Chapter 174

A few months later...

KATE

I was a bundle of nerves. The past week had been hellish—well, the past month, actually. Even a simple wedding required so much effort. And I was beginning to think that my brilliant idea of abstaining from sex in the last week before the wedding had been the worst I've ever had in my life. That's exactly what Nathan said. And he was right; it made me even more tense, almost driving me crazy. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Just a few more hours.

I was never the type of girl who dreamed of getting married; in fact, it never even crossed my mind, not like most who truly dream of that day and see marriage as a life goal. So when Nathan proposed, I had no idea where I would like to get married or how, and that's when the crazy suggestions came in.

Lisa suggested a huge party, and Mary said we could simply elope and get married in Las Vegas. I suspected she was planning to do that with Ben if she hadn't already secretly done it. But none of those ideas seemed appealing to me, and in the midst of it all, I turned to the one person I thought should have a say in this.

We agreed that he would choose when, and I would choose where. Not that it made it any easier for me. I would have left everything in his hands if I could. And even though I insisted and almost begged for him to help me, he only said that if I chose an island on the other side of the world, he would make it happen. And then he surprised me by choosing the exact day we met for the wedding. That made me even more nervous, thinking I had to live up to any expectations he might have.

It took a while until I finally understood that it just had to be a place that represented something important to both of us. There was a special place that made me feel like anything was possible. Because it was in that place that I heard him say he loved me for the first time. That made the rest a bit easier; we would have a beach wedding. That's what I thought. But no, there were all the other little details. Like choosing whom to invite or what kind of flowers I liked. All of that seemed so insignificant to me compared to what really mattered, which was being with Nathan.

One thing I always knew was that I didn't want a huge party with people I didn't know. On that day, I wanted to be only with the people I loved and who truly were part of my life. I had achieved that; they were all here today.

Who would have thought, right, Mom? That your little girl would get married one day. If I could have, with Nathan, just half of what you had with my father, I would be the happiest woman in the world. I looked at myself in the mirror, holding back tears. It's not time to cry, Kate; you'll ruin the damn bridal makeup.

Mary and Lisa returned, entering the hotel room.

Nathan had rented an entire hotel in the Hamptons for three days to accommodate the guests, our family, and friends.

"Your father is waiting," Lisa said with a reassuring smile, probably because of my expression.

Why the hell was I nervous? It's just Nathan. I had spent the last four years of my life by his side, and now I knew him better than anyone. We loved each other, and it was just a wedding. I hoped it wouldn't change anything between us.

"Kate? Are you okay?" Mary asked, concerned.

"Yes." I looked at myself one last time in the mirror. My hair was in a messy bun with a few loose strands in front. A simple hairstyle, just like my white dress, a strapless with a tight corset and a sheer neckline, and a voluminous skirt with slits on the sides and a long train in the back.

"Of course, there's still time if you want to back out. After all, he is a Ryan," Lisa said, making us laugh. Her relationship with Nathan had improved as much as possible. It no longer seemed like they would jump on each other at any moment.

I looked at both of them; they seemed more anxious than I was. I had chosen them both as my bridesmaids. Nathan chose his brother and Ben as his groomsmen. This gave Stephan another chance to try to get Lisa to give in; they had been at it for a long time, fighting like cats and dogs, and Lisa was trying to pretend she wasn't in love with him.

"I'm ready. Let's go," I said, getting up and feeling butterflies in my stomach. Both of them helped me with my dress.

I hadn't seen Nathan all day. The last time I saw him was last night after dinner. He was in a bad mood, and everyone was complaining about his mood. But only the two of us knew the reason. It was almost impossible for him to go a week without sex. It was always like that when one of us went on a work trip that lasted more than three days; he went crazy. And the result was wild and uninhibited sex, anywhere, when we met. The thought made heat rise between my legs.

Then I remembered his last words before leaving me at my door, which sounded more like a promise or a threat: 'For every day you made me go without touching you, I'll make you spend a week remembering I've been inside you,' he said it, looking into my eyes and pressing me against the wall. That almost made me give up and knock on his door because I desired him so much. I couldn't wait to spend every day of my life with him.

My father was waiting for me in the hotel lobby. When I started to descend the stairs, his eyes began to sparkle with tears. I wouldn't hold it together seeing him like that.

"My little girl... You've become the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Your mother would be so proud," he said, holding my hands in tears. I swallowed my tears and hugged him.

"I love you, and I'll always be your little girl." I let go of him and took a deep breath to hold back the tears. He offered me his arm, and we went to the car.

The trip to the beach in front of the cottage lasted only ten minutes. We were still on schedule. We had thought of an evening wedding. But I wasn't prepared for the view of the sunset when the car stopped. I wasn't prepared for that view. I could see Nathan from afar, standing in front of a gazebo with white curtains and flowers, wearing only a white shirt and pants. We agreed that he would no longer wear a suit most of the time.

Lisa, Mary, and my father got out of the car, leaving me alone. I took off my shoes, ready to set foot on the sand. Now I just had to wait for the music to start playing. The music that Nathan was responsible for choosing. I was practically trembling with nervousness. My father went around the car and stopped next to my door, while Lisa and Mary walked to where everyone was waiting, taking their seats.

There was a huge white tent set up on the beach, just a little away from where the ceremony would take place. Red rose petals and lanterns decorated the path on the sand where I had to walk to get to Nathan. The dozens of white chairs on either side were filled with our friends and family. My heart was pounding in my chest.

Then I heard my cue when a violin started playing somewhere. My father opened the door, and I stepped onto the sand, holding my white bouquet of lilies and daisies and pulling up my dress. I recognized the music as my father took my arm. The violinist played Coldplay's "Yellow." It was perfect. My eyes were already filled with tears, and they started rolling down my face when I met Nathan's eyes.

With each step, I could only think of how much I loved him more than anything. How much I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, and how lucky I was to have him in my life. I couldn't take my eyes off him for a second, as if only the two of us existed at that moment. And when I reached the end of the path, and he held my hand, I could see tears in his beautiful face. He smiled the most wonderful smile in the world before kissing my forehead and whispering.

"You are the most beautiful woman of them all."

I could hardly pay attention to anything other than Nathan; we simply repeated our vows and said 'Yes' when asked. We had already signed some paperwork beforehand. I took the opportunity to observe every detail of his face, absorbing everything to remember this moment forever.

I was in a trance until it was time for our kiss. Then Nathan brought me back to reality, giving me a not-so-chaste and totally hungry kiss that woke up my entire body. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and his tongue dominated mine deeply, enough to make me wet.

"That's enough! Save it for later! There are kids here!" Mary shouted from somewhere nearby, making everyone laugh before starting to applaud. Nathan and I smiled at each other.

"I can't wait to be alone with you, Mrs. Ryan," he whispered before smiling at everyone.
*Mrs. Ryan.* I would have to get used to that now. The crowd stood up and started coming to us to hug us. Then we walked to the tent, and I ended up losing my husband amid the people. *Yes, my husband*. Thinking of him like that made me smile.