Never Meant To Be

Chapter Fifty One

Axel's POV

"Are you ready?" Aiden asked as he straightened up my wedding suit.

"Yeah." I answered.

We were standing outside the courthouse about to go inside. I didn't really think this was how I would be getting married. I mean I love Aria, I really do, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her but I don't think.......

No, snap out of it Axel, she's going to get through this. Aria will live and we'll start a new life together far away from here.... and we'll have a family..... and we'll be happy and...

"Axel?" Aiden called me, snapping me out of my train of thoughts. It's just then that I realized tears were streaming down my cheeks.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked as he placed his hand on my right shoulder, concern and sadness clear in eyes.

"More than anything." I said as I wiped away my tears.

"I'm here for you man." He said as he removed his hand on my shoulder and I nodded as I took in a deep breath.

"We better go inside." I said as I started walking.

*******

"I want you to marry me." I said as I stroked Aria's wet cheeks as she laid on the hospital bed.

"Oh Axel!" She said softly as more tears streamed down her face.

"I love you so so much, but I can't do that to you. I'm going to die...... "

" You are not going to die!" I snapped as my own tears started to fall down my face.

"You are not going to die Aria. "I said softly. "I'll take you to the best doctors in the world and we'll get through this....."

"No Axel. I have already accepted my fate.... you should too. As much as I want to be your wife, I can't do that to you because I want you to move on when I am gone."

"Aria..... " I started to say but she interrupted me.

"Please Axel.....just listen to me. I want you to move on when I am gone." She said as she sniffled.

I took her hand in mine and kissed it. I let my lips linger on it for a while before speaking up again.

"Then if you're going to....." I could not bring myself to say it, because that would mean I have accepted that she is going to leave me, "...if you are going to....." I could not say it.

"Die." Aria said it for me, sensing that I could not bring myself to say it.

"Please marry me. If you are going to.....if you are going to leave us....." I said finding the words to replace the horrible word I couldn't bring myself to say, ".....be my wife. I want that no matter what happens, you will be my wife."

"Oh Axel!"

*******

I walked inside the room with Aiden by my side. Everyone Aria loved was here, my parents, Xander, some people from work including Connor, Lisa and her niece and nephew, and even her father, who I was very much against was here, but this was not about me, it was about Aria, and if Aria wanted her father's presence at her wedding, then her father will be there, and that's exactly what I had done.

I walked to where my parents were and mom was quickly to take into her embrace.

"Oh Axel!" She said as she tightly hugged me. I pulled away and looked at her tear filled eyes. I felt my own tears starting to form but I pulled them back, I have to be strong, Aria wouldn't want to see me crying.