Keeley exclaimed. Lance and Justin both looked at her and rolled their eyes.
The group continued to chat for awhile about other things until Keeley decided that she was thirsty. “I’ll go get you something to drink. Do you two want something?” Both nodded their head and then Lance volunteered to go help Justin. He figured the two girls would want to talk without the guys there for a little while.
“So tell me how the honeymoon really went,” Justin asked with an evil grin on his face. Lance just rolled his eyes.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Lance laughed. The two talked while fixing the drinks. “So is marriage in your and Keeley’s future?” Justin got an evil grin on his face before replying.
“We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Read the sequal "If Only Through Heaven's Eyes"