Chapter 40:
Nadia's POV:
I asked the hairstylist and makeup artist to give me few minutes for myself, therefore they made their final touches on my hair and makeup then they left, of course after giving me strict commands to not move a lot or even dare to cry in case I became emotional. I just shrugged off at them and playfully kicked them out, knowing that they were only doing their job properly.
It had been a year since I married Zack, and I couldn't but think about everything that had changed in just one year. Friendships were made, relationships were settled and broken hearts were fixed, after they had been broken for so long because of distance.
Since the day Zack told me that we were getting married again, a lot of things happened but at the end of the day, we made sure that we would always end up in each other's arms; that was our deal that night after we took our intimacy to another level.
Flashback:
"I can't get enough of you" Zack murmured in my ear as I put my head on the crook of his neck "I don't think I can imagine my life without you"
"So don't imagine anything" I whispered kissing his skin lightly, making him make an irresistible sound in my ear "I am not going anywhere, I learned my lesson the hard way"
"You know what was the toughest thing when you weren't here?" He questioned and I shook my head so he proceeded talking "Not being able to see you around and kiss the breath out of you, were hard but the unbearable thing is not being able to have you like this in my arms" He pulled me closer, intertwining our feet under the quilt.
"I missed this too" I added, agreeing with him.
"We have to make a deal" He suggested.
"What?" I pushed myself up and put my weight on my elbow to have a better look at him.
"Even if we fight, if anything happens between us, if we're tired or just not in the mood, we'll always be this close" He smiled at me, sheepishly, as if he was embarrassed of what he just said.
"I like that" I grinned at him, approvingly "It is more than good to me, I can always have your addicting scent filling my nostrils.
"So?"
"Deal" I offered him my hand to shake.
"Deal" He held my hand in his but didn't shake it, he pulled on it till I was literally on top of him, and he added "Shaking hands in professional, let's try something else" He smirked at me and I knew exactly what he wanted.
"I have something in mind" I chuckled at his smirk.
My lips hoovered over his for few seconds as he watched my every single move with clouded eyes and a hitching breath, especially when I kissed the corner of his lips then I kissed him sweetly. He didn't push the kiss further and I felt like he had other plans in his head so I broke the kiss and looked down at him, confusingly.
"I want you to be in charge" He demanded huskily, reaching for my bare back and he started stroking soothing circles on it "I want to see that you want me as much as I want you" He kissed my shoulder "Show me how much you love me" He trailed soft kisses all the way to my earlobe then he bit on it gently.
"I want you more than you can ever think" I breathed close to his ear and added "I love you"
"I love you more" He beamed at me widely.
"I will show you the opposite" I stated before capturing his lips again, with more passion and hunger.
Show time...
End of flashback.
The sound of the door's knocks, pulled me out of my train of thoughts and I instantly walked to the door and opened it. Adam was standing there with a huge smile plastered on his face as soon as he took in what I was wearing.
"Wow" He whistled, eyeing me up and down "You look gorgeous sis"
"Thank you, you look handsome yourself" I complimented him, taking in his appearance.
Adam was wearing a Navy blue suit with a white dress shirt and a black tie. He looked really handsome, especially with his hair combed back in a stylish way and his killing dimples, which could make girls drool over him anywhere he went to.
Thank god, Alya captured his attention....
"Zack is really impatient, are you almost done?" Adam asked, gaining a low chuckle to escape my mouth at Zack's antiques.
"I needed few minutes to myself" I stated, looking down at the ground.
"You're already married sis, why are you nervous?" He laughed at me, resting his shoulder on the door's frame.
"I am not nervous" I answered honestly "I was just thinking of the things that had changed throughout this last year"
"What matters is where we are standing right now" He stood up straighter and spoke seriously "I'm thinking of proposing to Alya, mom already gave me the family ring and all I have to think of is a proper way to propose"
"Yey, I saw this coming" I squealed, jumping up and down "I'm so happy for you bro" I threw myself in his arms.
