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I looked at Luka, repeating. “I, Alora Volante, take you, Luka Rossi, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
“Do we have the rings?” The preacher asked.
“Yes,” Arturo replied, pulling a box from his inside breast pocket. He handed it to Luka.
“Luka, place the ring on her finger and repeat. With this ring, I thee wed.”
He opened the box, and pulled out a silver band, sliding it onto my ring finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
I looked down at the ring, it was beautiful. It had a scrolling design on it.
“Alora, place the ring on his finger and repeat after me. With this ring. I,”
I looked at Luka, then the preacher. I leaned in closer to the preacher. “I don't have a ring,” I whispered.
“Here.” Luka handed me the box in his hand.
A matching wedding band and diamond ring sat in the box. I looked up at Luka, then at his hand, as I slid the ring on his finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
The preacher looked at the crowd. “I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride.”
I looked up at Luka and suddenly felt very nervous. I had forgotten all about having to kiss him. I had only kissed two other boys, a kid on the playground when I was five, and Michael. I froze. Luka smiled, grabbing me around the waist. He leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. My hands rested on his chest, as he pulled me in deeper. He pulled away and looked down at me. I stared back at him for what seemed like forever. I couldn’t look away. My lips started to tingle, my heart started beating faster.
“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Rossi.” I blinked my eyes and shook my head. Another thing I hadn't thought of, I was now a Rossi. Great.
Arturo handed Luka the bouquet, he handed them back to me, holding out his right arm to me. “Till death do us part.”
I nodded, taking his arm, turning to the crowd. We started down the aisle as “Danny Boy” started playing from the speakers. Luka laughed beside me, his hand coming up to his mouth. I heard Arturo chuckled behind us. My dad had a look on his face as if he would kill me. I would probably pay for this later, but I didn't care, it was worth it.
We got to the end of the aisle, I let go of Luka’s arm, walking back to the room I had been in. He stopped to talk to Arturo as I walked inside. I sat down at the vanity and laughed as I took the veil out of my hair. I heard the door open, and my dad stepped inside.
“Alora, what the hell is wrong with you? You embarrassed me in front of everyone.”
I walked over. “I agreed to go through with the bullshit marriage, but I am not going to pretend like I am happy about it, or that I,”
THWAP! His hand slapped me across the face so hard that I stumbled to the ground, my heels catching on the bottom of my dress. I gasped and reached up, my hand felt ice cold against the heat radiating from the spot where he struck me. “You will remember your place, Alora. Another stunt like that today and I will,"
“You’ll what?” I heard from behind him. I leaned over to see Luka leaning against the door jam, hands in his pockets. He pulled his left hand out, flipping something black across his fingers. “Please finish that sentence,” Luka raised his eyebrows to my dad. Arturo stepped up behind him, arms crossed to his chest.
Dad looked at both of them, pulled the lapel of his jacket down, and turned to me. “Remember your place, Alora.” He turned and walked out the door into the house.
Luka sighed and walked over. The black thing he had been twirling on his fingers clicked shut, making a clinking sound as he shoved it into his pocket. His hand going underneath my arms, he lifted me. “Are you okay?”
I pulled away from him. “Yes, I am fine. I can take care of myself.” I walked over to the vanity and sat back down. I swallowed hard, pushing back the tears welling up in my eyes. Not because it hurt, but after all these years, it still caught me off guard when he would slap me. I knew he would when I provoked him, but I just couldn't stop.
I looked in the mirror, the whole left side of my face had a big red handprint on it. Luka walked over, grabbed under my chin, turning my face to the side. He shook his head and sighed. “Go find some ice and get mom.” Arturo looked at me and nodded, leaving us there alone.
I pulled my chin from his hand. “What are you even doing in here, and why are you being nice?”
“Should a husband not be nice to his wife?”
“Not when it’s a wife he didn't want, or that didn't want him.”
“Ouch, I'm hurt. You don’t want me? But I am such a catch, I mean look at me.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “You are very full of yourself.”
He grabbed a chair from the wall, and brought it over, setting it next to me. “I do have to say though, I was pretty impressed when you walked out in a black dress. You are taking ‘til death do us part’ seriously aren't you?”
