Brave In Violence ( A Mafia Romance Book Three)

Chapter Forty-Eight

                    

Someday, you will meet the happiest version of you. And it will be worth it.

                             ~Pintrest~

                             

                                    Ele

Three months after Bruno's proposal, I stood at the end of a narrow decorated aisle waiting to get married. I was a nervous wreck, yet it was my second wedding, but this one was different. I was marrying the love of my life, the boy I loved when I was six. There was no one from my past in the audience, not even my parents, but I got Matthew Ocean as my guest, which was funny considering he was more of Bruno's friend than mine.

Mia designed my wedding dress, and it came off exactly as I wanted it. It was a white long lace sleeve dress in scoop neckline, backless, floor length with a train and a veil. It was beautiful when I wore it the first time during the fitting; it made me feel different kinds of emotions, all of them good.

Have you ever worn a dress and suddenly felt beautiful, confident, and somewhat capable of anything? That is how I felt when I wore it—like a princess on her way to get her prince, which was apt in my case because I was indeed on my way to get my prince.

Soph and Mia fussed over me a lot. They made sure I had everything I needed, right down to the makeup. Sophie did my hair while Mia did my makeup, and together, they straightened my dress and adjusted the small flower crown around my head. While I could feel butterflies swimming in my stomach out of anxiety, a huge part of me was excited. This was my second chance at marriage, the universe had allowed me to choose my own mate this time, and I was glad it had.

"Ready?" Soph asked, excitement shining from her blue eyes. I cleared my throat and said I was. She nodded, and Mia stepped from the other side of the bed where my dressing table was to stand beside her. They looked proud—like sisters would be, yet I felt as if they were more than sisters—another gift from the universe—my matrons of honor. They both wore royal blue; floor-length ruffle prom dresses and Christian Louboutin white lace heels.

Since I had no one to walk me down the aisle, I walked alone. I considered myself lucky to be able to give myself away to the man I wanted. Soph was the first to lead the way, and then Mia, but not before she capped the right side of my face, looked deeply into my eyes, and said, " don't trip!" I laughed softly but nervously, nodding and biting my lower lip.

"No, no, don't do that, " she chastised, pulling out a small pack of wet wipes from a concealed pocket on her dress.

"There is a pocket in that dress?" I asked in shock as she withdrew one to wipe off whatever was on my lips. "Of course, isn't it wonderful?" Her eyes shone with pleasure, "let me see your teeth, " I opened my mouth, biting my teeth together to allow her to check whether I had any lipstick smudge. Once she was done, she looked around for a trash bin, spotting one that was placed on our left.

"We are late, so don't dawdle around by being nervous." she sternly told me. Even though I was a few years older than Mia, she tended to be a little bossy, but only because I was timid, especially when I first came here. She taught me how to ask for the things I wanted, told me never to apologize for my past. "It wasn't your fault; why do you feel the need to ask for forgiveness?" And so I adopted and became assertive; I learned to say no when it was needed, mastered the art of asking for what I wanted as well.

In a way, Mia was a significant contribution to redefining the woman I had become. She had her scars too, but she knew who she was and what she wanted.

Nodding, I watched her walk the aisle like she was on a runway, admiring her confidence while I held my stomach to reign in the butterflies, breathing out loudly to relax.