Slow burn PART 2

Chapter 51

         Grace was a vision. Her vintage white dress was perfect for a forest elopement. Her hair was swept up beautifully with the dainty flower detailing I put in for her. She did makeup that brightened the face of this blushing bride. I knew Rocco would indeed swoon at the sight of her. 

I wore fresh makeup and kept it light since my vintage dress was a midnight blue. I loved the way it fit on me, and fell nicely to just above my feet so the fabric wouldn't drag on the forest ground. My hair fell perfectly down my back, and I was ready to take some lovely pictures with the people I've come to care a lot for. 

        The men were to be escorted to the wedding arbor by Roger, and Mary told us to call for her when us girls were ready to go. We'd told them we wanted the bride and groom separate until the ceremony, and they were more than happy to accommodate us. 

We were surprised when Mary led us to a golf cart that drove us down this dirt road leading us to the ledge where the elopement was meant to be had. I knew the view was going to be gorgeous, and I was right when I saw the sprawling hills below us. 

        The sky was a slate of blue with the sun's rays shining down on all of us. With the sky as a beautiful backdrop the leaves of the still full trees were stunning colors. The type of yellow a kid with a crayon would make the sun in a picture. The kind of orange that pops. 

They almost glowed against the light pushing through them. Leaves that were shaded in the kind of red that's so sure of itself, it stands bold against the other colors. The color green was still around just not at the forefront. It was a peek at the season before this one, one that is shedding in a scatter of colors on the ground below.

       The day couldn't be more picture perfect. When Grace and I arrived I could see the men standing together in waiting. They weren't in tuxes, but they were in suits. It is commonplace for them, and yet they all looked so handsome like this was a new sight our eyes were seeing for the first time. 

Rocco stood with a proud chest just in front of the flowered arbor they would be marrying under. There was a man we weren't familiar with and I assumed he was the one who would be ordained and legally allowed to marry the two. 

        Renzo stood just behind his brother as his best man. His shoulders were squared off perfectly. His suit was all black, which was the style I preferred on him. It suited his dark aura so well. It fell as a backdrop for his sparkling blue eyes that stood out against the lack of other colors. 

It matched the lining of his thick dark lashes, which were like the edges of a shadowed forest. You have to step closer to see what's beyond them, and by that point you're already near enough to the sin incarnate to be captured by him. Consumed.

Dante was sitting on the small bench they had where the minimal amount of guests could view the ceremony. There was a flattened path which made the walkway for the bride. We had no flowers for her to hold, but she didn't care. 

        When all eyes shifted to us I knew it was my time to walk forward. My heart skipped a beat when I felt Renzo's eyes on me for the first time since our brief eye contact yesterday. This time they stayed locked on me. My breathing was more rapid than I would have liked. I used my slow walk to the altar to control it. 

This isn't about you. This is about Grace and Rocco. Don't look at him, Kat. 

I tried to tell myself this exact thought on repeat, and yet I found my eyes coming back up to his. Time slowed down for a second. The sky, the rolling hills, the colored leaves, and the man a shade too dark. I was overwhelmed. He's so darn beautiful. He's so darn tragic.