ADRIAN
4th January 2019
It was near midnight.
Except for Kevin, who was asleep in his room, the rest of my family was sitting in the living room.
I was next to dad, laughing as he narrated an anecdote about an employee who once wrote him a mail while he was drunk.It ended up being so hilarious that dad didn't fire him.
Right about then, I heard a car loudly whir outside.
I frowned.
Only Vanessa and I owned cars that made that noise and were allowed in the house, but she had decided to stay the night at Hudson Estate and I was here.
I got up and excused myself to go out and see who it was.
Was she home early?
Vanessa opened the scissor door to the red Lamborghini Veneno she bought herself before Christmas and stood by it, passing me a half smile.
I walked up to her and arched an eyebrow," Missed me too much?"
"I did.", she sighed, wrapping her arms around me.
I instinctively placed my hands on her stiffened back, sure that something had upset her.
"You wanna talk about it?", I asked, my head still resting sideways against hers.
"About what?", she drew away and looked up at me.
"Really?"
By now she should know that I could literally sense the invisible not in her I'm fine.
She buried her face back in my shirt and softly said,"Everything was fine...until...I started thinking about something that really disturbed me and I needed to come talk to you."
"Okay. Let's go upstairs and talk."
She nodded.
I loosened my grip around her and said,"Hey, when we go in there...um...don't mention the moving in thing yet."
"You have not told them yet?", her eyes widened.
"I plan on telling them once we find a house.", I gulped.
On our second anniversary, two days ago, I had gifted her with a golden key. It felt like the right thing to do.
However my parents would be happier if my taking-it-to-the-next-step involved me getting down on one knee.
Once they found out we were planning on moving in together, mom and maybe even Charlotte would coerce me into thinking about marriage.
Vanessa hadn't mentioned the word to me even once but I knew that was an important milestone she was really looking forward to and once my family begins talking about it, she would expect a proposal soon after but I was not ready to take that step yet.
I shook my head"Just don't say anything about it right now, okay?"
She frowned and I bet she had a lot of questions but I knew I couldn't answer any of hers until I found the answers to mine.
We went in and Vanessa was enthusiastically greeted by everyone.
She was the first woman I was allowed to bring home...well more like, asked to bring home to spend every weekend at the mansion which we both had made a habit of doing, by now.
To be honest, even though her family and she were really trying to be close, her bond was more genuine and effortless with mine.
She even spent her past two Christmases here. We'd go over briefly to the Hudson Estate where her family usually gathered, we'd greet them, exchange gifts, have brunch and then return back to the Greys Mansion to celebrate.
As of now, we quickly excused ourselves to go upstairs.
Vanessa changed into her pyjamas and we both sat down on our bed as I asked her,"So, what were you thinking about?"
She looked at me, fidgeting with the button on her sleeve and then looked down, saying nothing.
I took her freezing hands in mine and held them tightly, saying,"It's okay. You know you can tell me anything."
She said,"I thought trying to forgive dad would be no different from forgiving Jennifer but the more time I spend with them, the more the contrast between these two relationships becomes visible. Jenny and I were inseparable ever since I first started living at the Hudson Estate. We were best friends, we were sisters and though I don't know if I can ever trust her again, I do love her and wanting to forgive her doesn't feel wrong. We had something before what happened did. Even though going back to how things were is impossible, moving forward and having her as a part of my life feels right. It makes me happy to see her hopeful that we can move past our problems and I know that we will.",
Vanessa withdrew her hands from mine and wrapped them around herself, closing her eyes," Something can only be mended if it's broken, not if it doesn't exist. My bond with my father has only involved me trying to gain his approval and affection and him hesitating to give me either. Other than that our relationship is hollow. There is nothing good to look back at or forward to and I feel that, distancing myself from him will hurt me lesser than trying to build something and forgive him. He has been cordial with my these past few years and Kate pushes him to call me every once in a while but everytime I talk to him, there is this heaviness in my chest, this uneasiness that I can't escape. It's not that I don't want to forgive him, it's just that I don't think that I can. Am I a horrible person?"
