She stood there and looked at herself in the mirror. Her make up was perfect as was her hair, but she felt anything but perfect right now. In her eyes, she was probably going to make the biggest mistake of her life. But it needed to be done. Not for herself, but to make those around her happy.
Julie had always put everyone�s happiness before her own and now, with a life changing moment, she was doing it again. No one would ever know that she was dying inside. The fake smiles came every time she was around him or her family, knowing that he wasn�t the one she really wanted to be with. And no one could ever know.
Julie and Dale had met a little over two years ago at some random club her friends had dragged her to. At the time, even she had to admit that he made her happy. She looked forward to seeing him and looked more forward to his touch as their relationship grew. And was absolutely floored when a little over a year ago, he had asked her to be his wife. Never in a million years had she fathomed that out of all the women who wanted him, she would be the one that he wanted. Even she had to admit that at the time, she wanted him just as much. That is, until she met him.
Her parents had been more than thrilled that she was finally going to get married. It had been a running joke in the family that it was never going to happen, that their Julie was just too strong and independent for any man to handle. That was part of the draw to her that Dale had felt. She didn�t ride on his coattails or expect him to provide for her. She took care of herself and he had told her that the moment she stepped foot in that church, that even though he knew she would still do it, it would never be a concern for her again.
She smiled slightly as she reflected back towards the happier times she had with him. The nights of just sitting on his couch cuddling as they watched a movie or when they hung out with his friends. The friends that adored her as well and couldn�t get over the fact that he had managed to find everything he was looking for. Little did she know that one friend would be the one to open her eyes to seeing what she really wanted and needed from life. The one that made her see that Dale wasn�t it for her almost six months ago.
She had spent every night with this past week knowing that it was going to be the last times they were going to be able to spend together. Even though she had loved him more than life itself, she wouldn�t break her marriage vows. Closing her eyes, she felt the tears start to sting her eyes as she thought back to the night prior.
�You can still back out you know,� he whispered, twisting a piece of her dark brown hair around his finger.
�Kasey, you know I can�t do that!� she replied with a sigh, resting her head against his chest. It was these moments, minus the Dale talk, that she loved the most. Laying there on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as they just enjoyed the fact that they were together.
�I know,� he muttered as he rolled over, and sat up on the bed. �I just don�t get why you can�t!�
Julie looked over at him and felt her heart break. She knew this wasn�t easy for him; it wasn�t easy for her either. The last six months had been nothing less than amazing and she had found herself wishing many times that she had found Kasey first.
�Kasey, I told you. If I don�t go through with this, I�ll be doing nothing less than disappointing everyone around me. I mean, how do you think it�s going to look to the media if I just up and call Dale saying �Sorry, babe, can�t marry you because I�ve been fucking Kasey�s brains out the last six months!�? I can�t put him through that. Even though it may not seem like it when I�m with you, I care for him too much to put him through that hell. And how would it look to everyone if I all of a sudden show up on your arm? You�ll be put through more hell than he would! You�d look like the villain in the situation. I�m not doing that to either one of you.�
�I am the villain in the situation, Juls,� he muttered as he rested his face in his hands. �Why couldn�t have I gotten to you first?�
She crawled over to the side of the bed he was on and knelt in front of him. Tears formed in her eyes as she saw the look of sorrow that crept along his face, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. There wasn�t a doubt in her mind that he loved her � just as much as there wasn�t a doubt in her mind that Dale loved her.
�Do you know how often I wish that, Kasey? I think about that every day. But we can�t change how things happened,� she said softly, bringing her hand to his face. �I wish we could, but we can�t.�
That night had only been one of many. Dale had never suspected a thing. She had been able to sneak out of the coach at the track without his knowledge, she had been able to just show up at Kasey�s without him knowing and she had been able to have Kasey at her place. That was the beauty of being with a superstar. He was so busy that he never even took the time to figure out what was happening under his own nose.
The look that had been on Kasey�s face and the sorrow that tainted his crystal blue eyes had been more than she could bear last night. She had been tempted several times to just say screw it and call Dale to let him know that she wasn�t going to marry him. In fact, she had dialed his number several times � only to hang up the minute she hit that last digit. Her heart belonged to Kasey, not him. Hearing a knock on the door, she knew it was her mother.
�Julie?� her mother�s voice rang out as she heard the door knob twist. She turned around to see her mother standing there in shock as she looked her daughter over. �Oh my. I never imagined that you would be this beautiful.�
Julie weakly smiled. This was the last place she wanted to be right now. In a room with her mother who had done nothing but gush over her future son-in-law over the last few days. Her parents adored him. Although, Julie didn�t know what they adored more � him or the fact that he came from a racing legacy.
