Chapter-27🌜 Love. Comfort. Cherish.
William's POV
"It's time, William..." Ryan tells me from behind.
I acknowledge him with a weary, almost imperceptible nod. So this is it. I take a deep breath as I stare at my screensaver.
This is the photo of her that I took of her when she was eating ice cream. There are glowing drops of pink cream running down the fingers gripping the cone as it melts under the heat of the sun.
A stray dollop clings to the curve of her cheek, and the photo catches her mid-swipe, so her tongue arches in a desperate, laughing attempt to reclaim the sweetness before it vanishes.
It was a candid shot-taken when she was being completely herself. No worries about the world-her parents' dying bakery, her grades-nothing. She was just enjoying the moment with me. I'd wanted to capture this moment and bury it in my heart forever.
Alas, we don't have that technology yet, so I settled for a picture without her knowledge. That's why her eyes are wide like a chipmunk's, because I forgot to turn off the flash.
I don't even realise when a tear falls from my eyes to my phone. Living wasn't that hard, when she was around...
I snuffle the tears away, because now is not the time. Now I need to leave to marry him.
I turn around and look at Ryan. All the emotions drained from my face and my lips pinched shut. Ryan gives me a concerned look, but I ignore him.
I have to.
"Is everything set according to our plan?" I ask him, my words coming out in a dull, mechanical drone.
"Yes, everything is set." He replies to me in an equally serious tone.
I just nod as I start walking towards the door. I open the door and I feel Ryan following me.
Just when I swing the knob, I see my mom standing in front of the door. She's dressed in a minimalistic maroon gown, going elegantly with her skin tone. "Will..." She doesn't say anything else but I can see the tears streaming down her face. And then my eyes land on her bony wrist-
What the fuck? She has a bandage wrapped around her wrist, hidden beneath her bracelet and a thick bangle.
She always hides the scars and never lets them be visible to the world. To me.
But I still notice them. Like always.
Did he hit her... again?
I am just about to ask her about it but she comes closer and buries her face in my shoulder and wraps her right hand around my neck. I can feel her cry, but she doesn't make a sound.
She never does. As her body became a map of survived storms-she grew increasingly fluent in silence. Never let her sobs be audible to anyone.
I feel her taking a hushed breath and then she pulls back and asks me, "are you ready?" with a faint smile on her face.
I consume my hesitation, leaving only a sharp, cold iron in its place as I just give her a nod in reply.
"Okay..." She wipes her eyes and tries to sound enthusiastic, "your dad is asking for you. It's time to take you to the aisle."
Again, I just nod and start walking, not looking back on either of them, or their worried faces.
??
I am waiting with my escort-none other than the true nightmare of my life-my dad. In this sacristy, completely alone.
Being with my dad in this small, stone-walled room is like a hand closing around my throat. My palms dampen, my pulse climbs, the walls start pressing closer than they should.
My dad's stony eyes are completely fixated on me as if he can hear the uncontrollable beating of my heart. The sadist in front of me looks satisfied with his doing though, and why wouldn't he? He's getting what he wants and no one's here to stop him.
"You look pathetic, as always." He spits out every word, but I don't dare raise my eyes to see him. Because god knows how a minor eye contact could be highly disrespectful for his fragile ego.
Though I don't need to see him to know that he's looking down on me in the same conceited way. His eyes are making holes in my skull with unhidden disdain.
'Love you too dad!' I internally roll my eyes.
Hmm... it isn't entirely internal. I can't help it.
But he can't see me either, so I will pass I guess.
"Anyway, it's time. Your vows are in the hand of the other loser, what's his name again?" He pauses midway as if giving it a deep thought. "Roman or whatever. He has those vows, and if you dare say anything. Anything apart from what's written in it..." He leaves the threat unsaid.
"Sure, sir." Because if I say what's actually on my mind, this will get me another beating or if that's not possible, then his tongue is hurtful enough to keep me shush for a very long time.
So accept it, if you can't reject it.
"Now shoulders straight and eyes up."
I straighten up and then not giving me another glance he starts walking-why can't he just walk the aisle too? Ughh!
