CHAPTER 31
Standing on the beach the next day at one o’clock in the afternoon, we say our vows. We exchange rings and almost immediately after, the sky opens. Rain pours down, and we rush to find shelter.
My stomach sinks. Rain on one’s wedding day is a sign of bad luck, isn’t it? What happened to the bright, sunny day? The clear sky. Yesterday, the weather was perfect. Today, my wedding day, it’s dreary. Stormy. Soggy.
Uneasiness creeps into my bones. Everything between us was perfect up until this point. What does this mean? Was I not supposed to do this? I don’t understand.
The pretty curls I put in my hair are all flat. My mascara is compromised. I’m sure of it even though I haven’t looked in the mirror. Tears roll down my face.
“It’s okay, baby,” Axel says. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“But it’s raining on our day—our special day.”
“And we’re still married. We still love each other and we still have each other, sweetheart.”
He tries to lift my spirits, but it doesn’t work. I’m sullen and all I want to do is shower, wash my face, and clean this sand off my feet.
Disappointed, I head back up to the suite alone and after a quick shower, I slide into a robe and sit on the sofa with my stomach in knots. I think about how my family isn’t here. How I didn’t share this moment with my mother and perhaps that’s why our ceremony got rained out. God was telling me I was doing this all wrong. I’m being too free-spirited, especially for a woman who, before meeting Axel, had planned every aspect of her life.
What if this impulsive marriage is not in line with the path God wants for me? What am I doing wrong?
I look up when Axel opens the door. He comes inside still wearing his tux and holding a cake – a four-layer cake with white frosting, decorated with light pink roses.
A smile instantly comes to my face.
He lowers the cake to the table and says, “Ain’t nothing over.”
“Ax, where did you find a cake?”
“I had it made for us. They were holding it downstairs in the restaurant.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, but we’re about to mess it up. Here’s what I want you to do. Grab a fist full, and cram it into my mouth.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Do it.”
I follow his instructions, grab a fist full and smash cake into his mouth, subsequently smearing it all over his face.
Tickled, I say, “You look good in red velvet.”
“You’re about to look good in it, too.” He takes a handful and says, “Open up.”
“But—”
“Nope. Open.”
I open my mouth and he stuffs cake inside and intentionally smears frosting on my lips and down my neck. Before I could protest, he’s nibbling and licking it off. I can barely swallow from the way he has my body shaking.
My robe falls open. His hand touches my breasts. He squeezes and then releases while his tongue wrestles with mine.
He gasps.
He pulls away.
He has never tried to make love to me.
Our rainy wedding day isn’t proving to be the exception. His hesitancy surprises me because I know he wants me. I’m amazed at his willful self-control, but he has nothing to prove to me.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I’m fine. Did you want more cake?” he asks.
“Uh, not if you’re going to cram it down my throat.”
“I have forks,” he says, taking them out of his pocket with his frosting-free, clean hand. “Here you go,” he says, handing me one. “Let me go get some towels.”
He comes back and wipes my hands for me. I’d already cleaned the cake from around my mouth. His tongue took care of the frosting he put on my neck.
With a fork now, we eat like rational, normal human beings.
He says, “It’s not a big deal that it rained, Zimyra. It’s fine. We’ll just have an interesting story to tell our kids.”
“As if we didn’t have that already. I can see myself talking to my daughter now, telling her how you put me under your spell and made me marry you.”
“Made you?” he asks with a brow raised.
“Yep. That’s what I’m telling her.”
“Then I guess it’s up to me to tell her the truth about how you made me fall in love with you.” He grins. “What do you think your mother will say?”
“I think she’ll be happy. She’s been wanting this for me for some time. Zavier will be okay with it, too. Zander, on the other hand, will probably lose it.”
“Why?”
“He’s taken on the role of my father. He thinks he should have a say in every decision that I make.”
“I can see that.” He takes the fork out of my hand and says, “No more cake. We have dinner downstairs in an hour.”
“Oh. Okay. I’m glad I packed some extra dresses.”
He leans close, kisses my lips, and then says, “See—everything is fine just like I knew it would be.”
“It is. Thank you for being optimistic. Sometimes, I just stress myself over nothing.”
“I know, but I’m running this show now. It’s my responsibility to shoulder all your stresses and worries. That pretty face of yours should always come with a smile.”
She smiles and says, “You’re doing an excellent job of keeping one there.”