My heart pounds wildly as I join Raven, Val, Faye, and Celeste in Sierra’s wedding procession down Grandma Anne’s stunning garden. Sierra insisted on having the wedding in the middle of Grandma Anne’s labyrinth, no doubt in an attempt to piss off Xavier, but there isn’t a hint of annoyance on his face. Nor is there any on the faces of his four brothers, standing next to him.
He looks up and smiles politely as we walk in, his serene gaze turning somewhat nervous. Xavier shifts his weight from one foot to the other and pulls on his sleeves, and I watch as one of his brothers leans in to whisper something in his ear. My eyes widen in surprise when I recognize the man. He’s mayor Kingston, the mayor of our town. Xavier ignores whatever it is his brother is saying and straightens as we all take our places.
My eyes find Lexington’s, and he smiles at me sweetly from the front row. I can barely take my eyes off him as Sierra walks in, on Grandma Anne’s arm. She looks breathtaking, and Xavier audibly inhales sharply. His brothers chuckle, and I can’t help but smile myself.
Grandma Anne carefully places Sierra’s hand in Xavier’s, and then she gently brushes Sierra’s hair out of her face, the two of them exchanging emotional glances. “I love you,” Grandma Anne tells her.
Sierra draws a shaky breath, her eyes falling closed for a moment. “I love you more,” she replies, her voice soft, pained.
She straightens her spine as she turns to Xavier, her emotions draining away, leaving nothing but resentment and irritation in her emerald eyes. He just chuckles and leans in, not at all intimidated by the way she glares at him. “Put away those claws, Kitten,” he tells her. “You don’t want to accidentally damage your new toy, do you?”
She rolls her eyes and leans in, replying something I can’t hear. Whatever it is she says makes Xavier chuckle, and I can’t help but smile too, my gaze traveling back to Lex as the wedding ceremony starts.
Our eyes remain locked, and I can’t focus on anything but Lex. The way he looks at me… it drives the butterflies in my stomach wild. When we found out he orchestrated the way we met, I’d been scared, deep down. I was worried I’d find myself in a controlling marriage, like Mom had been, but I didn’t dare voice my concern, knowing my parents would call off the wedding and condemn the company if I had even the slightest doubt. I gambled, praying that at least a little part of what he showed me the night we met was real, and I think I may have won that bet. I know marriage isn’t ever going to be perfect, but it wasn’t perfection I was after. I just wanted to marry a man that would try to give me his all every single day, and Lex truly does that. I can tell it isn’t easy for him, but he still does it.
I look away from my husband when Sierra and Xavier are pronounced husband and wife, and I smile when he leans in to kiss her with a lot more familiarity than I expected. She melts into him for a few moments, before remembering herself and pulling back, her face flushed. Interesting. This isn’t the first time he’s kissed her, I can tell.
I smile as I join my husband, the two of us taking comfort in each other’s presence as we go through the motions of taking photos and greeting guests. “You look stunning, you know that?” he murmurs, taking in the emerald green bridesmaid dress I’m wearing. “I love you in yellow, but this is just as lovely.”
My eyes rake over his tux appreciatively, and I lean in to whisper in his ear. “You look really hot today,” I tell him. “But I think that shirt will look better on me tomorrow morning.”
He laughs and wraps his hand around my waist, leading me to the dance floor. He’s laughing more frequently now, and it’s so thrilling to watch him open up to me. I can see my husband falling for me the way I’ve fallen for him, and it’s so surreal. I wasn’t sure we’d ever have this, and when he told me about his past, I didn’t even dare hope for it anymore. I’m glad he didn’t give up on us, that he had the courage to tell me the truth and take my hand.
“I can’t stop looking at you,” he says as he pulls me closer, our feet carrying us across the dance floor effortlessly. “I can’t believe you’re mine, Raya Windsor.”
“I am,” I reassure him. “I always will be.”
He sighs and drops his forehead to mine, pure happiness radiating off him. I grin and tilt my face to kiss him, losing myself in him for a moment. “If you… if you ever find yourself loving me, the way you know I want you to…”
He pulls away to look at me, curiosity flickering through his eyes. “Yeah?”
“If you ever do… would you marry me again?”
His eyes widen, and he misses a step, the two of us coming to a standstill on the dance floor. My heart begins to pound wildly, and regret instantly sets in. “I’m sorry,” I begin to say. “I didn’t… I’m sorry. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”
Lex cups my face and keeps my eyes on his. “Are you proposing to me, Mrs. Windsor?”
I blink, my nerves overtaking me. “No! Yes? Maybe? I…I don’t know. I just… I was just thinking that I’d have liked to honor my mother’s culture more, and I’d have wanted a bigger wedding with more people present. Then there’s that moment, you know? When you see the person you love, the one person you chose out of all other people in the whole wide world. I just… I’m sorry. It was a selfish thought. Please, forget what I said.”
“Raya,” he says. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do if it made you happy. If you wanted to get married again tomorrow, I’d happily do so.”
I shake my head, my heart aching. “No,” I murmur. “It’s not something I want you to do for me. I just wondered if it’s something you might want too. It was a silly thought, I’m sorry.”
“You want everything we’ve missed out on,” he murmurs, his gaze roaming over my face. I look away, feeling embarrassed. “Look at me,” he pleads, his hands threading through my hair. I bite down on my lip and do as he asked. “Yes, Raya. I want that too. I’ll give you everything you should’ve had, everything you deserve.”
I lean into his hand, my heart heavy. “No,” I murmur. “It was just a thought, not a request.”
He smiles at me, something smoldering in his eyes. “You know, if we’d been dating like two normal people, this is the exact conversation we would’ve had once we started considering marriage. The answer I’m trying to give you, very ineloquently, is yes. Yes, Raya. I want to marry you. Yes, you are the woman I see a future with, that I want to spend my life with. If our situation was different, I would still choose you.”
I look into his eyes, hoping he’s being truthful. My heart feels fragile these days, and I just hope he handles it with care, like he promised to.