"Thanks, now, come on" He pulled back, and offered me his elbow to hook my arm around it "Grandpa is waiting by the entrance"
Grandpa and Adam were both supposed to walk me to Zack, knowing that they were both important to me equally and I didn't want to choose between them. However, a part of me was really sad that dad wasn't there with me to witness that his baby girl had grown and was happy.
I wish he was there...
Aunt Leticia and dad, were the missing piece of our happiness.!!!
Just as planned, grandpa was waiting for me at the entrance of the house, the one leading to the garden. The wedding took place at the Collin's garden just like the first wedding, because we wanted it to be just for our beloved ones, and because we wanted to prove to others that the place was still the same but our feelings had changed, if I may use Zack's words.
"Beautiful as always" Grandpa stated, kissing my hand before I hooked my free arm with his, and we started walking to where a path of petals leaded to where Zack was standing.
The garden was beautifully decorated with white petals thrown carelessly on the ground and gorgeous roses hanging from trees, creating the impression of veils. There were also small transparent bottles attached with every rose, so that guests could leave any message they wanted for us.
It was Lara's idea when she heard that mom and dad, had the same thing in their wedding...
Since it wasn't a real wedding, we had the wedding and reception at one place; therefore, mom and Sarah came up with the idea of making the garden look just like the tables in the roof garden, which means that flowers were planted in circles, leaving just a path so that people could enter the circle, in which a table was decorated with pale pink table clothe and white centerpiece.
When people saw us approaching while a soft melody was played in the background, they stood on both sides of the roses' path and they started applauding for us. However, since the moment my eyes landed on Zack, everything was pushed aside and all I cared about was the most handsome man I had ever met, who happened to be my husband.
He wore the biggest smile ever when we locked eyes and I winked at him, mischievously as I let my eyes roam down his body and take in his appearance. He was wearing a black peak lapel Tuxedo and a white dress shirt, completed with a black bow tie and black leather mens' shoes, probably from Zara.
The moment we were on an arm's length away from Zack, grandpa and Adam both gave me a kiss on the cheek along with a side hug that I returned gladly, then they both turned in their heels and headed to where the entire family and our friends were.
Zack offered me his hand with a nod of his head, and I did the same to him as I accepted his hand, enjoying the tingle in the pit of my stomach, the tingle that I only felt whenever he touched me or looked at me deeply as if I was his most precious jewel.
I struggled with the fabric of the dress as I turned in my heels in order to stand beside Zack under the Jasmine tree, facing our family, friends and our guests. In fact, our guests' list was only filled with our biggest clients, some of our parents' distant family members and friends, and finally, few magazines editors because we wanted to spread the news that we were together and not intending to leave each other's side any time soon.
The first time Zack and I, were seen in public after the divorce story, the reporters breathed on our necks for more than two months because they somehow thought we got our divorce sorted out and we were back together and living under the same roof without marriage.
As much as I didn't like my name being spread with "Ms. Mathews has an affair with her Ex husband" as one of the articles stated, I couldn't even announce anything because the arrangement Zack and I, had a year before, was bad on the company's reputation. That's why, we all agreed that no one would announce anything, until the marriage is over, at least things would cool off.
Zack pulled me closer to his side by my waist, where he rested his hand, and started driving me crazy with his strokes as usual. However, I brushed everything off because everyone was looking at us, excitedly, waiting for our words, especially that there was no court man to register our wedding.
"Thank you for being here" Zack stated, smiling widely at the guests "You're probably wondering what is going on and where is the registration table and the man in charge of it" Zack waited till few people nodded at him then he carried on talking "We don't need to register our wedding because we never got a divorce"
"Exactly" I laughed when a reporter cursed and said that she knew it.
She was probably thinking of the headlines she missed.
"We were actually so close to divorce because of the arrangement story who was spread in the company's Gala" I said, using my authoritative voice then I loosened a little "However the arrangement had nothing to do with Zack and I's separation" I added but Zack cut me off immediately.