"You know where I stand on you trying to forgive him. I don't like him. Your father gave you nothing but neglect which made you push yourself even further and what did that give you? More neglect. Mistakes can be forgiven, crimes can't and the way he treated you is no lesser than a crime so tell me who is the horrible one? He is finally being cordial with you so I am tolerating him but Nessa, for me, he lost any chance at being forgiven when he refused to acknowledge your achievement when you finally became the CEO, knowing how much his approval meant to you. It was pathetic."
"But what about everyone else? Won't they hate me if I refuse to forgive him? Over these past two years, I have put in a lot of effort to build a healthy relationship with my family. Jennifer and I can now talk normally, go out for shopping and grab lunch together like we used to earlier. Nate and I have been running Hudson Enterprises and in these past three years, considering how much we have been interacting, we are in a good place. Hell, I even discovered he has a good sense of humor. As for Kate, I feel she'll understand because I did give forgiving him a good try but I don't think she will be able to convince Jennifer and Nate to accept it. I don't want my inability to forgive dad to ruin what I have built with everyone else.", she said, still fiddling with the button on her sleeve till it came off.
I sighed putting my hand on her arm," If you can't forgive him and trying to do it hurts you more than it helps, what's the point? As for your family, if they truly care about you, they would do it because of who you are and not for what you can and cannot do. Nessa, family is not like glass that breaks on putting the slightest pressure. It's like steel, it's strong, adaptable to change and when under pressure it usually bends a lot before it finally breaks and even if that happens, some warmth can help put back the pieces together. Do you understand?"
"I guess you are right."
"When am I not?", I winked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Don't get too cocky."
"I can't help it. It's my personality, sweetheart.", I grinned.
"It sure is.", she rolled her eyes and then asked me," By the way the glass and the steel thing, I have heard that somewhere before."
"You have. Dad said it in one of his magazine interviews.", I smiled, proudly.
She cooed,"Aww! You read his interview."
Dad promised to be more accepting of my business ideas and opinions so I agreed to learn his way of handling things and learn from his experience and so far it has been as good as it could be.
Now that the tabloids referred to me as One Half of The NYC Power Couple rather than the playboy billionaire, I had discovered a new side of my father. Who knew he had incredible ideas for dates or that he enjoyed retelling tales from his youth so much?
I had a strong bond with him before Charlotte got divorced and we both became distant, trying to use our own flawed ways of coping with what happened. Dad had taught me how to ride a bicycle, he had been there at every school function that I was a part of, he stayed up late at night wth me while I was preparing for my SATs, he taught me how to drive and I guess my love for car stems from him too. I had so many good moments to remember that forgiving him wasn't hard at all.
However, with Vanessa, things were different. I don't believe her father had been a part of any major life event of hers until now so not forgiving him was definitely the right thing to do.
"Sometimes it's okay to think about yourself too. You already gave him more than he deserved, it's time you give yourself what you do deserve.", I said.
She nodded and then tackled me, making me fall back on my pillow, with her.
"Thank you so much.", she said.
"You don't have to thank me for talking to you, that is literally the one thing people in a relationship are supposed to do.",I looked down at her.
"The only one thing?", Vanessa passed me a coy smile.
I laughed," Wow! How are you always that hor..."
She interrupted, still grinning,"Hor...horrible? Yeah, I know."
"Oh sure! That is the word I was looking for.", I rolled my eyes, drawing her closer to my face.
"Let's not forget we are at your parents place and Casey would love to make us uncomfortable by interrogating us for why we were up so late, if we accidentally end up sleeping in longer. So good night.", She said, before turning around and lying down.
"Tease.",I groaned and she looked back to giggle.
I shook my head in disbelief before resting on my pillow and whispering,"Good night."
Sometimes I wondered, how in the world did I end up falling in love with a girl like her and then at other times, I wondered how did it not happen sooner?
â â â
24th October 2020
"You ready?", I asked Bryan, who checked himself out for the third time in the mirror in the past ten minutes.
"Just one second. Do you think I should have gelled my hair back or this fine?", He asked, running his hand through his blond locks.
I shrugged, sitting on a windowsill, in the corner of the huge dressing room,"Do you ever gel your hair back?"
