AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PROLOGUE
LEXI
ONE YEAR AGO
The beautyof love lies in how it captivates your heart, molding it into a new creation, something intricate and bold. That’s how I felt when I fell in love with Aiden, the man I’m going to marry in a month. My eyes see the world in shades of color I hadn’t seen before, and every day I discover I love him more than the day before.
But his job has taken a toll on us lately as his hours have gotten longer. For the past few months, he’s been leaving work well after nine and when he’d come by, all he’d want to do is sleep.
The last couple of weeks have been the worst. He’s stopped coming by altogether. He’s always tired and I try to be understanding. I know he works extremely hard, but I miss him. I miss us.
I never realized the life of a financial analyst included working such insane hours. Sure, he’s worked long hours here and there over the last few years, but it’s never been this consistent before.
We had plans for him to be here tonight so we could finalize some wedding plans, but I’m still here alone. I’ve texted him twice, an hour ago, but he never replied. It’s so unlike him, even when he’s in the office, he always gets back to me right away.
I look at my cell again, the clock flashes eight PM, taunting me. Maybe something happened, I realize, as worry itches across my skin. He could be hurt and alone somewhere. I rub my chest, a thick heaviness that wasn’t there before settles comfortably within. I send him another text.
Lexi: Hey, babe, I’m worried now. I just want to make sure you’re OK. Please call me back.
Needing a distraction, I pick up my glass of red wine with one hand while lifting the wedding magazine with the other.
I flick through pages, hoping to find a flower arrangement that looks remotely appealing. The florist needs my decision like yesterday, but my mind isn’t in it, I’m too concerned about Aiden.
I’m surprised his mother allowed me to have an opinion on anything, considering she has completely overtaken all of the wedding planning. Don’t get me wrong, I love the woman, but damn, she’s made so many decisions without even consulting us. I guess paying for the extravagant affair means my opinion matters less than hers. The only thing we seem to agree on is that everything needs to be over the top and elaborate.
She invited around three hundred people, mostly folks her family knows. Not like I have that many people to invite. Other than my immediate family, I have a few cousins, plus a couple of aunts and uncles. I come from a small family, all of whom live in Florida. I was the rebel who moved to the Big Apple. The glitz and glamour of New York City always appealed to me, so when it was time to apply to colleges, I only applied to ones here.
My parents have gotten tired of begging me to come back to the nest. That ship has sailed. Can’t say I don’t miss them or my two sisters all the time. Moving was a hard decision, but it’s always been a dream of mine to live here. I hadn’t realized how expensive this dream of mine would be, but I don’t regret it. I did meet Aiden after all.
As far as friends go, the only one I’m close to is Lilah. You’d think meeting awesome people in NYC would be easy. Yeah, right. But Lilah is the only friend I really need. She’s like my third sister.
Her and I met last year when we both began working as paralegals in a small personal injury law firm in Tribeca. Our cubicles were right next to each other and for the first few days we kept to ourselves. But I knew we were fated to become friends as soon as I saw her holding the same coffee drink as me. It was an iced caramel macchiato just in case you’re wondering.
She’s one of the most sincere people I’ve met since moving here. It’s too bad her boyfriend is such an asshole. The way he speaks to her and the constant fights they have has me really concerned. I know there are things she hasn’t told me. I’ve begged her to leave so many times, but she stays. I wish she didn’t. She deserves so much better than him and it makes me sick to know she doesn’t see that. Maybe one day she’ll listen to me and dump that bastard so she could meet someone like Aiden. I still can’t believe I get to marry him. It feels like a dream.
When he proposed almost a year and a half ago, I couldn’t believe it. It was a regular day, nothing out of the ordinary as we strolled Central Park in the dead of winter with hot chocolate in our shivering hands. As we neared Bethesda Terrace and tossed our empty cups away, we heard the most beautiful music being played by a man on a saxophone. There was no one there but him and his melody drifting on the breeze. As we got closer, Aiden asked me to dance and we did. We slow danced alone near the steps of the Terrace, the music playing, as though every beat was meant just for us.
And as he let go of my hand, the song began to change to one I knew well, one I couldn’t stop playing over and over again. And while I drowned in the beautiful melody that is John Legend’sAll of Me, Aiden sank down to the ground, looked straight into my widened, teary eyes, and asked me to be his forever.
My body filled with so much love, it blanketed the cold I had felt moments before. Lips trembling, tears cascading down my face, I said yes again and again. His smile shone as brightly as my heart while he secured the ring on my shaky finger.
Then he held me in his arms, and we danced some more, and we kept on dancing even after the music stopped. We’ve been dancing ever since.
Fresh tears spring into the corners of my eyes as I recall one of my favorite days. The memory fills me with so much devotion, my heart threatens to burst out of my chest.
When I first moved to the city, I never imagined I’d meet such a good man by chance. While taking the subway to work every day, I’d see the same sexy man each morning waiting for the train. Initially, I’d pretend not to notice him, but that became too much work, so I’d glance his way here or there in the hopes of catching his eye. At first, he didn’t notice me. I mean the NYC subway is pretty hectic in the mornings, so I wasn’t offended. But once he caught my glance, he was mine before he even knew what hit him. It’s like I was caught in an episode of Sex and the City.
Aiden’s everything I could ever want. He’s kind and treats me like I’m precious. When he looks at me, I see love.
I continue absently browsing the magazine, recalling the day we met, until a beautiful high centerpiece with cream-colored roses immediately grabs my attention. The crystal strands hanging down the thin sparkling vase is the perfect amount of decadence I want.Give me all the bling.I fold the corner of the page.
Just then, my phone vibrates with an incoming text and I swiftly grab it off the bed next to me, entering my unlock code.
Aiden: Hey, baby, I’m so sorry I just saw your texts. Forgive me, but I have to work late again so I won’t be able to come over. I know you’re disappointed, but I promise tomorrow night I’m all yours. Miss you.
Lexi: Disappointed is an understatement. I miss you so much. I was also hoping we could settle some wedding stuff together…you know the stuff your mom actually allowed us to do.
Aiden: I know, baby, she’s making me crazy too. Since I won’t see you, I want a sexy pic so I’m a little less lonely.
