I’d be lying if I said this was our first time violating public indecency codes. Cole doesn’t show it, but he’s the adventurous type. He doesn’t stop when he wants something done — that something being me.
Nothing deters him, whether we’re at the university dorms or during a night out while everyone is getting drunk. And even during family dinners.
Mum calls him out on it every time, and he merely shrugs.
“C-Cole…” I grip his shoulders hard.
“Close, Butterfly?” he grunts against my mouth.
“Yes, oh, yes.”
“Who do you belong to?”
“You.”
“Say it.”
I bite my lower lip as I murmur the words that drive him crazy, “I’ve only loved you. Just you. You’re my first and last.”
He wraps his hand around my throat, squeezing as he pounds into me faster, making me fall.
Fall into him.
Fall into us.
He comes inside me at the same time as I shatter around him, biting his shoulder over his shirt to muffle my scream.
Once the wave subsides, I sigh, resting my head against the crook of his neck, breathing him in. “I love you.”
Instead of all the times I told him I hate him after sex, now I make it a habit to say my true feelings.
“And I love you.” He kisses my nose as I stand to my unsteady feet, stupid gravity pulling me down.
After I clean him and myself up, I face the sink to check my makeup. Cole remains at my back, wrapping both arms around my middle.
Not a day goes by where we don’t keep our hands off each other. We might not touch in public, but in private? We’re everything no one should know.
We’re kinky, we’re dorks, we’re nerds. Or, rather, Cole is. We’re in love. We’re happy.
As long as I have him, I know I won’t need anything else.
He rests his chin on the top of my head. “You’ll marry me, right?”
I freeze, the lipstick suspended in front of my parted mouth as I meet his gaze in the mirror. “W-What?”
“You’ll marry me?”
“Is this because everyone else is getting married?”
“Fuck everyone else. I’m asking you.” He kisses the top of my head. “I know it’ll be a long time until I actually marry you, but I want confirmation.”
“Oh, Cole.” I spin around and face him. “Of course, I’ll marry you. You’re the only one for me.”
“The only one, huh?”
“The only one.”
“And you’re the only one for me, Butterfly.” He kisses me so passionately on the lips, I nearly climb his body all over again.
“Repeat that in front of that fucker Aiden when we go outside.”
I laugh. Cole is still low-key mad at Aiden for the three years I was engaged to him, and he seizes every chance to take revenge.
Cole will always be Cole.
I’m just glad he finally put Helen behind him. We both did. Now, we only focus on us.
When he demanded my firsts, I saved them for him. In return, he saved me his. We’re each other’s everything.
Hugging him, I whisper, “One day, I’ll shout at the top of the world that you’re mine.”
“And you’re mine, Silver, always.”
“Always.”
II
The Marriage
6
Levi
Age Twenty
If someone had told me a few years ago that I would be standing here today, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Me, standing in the aisle when I’m barely twenty?
Me, waiting for the most beautiful woman on earth to come and complete my life?
The first day I met Astrid in Uncle’s holiday mansion, when she was drugged and acted clingy, I wouldn’t have thought we would end up here. I didn’t realise how meaningless my life had been up to that point.
Completely, utterly meaningless.
As per Jonathan and Lord Clifford’s demands, the hall in which our wedding is taking place is huge. They didn’t want their offspring’s wedding to be small and cosy, because they care a lot about image and all that rubbish.
If it were up to me, I would’ve kidnapped her to Jonathan’s island and had a wedding only for the two of us.
However, I know how much she needs her friends with her and how much she’s been preparing for this over the last couple of months. Astrid’s parents got married in Vegas and never actually had a wedding, so she wanted a real one as a sort of gesture to her mother.
So here I am, standing while everyone is seated in neat rows with golden ornaments. I don’t focus on the grandiose of the hall or the big names who’ve shown up for Uncle’s and Lord Clifford’s sakes.
I couldn’t even if I wanted to.
My impatience is getting the best of me, and with each passing second, I regret not taking Astrid’s hand and eloping about a year ago.
Everyone says we’re too young to get married, but everyone wasn’t slammed with the connection Astrid and I have had since the very beginning. The type of relationship we have isn’t only healing, but it’s also peaceful. When the outside world gets too loud, it’s Astrid’s embrace that silences it. When my head gets dark, it’s Astrid’s voice that soothes it.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m sucking on her life essence, yet whenever she crawls into my embrace as if she’s always belonged there and tells me about her day, I feel like the luckiest bastard alive.
Yes, I’m selfish about that woman, and I have no plans to let her go. But I do plan to make her the queen of my life, the soul of my being, and the heart of my existence.
“Do you have the rings?” I whisper to Aiden, who’s standing by my side.
I had no choice but to have the little shit as my best man. Though Ronan or even Daniel would’ve been better, Aiden said he wants to.
Like he really wants to.
And I have no doubt that it’s because Elsa is sitting somewhere in the crowd. She became close with Astrid during the past few months, and they even share girls’ time now.
Aiden has a thing about wanting to be the centre of Elsa’s attention, even if he’s only the best man.
Not that I’m any different. In fact, I’m more obvious about it. I don’t like sharing Astrid’s time with anyone.
Her father and her best friend, Daniel, are already too much. I don’t need to add names to the list.
“I think I forgot them.” Aiden’s poker face remains the same.
“What?” I hiss and catch Jonathan’s glare in my peripheral vision.
He likes me and Aiden to be on our best behaviour in public to not sully the King name and blah fucking blah. Usually, my cousin and I abide by that rule to avoid his wrath.
But usually isn’t today, because I’m seconds away from punching my cousin in the throat.
“You had one mission, Aiden!” I whisper-yell. “One fucking mission.”
He pats his jacket and retrieves a small black velvet box. “Oh, looks like they’re here, after all.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “Did you do that on purpose?”