OUR BROKEN BEGINNINGS

CHAPTER TWO

He was standing underneath an arch of twisted wood with greenery hanging a few feet above his head. On top of the greenery lay dozens of lilies, and when I looked at Charlotte and saw the smile on her face; I knew it was her doing.

He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt underneath, mirroring Noah's, with the first few buttons unbuttoned exposing a sliver of his chest and collarbone. His dark, brown hair glistened in the sun. It was not hard to tell that he was extremely fit underneath that suit by the way it squeezed his broad shoulders and the muscles on his arms.

His face was chiseled and held a cold expression, and unlike Noah, he had stubble along his cheeks and jawline from a lack of shaving for a day or two. His eyes skimmed over me as he took me in the same way I was. I didn't let my surprise, at how attracted I was to him, show on my face. I made sure it stayed passive. I didn't strain my eyes or change the shape of my mouth. I focused on keeping the pace of my steps unchanged and making sure my body looked relaxed.

I wanted to look uninterested and sure of myself, even though my insides were twisting. I was about to become someone's wife and no matter the motive, it is scary all the same.

When we reached the altar, Emerson held out his hand toward my mother and me. She grabbed my hand and placed it in his. I was aware of her lips moving, but I didn't process anything. It was all muffled sounds between the preacher, Emerson, and my mother. The next thing I knew I was standing in front of him, and my mother was sitting in the front row.

I felt Charlotte's hand graze my elbow, and I knew she was signaling me to hand my bouquet over to her. I turned my back from Emerson to face her, placed the bouquet in her hands, and gave her a faint smile. I turned back around and stared blankly at Emerson. The rays of sunlight swam in his hazel eyes. The specks of green and amber seemed to swirl as he took each breath.

The preacher cleared his throat and began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union between Cassandra Rose Williams and Emerson Kai Hale. If anyone wishes to object to this union, please speak now or forever hold your peace."

I shifted uncomfortably on my feet and noticed Emerson's breathing hitch. The silence was suffocating, and the creaking of the chairs as people moved filled the air. It seemed to go on forever until the preacher finally said, "Let's get started then."

The wind caressed my face and neck as if reassuring me while the ceremony progressed. I repeated the preacher when I was told and listened as Emerson repeated the same words. Our expressions didn't change as we slipped on each other's rings. His was a flat sterling silver band with a silver brush finish. He slipped on an oval-cut engagement ring on my left ring finger, along with two thin diamond bands on either side of it. All three rings were silver, with the white of the diamonds sparkling in the sunlight.

I bit down on the inside of my mouth to keep myself from gasping at the sight of the ring on my finger. I had no part in picking out the rings, so I had no idea what they would look like until now.

I loved them, but I mirrored Emerson's expression and showed no emotion.

"By the power vested in me, and by God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

This pulled me out of my haze, and I refocused my eyes on Emerson's. His expression changed into something softer, something much warmer. I wouldn't have noticed if I was standing so close to him and studying his face the way I had been the whole ceremony.

He placed his hand on my cheek, gently, and pulled me toward him. He did it slowly, waiting to see if I hesitated or pulled back but hesitation wasn't an option. So I let him pull my face to his, and he placed a brief and soft kiss on my lips. It was a whisper of a kiss, but it sent a shiver down my spine, which is not something that usually happened. It caused me to pull away quickly and force my hands to my side.