Chapter 103
Chapter 103
The pillow. It had to be the pillow, Katrina wasn't used to how soft it was. That had to be it. Or maybe it was the sound of the wind ourside? Maybe it was too dark in the room?
Hrally, she knew the reason she was tossing and turning incessantly, was because she was in bed alone. She wasn't used to being alone. She was accustomed to Rylan practically smothering her at night with his legs and arms wrapped around her securely. He always insisted on being as close to her as possible, even when she protested. He knew she actually loved it, and that she craved the attention
from him.
But tonight Tonight, he demanded them both have their own rooms. He wanted to be traditional and not see her again until she was walking down. the aisle.
She thought it was ridiculous. A completely silly superstition that she didn't need to entertain. But Kylin wanted to do this right, he said.
So here she was, tossing and turning Uncomfortable and cold. Alone and annoyed.
She hadn't seen kylan all day. Going on twelve hours, to be exXCE
Aaron and Maine had kept she busy, and her dad did, too. But it wasn't the same. It wasn't enough.
She was about to get married. To Kylan. To the man she never thought she would be marrying, and the man marry, all along.
man that it
it only made sense for her to
e for he
She huffed, fluffing the pillow beneath her head again. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment. nightstand. blinking against the brightness of the screen before unlocking it moment, and then she grabbed her phone from off her
"I don't like this. I need your arms around me to sleep, she texted.
You be fine for one night," he replied.
She rolled her eyes, turning on her side to pout at her phone.
Tm not fine. I need you with me. This is silly."
"Go to deep, Katrina, I told you not to message me."
"Are she saying you don't miss me?"
"Heaven's sake. Of course, I miss you."
Then come here"
see you in nine hours. Try and get some sleep, okay? We have a big day of socializing with way too many effing people tomorrow."
Katrina couldn't help smiling at the swear but not swear words. "Are you sure you want to marry me? Maybe you don't really miss me. You won't come here, after all."
"Katrina you're being ridiculous. Go to sleep"
Katrina rolled her eyes. "Fine Goodnight."
She shifted her phone to silent before tossing it somewhere on the bed, huffing and squeezing her eyes shut.
-0-0-0-
She must have actually drifted off to sleep at some point, or at least somewhere in between, because when she felt a pair of warm armas encircle her from behind, she jolted awake. "Relax, it's just mir" she brand Kylan murmur into her car
She mehed, her hands coming to rest da
est over his, her body immediately moving to be comfortable again his familiar warmth. "What about tradition?" she mumbled her eyes still closed.
"F*ck tradition Go to sleep. Kylan whispered, kissing her shoulder.
Kylan. I love you" she were already drifting back to sleep, bet mind and body relaxing none that Kylan was with her
"I love you."
Growing up, she wasn't unique when she thought of her wedding day. When she dreamed of walking down a flower laced aisle, her Lanaly and Chapter 103
friends lining either sade, and a groom dressed to the nines at the end of it an
She wasn't unique when she pictured her father walking her down that same aisle, her arm clasped in his, her smile matching one of his own
She wasn't unique when she imagined what the weather would be like that day, or what the venue would look like
She wasn't unique. Her thoughts weren't different, weren't surprising. Even the fake marriage she had with Kylan wasn't that unique
But what was unique, was her love for Kylan
What was unique, was having Oscar and her father walking her down
n the aisle together, one strong man on her left, the other on her right.
What was unique, was having her wedding in New Zealand, where green and all things lush, were as far as the eye could see
What was unique, were the two chairs she kept open for Yasmin and Karina on the front row of the all white seating, a small bouquet of flowers resting across both seats.
What was unique, was the groom that waited for her. That watched she walk. That never took his eyes off her while she grew closer to him.
To Kylan.
To the man that knew her. That loved her. That housed her heart and guarded it with his own
She felt no nerves, no hesitation, no sense of foreboding or doubt.