"Well, I guess what Nadia said is enough to put an end to the absurd rumors about us having an affair without marriage" Zack chuckled, making everyone laugh along with him, including me.
"We decided to have another wedding because our first one wasn't real, and so many people couldn't attend it" I gestured at Adam and my friends "We'll exchange new rings, new vows, and celebrate a new party"
At that being said, mom walked behind us, followed by Sam and James, they were both holding a small wooden box for each, which seemed like a token from a museum. Sam was wearing a white and pink princess dress that Zack bought for her when we took her out once for shopping while James was wearing a small Tuxedo, similar to Zack's.
After Zack's decision to meet his father, Mr. Collins aka Dave, came after two days with his son and wife to New York, and met Zack. It was hard on Zack at first but as soon as James ran to him and hugged his leg, Zack fell in love with his little brother and he wanted him to have a good family with good memories, just like Zack had in his childhood, which meant that he accepted Dave's return for the sake of James.
"I'd like you to face each other" Mom pointed at Zack and I, and we followed her commands "We may start the ceremony" She clapped her hands cheerfully when we were facing each other, and the only thing keeping us apart, was our intertwined hands.
"Repeat after me" She turned her head to Zack and said "Zack, do you promise Nadia to stay by her side forever..."
"May I?" Zack lifted his hand and stopped her "I have my own words for today" He then turned his head and looked at me "Nadia Mathews Collins, I remember the first time I met you, I thought I hated you to the core, talking to you or even seeing you, would ruin my day and give me a serious impression of...."
"We get it" Adam shouted at him to stop Zack from talking furthermore, making all of us laugh.
"Okay" Zack lifted his shoulder in defense but continued talking when I smiled at him reassuringly "The key word of what I said is: Thought, because it was my way to put my anger of mom's death on someone and it was you who took it all. However, since our arrangement started that day at the hospital, I started seeing you differently, especially when we started living together" He winked at me "I watched another Nadia, a Nadia that I had never seen before and it blew my mind away, making me fall head over toes for you" He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it.
"I never thought that I would find someone that can take my breath away like you did, you became my breathe " He looked deeply in my eyes and carried on talking "I love you, and I will always make sure to keep you happy by my side, we'll be together despite all the odds that might step on our way, and I will do everything I can to make you the happiest you've ever been"Â He lifted the wedding band that James handed him and put it on my ring finger.
His words were so captivating, heartwarming, and most importantly, they came from his heart, urging me to throw my arms around his neck and just hug the breath out of him. Moreover, from the way he was looking at me, I knew that he meant every single word he said, but yet, I could still feel that he was thinking of something else at that moment.
Or maybe someone...
I knew it because while he was speaking the last part, he zoned out like he was addressing the words to me and thinking of something else at the same time, and his eyes watered as he finished his sentence. I reached for the single tear and wiped it away, so that no one would notice it because I wanted it to be only for myself.
He was all mine, and I wanted to be the only one who could see that soft side of him...
Zack's POV:
I don't know what had gotten to me as I was talking but I just wished mom was there with me to witness that her little boy had finally fell in love, and with someone she would've absolutely loved more than she ever did before, I wanted to see her so badly and I missed her. But as the thought that she would never be back, crossed my mind, I couldn't catch the single tear that escaped my eyes.
Nadia was quick to react and wiped the tear away before anyone would notice it, then she left her hand on my cheek as if she was stroking my skin. I put my hand on top of hers and planted a kiss on its inside before she pulled it away and placed it back in mine.
As I held Nadia's hand in mine , my eyes dared to roam down Nadia's body one more time, neglecting everything that was happening around me, and admiring her beauty, elegance, and shyness that still consumed her even after all that time of us being together; even that day, my simple wink, made her cheeks turn crimson red and her eyes to dart to the ground.
'I must've done something good in my life to deserve her' I thought to myself as I locked eyes with her.
