Wise Up Part B-4
Title: Wise Up Part B-4
Author: Reddress
Summary: Addison has finally Wised Up but has Mark? Will he walk down the aisle and marry someone else? If you want earlier chapter so you know what is going on go to the link “Reddress11” under the stunning picture. Start from the bottom and work your way up. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Music: (Beginning): Angel: Sarah Mclaughlin
(Rain- Chapel) My Invitation: Sarah Slean ( Very important because of where and how I place this song at the beginning of this story)
(The End) Mississippi: Train
Nodding her head, Addison took a moment to compose herself. When she was ready, she walked out of the building and followed the other guest to take her seat.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to smile when Miranda asked, “Addison, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Miranda.”
“They better get this show on the road.”
Pointing to the approaching, ominous black clouds, she continued, “Otherwise she’s going to be getting married in mud.”
As the wind picked up Izzie tried to hold her veil still, “George?”
“Yeah?”
“He loves me, right?”
“Of course he does.”
Smoothing down her dress, she grabbed George’s hand as the music began to play and the bridesmaids started to make their way down the aisle.
“Does he love me more than her?”
Tightening her grip, Izzie searched his face in desperation.
Life was about choices, and no one knew about the value of honesty better than George. But he had also come to appreciate the kindness of a lie.
“How couldn’t he? Yes, without a doubt.”
Shaking her head, Izzie mouthed a, “Thank you,” and kissed George on the cheek before he followed the wedding procession down the aisle.
The sky had become a dark shade of grey and the guests were becoming restless. But the moment Izzie appeared all movement stopped. She was beautiful in a dress that looked like it had been taken strait out of a story book fairytale wedding.
Stealing a glance at Addison as she reached the end of the aisle, Izzie felt as if everything would be okay. She was there and she would see. It was childish but Izzie felt comforted that Addison would watch her marry Mark. Soon, what had once been between them would forever be over. Standing in front of Mark, she took his hand and search his eyes for the last bit of reassurement that she needed. And true to his word, Mark put her nerves to ease with a small smile as the preacher began the ceremony.
(15 minutes later)
“Marriage should be a life long consecration of the ideal of loving kindness- backed with the will to make it last.”
By this time, lightening could be seen in the distance and the wind had picked up speed. Trying to yell over the whistling noise that filled the air, the preacher tried to quickly moved into the vows before everyone was rained on.
“Do you Markus Christopher Sloan take Isobel Cathleen Stevens to be your wife- to live together after god’s ordinance- in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her- comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy-”
Stopping the preacher mid-sentence the sky opened up and began dumping rain on the wedding party. Guests scrabbled out of their seats and began running for cover. Izzie and her bridesmaids darted for a nearby gazebo.
Grabbing her purse, Addison meant to follow Miranda and Tucker to shelter when she looked up and saw Mark. Thirty feet from her, he stood soaked trying to help the elderly preacher save his notes that were scattered on the ground.
Picking up the last piece of sopping paper, Mark handed it to the preacher and watched him, like the others, run for cover. Looking up to see if there was anything or anyone else who might need to be helped before he ducked into dry shelter, Mark stopped when he saw her.
Ankle deep in mud, Addison’s delicate yellow Chanel dress clung to her body. Her wet hair was plastered to her neck and draped over her shoulders.
Standing a mist toppled over chairs and mud, Addison and Mark just stared at one another as the rain beat down on them. Although 200 guests were watching them, it felt as if they were all alone out there; not knowing what they were doing but understanding there was nothing else they could do.
Was this her sign from a higher power? As he stood there not moving, she couldn’t help but feel like this was a message. Maybe their last message from fate that something was missing; that they were missing.
“Mark! Get out of the rain!” Izzie called.
“Addison!” Derek yelled.
But still neither one moved. They were alone in their own world with each other.
“I knew I loved you before I met you. I know you can feel it. This is it. This is all we get, Mark,” She called out over the pounding rain.
She knew they hadn’t heard, but hoped he did. Then, without a word he slightly nodded his head in response. He had heard.