"No but..."
"Just relax. It isn't a job interview."
He scoffed,"Yeah! It is not a job interview...it is my BLOODY WEDDING!"
I added," To my sister who has been seeing your stupid face since we were in high school. She has seen your puberty face, I don't think she'd mind anything you do now."
"You are not helping.", He said, fixing his bowtie.
I laughed," You look perfect and anyways, considering how Charlotte has been going on and on about this, I think she cares more about your reaction when you see her walk down the aisle than how exactly your hair is combed."
"Good Point.", He drew in a deep breath and walked up to me,"I am going to go revise my vows once again and you go check on Lettie...Char...Charlotte."
"You know you can call her Lettie or whatever in front of me, she's going to be your wife.", I smiled.
Bryan returned the smile after which I left one wing of the Victorian castle resort we had booked for the celebration to walk over to the rooms in the opposite one, where Charlotte and her bridesmaids were.
I walked over to the suite reserved for Charlotte. Casey opened the door wearing a burnt orange, off shoulder, mermaid style evening gown embroidered with flowers.
Why the hell do I know all that?
Well, Charlotte's repeated description of her bridesmaids dresses every dinner had them imprinted on everyone's minds. I bet Vanessa could tell me about her dress while she was asleep.
"Maid of honour.",I acknowledged as Cassandra had been doing ever since we were given our titles.
"Best man.", she nodded before taking me to the bride.
When Charlotte turned around to greet me, my heart stopped.
She was the most beautiful bride that I had ever seen.
I recalled her description of her dress: It was a white A-line gown. She had a rhinestone sash tied around her waist and her hair was tied up using an embellished comb in a hair do with some complicated name that I couldn't recall now.
"So?", she beamed.
"You look beautiful."
"Of course I do. It took a lot of effort to make sure that this dress outshined my first wedding dress.", she said, reaching down to readjust her floor length veil.
"Stop! Don't talk about that day today.", I shook my head in disapproval.
"It's fine. You know I have never been an escapist and even though my first marriage ended, it taught me a lot of things, patience being one of them. It also gave me the most extraordinary, beautiful baby boy that I could have ever asked for. I have no regrets, I have moved on from what happened and I am happy where I stand today."
"You can hug me in that dress right?"
"I wouldn't normally but for you, let's make an exception.", Charlotte said before embracing me.
"You can stop worrying about me now.", She whispered.
"I could never."
Last time we were at this milestone of her life, she had been in a hurry to tie the knot but when I looked at her now, I knew she wasn't walking backwards. She was a different person than she had been that day, we all were and most importantly, she was sure about her future and was happy to begin again.
I talked to Charlotte for a while longer before I decided to go out to join Bryan.
On my way out, I heard one of the bridesmaids complain to another one,"She's gonna be late. I can feel it."
"Who is?",I asked.
"Um...hi. Vanessa, she is still in the dressing room."
This girl!
"I'll get her.",I said and excused myself.
I knocked at the door labeled 'Vanessa' and it opened slightly. A brunette peeked from behind it,"Adrian? What are you doing here?"
"The girls said you're going to be late. Everything okay?"
"There is an issue with my dress. I'll be down as soon as I fix it."
"Want me to help?"
"Do you promise to only help?", she narrowed her eyes.
I smirked,"Why? What else would I do?"
"Remember when I let you into my room before Jennifer's rehearsal dinner and we ended up missing half of it. I am glad she didn't kill me."
"That was different. You were nervous and I just wanted to cheer you up and well, it's not my fault I am distracting."
She scoffed before reluctantly opening the door. I slipped in to see her holding up the front of her light orange dress with one hand.
"You are the bride's brother and the best man. You've got to be responsible so no funny business, okay?"
"Speaking of responsibility, why aren't you ready yet? You could have easily asked for help when the other girls were getting dressed."
"That's because I just came back to my room a few minutes ago. Your sister invited over a lot of guests and your parents were having a tough time greeting and seating all of them so I volunteered to help."
"Earning brownie points, are we?", I mocked.