�What�s the matter honey?� her mother questioned, seeing the look of sadness that was written across the face of her daughter. Julie bit her lower lip and looked at her mother questioningly.
�Do you think I�m doing the right thing, Mom?� Julie asked as she turned back towards the mirror and took another look at herself. She definitely wasn�t the portrait of a happy bride.
�Well,� her mother stated as she stood next to her. �I do. I think you�re just having pre-wedding jitters. You haven�t been yourself the last few days but it�s normal. It�s always like this for women who are marrying the love of their life. Your father should be here shortly to get you and soon enough, you will be Mrs. Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr.�
Julie just nodded and sighed as she watched her mother walk out of the room again. Picking up her dress so as not to step on it, she walked over to the door and locked it. Leaning up against it, she replayed the words her mother had just spoken to her. It�s always like this for women who are marrying the love of their life. The love of her life.
�Aw, fuck it!� she muttered as she glanced over at the window that was halfway open on the other side of the room. By the time they figured out what had happened, she would hopefully be long gone. Granted, she would have to face everyone sooner or later but right now, there was only one person she needed to see and she only prayed he hadn�t shown up at the church yet.
Gathering her dress in front of her, she looked down, thankful that it was only a first floor window. She crawled out of it and took a quick glance around as she pulled the dress off of some of the bush branches it had gotten caught on. Smiling, she saw the familiar figure just getting out of his car.
Tossing her shoes aside, she ran towards the parking lot as he reached into the back of his car to get something. Just as she was about ten feet away, he looked up and saw her running towards him.
�What the hell are you doing, Julie?� Kasey questioned, slightly amused by the fact she was running barefoot in a wedding dress.
�Get back in the car!� she called, causing him to look at her confused. �Get in the car and get ready to bolt!�
Not willing to question what her motives were, he got back in and started the ignition, backing out. She opened the passenger door and jumped in, barely closing the door before he sped up. Julie leaned back in the seat and just began laughing uncontrollably.
�What�s so funny and what are we doing?� Kasey questioned, still not completely sure as to what was going on.
�Just drive for now. I don�t care where we go, but just get me the hell out of here!� Julie said through laughter.
Kasey stared at the woman next to him out of the corner of his eye while trying to maintain focus on the road. He had an inkling of an idea what was going on, but still wasn�t completely sure of her motives. Seeing her sitting there with a smile on her face and giggling every once in a while, he finally pulled over to the side of the road when they were a good twenty minutes away from the church.
�You want to explain this now?� he questioned, turning off the ignition. �I�d like to know what I just aided and abetted!�
�You just helped me stand up the almighty Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the altar, that�s what,� she said as she turned to him, seeing the slow smile that crept along his face.
�Are you kidding me?� he whispered turning towards her.
�Nope. I�m not supposed to be marrying him, Kasey. You�re the one I�m supposed to be with. Not him,� she stated, leaning the side of her face on the headrest.
�What about ��
�What about what? Screw it all. I�m not going to make myself miserable for the sake of anyone else�s happiness. Let your PR people take care of it. That�s what they�re paid for. My family will handle it eventually,� she informed him as she leaned over to him.
Kasey stared over her in shock. Less than twenty four hours ago, she had told him this was what she had to do. She wasn�t going to make things hard for anyone, just for herself. Yet, here she sat now, in his car with him, telling him she went and did something more extreme. She left him at the altar.
�I can�t believe you did that!�
�Believe it,� she whispered brushing her lips against his. �I�m here with you right now, aren�t I?�
�What changed your mind?�
�My mother.�
�I�m sure she�s going to just love finding that out,� Kasey replied as he kissed her again, this time more deeply and passionately. �Just do me a favor though.�
�What�s that?� she muttered against him.
�Don�t do that to me because believe me, I will be the one marrying you . And you�re definitely going to need a different dress,� he stated, laughing at the needles that were hanging out of it around the snags in the material.
�You got it,� she said with a smile as they pulled away from each other. Leaning back in the seat as Kasey started the car up again, she smiled. She had been ready to run for a long time � it just sucked for Junior that it was today.
�Now, let�s go take advantage of that dress and find a honeymoon suite somewhere,� he said mischievously as he pulled back out onto the road. He didn�t care where they were going. As long as they were together, anywhere would work.
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