For one more moment, they stood there completely still, before both turned on their heels and ran in the opposite direction for shelter.
Opting to finish the rest of the wedding in doors, all 200 guests crammed themselves into a small nearby chapel.
Trying to find Addison in the crowd, Mark’s eyes stopped when he saw her slipping on Derek’s tux jacket and offering him thanks.
Walking over and standing next to Mark, Derek cleared his throat, “So are you ready to finish this thing?”
Catching another glimpse of Addison, Mark dropped his head and asked, “How are things going there?”
Smiling, he rubbed his hands together, “I would say that things are getting back to the way they always should have been; me and her, Derek and Addison.”
Not responding, Mark didn’t need to orally agree with him. His mind had already come to that same conclusion the night before.
In the last moments of confusion before the wedding continued, Mark caught Addison’s eyes again in the crowd and mouthed to her, “I can’t.”
Biting her lower lip, her eyes filled with tears as she nodded her head in response.
In silent agony, Addison, along with 200 other guest watched as the bride and groom finished their last vows and Mark kissed his new wife.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Sloan.”
Walking down the aisles Mark and Izzie began shaking hands and hugging their damp guests.
Alone in the back, Addison knew she had lost. It was over. He was married.
“Would you like an escort?”
Turning, Addison met Derek’s smiling face.
“I’ll walk you over to the reception.”
Faking a smile she began to insist that she needed to leave but he wouldn’t listen.
“That’s ridiculous, you’re staying for the reception.”
They had only been there for an hour but Addison had already made here way through three cosmopolitans and was working on her fourth. Originally she had always thought it tacky to become inebriated at social events, especially weddings. The idea of looking like a lush in public was the kind of image that ran contrary to her upbringing. But as Mark took Izzie out on the dance floor for their first dance, Addison decided to fuck upbringing and social class for one evening. She was going to need a few drink to make it through the night.
“Would you like to dance?”
Holding out his hand, Derek waited for Addison’s response.
“You know, I think I’m going to sit this one out.”
“Come on Addie, you love to dance. I think your drink will be just fine. It isn’t going anywhere.”
Sighing, her Cosmo clinked a little as she set it down on the glass table top.
“Mississippi” by Train, seemed to leak out of the speakers as Derek lead her onto the dance floor.
Lacing his finger through hers, his other hand found the small of her back. Giving into the music Addison stepped into him and laid her head on his shoulder.
“Do you remember our wedding?”
Closing her eyes, Addison let out a sallow breath, “Yes.”
“You were beautiful. I almost stopped breathing.”
As the alcohol worked it’s way through her system, her body started to relax. Curling her arm around his back she looked over his shoulder.
Not even twenty feet away stood Mark and Izzie. With his head down, they slowly swayed to the music as his hand met the spot in between Izzies’ shoulders blades.
“We were really happy, remember?”
Still looking at Mark, Addison breathing slowed so that it felt like molassis in her lungs.
“Yeah, we were.”
Although his clothes had dried, the chill of the rain and her words had seeped to his bones.
Brushing her nose against his cheek, Izzie whispered, “Mark, what were you doing out there?”
“Where?”
“Out in the rain. What were you doing?” She asked sweetly.
Not knowing what to say, Mark looked up and let his eyes drift over to Addison and Derek.
“Making sure everything was okay.”
Leaning a little more on his shoulder Izzie questioned, “ You mean with the chairs and decorations?”
Taking his eyes off Addison, he lied, “Yeah.”
“And was it?” She whispered in his ear.
Catching Addison’s glance, he watched her until it felt like he was suffocating.
Closing his eyes, he breathed normally. And again, he lied, “Yeah, everything was fine.”
“Good.”
To herself, Izzie repeated, “Everything was fine.”
Laying her head on his shoulder, she relaxed. He had ended it with Addison.
Derek tilted his face into her hair and breathed deeply, “Some things were always meant to be. Some people were always meant to find each other. You know what I mean?”
Even as Mark turned his focus back to Izzie, Addison didn’t shift her gaze. Watching him close his eyes, she thought of the first time they had met.