"I wasn't the one who decided not to tell your parents we were moving in together, till after we moved in. Was I? So any brownie points I earn are actually a favour to you."
"Not fair!",I crossed my arms in protest as she chuckled.
"Now, what's wrong with the dress?"
"My zipper is stuck. It won't budge, at all."
"Did you try to google help?"
"I...kind of...left my phone somewhere."
"What a surprise.",I rolled my eyes.
"Are you going to keep passing sarcastic remarks or are you really going to help? We can't be late, especially not you."
"Fine. Give me a minute."
After looking through a few websites instructing what to do, I asked her,"Soap, you've got soap?"
"Yeah! I carry soap bars with me everywhere cause you never know when the right opportunity for a bath might come up."
I clicked my tongue, scrolling further,"And you say I should tone down the sarcasm. Forget that, you must have clear lipstick, right?"
"Lip balm? I could arrange that.", she said and went over to the table and began turning it inside out.
"Got it.", she held it up, as if it were a trophy.
She walked over to me and turned her back towards me. I began putting the balm on the teeth of the zipper, trying hard to not get it on her dress. Once I was done, I looked at her reflection in the mirror, fidgeting with her bracelet, looking at the wall clock.
"You look better in red, you know?", I said, trying to distract her.
"Just because it is your favorite colour doesn't mean I can always wear it. Plus a red dress for a bridesmaid is tacky."
"I am not just talking about dresses.", I said, trailing a finger up her spine and then stopping right over her strap.
She drew in a sharp breath as colour rushed to her cheeks.
"The look on your face works too."
She looked back at me with a smile forming at the corner of her lips,"Remember what I said about no funny business? Let's just zip me up, okay?"
I nodded and with two short tugs, the slider safely made it's journey to the top of her dress.
Fall was the running the theme of the wedding so it wasn't a surprise that Vanessa's short dress, like that of all the the bridesmaids was light orange. Just like Casey's burnt orange gown, their dress had an off shoulder neckline and flower embroidery. Charlotte had also gifted each one of them with unique diamond pendent with flowers that suited them. Vanessa got a rose as it was her favourite flower...
Vanessa cleared her throat,"If you are done checking me out...", but I interrupted her,"I am not done."
She opened her mouth to protest but I stopped her,"What? As your boyfriend, I have that much right, don't I?"
Vanessa turned around and tugged on my tie,"You have got a lot more rights that just that, Adrian Greys."
I leaned in for a kiss,"I sure do."
I was about to kiss her when she pushed me back, grinning with satisfaction, "But right now, your duty to your sister outweighs your rights so we've got to go downstairs."
I looked at her in disbelief,"You are the world's worst tease, you know that?"
She winked,"Don't worry. I heard patience is always rewarded."
She continued laughing as I excused myself,"I'll see you after the ceremony."
She nodded but before I left, she held me back by my arm. I looked at her in confusion but she began fixing my tie and smiled.
I held her gaze for a while before softly asking,"What are you doing?"
"What? You can check me out, I can't?", she arched her eyebrows and I chuckled.
She slid her arms up to my neck and said,"You've got a lot of responsibilities on your shoulder today as you are equally responsible for both the bride and groom but I know for a fact that you can handle everything. And come on, being the best man shouldn't be that hard considering you already see yourself as the best man there is. Just don't get stressed, you will be great."
"I'll try.", I closed my eyes and locked her in an embrace as everything around us melted away. It was just her, me and my stupid heart that wouldn't stop drumming.
Did you know it was possible to love someone so much that looking at them made you forget how to breathe sometimes?
What was Vanessa doing to me?
After seeing her off to where the bridesmaids were assembling, I walked downstairs to Bryan. He was standing in his white tuxedo with black lapels, black plants and a bowtie along with other groomsmen who were dressed like me in black tuxedos with black ties.
"Nervous?",I asked Bryan.
"Will you kill me if I say yes?"
"It's not just Charlotte's big day. It's yours too. You are allowed to be a little nervous...but careful, only a little."
Bryan smiled,"Don't you worry. I love her and I will be there for her and Kevin, always."
"I don't doubt that."
