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She kissed his collarbone, and he ran his fingers down the length of her back, over his shirt that she'd stolen from him. He heard her inhale and exhale evenly and matched his breathing to hers. It calmed his nerves enough that he fell asleep again.
The next afternoon, Chris took their empty mugs of coffee to the kitchen, his boots thudding against the floor. He was told to wait while Giselle changed into her dress inside his room. He placed the mugs in the sink and walked out. Buttoning his black tuxedo, he ran his fingers through his styled hair, wondering what she was gonna wear for the event. She'd said it was a surprise.
On his way back to the room, he stopped in front of the painting he'd taken from the guest house Xavier had lived in. He understood it. The wolves. The eagle. The woman. It was Xavier's trauma painted for him. The memory of the nightmare haunted him but he ignored it to the best of his abilities.
When Giselle had asked two years ago why Chris kept the art, he didn't have an answer. He didn't even know why he'd wanted to preserve a memory of that man. But he did, and it reminded him of what the world can turn you into... It reminded him how important it was to take care of his mental well-being. It was the reason why he went into therapy twice a month. It was the reason why he'd forced Giselle to go into therapy, too, when she'd recovered physically from the incident.
Sighing, he walked toward his bedroom and stepped inside to find Giselle ready for the event, giving the final touches to her makeup. They practically lived together by this point. Neither had moved in, but half of Chris's belongings now stayed in her room, and half of hers stayed in his.
His heart picked up its pace as she turned around to him, her cheeks pink. Her hair reached her lower back in soft waves, and she wore the necklace he'd won in the charity around her beautiful neck. His eyes scanned her from head to toe. She wore the same dress he'd gifted her, the same dress Chris had kissed her in for the first time, the same dress she'd replaced with his shirt before lying with him for the first time.
His own words from two years ago echoed inside his head.I wish you were mine...He smiled. How could she still have this effect on him? He let out a long breath and gulped.
She giggled. "Same reaction!"
He smiled, then walked toward her and kissed her on the lips. "You look beautiful."
She glowed. "Thank you. You could do better, though."
"Really?" He held her waist and pulled her closer.
She nodded innocently, her hands placed on his chest.
"Too bad, smart-ass, " he said. "You're stuck with this hideous man."
She grinned. "It seems that I am. What should I do about it?"
"Hmm, maybe you should just enjoy being the center of his world." He kissed her lips soft, long, and sensual. When he parted, she let out a soft moan that he felt in his core.
"Well," she said, "I think I'm enjoying way too much. We should remedy that."
He squeezed the skin of her waist and gave her a devilish smile. She blushed. He kissed her temple.
"Although," she said, her eyes sparkling. He narrowed his eyes in anticipation, knowing well enough from her look that she was about to give him a nickname. "I think I found you a very yummy name."
He bit back his smile. "Of course."
"How about Chrideous?"
His brows shot up.
"Hideous plus Chris." She grinned. "Chrideous."
He chuckled. "I still like Chrisdomous."
She stuck her tongue out childishly. "I like Ludi-Chris."
"Of course, you would, Pigtails."
She rolled her eyes. "Duh! Only because it captured the essence of your personality."
He hummed, grabbed her chin with one hand, and squeezed her cheeks till she pouted. He wanted to eat her for being so cute but settled for kissing her.
Hard.
By the time they reached the wedding marquee, everyone else had already arrived. They met a few people they recognized, made small talk, and handed the host their gift. Chris led her toward her seat, kissed her hand, and promised to meet her as soon as the ceremony was over. She smiled and said that she couldn't wait to see him as the best man.
He found Alex in his room, staring obsessively at his reflection, his face drained of color.
