Part one of The Wedding :)


"She was the one that kissed me," he said, getting to his feet, rubbing the rapidly forming bruise over his broken jaw.

I could tell from his thoughts that he was telling the truth. That Arabella really was the one who initiated the kiss. It felt as though the ground had dropped out from under me.

I suddenly wasn't up to talking to Atian anymore, so without another word I turned and started to walk away.

"See you at your wedding!" he called tauntingly after me and I couldn't even bring myself to respond.

Chapter 53

So today was the day.

The day the love of my life was getting married to his busty blonde ex-fiancée turned bride-to-be.

The worst part? I was their maid of honour AND their 'best man' since no one else was willing to do the job.

Joy of all joys.

"You're getting a ride back with us, right?" asked Emmett as he walked by me with a suitcase.

"Nope," I replied, hauling a second, smaller suitcase to the back of his Hummer. After placing both of them in the truck he turned to me.

"Then how are you getting back?" he asked as I started walking with him back towards the house.

"I'm riding back with Atian."

That stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Atian? Why the fuck would you do that?"

"Because he's my date," I and before I could blink he grabbed me by the tops of my arms and spun me around to face him so fast that my teeth rattled. I started to complain but the look on his face had me swallowing my words.

"Your what?" he demanded, his voice getting dangerously low.

"Uh, my date. To the wedding."

"What the fuck Arabella? You're dating that werewolf?" he growled, his fingers tightening painfully on my biceps.

"I didn't say that," I said, struggling in his grasp. At my words he seemed to relax a tiny bit.

"So you're not dating him."

"I didn't say that either..." I responded quietly.

To be completely honest I had no idea what Atian and I were. All I knew was that he was there for me whenever I needed him after the whole Alexander thing went downhill.

I also knew that he was a pretty good kisser...

"Listen, I know Alexander is being a royal jackass, but dating Atian isn't the right way to get back at him."

For some reason his words pissed me off. It was probably because Emmett was right about the whole 'getting with Atian to get back at Alexander' thing. But I wasn't about to admit that to him, or anyone else for that matter. So instead I went on the defensive.

"What said I was dating Atian to get back at Alexander?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "In fact, Alexander has nothing to do with this."

Lies, lies, lies.

"I could care less about him. Do you think I'm incapable of moving on and getting over him?"

"I didn't say that," Emmett said quickly. "I'm just saying that this thing with Atian isn't a good idea."

"Yea, well, no one asked you Emmett," I snapped and turned on my heel to walk away.

Later as I sat with Alice in the passenger seat of her Porsche as we began our drive to La Belle I realized that I was a complete bitch earlier with Emmett. He was just trying to look out for me and I ended up snapping at him.

I also snapped at Alice, Carlisle, and even poor little Nessie. I felt the worst about getting mad at Nessie. I mean, she was just a little kid, and she wanted to show me something but I just wasn't in the mood.

But then again, my bitchy mood was kinda justified seeing as how I was on my way to my ex-boyfriend's wedding. I sighed deeply and sunk down in my seat. I saw Alice glance over and give me a sympathetic look. She didn't try to say anything though. Probably because she was afraid I'd snap at her again.

Today was going to be a long ass day...

._._._._._.

I was going to strangle Katherine.

We were about an hour away from getting this show on the road and she had me running in circles at her beck and call. For instance, she realized just five minutes ago that she didn't like the colour of the ribbon on her bouquet and sent me out to hunt for a 'pure silk ribbon in razzmatazz'. And yes, razzmatazz is indeed a colour because I did, eventually, find it at some fabric store.

Needless to say, I was tired and fed up and so not in the mood.

"Oh Arabella!" called the she-devil and I groaned. Rosalie, who was sitting next to me on a couch in the brides' room wearing a tight, fuchsia, silk dress, rolled her eyes and muttered 'bitch'. I didn't bother to acknowledge it because I was afraid of what I'd say if I let the fragile grip I had on my control go. Wordlessly I rose and walked across the room and into the enormous bathroom where the hairstylist Katherine hired was doing her hair.

"Yea," I asked, crossing my arms and waiting for her to tell me that she didn't like the venue and wanted me to change it right that minute.

What she actually asked me to do was probably a thousand times worse.

"Could you be a doll and run this to Alexander? I'd do it myself, but you know how the groom can't see the bride before the wedding," she said cheerily, holding out a carton with a boutonniere in it and I wanted nothing more than to take the box and shove in up her nose.

Instead I gave her a tight lipped smile.

"Isn't there someone else to do it? Like one of the guys?"

"Why would I ask one of them when I have you?" she asked with an evil smile. "Besides, it's not like it matter's if he sees you. You aren't the one he's marrying."

I forced myself to take slow, even breaths to refrain from trying to poke out her eyeball with the curling iron the hairstylist was using on her.

"Of course," I muttered and then took the carton.

"Thanks Arabella, you are such a sweetheart," she said with a fake smile as I turned on my heel and walked out. Just as I was leaving the room I saw Alice coming towards me.

"Where are you going?" she asked, tugging on the strapless bodice of her lavender dress.

"Running errands for her highness," I replied, lifting the carton to show her.

Alice simply rolled her eyes and put her tiny hands on her hips.

"The wedding is literally in forty-five minutes, and you aren't dressed!"

"Please," I said and scoffed, "I'm in no hurry to get into that piece of goose shit that Katherine calls a bridesmaid dress."

She giggled at my description, but it was accurate enough. The dress was the most hideous shade of green-brown and had huge poufy cap sleeves and flowers over the bust. She sprung it on me about an hour ago with such glee in her eyes that I thought she was going to piss herself in happiness, you know, if that was even possible.

