He lifts a shoulder. “You were being fidgety. I got your mind off things.”
“Fuck you.”
“You’re welcome, Lev.”
Astrid’s bridesmaid walks down the aisle, carrying a bouquet of red roses. Murmurs filter through the attendees at the unconventional choice of a bridesmaid, but did they really expect my free-spirited Astrid to do everything according to tradition?
Daniel grins, bowing and winking at the audience. The old ladies break out in smiles as he gives each of them a flower. By the time he gets to the front, he has none left, except for the one attached to his tuxedo’s pocket.
He stands opposite me and Aiden, and I resist the urge to ask him how she looks and if she’s coming right this second.
“She’s stunning,” Daniel whispers to me as if hearing my unspoken question. “I don’t think you’re ready for her, Captain.”
“I’m always ready for her,” I mutter back.
Daniel gives me his cocky smirk, and while he’s usually pasted to Astrid with superglue, I haven’t ever felt threatened by him. They have a special bond that’s never gone beyond friendship. The fact that he agreed to be the maid of honour for her sake says something about how far they’re both willing to go for each other.
It’s sort of like me and Aiden, but in my and my cousin’s case, we’ve only ever bonded through our rivalry and the innate need to prove ourselves to Uncle Jonathan.
Astrid and Daniel are the pure form of us. Their relationship is more about lifting each other up instead of bringing the other down.
Even though Daniel chose an entirely different field of study than Astrid and they don’t share the same passions — he prefers physical activities and partying while she’s an introvert artist — they still find time for each other.
Of course, that time needs to be reduced once she becomes my wife. I might approve of Daniel, but I need her attention on me at all times.
Obsessive? Probably. After all, she’s always been my obsession.
The music changes to an acoustic version of one of Muse’s songs and I smile. Only Astrid would make her favourite band’s song her wedding song.
I love that woman more than words can describe.
And Daniel was right. I’m not ready.
The moment she shows up, her hand tucked into Lord Clifford’s arm, I stop breathing for a second.
She’s...breathtaking.
Her white tulle dress falls to below her knees in a weirdly beautiful way. And she’s wearing her signature fishnet stockings and sneakers instead of heels.
I tried to sneak a peek at her dress before the wedding, but she and Daniel shooed me away. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she’d be this breathtaking. Though to say I’m surprised she picked something like this would be a lie. Astrid has always been the type who owns up to her quirks without caring about societal standards.
The fact that she’s so real is what made me fall for her this deeply and why I could never find a way out.
Not that I’d ever want to.
A huge grin lights up her features as her intense green eyes meet mine. She’s more than ready to belong to me. Just like I can’t wait to belong to her, now and beyond.
Lord Clifford places his daughter’s hand in mine and says low, so only I can hear him, “I’m giving you a piece of myself and if you hurt her in any way, I will murder you. Not even Jonathan will be able to save you.”
“Dad!” Astrid whisper-yells at her father, but she can’t wipe the grin off her face.
I give a curt nod, and he brushes his lips against his daughter’s forehead. “Be happy. You deserve it, Star.”
Then he joins a solemn-faced Uncle, who hates everyone and everything in this world — especially Lord Clifford. Let’s hope they don’t burn the place down before the ceremony ends.
“Lev?” Astrid’s eyes meet mine, and I take my time committing this face to memory.
It’s almost like I’m seeing her for the first time.
This moment is too special to just let it go without engraving it in the box inside my heart that has her name all over it.
Her dark brown hair is pulled up, revealing her delicate throat that’s surrounded by a star necklace I gave her as an early wedding gift. Her makeup is barely there, as usual, but she couldn’t look any prettier than she does right now.
If there was a way to screenshot this moment and safekeep it, I wouldn’t hesitate.
“Levi,” she calls again. “The priest is talking.”
“He has to wait until I get my fill of you.”
Her cheeks redden as she smiles.
“You’re blushing, Princess. I love it when you blush.”
She tightens her clutch around my fingers and I vow to myself in this moment that from today onwards, this woman will be the reason I’m alive.
7
Aiden
Age Nineteen
Whoever invented the thing about not being allowed to see your bride before the wedding is a fucking idiot. If I could find him somewhere, he’d be finished.
But hey. Not seeing Elsa beforehand means there will be a surprise element, and I’m here for that. Mostly.
“Can’t you get one thing fucking straight?” I glare at the bowtie in the mirror and then at the fucker sitting behind me who’s reading from a book as if this were an everyday occurrence. “Choosing you as the best man is the worst decision I’ve ever made.”
Cole turns a page. At least he looks presentable in his tux with the neat bowtie and the elegant shoes. “No one said anything about fixing ties. Besides, you didn’t choose me. You’re stuck with me, King.”
“I did choose you.” I completely remove the bowtie and start from scratch.
“If I remember correctly, Xan said he’d have Ronan as his best man, and Ronan said he’d reciprocate because he doesn’t like us most days and wouldn’t allow either of us to ruin his wedding day. So you, being an arsehole, wouldn’t have picked either of them, knowing they wouldn’t reciprocate. Since your cousin hurt his leg, he wouldn’t be able to stand for a long time. That makes you stuck with me. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Fuck you, Nash.” I yank off the bowtie again because it’s still wrong. “You’ll be stuck with me in your wedding, too. You better be prepared for what I’ll do then.”
“I’m more than prepared. After all, all this is happening for a purpose.” Nash tilts his book to the side to watch me through the mirror. “Wait a second. Are you nervous?”
“Piss off.”
A Cheshire cat grin appears on his lips as he abandons his book on the red velvet chair and stands up to join me by the mirror, watching me intently as if he’s a cat who found a fish. “You are, aren’t you?”
“Are you going to be useful anytime soon?”
His grin widens. “Not until you admit you’re nervous. Aww, should I have been a good best man and got you a hooker last night?”
“If you had done that, I’d be getting Queens a male stripper on her wedding night.” I grin back, and his falls as he flips me off.
He heads back to the chair. “Looks like you don’t need help, after all. You can have a wedding without the bowtie.”