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Chapter 2 - The Aisle

I was just eight. At that time my life wasn't an over-agitated volcano spilling hot lava at every little interval. At that time, my life was still perfectly in shape and not running haywire. At that time, my smile wasn't fake.

Mother was still alive. Father cared about something else more than he did his business and that was us- his wife and only daughter.

We had attended a wedding ceremony and little me had been super excited. The bride was our neighbor, she was always very nice to me and when she had begun her wedding preparations, she carried me along like her little sister. It was fun, I was thrilled. And when I saw her walking down the aisle, her hand locked in between her father’s, I admired the loving gaze that they shared. I was awed at the way the congregation rose to their feet to celebrate the duo. I saw the joy in her eyes and how much her father complemented the moment so I turned to mine and asked him,

“ You'll walk me down the aisle on my wedding day, right?"

Father had smiled sweetly at me, his eyes glowing with love and he nodded at me.

He promised.

He promised to walk down the aisle with me on my wedding day.

Even though I was getting married to someone I didn't know or love, and even though the love my father and I had shared was something of the past now, long gone, I held on to that promise.

I don't know why. I don't know how, because I definitely did not remember this until I was told he wouldn't come.

I hope now you can see my reason for letting myself break apart, for letting these tears overwhelm me and every part of my being.

I couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard I tried to pull my heart back into the cage.

However, when I heard his voice, everything stopped.

The tears, like this was what they had been waiting for all along, stopped streaming too and as the momentary shock soared through me, I raised my face to look at him.

My makeup was probably ruined and I was definitely looking like the state I was in but none of that mattered to me as my eyes fell on him.

He was properly groomed, just like the last time we met. His hair was styled with precision and carved with attention to every detail. Sleep edges, defined lines and not a single strand out of place and those eyes…

Holy shit! Was I staring at Hercules?

I swallowed, my eyes trailing down his face. His lips were full, pink and carved with the right angles that it fit into his face like a finely honed architectural feature.

Again, ignore my series of grammar. Dude is so hott!

“ For one who was crying just now, you seem completely lost in admiring me.” I heard him say and I immediately snapped out of it.

“ What?" I blurted out.

He chuckled, the sound coming off as a deep throaty sound.

Sexy!

He stretched his hand to me and I hesitated, before placing mine in his. With very little struggle, he pulled me up. He was about six feet tall and I was just at five and something inches so I had to crane my neck to look at him, while avoiding the alluring view of his sculptured chest through the three-piece suit he had on.

I swallowed again, my palms beginning to sweat all of a sudden.

“ What are you doing here?" I stuttered.

He shrugged.

" Well, the crowd was waiting to see my bride but she was nowhere to be found. I had to come get her myself. “ he said, cocking his head to the side.

His eyes narrowed on me.

“ I didn't expect to see her crumbled on the floor, crying her eyes out." It was hard to discern any emotion from his tone or eyes.

Those brown eyes remained fixed on me as he said,

" Could it be that my bride doesn't want to marry me?”

“ No, it's not that…” I immediately tried to explain myself but he smiled mischievously, shaking his head and making me swallow the words.

“ Your makeup is ruined. Let me fix it." He said.

Again, I was momentarily shocked but I barely had the time to register his words before he walked past me. I watched him in silence as he headed to my dressing table, picking up items like he knew what he was doing.

Does he know what he's doing?

He came back to me, his lips set in a thin yet comforting line.

“ Mascara and lip gloss, that should do the trick." He said.

He probably did it intentionally. The way he held my gaze as he dabbed the mascara on my face, his brown eyes held such intensity. I felt myself burning from the inside with the heat he was stirring.

In case you're still wondering who this man is, then maybe you need to read this all over again.

He's my arranged husband! Well, he will be in a few minutes.

He put the final touch of gloss on my extra shiny lips and I watched the corner of his lips curl up in a very demure smile.

“ There!" He mumbled, his voice vibrating.

I swallowed.

I think I'm losing it.

He cleared his throat lightly and stepped back a little, placing his hand behind him and stretching the other to me, like gentlemen in Bridgerton.

“ So… Ms Daphne Anderson, my beautiful bride… “

My cheeks flushed red and if I wasn't too numbed by his alluring aura, I would have hidden my face in my palms.

“ Are you ready to walk down the aisle with me?" The words kept repeating itself in my head and I didn't know when I nodded.

He took my hand and slipped it between his, his eyes unwavering from mine.

Guess I'm not walking down the aisle alone anymore.

The crowd cheered loudly and normally, I would have let myself get drowned in this beautiful moment but the little demon in my head was not silent.

It's all fake! None of these people care about you.

You're just a sacrificial lamb!

I tried to shut the voice out. Believe me I did, but all my efforts were like pouring water on a rock.

No one cares about you!

The words kept ringing in my head. Even as the priest said the wedding vows and we had to repeat. My voice came out sounding like a Disney princess with a severe case of laryngitis, like Cinderella after a long night of sweeping the chimney.

“ Therefore, with the power bestowed upon me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

" You may kiss the bride!”

The audience erupted into a loud cheer but I swear, the sound of my heart thumping in my chest was louder. I swallowed as he leaned in.

Is he actually going to kiss me?

The more he moved, the louder the cheers got and the more my heart raced.

Gracious Mary, what is this man doing to me?

I saw him smirk. Then he reached out for my hand and placed a solid kiss on it, his eyes glowing. The applause was slowly dying down and that was when I heard him say,

“ Congratulations, Mrs Jayden Horton, my wife.”

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