"Oh I've got that covered," said Alice, looking very suspicious. I didn't ask, however, because I needed to get the boutonniere to Alexander. So with a little wave I was on my way downstairs, to the groom's room.

I was totally looking forward to seeing Alexander.

Totally.

Alexander's POV

"Will you quit staring at me like that?" I snapped at Edward as I paced back and forth in front of the bed he was sitting on. I was about half an hour away from tying the knot with the bitch of all bitches.

God.

"Just trying to memorize what a man who's about to make the biggest mistake of his immortal life looks like."

Cheeky bastard.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," I found myself saying and then cursing to myself when Edward laughed. I stopped my pacing to shoot him a murderous look and he held up his hands.

"I'm not here to fight with you Alexander," he said in that stupid mightier-than-thou voice of his.

"I do not have a 'mightier-than-thou' voice," he said and I smirked.

"Yea you do," I said and then continued to pace. Eventually Edward sighed.

"Alexander, I don't need to tell you that you're making a big mistake-"

"No you don't."

"And I don't need to tell you that you're going to regret this every day for the rest of eternity."

"Nope," I said, already hating this conversation.

"Then what the fuck are you doing here Alexander?" he asked quietly and I took a deep breath, telling myself that Nessie wouldn't like me too much if I ripped her father's head off.

"You know why I'm doing this Edward," I said, shoving my hands into the pockets of my suit pants.

"No, I don't," said Edward. "But I do know that you love Arabella-"

Before he could even finish his sentence I had him up against the wall by the neck.

"Don't," I growled. "Don't say her name." I couldn't take it. Not when I was standing in a room waiting to get married to another woman. "Just don't..."

"Alex," he said softly and the sympathy in his voice made me want to hurl him out a window. So instead I set him down on his feet and strode across the room and onto the balcony. Bracing my unsteady hands on the rail I dropped my head to my chest and closed my eyes.

It was kind of embarrassing, the way just hearing her name made me want to break something.

How the hell was I supposed to get through the entire ceremony without completely losing it? Especially since she would be standing right there, close enough to touch. God it's been forever since I've touched her...

I gave my head a hard shake. Thinking about touching her would definitely not do me any good.

But then again, so would seeing her.

Which is why I was completely wary as I turned around and watched her walk out onto the balcony.

There was no way in hell that this was going to end well.

Arabella's POV

When I got to the room the door was open, so I didn't bother to knock as I walked in. Just as I cleared the doorway, I was startled to see Edward standing against the wall, staring at the ground. I opened my mouth to say something but he simply straightened up and brushed past me out of the room.

I frowned in his direction and then turned back.

I could see Alexander's broad back through the billowing curtain that lead onto the balcony.

I suppose I could have left the boutonniere on the table. He wouldn't have been able to miss it. But I decided to make it a hell of a lot harder on myself by going out onto the balcony with him. It's not like I could feel any worse. I mean, how much more could one person's heart break, right?

As I parted the curtains and walked out onto the landing the scent of jasmine overwhelmed my senses.

I could tell the exact moment that he became aware of me by the way that his back muscles tensed. Sure enough, he slowly turned around to face me and my breath caught in my throat.

Why did I decide to do this the hard way again?

For a long moment neither of us said anything. Finally I realized that I needed to get going or I'd be attending the wedding in my denim cut-offs and Elmo t-shirt. I took a deep breath.

"Katherine wanted me to give this to you," I said holding up the carton. I should have handed it over and then hightailed it the hell out of there, but I was horrified to find myself opening it up.

"I know how much you hate these things and also know that you have a tendency to mangle them," I said, speaking way too fast to make much sense as I pulled the boutonniere out. "But I can't let you ruin this one because it's the fourth one I bought and Katherine actually seems to like it and it cost a fortune 'cause it's one of a kind..."

At the end of my ramble I found myself standing directly in front of Alexander, boutonniere in hand. I looked up at him and it only occurred to me then exactly how long it had been since I was that close to him. I cleared my throat and stared hard at the open collar of his white shirt. It was a whole lot safer than giving into my urge to reach up, grab the back of his head and kiss him. I cleared my throat again and started to pin the boutonniere to his lapel. I was careful to make sure that I didn't touch any more of him that was absolutely necessary.

It took me twice as long as it should have but I managed to get it on him without sticking myself.

"Right. Well... I'm just going to go..." I started to say and back up.

When he grabbed my wrists in his ice cold hands I nearly pissed myself. I looked up at him wide eyed, mouth slightly agape. What the hell was he doing?

Thousands of images and memories were flitting through his thoughts. It was so sudden and so intense that I felt overwhelmed by the emotions that went with all those memories. And then before I knew it, his lips were on mine and I thought that I would die right there.

It was amazing how, even after all this time, the second his lips touched mine it felt as though we'd never been apart. As though I hadn't gone nearly a whole month without this kind of intimacy.

He let go of my wrists and put his hands on my face. They didn't stay there for long, however, because they travelled the length of my body. It was as if he was trying to reacquaint himself with my skin.

I went wild.

My hands dove into his hair and I pressed against him furtively. He picked me up then, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist, never once separating our lips.

I felt like I was drowning.

It was amazing.

I ran my hands over his face and down his chest. When his boutonniere stuck me in the hand it was like someone threw cold water on us.

We sprung apart, the momentum nearly sending me crashing to the floor. For a long time the only sound came from my heavy breathing. Eventually I forced myself to look up at him.

"I don't know what kind of a game you're playing," I started quietly, my voice not all too steady. "But I you'd better fucking stop it."

I'd wasted too many tears on him in the past few weeks, there was no way he'd make me cry today.

And with that I turned and flew out of the room.


Part two coming up soon. All wedding photo's will be on my profile at the end.

Comment and review!

Peace, love and boutonnieres

Xoxo thedarkangel22