CHAPTER638
“Wow… You look…” He hesitates for a moment then bridges the gap between us and kisses me impulsively. Cupping my face and pulling me against him. Softly, meaningfully and it disperses all doubts in a second. I could never doubt marrying him when one kiss can melt me into a puddle of goo, even after two years of kissing me this way. He pulls back to rest his forehead against mine and we seem to breathe each other in for a second. He smells delicious as always and I am almost totally calm in one inhale of him.
“Beautiful?” I nudge him in the abdomen, and he touches his nose to mine.
“Breath-taking. Perfect. Your dress is blow my mind stunning.” His eyes scan me again and he makes me do a little twirl under his arm with a huge smile before leaning in to kiss me a second time amid my giggles. “What did I do to deserve you?”
Arry always knows what to say.
“I don’t know… Maybe you have really bad luck and I’m Karma’s way of being a bitch.” I smirk, pressing my palms to his chest as he shakes his head at me and pulls me against him with an arm snugly.
“How about we go get this over and done with and have a blowout party. I am so over being celibate when my bride looks like this. I’ll walk you right to the alter, you and me. Let’s go start our life together, the right way.” He brushes a stray face from my hair and pushes my veil back to sit neatly where it belongs. Tending to me and easing my frayed nerves effortlessly. I watch that handsome clean-shaven face with utter adoration. Sobering at the fact we still need to go out there and maybe I would rather stay in here with him for the rest of my life.
We could totally make it cozy in here for long term cohabiting.
“Last chance to run.” I nudge him shakily and he rests those perfectly solid hazel eyes on me with a smile. Looking confident in the biggest day of his life. It’s like he has no nerves at all.
“Is that a reminder for me, or yourself?” He jests. Dimples on show and I melt even more.
“You.” I lay my cheek against him and let him hug me tight. Not caring if he ruins my hair. I need his hold right now for courage and so much more. I need to feel as calm as he seems to be, but isn’t that the beauty of Arry? Calm and cool, like always.
“I’ve never been much of a runner, I tend to stand my ground and fight, it’s why I’m a boxer, baby” He points out and laughs when I sucker punch him lightly.
I lean up and move back to smooth out his lapels and fix the flower in his buttonhole with a look of determination on my face. Seeing as I flattened it with my hug. Using this moment to ground myself and get my nerves under control so I can get through the next agonizing minutes.
“I can do this.” I say to him stubbornly, lifting my chin defiantly.
“Yes, you can.” He presses my nose with his thumb in a cute gesture and grins at me. I giggle, drink in that face, the twinkle in his eye and can’t help thinking back to this exact conversation on my first day in Paris fashion school. It seems like a million years ago and I thank my lucky stars that we made it to this moment after everything we have gone through. I blow out air slowly and center myself.
“Don’t let go of my hand.” I blink up at him insecurely and slide mine into his snugly, childishly so. I need reassurance, I need his strength today.
“I won’t. I promise.” He pulls my hand into his arm and keeps hold, signaling that we should get going, that he isn’t going to let go and I take a long low steady breath. I know my family out there are probably wondering what’s going on and I sigh for the last time. I cannot keep putting this off and delaying the inevitable. If I want to marry him, then I have to walk out there and not fall flat on my face.
Not sure how my dad is going to take this new arrangement as he is meant to be walking me down the aisle, but I don’t think I can do it without Arrick beside me. If I do trip, I know he will catch me, and my dad probably wouldn’t even notice. Arry tugs me bossily and as much as I want to resist, I let him, with a grim expression and heart thundering like mad out of my rib cage. He pulls me with him and leads us back into the corridor of clucking and fussing hands and silences them with a palm raised up high. They all fall silent and look at him as though he’s about to bestow some answers.
“I need Sophie to walk me down the aisle, I am way too nervous.” He shrugs, and everyone looks at him for a moment as though they are trying to gauge if he is serious. Emma breaks into a smile and moves past us to go get out there and to her place at the aisle beside Jake. She’s my maid of honor and I know she’s going to make sure another twenty Carreros don’t come thundering in here to find out what the holdup is. Everyone will be wondering what’s going on, seeing as the groom hightailed it back here too.
I bet they all think the bride is running halfway down the street with him in tow.
“I don’t care how you get her down there, can you hurry it up? This church has another booking right after you two. This was a favor on short notice.” Leila pushes me from behind and starts fussing with the layers of my dress and gets flicked with my bouquet."