In fact, she was wearing an elegant simple dress: it was a lace strapless wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline, the dress hugged her upper body then cascaded to the ground marvelously creating a wonderful illusion that the entire dress was made of snow, especially with the veil that rested on Nadia's head and trailed off to the ground behind her.
Her makeup was simple as usual, just the way I liked it, and her hair was half up in a sophisticated up-do that suited her face shape and showed the earrings she put on, two fresh water pearls, complemented with a necklace and bracelet made with the same white pearls, making Nadia's entire attire look so simple but yet so classy, as she had always wanted to look like on her wedding day.
'I always dreamed of a cozy wedding with my beloved ones, and a husband who would absolutely adore me in the simplest dress ever, just like I had always wanted' I remembered her words when grandma insisted on Nadia to wear a mermaid dress that hugged Nadia's curves and showed a lot of her skin.
She was so irresistible...!!!
"Well, I have my share of words as well" Nadia spoke, gaining all my attention "Before our blind date, I never paid attention to the details" She started talking but stopped when I raised my eyebrow, seeking for explanation "I mean, to how you rub your neck whenever you are nervous or how you raise your eyebrow whenever something confuses you" She gestured at my face, smiling "I've started seeing you differently, and I found myself falling in love with everything that makes you who you are, which surprises me because I thought that such love only existed in Romance love stories"
With that said, she grinned at me with a lopsided grin that I swear, it made my heart jump in my chest, it started beating rapidly and frankly, I liked it. I didn't even know I could love her more than I ever did, but I proved myself wrong at that moment because I suddenly felt an explosion of feelings in my heart.
"I love the way you look at me, how you hug me with your eyes, and the small gestures you make whenever we're together, they make me feel loved and mostly importantly, safe and secured, which remind me of my dad's protection. I am more than happy with you, and I can't ask for a better life" She stepped on her tip toes and kissed me then she took the wedding band from Sam and slid it on in my ring finger "I will always love you my dear"
As soon as she uttered the last word, I pulled in her hand that I was holding and crushed her in a hug while everyone started applauding and whistling. However, I just focused on the treasure I was embracing in my arms because she was the most precious diamond I had and I was willing to secure her in my heart forever.
Nadia lifted her head a little bit and peaked at me with teary eyes. I leaned down, and kissed both her cheeks, wiping her tears with my lips, making her hit my upper arm lightly, before she started giggling and shaking her head.
"You're such a baby" She poked my nose then she turned to her mother and hugged her tightly "I'm glad you're here mom"
"Your father's wishes came true, our kids are both happy" Cecilia cleared her throat and gestured at the dance floor as the DJ put a slow song, thinking out loud by Ed Sheeran.
She probably did that because the situation was going to be so emotional...
"Can I have this dance with my beautiful wife please?" I bowed slightly and smiled up at Nadia.
"You may my dear husband" She offered me her hand "Lead the way"
When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to my chest while she threw her arms around my neck and snuggled closer, which made her sweet scent invade my nostrils in the most delicate way ever, that could always throw my senses out of the window, and make my heart beat faster, literally...
And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Oh me I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am
The song, the garden, the intimacy of the moment, and most importantly, the beautiful creature sharing that wonderful dance with me, they all created a fascinating fairy tail, in which dreams were mixed with reality, and everything was perfect...
My life was perfect, although I had some missing pieces of the puzzle...
So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are
I could see how much everyone was happy that day, it was apparent in the way they were looking at Nadia and I, dance. Moreover, each and every single of them found his own happiness somewhere, and I was more than grateful for that...
Adam was happy with Alya, she was his everything, and he was impatient to finally propose to her and make her his forever;Â he was thinking of surprising her later on, when he would just grab her hand and take her to a quieter place and utter the magical words. He had his own plans on proposing then moving back to New York to start his new business, near his family and his beloved ones, with Alya by his side of course...
