4. Caia
4
CAIA
Alexie and I arrive at the park separately. It’s October, so the flowers are no longer in full bloom. Still, I’d say the gazebo alone makes this the perfect backdrop for a wedding.
For the first time ever, I’m slightly nervous to see Alexie. We haven’t seen each other all day. He’s been away running errands and I’ve had to hide out in his apartment, to avoid being caught by anyone.
I draw my fingers through my hair to loosen my curls. I left them down today, blow dried them a bit so they’d stretch past my bust and tickle my waist. I wanted to do something different. It is, after all, a special occasion.
My heart beats quickly as Alexie steps out of his car, rounds to the backseat of the car he sent for me to help me join him outside. He’s suffocatingly hot today. His brown hair is smoothed to the side, making his cheekbones look even sharper. His green eyes seem to pierce through my clothes as he trails his gaze up and down my body.
When he opens the door, he reaches beside me to take a wreath.
“This is a tradition in Russia and symbolizes that we will be the king and queen of our own kingdom.”
I tip my chin down as he slips the wreath over my head. When I lift my eyes, he holds out a silk white ribbon.
“For your eyes,” he says with a confident smirk. “The next part is a surprise.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Kinky.”
“Please, Caia.”
“Are you begging me, Alexie?” I find it entertaining to see what flusters this winter-bred hunk.
“Da.”
A smirk creeps up my lips. He has a pattern of forgetting to speak English when he’s agitated, and I like that, too.
It’s so Alexie.
“Fine,” I say as the car pulls away.
Blindfolded, he leads me down the pathway into the park. I feel like a princess being chaperoned to a ball.
My parents would not like this .
We come to a halt, and I hear a bunch of gasps…
Male gasps?
I slip my hands into his, and his other hand slides down to the small of my back. He gently guides me into position.
“Who’s here?” I whisper.
Chuckles sound around me. With the blindfold on, I have no idea where they’re coming from.
I grumble, “Alexie, I swear, if this is one of your childish pr?—”
“It’s not, my sweet. I promise.” I’m cut off by a husky voice near my ear.
My heart pounds in my chest. He doesn’t know how long I’ve been dreaming for the day he’d call me something affectionate. Even if this is just for show, it feels right. To me.
His voice becomes fainter, like he is leaning back from me. “Three, two, one…”
At one, he removes the band and my eyes meet a gazebo, lit up with thousands of fairy lights.
My mouth parts into an ‘O’ that I can’t and don’t want to stop. Almost the entire team, minus a couple rookies, are here. On their night off. Something that the girlfriends might not appreciate. But it just shows her how much they love and care for Alexie.
Cade, who has switched out his signature hockey gear for a suit, motions us forward.
“Do you have a ring?” he asks.
I groan. “Crap! I don’t.”
The men cackle with laughter, only shutting up when Alexie shoots them a dirty look.
He says, “I’ve got you, Caia. I’ll always have you from this point forward.” He digs into his trousers’ pocket.
One of the guys mumbles, “Yeah, and the GM’s gonna have your ass.”
With that comment, I feel the gravity in my bones, but once we signed on that line, it was a done deal. No takesies backsies with this.
He raises a ring and slides it onto my finger. I gasp. It’s a gorgeous two-carat solitaire with sapphires surrounding the center stone.
“It… It’s stunning,” I stammer. I shouldn’t be so surprised. I grew up in a pretty well-off home, but the moment feels so fairy-tale-like, except for the fact that it is fake. It’s supposed to be fake, but this feels real. If I shut my eyes, and just listen to Alexie’s husky voice, I can convince myself that this is an actual wedding— dress, ring, guests, decorations. I’m getting everything that I want.
But it’s not real.
He flashes a lopsided smile. “So are you.”
He hands me a band that’s the same platinum metal and I slide his ring onto his finger.
“Perfect,” he says. Our guests watch quietly, or in shock. There’s a fine line here.
Cade clears his throat to deliver his script. “By the power that wasn’t vested in me because I’m still confused on what’s really happening. I pronounce you… married?” I roll my eyes at the fact he poses it as a question. “You may kiss each other.”
This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.
Alexie’s mouth lowers to mine. I loosen my shoulders, prepared for him to plant his lips— but he pauses.
“Thank you, Caia,” he says in a low voice.
I smile and remove the remaining inches between us, rising on my tiptoes to kiss him. My stomach instantly flip-flops into impressive summersaults. Butterflies aren’t this impressive. I feel like an Olympic gymnast is performing a routine inside me.
It’s a soft kiss. His hand embracing my neck and keeping me latched to him. It continues for longer than I expect, but for a first kiss, it’s perfect.
He slowly withdraws to say, “The longer the kiss, the stronger the marriage is what my ancestors said.”
My cheeks fire up that he made this special for both of us.
I might start taking Russian superstitions more seriously.
The guys start hooting and hollering as if we’re in the last quarter of a winning match. A shower of tiny, glitter frosted paper snowflakes drizzles down on us.
Alexie takes my hand. “Thank you guys for coming. I know this was… different.”
I roll my eyes in jest. My grin is too wide to pretend that I’m even partially annoyed.
He continues, “But to share this with my brothers means everything to me. I present to you, Ms. Caia Anderson-Koslov, my lovely wife.”