AllFreeNovel
Share Us
By the end of the ceremony, I might need that handkerchief too.
As Justice drew closer, every detail of her became clearer. The way her dress hugged her curves, the sparkle in her eyes, and most importantly, the radiant smile on her face. There she was, walking down the aisle towards me, looking every bit as beautiful as I had always imagined. Maybe even more beautiful.
I couldn't believe that in a few moments, she would be my wife. I felt a lump form in my throat as tears welled up in my eyes.
Once she was within arm's reach, she extended her hand towards me. I took it without hesitation, marveling at how soft her skin felt against mine. She gave me a comforting squeeze as she looked deep into my eyes with a sweet smile.
"You look amazing," she said.
"You look..." I blinked, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Justice."
Her smile grew wider, her eyes shining. A soft chuckle bubbled out of her lips as she used her other hand to wipe at my eyes, carefully removing a tear that had slipped down my cheek. "Don't make me cry. It'll mess up my make-up."
The priest began the ceremony, his voice deep and rhythmic as he recited the sacred vows. As I stood there, holding her hand, staring into her eyes, everything else melted away. It was just the two of us in that moment. Her. Me. Our love. Our bond.
That feeling only intensified through the long ritual of a Catholic wedding–liturgy, gospel, homily. We sat and then stood again, knelt before the priest.
When it came time to exchange rings, Zane handed me a small velvet box. My hands trembled as I opened it, revealing two simple yet elegant bands of gold. Every eye in the room was on us as I took her hand in mine, sliding the ring onto her finger.
"With this ring..." I began in a shaky voice. "I vow to love you, cherish you and protect you...until death do us part."
She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes as she took the other band from Hassan and slipped it onto my finger. "With this ring," she echoed, her voice strong and clear despite the tears streaming down her face. "I vow to stand by you, to fight for you, and to love you...until death do us part."
The priest gave a nod of approval before he gestured for us to face each other. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Without wasting a moment, I pulled Justice into my arms and kissed her passionately. The room erupted in applause and cheers but all I could hear was the drumming of my heart against my chest. She was mine. Truly and legally mine.
As we parted for air, I looked into her eyes, seeing the love and devotion reflected back at me.
And then I felt a little hand pull at the fabric of my pants.
I glanced down to see Sebastian looking up at me, his bright eyes sparkling with innocent curiosity. "Da?" he questioned, a slight frown on his face as if he was trying to make sense of everything happening around him. He held up a fistful of petals he'd picked off the ground, offering them to me. The sight was so endearing; I could feel my heart swell with love.
"Flowers for Juju," he said, his voice filled with pride as if he had plucked these himself from a garden. He looked up at Justice, his eyes matching the warmth in hers.
"Thank you, gordo," she said, choking back tears as she leaned down to take the petals from him. "They're beautiful."
For a moment, everything seemed to stand still. The church, the guests, the echoes of our vows...it all faded to a soft murmur as I watched Justice kneel in front of Sebastian, taking his small fist in her delicate hands.
She wore an expression I'd seen only a few times before—pure, unfiltered happiness that radiated like the sun. It was that very look that had first drawn me to her, the inner light that made her so damn irresistible. When we had first met, when we were kids. Outside of everything else that had happened to us, around us. Seeing her happy was the most incredible thing in the world.
As she stood back up, she glanced at me over her shoulder, her dark eyes shining with unshed tears. There was so much love in that look. So much promise.
"I guess we're official now," she said softly.
"We've always been official," I replied, pulling her against me. "This just makes it legal."
She chuckled, shaking her head as she looped her arms around my neck. "You always know how to ruin a romantic moment, don't you?"
I grinned, leaning forward to press my forehead against hers. "Is that so? Maybe I should fix it then." Without any further warning, I captured her lips with mine, kissing her deeply as the crowd erupted in cheers once more.
We stayed like that for what felt like forever, lost in each other, oblivious to the world around us. When we finally pulled away, she was panting softly, a blush staining her cheeks. "You certainly know how to make up for it," she whispered.
***
After the ceremony, Hassan grabbed Sebastian, and Justice and I went to the car to take us to the venue for the reception. We had invited almost everyone we knew; partially because it was what was expected of me, but also because I thought that Vito De Luca needed to be reminded of just how many people we had on our side.
The reception was held at a beautiful estate on the outskirts of Miami. It was opulent, lit by dozens of twinkling chandeliers, and adorned with extravagant decorations fit for the royalty we were in our world.