Because if I did...Its safe to say we wouldn't be here.
The minister who was to marry Bryan and Charlotte arrived, he went up to the floral altar, surrounded by vibrant autumn foliage.
Bryan walked in next, followed by me.
The first row of chairs lined up on either side of the flower carpet leading to the altar was reserved for The Greys, The Conners and drum roll please...The Hudsons. Mom was taking the future daughter-in-law thing too far if you ask me.
All the guests arrived and settled in, amidst the slow prelude being played by the mini wedding orchestra beside the alter.
The groomsmen and bridesmaids arrived in pairs. Vanessa was the last one in, walking alongside one of Bryan's cousins.
Cassandra,beaming with pride on being made the maid of honor was next, followed by Kevin as the ring bearer and Nate's daughter, Avery as the flower girl.
Once Charlotte arrived, holding her bouquet, with mom on her left and dad on her right, all the guests stood up to look at her.
My eyes met her equally blue, vibrant ones and she gave me a hearty smile before we both looked over at Bryan. He had his lips pressed together, his eyes welling with tears and I felt a powerful swell of emotions take over me.
This was it.
She was the girl who hurriedly married the guy she met a few months ago, the girl who was left with a divorce notice by her husband because he fell out of love, the girl who came to my doorstep crying, holding her son's hand, breaking every single one of our hearts, the girl who embraced the role of a single mother proudly, the girl who didn't let one setback pull her down, the girl who learned to love again, the girl who had the courage to commit herself to a guy again, the girl who was going to live happily and never look back, the girl who was my strong, talented, beautiful sister, Charlotte.
She deserved all the happiness in this world and seeing her here made me tear up as well. I had to pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep breath to stop myself from crying.
I put my hand on Bryan's shoulder and he looked at me,"I can't believe this is finally happening. I love her, Adrian."
"I know.", I smiled, before giving him a hug.
Charlotte walked up to the alter with dad who gave her away to Bryan. Bryan led her up the stairs to the alter and held her hands once she gave her bouquet to Casey. The minister addressed the congregation and began reading verses from the bible:
"Love knows no limit to its endurance no end to its trust, Love still stands when all else has fallen."
I found my eyes shifting from the bride to the girl I loved, who was keenly looking at the ongoing ceremony.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
Vanessa passed me a glance. Her eyes widened, finding my blue ones already on her. She smiled but then quickly turned back to look at the minister.
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Patient is the one thing Vanessa had been. I knew how much getting married ment to her and yet, for the sake of my fear of commitment, she had rarely ever mentioned it.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Love yesterday, today and forever."
Forever, the one word that still intimidated me. A question that had been on my mind for a while now, replayed in my head.
What made me sure that I was ready to spend the rest of my life with her?
I needed to figure it out and I needed to do it soon.
I turned back towards the couple at the alter as they exchanged vows, promising to stay there for each other for best or worst of what was to come, as long as they lived. This was followed by the exchange of platinum wedding bands, their circular shape representing eternal, unending love.
Finally, the minister said, "I pronounce you, Bryan Lucas Conner and Charlotte Amelia Greys, husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."
As they leaned towards each other, I looked away awkwardly. The thought of my best friend kissing my sister was still unsettling for me.
I found myself beaming as the recessional began. Once the minister left, Charlotte and Bryan walked down the aisle hand in hand followed by me and Casey.
"So best man...I caught you exchanging looks with Vanessa when the minister was reading out verses. Are you thinking about...",she began but I cut her statement short,"I was just looking at her because...because I wanted to."
"You know mom doesn't give a shit about your commit-o-phobia, right? She is still going to introduce Vanessa as her future daughter-in-law today. Maybe, to make her feel certain, I should te..."
"Don't you dare! I swear, I'll kill you."
"I would surely believe you if you could actually commit to that statement.",she grinned and I felt the urge to strangle her grow.
"Why don't you go and see if Charlotte needs something?", I sighed, as we walked out of the ballroom.
"Right! The photoshoot is beginning. I'll trouble you later.", She waved at me and ran off, much to my relief.
