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I don’t want this newfound confidence to escape me, so I drive off and decide to have a glass of wine when I get home. I find myself checking my phone obsessively, though, hoping to hear from Aiden about what the next move after the grand ball will be.
I start to feel lonely at home, the darkness caving into me. I have too many glasses and begin to wonder if Aiden truly cares about me at all.
22
AIDEN
Iwant everything at the wedding to go off without a hitch. I also want to make Josephine feel special. At least, as special as someone who is getting into a fake marriagecanfeel.
It’s an oxymoron, really, but she has already done so much for me. To agree to this ploy is a bit insane, though appreciated. She deserves something luxurious and over the top.
A nice wedding will also make our ploy far more convincing, especially if she appears genuinely happy.
I had planned the entire wedding myself, which in itself wasn’t very customary. But I didn’t want Josephine to have to worry about anything else, with her mother’s recovery and the problems with the cafe enough for her to think about already.
Luckily, a friend of mine, Cameron, was married at a very elegant resort in Malibu that caters to nice weddings. The Clearwater Ocean Resort. When he suggested it, I knew that was the perfect solution. The staff there basically asks a few questions about everything you want, and then handles all of the planning. We could have a nice, convincing wedding that would look great to our audience, without stressing Josephine out with a lot of details.
That is where our wedding is taking place today. I had shown Josephine photos of it during one of our many dates, and she had accepted, albeit timidly.
“Looks romantic.”
We sent invitations to a handful of Josephine's friends, her father, my parents, and a few of my own friends. I kept everything about our deal hush to everyone but Cameron, who knew the situation with Ada and my father intimately.
Now, today is the day. We both get dressed in separate rooms, as per tradition. There is a general sense of camaraderie that feels natural. The women huddle in their rooms, laughing and giggling. The men talk and joke with whiskey cupped in their fists.
There is a flicker of a moment where I yearn for all of this to be real. It crawls up my spine and settles on the back of my neck, like a warm blanket.
But I have to shake it off. I cannot for a second let Josephine think that this is something that could actually happen…despite the fact that I still want her to feel special on this strange, exciting day.
I push all of my rumination aside as we get to the outdoor ceremony. The bright emerald grass is decorated with a long white aisle carpet running down the center, lined with violet colored rose petals. A rainbow of lights are stunning around the archway, where Cameron, my best man, and Shawn, the resort-provided officiant of the wedding, wait for me and my new bride.
“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?”
Cameron speaks slyly out of the side of his mouth as I settle next to him in my tux. I have a radiant smile on my face. Even I’m not sure how much is fake and how much is genuine.
“It’s the only thing to do,” I whisper back.
The procession begins. I see Josephine standing, arm tucked through her father’s, as guests stand up to watch her walk down the aisle.
I feel my heart burst with warmth at the sight of my beautiful woman. Well, the beautiful woman who is supposedly mine.
Her hair is long and has been straightened for the day. A mermaid style dress hugs her curves like a valley. Her head raises up to meet my eyes, and I feel my skin break out in sweat.
I have to keep it together. She moves down the aisle, and I smile, feeling radiant as she reaches her hands out to me.
“You look stunning,” I whisper.
She assumes the usual expression she wears when she’s feeling bashful. I can’t help but to find it adorable.
We say our vows, which are words we had previously agreed to. For some reason, my hands are shaking when I am holding the paper with our finely tuned script on it.
“You are now pronounced husband and wife,” Shawn announces. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Our eyes meet, but we cannot hesitate. I feel awkward about it, not wanting to overstep her boundaries. But Josephine takes me by the hands, pulls me close and plants her lips on me firmly.
The crowd behind us cheers. Her lips are as soft as rose petals, and I feel myself slightly melt into them.
When we part, I feel everything around us going silent. Even as we walk back down the aisle and into the reception area with fairy lights I am thinking about that kiss.