Dillon and Lara, were so deep in love, and none of them was thinking of letting go of the other one. They had so many issues at the beginning of their relationship due to the fact that Lara was in Uk, while Dillon was in Chicago, however, Nadia, Col and I, always made sure to reunite them whenever they fought, until they couldn't handle living afar, so Lara made the step and moved to Chicago...
As for Col, he was dating a girl he worked with at his father's company, Nora. She was a programmer and total nerd, but she captivated Col's attention the first time he lead eyes on her. Lara was sparing Col a visit when she noticed Nora walking in the hallway, and Lara being Lara, she literally ran to Nora and squeezed her in a hug, making Nora's glasses fly in her air and crush on the ground, while Col was left speechless at the beauty in front of him...
He made sure to keep her beside him although she gave a hard time at first...
After dad's return, our relationship hadn't improved much, despite the fact that I accepted his wife since she had nothing to do with what happened, but I know I made the right decision, at least I had James by my side, who was more than happy to get a big brother to protect him whenever he had problems at school. I was glad that he existed...
As for Cecilia, she moved to New York again and she was living with Mr. Mathews and taking care of him, with the help of Ann, and the bubbly Sam. She was still as close to Sarah as she was before, especially when they started planning Maria's and Blake's wedding, with the help of his mother of course.
The elders, aka, my grandparents and Mr. Mathews, were getting weaker with every passing day but they would never complain, they would just reassure us that everything would be totally alright, and even if their time came someday, life would go on perfectly. However, I personally was still not ready to let them go...
I still needed them...
"You know what?" I pulled myself out of train of thoughts and looked down at Nadia.
"What?" She lifted her head and locked her eyes with mine.
"I wouldn't change a thing in our journey if it would lead us to this exact moment" I caressed her cheeks, tenderly.
"Neither would I" She grinned at me, mischievously "Moreover, I wouldn't be able to do this"
She stepped on her tip toes and pressed her lips on mine, briefly and pulled back, but I wasn't intending to let her go, not when I got a glimpse of what I would be missing when she would be farther. I steadied her head with my hands and crushed my lips on hers again, more urgently, liking the sweet taste of her and the rushed feelings I got as soon as our tongues met.
It was a magical moment when I was hers and she was mine...
The end...!!!
Author's POV:
We're somehow blinded by what we believe is true, which makes us neglect so many facts that others see clearly, we're so engrossed in our thoughts that we don't even lift our heads to look at the bigger picture where our beliefs are long forgotten and clarity is replaced...
That's what happened to Nadia and Zack, they were both living in their own bubble where they believed that they even loathed the sight of each other, although they were both loved by everyone except few people that wanted to take advantage of them.
Nadia used to think that Zack was arrogant and full of himself, just because he put his nose in her business the day they met in the gym with a judgmental look. She chose to hate him and throughout the years, it became something essential, and couldn't be replaced with anything else.
Zack engraved a bad image of Nadia on his brain, he saw her as the devil under the skin of an angel after that day when she mentioned his mother on the first encounter. He hated the fact that she acted like she was superior than others just because of her name, looks, and brain.
Their path was reunited under name of an arranged marriage, which made them live together under the same roof, with the intention of being separated after a year from their wedding, but little did they know that destiny had other plans for them.
They found love in between the lines of their hate, they fell for each other and at the end of the day they couldn't stay away, despite everything and everyone who tried to break them apart, their love was stronger than any kind of agreement they ever made, it was indeed stronger than a paper and a facade, and most importantly, it was pure.
The arrangement they made stood between them and blinded Nadia's vision, but the mere idea of living afar from each other was sufficient to drive them both crazy. That's why, they found each other again and vowed to stay together till death breaks them apart under name of love...
They found happiness in their hate, their Hate At First Sight...
***** Must read*****
/*I can't believe that I finally pulled myself together to put these pieces of puzzle together*/
/*A part of me wants to give you a closure but the other one, can't let go of these lovebirds*/
/*I got used to them...*/
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