Page 85 of His to Ruin

“There you are darling,” I hear a sweet voice say from behind us. “I hope you’re not spoiling your dress Alexa.”

“Hey mom,” Lexy says looking over her shoulder. “This is Jordin.” Lexy makes a half turn back to me. “Jordin meet my mom, Kelly.”

“Well aren’t you a darling. And so pretty,” she says air kissing each of my cheeks before pulling me in for a hug. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Congratulations Mrs Garo. It’s a beautiful wedding,” I confirm hugging her back. They look so alike you can tell that they’re mother and daughter from a mile away.

“You look sensational.”

“I do don’t I,” she says bashfully, lifting a glass of champagne off the waiter. Placing the glass on her ruby red lips she takes a sip.

“Mothers very modest, aren’t you mom?” Lexy jokes.

“It’s my wedding day. Of course I’m not going to be modest,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. “Eric and Saint are waiting on us for more pictures darling,” she informs Lexy who rolls her eyes.

“More pictures? Really mom, you could fill ten photo albums with the number of pictures we’ve taken already. My jaw hurts from smiling so much.”

“Less of the lip missy and let’s go,” she lightly orders, then gives me an apologetic look. “Excuse us for just a moment Jordin.”

“Am I too old to throw a tantrum?” Lexy jokes looking at me as if needing to be saved.

I shew her away laughing, “Go.”

“Be as quick as I can I promise,” she says manoeuvring around tables filled with people. I watch as they all line up around the top table with the photographer crouching down on the floor snapping away endlessly. Eric pulls Lexy’s mom into a close embrace with Saint and Lexy at either side of them along with what I assume are other family members. To a stranger this would seem like the picture-perfect family, but I can tell by the way Lexy grits her teeth that its anything but.

I slink off to the far end of the marquee and away from the embarrassment of standing on my own like a nobody.

“Quite the wedding,” I hear an elderly man’s friendly voice say from beside me.

I jump a little not realising that someone was standing so close.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” the man says through yellow stained teeth.

I take in the man speaking who’s pensively looking into the distance. His worn brown eyes look like they could tell a million stories.

“Care to see if this old man can still dance?” he asks holding out his hand for me to take. Not wanting to be rude I take it allowing him to lead me on to the dance floor as he hands a young man a walking cane I didn’t notice him leaning on.

“I do enjoy a good wedding,” he says placing my hand in his with the other lightly resting on my back.

“Me too,” I say honestly, “But I’ve never been to one like this before.”

“Oh, and why is that?” he asks curiously.

I look up to the ceiling at the twinkling lights above us then around the room at all the elegant decorations. before speaking.

“It’s like a fairy-tale.”

“It certainly is. Normally the bride is the person everyone is admiring, but not tonight,” he says with a knowing smile.

I blush because he surely can’t mean me. The alcohol I consumed threatens to come back up. This man is old enough to be my grandfather.

Feeling embarrassed I look around the dance floor almost standing on the poor man’s feet when a set of blue eyes find mine. Caleb. My mouth waters at the sight of him whilst he looks anything but pleased to see me. He gently spins an old lady around the dance floor with a scowl on his face whilst the old lady looks like she’s having the time of her life reliving her youth. He looks ready to blow. What’s his problem? I’ve just as much right to be here as a friend of Lexy’s as he has as a friend of Saint’s. Ignoring him I bring my attention back to the man holding me.

“A happy marriage is another conversation which always seems too short in our world. A penalty of which we must all carry for a life we did not choose. Happy ever afters are a rarity amongst Thorns and Roses.”

I furrow my brows, “I don’t understand.”

“One day you will child,” he says seeming almost nostalgic. “I couldn’t help admiring your necklace. Quite unusual,” he says in a more casual tone. Whatever he was just thinking about seemingly forgotten.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com