After sunset, the newlyweds returned back to the resort and were introduced as "Mr. and Mrs. Conner" for the first time in the reception hall, after which they shared their first dance.
When the three course meal had been served and we had given the best man and maid of honour speeches, tired, I decided to take a break and grab myself a glass of champagne. However, I never got to bar, I was called over by dad.
He patted my back,"Adrian, I was looking for you."
"Here I am! Need a pep talk before the your dance?"
"Oh no. I still think I might trip over her dress but I've got it covered. I was looking for you because Casey brought it to my attention that while the minister was..."
I cut him short,"Geez! It is not a big deal and I specifically told her to not..."
"...Not tell mom. You didn't say a thing about not telling dad, big brother.", Casey appeared from behind me and threw her arm over my shoulder.
I groaned, looking at her with disinterest as she swirled the glass of champagne in her hand.
I snatched it from her as soon as I got the opportunity and swallowed half of it.
"What the hell!", she yelled as I finished the rest of the glass with satisfaction.
If we were going to have this conversation, I might as well have a little liquid courage in my system.
Dad asked,"Son, I know it is a huge decision and no one is forcing you but just out of curiosity, have you thought about marrying Vanessa?"
"I...I have. In fact, when I was looking for birthday presents for her earlier this year, I did find myself looking at rings..."
"Then...", dad widened his eyes.
Casey rolled her eyes,"Then what? He chickened out. Remember their vacation to Bora Bora in February. Yeah! That must be the substitute present, am I right?"
I stared down at my feet, desperately trying not to look at dad's expression.
Dad asked Casey to leave and put one hand on my shoulder,"Take a stroll with me, son."
We both walked out of the hall into the quiet corridors.
"So, what exactly is bothering you?",Dad asked.
"Doubt. I am not sure if I am ready or when I will be ready. It stems from my experience with marriages. Vanessa and I have both seen what broken relationships and divorces can do to a family so there is no way that I can take the decision of marrying her lightly. I want to be sure that even forty years from now, I'll be in love with her like how you love mom. But looking so far into the future, especially when I don't like to plan ahead, it's difficult. I have this question that has been bothering me for months now:
What is the one thing about Vanessa that makes me so sure that I am ready to spend the rest of my lives with her?
I have given it a lot of thought but I still don't know the answer and I don't know where to find it."
"I had a similar question in my mind when I wanted to propose to your mother. We began as high school sweethearts so when statistics said that less than two percent of high school relationships end in marriage, I was not sure what set me and Paula apart from the rest ninety eight percent."
"How did you find the answer?"
"We talked. I asked Paula where she saw us in the future and I found my answer. Maybe you should try talking to Vanessa. It might help you get a fresh perspective."
"Dad...I and Vanessa, we've never really discussed our future in that much detail and marriage is a topic we have avoided so far...", I began, hoping dad had an easier solution to my problem than going up to her and talking.
"Communication is the key to a successful relationship. Maybe not having talked about this topic is the reason why you are unable to find your answer. You have to talk to her."
"Okay.",I said in a small voice.
We went back inside and I began thinking about what dad had said. Meanwhile, Charlotte danced with dad followed by Bryan and his mother.
I was still contemplating what to say to Vanessa when I heard someone laugh,"Future daughter-in-law?Mrs. Greys, let's not get ahead of ourselves. They may have been together for a while but knowing how your son is, it don't think it will last that long. No offence Ms. Hudson."
NO OFFENSE?
Someone has got to teach him what no offense means.
My head snapped towards the man that was addressing mom and Vanessa who were standing amid a group of upper east socialites.
Casey was right, mom was going all out to make her point that she wanted me and Vanessa to get married. I did not approve of her behavior but that didn't mean I was going to let an asshole insult her or Vanessa.
I walked upto the group, clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to handle the situation tactfully.
Last thing any of us needed was a grown man being flung into the wedding cake.
"Hey beautiful!",I addressed Vanessa as I stood beside her, loosely putting one arm around her.
"H-Hey!",she passed me a tight lipped smile, trying to mask her discomfort with the ongoing conversation.
I gave Keith Walker, the man who had passed the insolent remark, an icy stare as I said,"I see you have met my girlfriend."
