Everyone has little inexplainable marks. A bruise here, a scratch there. They're marks your soulmate has caused, their own injuries leaving insignificant scars.
Maya is 16 years old. She doesn't know who her soulmate is, but one day, a new boy and...
"Have fun on your date!" Kiera yelled as loudly as she physically could.
"Shhh! Apparently, the entire apartment complex needed to know." I laughed, shutting the door behind me.
I had met Kiera at NYU. I was studying Family Law, and she was a theatre major. We met during Legally Blonde, the musical we performed during freshman year. I got Paulette, and she was Elle Woods's understudy.
I walked outside to meet Grayson, who offered his arm.
"Where are we going?" I smiled at him.
"I already told you, it's a surprise." He shot me a mock disappointed face. "Well, your chariot awaits." He pointed to the subway stairs.
Rolling my eyes, I headed down. "What train?"
"Blue C train." He grinned. Now that he was Marius in Les Miserables on Broadway, he liked to flaunt his newfound source of income.
"Will you tell me now?" I pleaded, walking up the stairs into the glittering Manhattan Theatre District.
"Mmmm... No." He smirked, guiding me to the Palace Theater.
"Can you at least tell me what show-" I saw a poster for Beauty and the Beast outside the theater. "Really?!" I squealed. We had only seen one show on Broadway together in our 3 years of living here since until recently we'd both been broke college students. It was Waitress, obviously.
"Yup." His hands began to fidget. "I called in a favor with the guy who plays the young prince."
"That's amazing. Thanks." I kissed him on the cheek and grabbed his hand, pulling him through the mass of people.
We found our seats, much closer than I'd expected.
"That must have been one hell of a favor." I joked.
"I told him it was important." He shrugged.
The lights dim, and a hush falls over the audience. I hear the orchestra start and grabbed Grayson's arm, unable to contain my excitement.
I can see Grayson mouthing the words, still remembering each phrase from sophomore choir.
"That was incredible." I smiled widely, turning to Grayson as the lights rose once more.
"That's good because otherwise, it would be a bit awkward when you met the cast." He grinned, and it was his turn to pull me through the crowd.
"You were incredible." I gushed, still not registering that I was in a Broadway green room.
"Thanks." Sierra Boggess smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."
I turned around to Grayson, who also looked like a kid in a candy store. Aaron Tveit walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. Grayson nodded and held out his hand to me. I took it, thanking everyone in earreach, and allowed myself to be dragged up to the stage.
He started to hum Evermore, taking my other hand and whirling me around the stage. I joined in with the old harmony we'd worked on, and it turned into my chance to perform on a Broadway stage.
The music swirling around us ended, and Grayson smiled at me, his eyes full of excitement, though his hands were still fidgeting.
"Are you okay?" I asked him, putting my arm on his shoulder.
"Yeah. Okay, so..." He paused for a second, staring into my eyes. I felt myself blush, and he grabbed both of my hands once more.
"Maya Angelina Porter, I've known you for 6 years now." He took a deep breath before continuing. "And even before I knew we were soulmates, I just had a feeling about you. Like I couldn't live without you." I realized what was happening and my breath caught. "And now, now that we moved here together, now that you're getting your law degree, and I'm doing what I love, I can't imagine even breathing without you by my side." I smiled wider than I thought possible, and he knelt down. "So, Maya, my Jenna Hunterson, and my Belle to my Beast; will you marry me?" He opened a small box to reveal a simply designed, but still absolutely gorgeous, gold banded ring.
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"YES!" I screamed. "Of course. There's literally never been anyone else." I giggled, letting him pick me up and twirl me around, slipping the ring onto my finger.
My hand slipped into his, and we walked out into the night, not knowing anything of the future but that we will be together.
Two More Years Later:
"Did you hear?" Grayson asks gently, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
I nodded, unsure if I trust myself to speak. "Her mom called me this morning." I could hear my voice shaking.
Molly died of cancer last night. They thought she was getting better, but her case got critical at about 11:30, and she passed away at 4:29. I hadn't talked to her since our high school graduation. One word. 'Bye.'
(Last time jump, I swear) 1 1/2 years later:
"It's a girl!" Our nurse exclaims. I feel a tired smile come onto my face, and Grayson has the same stupid expression on his face he's had for the last 9 months. "Do you have a name picked out?"
I nodded, looking at Grayson. "Sophia Molly Barton." The nurse smiled, leaving the room to weigh and wash Sophia. Our baby.
"I can't believe it." Grayson murmured in my shoulder.
" I can't either. We're parents." I laughed.
"You aren't going to leave me for the doctor, are you?" He asked, joking.
"Unless the doctor is Drew Gehling, you're safe."
And everything was perfect. We weren't just a couple anymore, we were a family.
We didn't want it any other way.
Final Author's Note: I can't believe the book is over! This has to be my favorite book I've written so far. I hope you liked it. The cast of Beauty and the Beast in this chapter is just a few of my favorite Broadway actors and actresses, so it's not the actual cast. I'll see ya in my next book, lovelies! (also the purple hearts are going to be more sparse now because I tend to write on my laptop more often than anything else.)