She felt only peace. Only calm
She noticed James in the third row, a smile on his face just like he promised, his hand clasped tightly in her girlfriend's
She noticed Rylan glancing at her. She noticed how he smiled at her, really smiled at her. She noticed his questioning gaze filled with love return to hers, and she only smiled at him in answer. Him. Only him
Nothing else mattered. Not her family. Not her friends. Not the weather, after all.
Just hum..
When she reached him, when her father and Oscar let go of her with a hug and a kiss to her cheeks, she still smiled at him. And then she mehed, because he smiled back at her. She could smell him. Just him. His p
pine, his mint, his Kylan smell. And she felt complete. Whole in a way she had never felt before
He held her hands, and she held his, and nothing else mattered.
She barely heard the words the officiating minister spoke. She hardly listened. Hardly cared.
She only cared for Kylan. Her best friend, her companion, ber equal
He was positively glowing in the sunlight, the grey of his eyes burning into hers.
She scarcely heard her own voice when she spoke her vows.
But then Rylan let go of her, and he took out a piece of paper from his suit pocket that was folded four times, and he opened the edges and inhaled a deep, trembling breath.
"I never thought I would get married. I never wanted to, really. I thought I was content with the life I had. I didn't think I needed to change anything. Not even when you and Ryan suggested that ridiculous contract. Kylan was nervous, she could tell by the subtle way his voice shook but he pressed on. "I'm not an affectionate man. I'm not someone who ever thought I needed love in my life. I had." He inhaled and exhaled unce licking his lips. She wanted to hug him. To hold him. But she gave him the space he likely needed to get his thoughts out had already experienced love in my life. Through my mother. Through my friends when I was a teenager, and young adult. From an uncle, and a police officer that steered me in the right direction. I didn't think I would ever open my heart. That no one was worth it, or that I wasn't Probably a bit of both, truthfully." He squared his shoulders, looking right at her
"But I was wrong. I was so damn wrong, and I've never been happier to be wrong. I reded love. I needed to love. I needed you, Katrina. You showed me it's okay to be happy. It's okay to want more for myself. It's okay to Laugh and smile. You showed me how to give you my heart, but not in a way that would compromise who I am, but would only amplify what I had buried so many years ago" kylan reached forward, taking hold of her hand. Katrina realized she was crying, only because Kylan's eyes were also bright and glosy.
"I love you, Katrina. You're the only person I've ever been in love with, and the only person I ever want to be in love with. I don't care about money fame, or material possessions. I could lose all of that tomorrow, and I would still be happy. I would still be happy because I have you. Because you love me. Because you let me love you. I promise to do that forever. 111 fail, pasi I already have. But I'll always try. Because you're worth it Because you complete me, in all the imperfect ways that I'm me."
Kylan took a step, squeezing the hand he held, and sealing her heart to his forever in the process. "Je suis à toi, rien qu'à toi. Je t'aime" French For
only her to hear. F
For only her to understand.
It was perfect. He was perfect.
She vaguely felt as Kylan slipped her engagement ring back where it should be on her finger, along with her wedding band. Both bands matched the one she slipped onto his finger, further sealing herself to him. It was perfect. He was perfect for her. Just her.
She was already moving toward Kylan, and he was already moving to her, even before the officiating minister told them that they could kiss each
other.
Her lips pressed to his, his body pressed to hers.
Husband and wife.
Imperfect. Untraditional.
Exactly as it should be. Exactly what they needed it to be
Kylan Ross, her husband, and she, his wife.
She finally broke away from him, her forehead still resting on his, his hands cupping her face.
And they smiled at each other.
-Your Vo
vows were perfect, Kylan," she whispered, only for him to hear.
"You're perfect, Katrina," Kylan whispered to her, only for her to hear.
The minister introduced them as husband and wife to her loved ones, and they walked down the aisle together, hand in hand. Her empty seats where Karina and Yasmin should be, but she wasn't sad. Not really. Not when she knew that they were there, somehow, someway.
eyes fell on the
She hoped Kylan knew that they would be happy for him. But when she looked at him, when her eyes met his, she could tell that he did know. She could tell he was happy.
She could tell he was finally free.