Another man replied,"Yes! Ms. Hudson is a remarkable woman. It is unbelievable how Hudson Enterprises, which was at the brink of collapse four years ago, has now re-entered the fortune 500 list. Her entrepreneurial skills are truly exemplary."
"Thank you. You are too kind.",Vanessa beamed.
I passed him a brief smile,"Vanessa has certainly made us proud, no wonder she is a nominee for the businessperson of the year award for twenty-twenty-one."
The conversation continued for a short while before I grew impatient of the now silent Keith , losing the chance to pass a snarky remark at whatever he said, as I had intended.
I turned towards the others,"Ladies and gentlemen, as much as I enjoy hearing praises about Nessa, I am afraid I'll have to ask you to gather around the dance floor now."
Everyone started dispersing but I didn't let Keith get away.
"Mr. Walker, would you wait for a second longer.", I firmly stated.
Keith looked at me, a frown marring his face as he retraced his steps.
"I heard about your company. This year has not been very kind, has it?", I asked.
"It has been a particularly rough year.",Keith relaxed, realising I had called him to talk business.
Wrong!
"Would you like to hear a piece of advice?"
"Sure. I would be glad.",He smiled.
I walked up to him,next to mom, so that only he and probably mom and could here my comment.
"A word of advice, maybe try keeping your nose in your own business. You might end up doing half as well as the girl you were trying to insult.", I spat.
Keith widened his eyes and then lowered them,"I am so sorry...I never meant to upset you. I...I..."
"Upset? No. You didn't upset me. You only lost your invitation to any event we host from now. But I guess that doesn't matter because you will soon be too bankrupt to attend them anyway. No offense."
As I stepped back to where Vanessa was, Keith looked at me, his face red. He quickly turned away and scurried away from us.
Mom smirked, a look on her face that I had rarely seen and I lived for it. She shook her head, still smiling and then left to go towards the dance floor.
"What did you say to him?",Vanessa asked.
"Nothing. Just what needed to be said.", I smiled with satisfaction.
"You can't go unleashing hellfire at anyone who says something unpleasant."
I drew her towards me,"Yes, I can. It's called being protective of the girl I love and it is well within my rights, isn't it?"
She smiled before resting her head on me shoulder,"What will I ever do with you?"
"I could tell you a number of things but I guess you already know most of them.",I grinned as she swat my arm, embarrassed by my crude comment.
"To all the unmarried girls here, both single and committed,"Charlotte spoke, drawing our attention,"Now is the time to see which one of you can get a ring on your finger next."
She raised her bouquet as all the girls flocked to her, cheering.
I looked back at Vanessa, who was still standing by me.
I frowned,"You're not going to try to grab the bouquet?"
"Oh no.", she said affirmatively, taking me by surprise.
"Why not?",I said, swallowing a lump in my throat. This was my chance to have the conversation dad advised me to have.
"You'll find out in a few seconds. Keep looking."
"One...Two...Three...",Charlotte said and then tossed the bouquet.
It flew towards the back of the crowd and two girls lunged for it, taking three more down with them. The two wrestled for the bouquet but one of the other girls who had fallen snatched it from the top and raised her hands in the air.
Everyone cheered as I looked in horror.
"Holy f...a bouquet is that big a deal?"
"It sure is. I would have tried but I have had three plates too many for that kind of a brawl.",Vanessa laughed, oblivious of my worries.
I gave her a half smile as I saw the opportunity to talk to her slip away.
No!
I had to talk to her.
"Nessa, I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere quieter?"
"Now? The dance is beginning in two minutes..."
"No problem, we can talk later. I know you have been waiting to dance all day.",I smiled, masking my disappointment.
The music started playing and everyone started taking their position on the dance floor. I offered my hand to Vanessa and she smiled, putting hers in mine. I began walking towards the dance floor but I felt a tug at my hand in the opposite direction.
I looked at Vanessa and she tilted her head towards the exit,"Let's get out of here."
"But the dance?"
"As if that kicked puppy look on your face will let me focus on anything else.", she pursed her lips, a smile forming at the corner of her lips.
