Aren’t you supposed to say that in
25 minutes and 33 seconds. - Alexis
I laugh out loud. She never fails to amaze me with her wit and responses.
“What are you laughing at, Dick?” Derek says from behind as he steps up beside me.
“None of your business,” I reply as I send another message, this one sure to get her excited.
That’s it! I’m coming up there to get you. - Bryce
“Is that Alexis? Up there on your balcony?”
I look up to my penthouse, still smiling, captivated by her angelic form. “Sure is.”
“You’re unfuckingbelievable. You’re not supposed to see her before the ceremony.”
“I can’t really see her, not closely enough anyway.”
“Sure, keep tellin’ yourself that.”
My phone beeps once more:
Okay, okay. I’m on my way. ¦ - Alexis
“Are you texting her?” Derek asks, incredulously.
A sly grin replaces my smile as I continue to type. “Yep,” I answer with nonchalance.
You better be ¦ - Bryce
“Does she know you are watching her?”
“Of course not.”
“You’re a dog, Bryce,” he says as he turns to face me with his back against the railing, trying to block my view.
I raise an eyebrow at the cocky fucker I call my best friend. “I’m not a dog. I just like to know what she’s doing. Get out of the way.” I move him aside and smile once again. “And anyway, you can’t stand there and tell me you aren’t well and truly under Carly’s thumb.”
“I’m under no one’s thumb.”
“Bullshit! Carly owns you.”
“Carly’s not like that.”
“It doesn’t matter if she’s like that or not. You’re thumbed...whipped...you belong to her. You might as well man the fuck up and admit it.”
“Never, that will never happen.”
“Brayden, come here! Uncle Snakey needs to put your shoes on,” Jake bellows from inside the suite.
I hear Brayden squeal then crack the shits. “No shoes!”
‘Uncle Snakey?’ Derek mouths, amusement on his face.
I smile and nod. “Yep, but don’t ask.”
Derek pushes off the railing and heads back inside. “Come on, man. Let’s get you married.”
Taking one last look up at Alexis who is now hugging her father, I lift my phone and snap a photo—my creepy research still very much operational.
Impatiently waiting at the altar for Alexis, my palms are sweaty and my body tense. I seriously need to rein my shit in, having no doubt I must look like a nervous wreck. It wouldn’t surprise me if I’ve cracked my neck and clenched my fists more times than a pro boxer would before a fight.
Taking a deep breath, I calm my nerves and watch with amusement as Nate follows Brayden around, making sure he doesn’t untie anymore of the ivory ribboned bows decorating the large bunches of roses. Seriously, the amount of destruction my son can get up to in the blink of an eye still confounds me.
“Nervous?” Jessica enquires as she steps up to my side.
“No, not at all,” I lie, leaning forward and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Hmm,” she responds with a knowing smile. “Listen, Dear. I just want to let you know that your parents and Lauchie...even Gareth, are all here in spirit. They are proud of you. We all are.”
I manage a small smile and give her a hug. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She pulls away, gives my arm a quick reassuring squeeze and then finds her seat.
As I contemplate what she just said, Maryann approaches. Her demeanour is both excited and anxious. “She’s just outside,” she explains.
Feeling my pulse pick up a beat, I look toward the door, noticing Alexis’ bridesmaids lining up ready to walk down the aisle. “Bray, Nate, come here,” I call to the boys. Nate grabs Brayden’s hand and they make their way over. “Okay, Mum is just outside those doors. Nate come stand next to me just like we practised.” He does as he’s told. “Now, little man, see your special pillow,” I say to Brayden as I bend down to his eye level. “I want you to hold it tightly and go with Nanny, okay?” I hold out my fist for him to bump.
He rears his hand back and then slams it into mine. “Bang!” he says and then laughs, our fist-bumps now becoming a playful game.
Maryann takes his hand and leads him along the aisle, and just as she reaches the door, I catch a glimpse of Alexis. The sight of her, as per usual, steals what oxygen I have left in my lungs.
The first thing my overwhelmed mind deciphers is that I’m marrying her today.
Completely stunned and spellbound by her presence, I can’t help but start to mentally count my blessings. You see, I’ve lost a lot in my life, suffering heartache and accepting the fact that I was destined—and deserved— to be alone in love. Don’t get me wrong, yes, I’ve managed to build a hugely successful business and brand, and I never take my fortune where that is concerned for granted. It’s just ever since Alexis came into my life, I’ve learned how to truly aspire. I learned to love, and to live life as it should be lived. And it is for this reason that I will be forever grateful.
Sucking in a deep breath, I properly absorb for the first time since walking into this room that today is my wedding day. Today—after a few years of sharing my life with the woman of my dreams—is the day she becomes my wife. This day is the fucking icing on the cake—the piece de resistance. This day cements what I have known all along, that Alexis is mine and that she always will be.
Maryann passes Brayden to Alexis and my heart skips a beat as it usually does when I see them together. Watching Alexis and our son interact with one another does things to me that I never thought possible. For one, I can’t take my eyes off them, and secondly, I can’t help but smile like the fuckin’ Joker.
Brayden points in my direction, and both he and Alexis hit me with two earth shattering smiles, smiles that like hundreds of times beforehand pierce through me like a bolt of lightning. According to everyone in our life, Brayden looks like me—I must admit...I tend to agree.
Alexis places Brayden on his stubby little legs. He grabs hold of Maryann’s hand and begins to walk toward me. It’s in this moment that I finally understand why Alexis wanted to wait two years to get married. She’d pleaded and convinced me the wait would be worth the while. ‘Charli will be at my side and Nate at yours,’ she’d said. ‘Brayden will then walk down the aisle holding the rings on a cute little pillow...it will make the day perfect. Please can we wait, I’m not going anywhere, remember?’
I knew that she wasn’t going anywhere, that wasn’t the point. The point was we were together and had a child of our own therefore I wanted to be able to call her my wife. So, giving in to her pleas had almost killed me, especially after what we had both been through. Waiting was the absolute last fucking thing I had wanted, instead wanting to marry her as soon as I possibly could. After all, I had waited my whole life for her.
Without admitting it to her though, she was right. Watching Brayden as he walks down the aisle toward me is definitely well worth the wait—it’s perfect...the kids are perfect...Alexis is perfect.
