-46-
Rafael
Today was my wedding day, and the emotions swirling inside me were a wild mix of excitement and nervousness. The anticipation has been building up for weeks, but nothing could have prepared me for this morning. Yasmin and I had decided to spend the night before in separate rooms, following the tradition, and although it felt strange to be apart, it added to the anticipation of seeing her again.
The first rays of sunlight barely peeked through the curtains when I jumped out of bed. I quickly brushed my teeth, the minty freshness doing little to quell the butterflies in my stomach. My heart raced as I threw on some clothes and made my way to the living room, where I knew the guys would be gathered.
Sure enough, I found all of them there, sipping coffee. Roman saw me enter and immediately poured me a cup. He handed it to me with a reassuring smile. "Hey, look who finally decided to join us!" he teased.
"Thanks, man," I said, taking a seat and wrapping my hands around the warm mug. The caffeine was exactly what I needed to steady my nerves. "Morning, guys," I said, sipping the hot coffee. The warmth spread through me, calming some of my nerves.
"Morning, man," Khalid replied, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
"Nervous as hell," I admitted with a chuckle. "But excited too. I can't wait to see Yasmin walk down the aisle. Just so you know, I'm not having any second thoughts. I'm more than ready for this."
Khalid's stern expression softened a bit as he nodded. "Good to hear. Yasmin deserves someone who's all in."
"Rafael, it's normal to feel this way," Ivan said, his voice calm and steady. "But remember, today is about you and Yasmin. Everything else is secondary. Just focus on her, and everything will fall into place."
Dad chimed in. "Yeah, and don't worry about anything else. We all have your back."
I smiled, feeling a little more at ease. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."
Roman clapped me on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! And trust me, when you see her in that dress, everything else will fade away."
We spent the next hour or so talking and joking, the atmosphere becoming lighter and more relaxed. It was exactly what I needed to loosen up. The bond between us all felt stronger than ever, and I was grateful to have these men by my side on such an important day.
As the morning progressed, we began to get ready. The suits were laid out, perfectly pressed, and waiting for us. I put mine on carefully, making sure everything was in place. My father helped me with my tie, his fingers deftly working the fabric into a perfect knot.
"Looking sharp, man," he said with a grin. "Yasmin's going to be blown away."
"Thanks, Dad," I replied, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt. "You clean up pretty well yourself."
I was just about to ask if anyone's spoken to Yasmin when Roman's phone buzzed. He picked it up and his face immediately drained of color, as if he'd just seen a ghost. "What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by his sudden change in demeanor.
Wordlessly, Roman turned his phone to show us the screen. It was Ethan's Instagram account. He had just uploaded about six photos, each one featuring him and Yasmin. They were at various locations around the city—laughing at a café, walking through the park, posing in front of some mural. Ethan's smirk in every photo was unmistakable; it was like he was taunting us.
Khalid was the first to react. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "That son of a bitch!" he growled, his voice barely containing his fury. I could almost see the anger radiating off him like heat waves. "How dare he? He’s doing this to get under our skin."
I turned to Ivan, expecting him to share Khalid's fury. But to my surprise, Ivan just looked on, his expression oddly calm. It was as if he had anticipated this, as if he knew Ethan would pull something like this eventually. "I knew he was unpredictable," Ivan said quietly, more to himself than to any of us. Then, just as abruptly, he shifted gears back to talking about the wedding. "So, are we nervous for the first look?"
I couldn't believe it. "Ivan, are you serious right now?" I asked, incredulous. "Did you see those photos? Ethan's parading Yasmin around on Instagram like some trophy!"
I couldn’t hold back. “Ivan, how can you be so calm about this?” I demanded, my voice rising. “Ethan is trying to mess with us, and you’re acting like it’s just another day!”
Ivan looked up at me, his eyes hard and determined. “Rafael,” he said quietly. “It is just another day, but it's one of the most memorable days for me as a father. My daughter is getting married. I'll walk her down the aisle and share this day with her. If you think I'm going to let some lowlife, wannabe businessman stop me from enjoying my day, then you're wrong."
"But still..." I just had to stir the pot more. "How are you so calm, even when Yasmin isn't here?"
"I’m not calm," he stated calmly. "This is all a front, one I crafted for situations like this when my anger is to the point where I want to murder someone. Ethan has crossed many lines and I'll deal with him but not today. I refuse to let Ethan ruin this day for her.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I saw the strain in his eyes, the tension in his jaw. He held it together by sheer force of will, for his daughter’s sake. I took a deep breath, feeling a grudging respect for Ivan’s strength. “I understand,” I said, my voice softening. “I just wish we were doing something.”
"We will," he grinned, the malicious intent in his eyes was clear to everyone. "The grim reaper doesn't rush to collect the soul of a man who is already dead."