"I do not...you know what, let's go.",I shook my head, smiling inwardly.
We left the hall and went outside the building. We quietly walked along the cobblestone pathway between the resort and the garden where the altar was, the faint music from the reception hall wafting through the otherwise quite atmosphere.
I was filled with nervous energy as I tried to think of the exact words to say to her.
"So, what's up?", Vanessa asked.
"I have been thinking something, for a while now. I know it's on your mind so I wanted to let you know that it's on mine too."
"Okay?", she said, dragging out the 'a'.
I took Vanessa's hand in mine as we continued walking,"We've been together for nearly four years now. You must be thinking about what's next for us, right?"
She looked up at me, eyeing me curiously, possibly trying to figure out where this conversation was leading to before passing me a small smile,"I have thought about it but if it helps relieve some pressure then let me tell you that there is no deadline for completing a life goal, as long as you do it with someone you love."
"That doesn't mean you will wait for someone to propose even after two decades of being together.",I chuckled, trying to laugh off the stress building in me.
"Of course not."
I widened my eyes, definitely not expecting that response.
Vanessa laughed,"You expected a cheesy line like for you, I could wait forever, right?"
My face flushed.
"I am not an idiot to wait for a proposal for decades. Yes, I will be as patient as I can but if I get too tired of waiting, I have no problem proposing to you myself."
"You-me-propose? No. No, no. My parents will drown me in a bathtub if I make you do that!"
She laughed again,"Worth it."
I groaned in disapproval.
"So in whatever case, you are sure you can spend the rest of your life with me?", I asked, deciding to face the topic head on and not go off course.
"Why? Would you like me to spend it with someone else?", she nudged me with her elbow.
"What? No! Could you-I am trying to have a serious conversation here."
"Alright, fine. Yes, Adrian. If it helps you inflate your already gigantic ego then let me tell you that there is no one else that I'd rather spend the rest of my life with.", she sang.
"What makes you certain that what we have is forever?"
"I am not certain. No one can be a hundred percent sure about forever. Many people promise to stay together forever but don't end up doing that. There is always a risk that it might all fail but I guess that is what is important, the fact that you love someone so much that you are ready to take such a risk."
"But love can't be the only thing that matters to take that risk, right?"
"It isn't. I love you very much but for me, the most important thing about our relationship is that I trust you. I can trust that when you ask me to marry you, you will be sure that you are ready to take that risk. I can trust that whatever promise we make to each other in the future, you will put in as much effort as I do to uphold it so that is why I know I can spend the rest of my life with you."
I looked at her in awe as she smiled back at me.
"Do you want to ask me something?"
"Unless you wanna drown in a bathtub, I'll leave the asking questions part to you."
We both laughed.
I kissed the back of Vanessa's hand,"I know I am taking a long time but I just want you to remember that I love you."
"I already know that. Remember when you said you didn't know what you feel, on new year's eve, when I had asked you why you cared about me?"
"I do not need to be reminded.You almost left New York.",I sighed.
"I wouldn't change a thing about it if I could, actually. That day, you weren't sure about your feelings and I was pushing you to tell me how you felt because of my desperate need for validation. We would not have lasted this long if you had told me something you didn't mean but we are here, together after three years, ten months and umm..."
"-Three days.",I completed, smiling.
"Right. I know it's not easy for you to make commitments but that doesn't mean you shy away from them. You take your time to make your decisions, sometimes it is just a day, sometimes it is much longer but what ever you decide to do, you see it through till the end and that is something I really admire."
I wrapped my arms around her in a bear hug, not finding the right words to thank her. My mind had been a mess, overthinking what to do but now that I had talked to her, I felt much better.
I took in a deep breath as I felt a weight being lifted off me as I went over her words.
Standing in the middle of an empty road, holding the woman I loved in my arms, knowing she loved me back just as much , I think I found the answer I had been searching for.
A/N: It's been so long since I last updated. Thank you for not killing me yet and being patient.
For your patience, I am rewarding you with another epilogue part today itself!
So keep scrolling further for the final part:
|Epilogue-4: Sunset|
Love you guys.ðð