THE WEDDING 2
1169 Words
A few minutes later, they arrived at the church premises. Lena got out of the car with her father standing by her side.
Lisa was at the back, clutching the tip of the dress in her hands. She seemed to be the most excited among them.
As they walked into the church, Lena's heartbeat intensified. That was her fate being sealed with a man she didn’t know.
After that day, there was no going back, she was going to be his wife and bear all the s**t he would make her go through.
These thoughts clouded her mind and she was on the verge of tears, giving up, and running out of the church but it was already late. She couldn't do that anymore.
With ease, her father walked her down the aisle. Darian was already standing by the altar, awaiting her arrival. He loathed that she kept him waiting, but he would let that slide —it was their wedding day.
Darian donned a perfectly tailored jet black double-breasted suit jacket with a crispy white shirt.
His hair was neatly slicked back, with a subtle wave. She sized him up in an instant, his ambience blanketing her. He breathed an air of understated elegance, exuding so much authority even without uttering a word. She felt so small, so unseen around him. This was danger. He reeked of danger.
Her father let go of her hands, moving away to stand behind them. Lena didn’t glimpse an audience in the church. It was just them, Lisa, Darian’s bodyguard that she was yet to know his name and the priest who was to join the two in holy matrimony.
"You kept me waiting." Darian cautioned sternly, not sparing her a glance.
She said nothing to him, she looked over at the priest, and the mass began. After the celebration of the holy mass, it was now time to join the couple together. The priest approached them with a bible in his hand, and Lisa walked up the aisle to deliver the ring.
"Darian Dawson, do you have a toast to make before I join you two together?" The elderly priest asked him.
"No." His response was curt and firm.
"And you, Lena Johnson, do you have a toast to make?" He asked her and Lena gave the same response too.
"Now, you say after me." He turned back to Darian. "I, Darian Dawson, take you, Lena Johnson, as my lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish every day of my life, for better or worse till death do us part." The priest called out, and Darian said slowly after him, but he wasn't sure about those words and he felt the marriage oath should not be necessary to try but they had to go through the required procedure according to the mafia rules.
He slid the diamond ring into her fragile finger, and it faultlessly fitted. Lena looked into his eyes and felt nothing at all. She let out an exasperated sigh —that was not the kind of wedding she had wished for all her life.
"Lena, are you ready to pronounce your vows?" The priest asked her and she looked to where her father and Lisa were sitting. She wanted to scream out loud and tell the priest she didn't want to marry Darian but that would be her father's death.
She turned back to the priest and nodded in response, "I'm ready.” She muttered.
"I, Lena..." He said, and she repeated after him.
When she was done pronouncing her vows, she took the ring and held Darian's beautiful lean fingers. She gently put it on it and looked at him, his eyes met with hers but he was quick to stare away from her.
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest raised their hands to the air.
Lisa and Gavin applauded.
Lena was so scared. Her heart couldn't stop beating hard but there was no going back now. It had been sealed. She was officially his wife.
"You may now kiss your bride." The priest announced to them.
At that moment, Lena realized she was yet to have her first kiss. Her eyes widened in shock when Darian lips curled up in a smug smile.
He pulled her closer to himself and gently lifted the veil off her face. Cupping her face in his large hands, he admired how ethereally beautiful she was before bending to her level.
"You're mine now." He whispered into her ears and those words alone sent quivers down her spine.
They sounded dangerous. He smiled at her and placed his lips on her tiny lips, kissed her once and let go very quickly.
Lena felt no impact from the kiss. There were no butterflies in her tummy like she had envisioned her first kiss to be. Looking over to her father again, an apologetic look was on his face and it broke her. She immediately looked away, bracing herself for what was coming the whole day.
After the solemnization of holy matrimony, they left the church premises. Lena met with her father and Lisa for the last time before going with her husband.
"Lisa, I'm leaving. Going with him forever." She sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't know what will become of me. I'm scared." She let out her fears, and her friend hugged her tightly.
"You will be fine," Lisa assured her. "And don't forget that we are always there for you. No matter how hard it gets, you can always call on us." She said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"I'm so sorry, Lena." Her father started. "I blame myself for this." He patted her back and gently rubbed it down.
After a while, she raised her head to meet her father’s eyes. "I have to leave now. He's waiting."
"Take care of yourself. Always remember to put a call across if something goes wrong." She nodded her head, and Lisa blew her a kiss.
She stared at them for the last time before leaving. She waved to them as she headed towards Darian’s car. She got in and felt his eyes on her.
"Were you planning to go back to your father's house?" His voice was rough yet reserved.
Lena looked at him, no word left her mouth. She hadn’t said a word to him since she saw him today and she hoped to go on like that.
Darian’s bodyguard started the car, driving away from the church’s premises. With each move the car took, Lena's heartbeat palpitated erratically.
That was it.
She was going to his house and didn't know what awaited her. She felt nauseated and wanted to throw up, fly out of the car and go back to her father but it was impossible.
She was starting a new life with Darian—a life she would either loathe or love.
Heaving a defeated sigh, she awaited her doom in the hands of Darian Dawson.
- Writer