I follow behind and we enter the Chiesa Ballroom, and just when we enter I feel the heaviness of the room. There's no sound in the room apart from the soft classical music playing in the background. I feel hundreds of pairs of eyes on me, making me overwhelmed.
The room is lit by flickering votive candles and opulent chandeliers that catch the gold lined chairs of these people.
With every step we take, I feel it echo in the citrusy atmosphere, as if someone has numbed gravity; stopping the movement of Earth just for this moment. Or maybe it's my world which has stopped, because as we move forward-my eyes land on him.
Zane.
The architect of this entire chaos-the man who pulled every string-is now waiting at the altar's edge. His gaze is locked on mine, fixed and unyielding, as if the mere sight of me has stolen the breath from his lungs and he has forgotten how to blink.
Ironically, and despite everything, I find I cannot look away either. I don't know which God he prays, which has made a sinner like him, like this...
A charming disaster.
Probably someone who preaches cruelty and deceit.
We reach the end of the aisle and my dad takes my hand-very violently, if I may add-and puts it on Zane's hand, as if handing me over to him.
The tingles that I feel running from fingers and straight to my head making me dizzy-jusy his touch is enough to make me want to crawl out of my skin.
His long fingers wrap around mine, and I see how different our hands are.
His grip is strong but not hurting, even gentle.
I can feel the calluses on his hands, but somehow the pad of his palm is still soft.
My hands have some of these too from holding brushes for a long time. But his are more refined.
Destiny has a cruel sense of humour-because the same hand? The one with a serpent wrapped around it. That same ring. The one which held that gun. Everything which started all of this.
And now my own dad is handing me over to this man, as if I am the heaviest burden of his life.
This is the man I hate-so why is my body betraying me?
From a single touch?
I almost pull my hand back. Almost.
The urge to correct the wrong drowns me. But I can't tell which is worse, the touch or how that feels.
Though dying without completing my motive is not an option. So I don't.
I don't even see the officiant standing before the ancient altar, until he starts, "we are gathered here in the sight of God and these witnesses to join these two men in the covenant of marriage".
I know he has done nothing wrong, and I shouldn't blame him, but I can't help it. He is officiating this marriage.
Binding me to a man I don't want. But I still try to suppress the dirty look of resentment that I was just about to give him.
"Do you, Zane, take William to be your lawfully wedded spouse? Do you promise to honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, remain faithful to him as long as you both shall live?". He asked Zane.
Sickness? What if it's his presence that is causing that sickness? What about that? And he shouldn't even talk about faith to someone who shoots people behind a mask.
But just at that moment, I feel his eyes on me. I look up and see him looking right on me with intense eyes as if there's no one else in this room.
"I do." And that catches me off guard.
The hoarseness of his voice, when he says that while his eyes are piercing down my soul. He doesn't say it to the officiant.
He says it to me.
I knew that would be his answer only, but it still throws me off. As if a part of me actually believed it for a second. And I need to bury that part alive as soon as possible otherwise, I will be getting buried soon.
These vultures will gut their own blood for power. I cannot let this poison me further.
I try to keep my breathing steady as the officiant turns to me, "William, do you take Zane to be your lawfully wedded spouse, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward?"
Did he just say all of that in the same line?
Love. Comfort. Cherish.
None of that will be part of this marriage.
Not in this world. Not in another. He is my target not a fucking jewel which needs to be cherished.
Well I can promise one thing, I won't do any of them.
In fact I promise to take away any love he has.
Any comfort he is provided.
And anyone who cherishes him.
That's my promise to myself.
So now these declarations of intent don't matter. "I do." The words leave too easily, but I know who will see beyond this facade. So I don't lock eyes with him this time.
Then an instant wave of regret squeezes my gut. I should have said that with soul-penetrating eyes and a smile on my lips.
Should have promised to protect his prosperity while glaring right in his eyes.
That hesitation won't happen again.
When I do look up, he gives me a tight lipped smile.
Why does it feel like he saw through me?
A/N??
Mama mia, it's meeeee!
How was the chapter?? Hmmmmmm?
The vows haven't even started but William has made some promises already...
And what was the plan Ryan and Will were talking about? ??
Thoughts? ??
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