Strong For Too Long Trilogy ✔️

26. A Future Awaits

CHAPTER 26: A Future Awaits

I blink once, then I blink twice. I furrow my eyebrows and stare around, wherever we were going, I was more than just confused. I had just murdered candidates in front of him, in front of all of them, and the first thing he says to me once he takes me out of there, is 'we're getting married now'.

"What?" I breathe out.

He indicates through a large black fence between two pillars, blossom trees on either side, tree lights decorating a few, he parks the car in front of a large mansion, only it looked so much more like a hotel. He cuts the ignition and turns to me, hands reaching for mine, I look into burning cognac brown eyes, "Do you want to marry in secret? There is already a priest here, clothes for us in the first room, and we could complete it outside. This place has been commonly used by celebrities who wanted to marry in secret. The blossom gardens don't involve any outside parties, so long as only the bride and groom want this kind of wedding." He says to me, slowly.

"Get married here? We don't need any witnesses or anything?" I whisper, perhaps not trusting my voice.

He cups my cheek and shakes his head, "Just us and the priest." He murmurs.

I stare at him. His eyes shine.

He'd spent three years thinking I was dead. Thinking that a bullet wound to the shoulder is what killed me, I still had so much I needed to know about him, but I could feel how genuine he was, "This isn't just about bumping the wedding night, is it?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.

He cups both my cheeks, "No, Olive. Watching you...watching what they did...was that real?" He asks the ultimate question. A question I both wanted, but hated the answer too, was it all real.

I look down to his chin and nod once, "I remember small blips of it, not everything." I whisper.

He leans over the console and connects his forehead slowly against mine, his breath fanning my cheek, I glide my arms up, fingers running against the tantalising skin of his neck, he slips his fingers into my hair, "I want to marry you because I've been in love with you for four years now, and every day it grows, Olive." He says to me, a gentle caress in the air around us.

I lean forward and place the softest of kisses against his lips, "What are we waiting for then?" I whisper against him. He kisses me harder, far more deeply than before. My toes curl, every nerve in my being felt magnified and ignited. The place was...indescribable. Aaron spoke with someone at the door while I stared at the photos of so many celebrities holding secret marriages here, I stilled at one. A girl that almost looked so much like me, with the sunshine blonde hair except her eyes were a magnificent amethyst kind, the male next to her, silver eyed and tall with pitch black hair. They had married in 2043, this establishment has been here for this long. A hand smooths down my back.

I look up at him, "Just so you know, I have not yet done my vows." I whisper to him as we're lead towards the stairs. He smiles down to me and presses a kiss to my forehead.

"Just say what you feel." He murmurs against my skin.

I'm almost too shocked when we step into a large room with a honeymoon bed, stacked with red rose petals on the bed, complimentary chocolates, and a line of tuxedos and wedding dresses next to it, "Whenever you're ready, the blossom back is where you'll have your wedding. Congratulations." The woman says with a warm smile once she leaves the room.

I stare around the large room, the open terrace, the glowing blossom trees outside, there was even red helium balloons by the bed with the red rose petals lining the edges and a large love heart in the middle. Aaron gently runs his hands along my sides, "The ceremonies they have here-it took me a long while to find. I thought about it for a while too. Whether we get married in secret and have the grand ceremony later. I know you want a big wedding-"