Flashback
He was sitting up at the bar talking to Lindsey, a friend of hers. As Addison approached she eyed the strange man slowly rubbing her friend’s lower back and whispering into her ear. Not wanting to be the third wheel to her friend’s hook up, Addison considered turning around. But she never had the chance. Looking up, he caught her eye and for moments they just starred. The first time Addison and Mark made contact her skin tingled.
Thinking of him, she answered in a hushed tone, “Yes.”
“Then why aren’t we together?” Derek questioned.
Stiffening a little Addison knew that this was a moment of truth, but with the wrong person. Waiting for him to open his eyes, Addison finally made eye contact with Mark. Holding his gaze she smiled a little and he forced himself to smile back.
Understanding that it was over, Addison shook her head and mouthed, “Okay,” and in her mind though, “I understand that you can’t.”
And although she wanted so much more from him, she accepted his head nod paired with a silent “okay,” and let herself look away.
“Addison?” Derek questioned.
Turning her attention back to him, she answered, “Because of something bigger than us.”
“And what is that?” he asked in joking manor.
“I don’t know,” she lied.
“Then lets try Addie. We’re Derek and Addison, in the end it will be us.”
With the last notes of the song, Addison let go of Derek and began to walk off the dance floor.
“Addie?”
Raising her hand she answered, “I need a little time.”
“In the end it will be us,“ echoed through her mind as she sat down at her table and picked up her Cosmopolitan. Watching the happy couple still dancing, Addison couldn’t help think that maybe Derek was right. What if she wasn’t meant to be with Mark?
Everyone had heard of those stories where people, in the end, weren’t with the love of their life. The kind of stories where the characters were only meant to love one another but where never suppose to be with each other. Was she one of those sad stories? Had she cheated so that she could find Mark, but been left in end so that she could go back and fix her mistakes with Derek? Was loosing Mark her punishment for breaking her wedding vows? Addison loved Derek. But would she pay penance for what she had done by having to spend the rest of her life without Mark? And if so, was going back Derek the way things should end?
Maybe it reality setting in or it could have been the four drinks she had, but suddenly Addison stopped fighting it. She accepted that she hadn’t taken any wrong turns. She was right where she needed to be. And all she had to do now was follow the path that was laid out for her sixteen years ago.
A/N: PLEASE no death threats! I told you from beginning ( in previous author’s notes) that this would be a rough, long road. It’s not over yet and I still have a few things up my sleeve. Probably two more installments ahead. Keep reading, I’ll make it worth your wild. As always READ LYRICS!!!! This chapter especially. I really thought hard on which songs to use for this chapter. If you read the lyrics you’ll have a little foreshadowing for the ending. Thanks as always for hanging in there and PLEASE REVIEW!!
Angel
Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There’s always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it’s hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memory seeps from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I’ll find some peace tonight
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there
So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There’s vultures and thieves at your back
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie
That you make up for all that you lack
It don’t make no difference
Escaping one last time
It’s easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
My Invitation
You are what they call the human season
You are all the alphabet in one
You are every colour of confusion
You are all the silence I've become
Love me for
Stupid reasons
I like those most
Wide-eyed but
Worth believing
God knows
Damn the angry voice that keeps us quiet
The editor whose work is never done
Keeping pretty words between my teeth and
Sweet confessions underneath my tongue
Drowsy contemplation
Do I let you in
This is my invitation
But how do I begin?
She has such an awful lot of soldiers
Quite a lovely army all her own
Night and day they stand before the fortress
Very safe but very all alone
Mississippi
They call her Mississippi
But she don't flow to me
Spends her light on the Bayou
But she don't come to see
She's the one that makes my dreams
They call her Mississippi
But she don't flow to me
The shape of her horizon
Makes the morning sun
When she puts her eyes on
Each and anyone
She's the one that makes me fall
Midnight moon shines through it all
She's the one that makes me fall
Midnight moon shines through it all
She's the one that makes my dreams
They call her Mississippi
But she don't flow to me
They call her Mississippi
But she don't flow to me