Deceit in their silence - Completed

Forty Six.

I stood in the middle of the room, people passing by around me. How had today come around so quickly? I was flying off to Mexico 5 minutes ago and now I'm walking down the aisle in 30 minutes. Its strange how quickly life passes you by when nothing is going wrong. 

Not a single fight, no home invasions, no break ups, not scandals, no business deals gone wrong. Everything had been a dream. I wasn't doubting it now like I had when he proposed. I wasn't questioning spending my life with Jaxson. 

I'd woken up to him every day this year, our legs entwined between red hot sheets. I felt like we were connected on a whole other level now. We were at that point where we could tell what each other was thinking with just a look. We'd had a few disagreements about table placements and the seating chart but nothing serious. We had worked out how to get out the aggression in the gym and it had saved everything getting out of control. 

"Len?" I focused in on Sof's face. "You okay there?" 

"I need a drink." I turned in the dress and walked over to the other side of the hotel room, quickly downing a glass of champagne without taking a breath. 

"Nervous?" Daisy took the empty glass from me. 

"I just don't know how we got here so quick. I feel like it was my dad's funeral like yesterday and everything between then and now is just a dream I had last night." I downed another glass before Lexie confiscated the tray. 

"You can not get wasted before you walk down the aisle Len." 

"I know. I just want to remember today. I don't want it to be apart of the dream but I can't stop shaking." I held my hands up and low and behold they were shaking like leaves. Iris smiled and sat me down on the bed. 

"Deep breaths Len. With us come on In........ And out ........ In....... And out." We all stood there for a few seconds breathing. 

"Just think in like 2 hours, the scary part will be all done. Then you can drink with your husband and enjoy everything you have worked your arse of planning all year." 

"Okay come on it's time for your veil." Sofia pulled me up back into the middle of the room. I bent my knees letting her get easy access into my curls so she could pin it in place. I didn't want a veil really but I knew Dad would have insisted. The same with the tiara, though I had gone with just a small one. 

I wanted as much of dad with me today as possible, I had his and mom's favourite flowers in my bouquet and all around the venues, Jax had his cufflinks, Roman was wearing his suit. He was here, I could feel his energy in the corner of the room watching me. 

Sofia tapped my shoulders and stepped back slowly before pulling out the back of my dress. It wasn't the classic ball gown or mermaid like the weddings I had been to. It was tulle, soft, flowy. Very similar to the dress I wore the night after our first date in Italy. 

"Are you ready Len? They want Roman to come in now." I looked at her and was already fighting back tears. 

"No. No you're not crying. There is too much makeup between the 5 of us for you to start crying so stop it." Lexie snapped a smile on her face as she fanned her eyes quickly. 

"You're right. I can't cry." I took a deep breath "Okay I'm ready."  The girls moved over to the wall by the door so they were out of the way. Lexie opened the door slightly and told Roman I was ready. 

The photographers assistant handed me my flowers before he walked in with his hands over his eyes. I could tell he was just as nervous about this as I was. I still saw us both as 10 year old kids running around gardens and jumping in pools. That was 15 years ago. 

"Rome, you need to open your eyes we're going to end up late and Jax will kill me if I keep him waiting." I smiled. The suspension of his authorisation was killing me. He always judged what I was wearing and today what I was wearing really mattered more than any other day.  He slowly pulled his hands down and opened his eyes. I saw the twinkle in his eyes as they filled with tears. I had never seen Roman cry. Not when either of our parents died, not when his fiancée left him. Never. 

"Len-" He walked over and wrapped his arms around me tightly. "He'd have loved this." He whispered in my ear before pulling away but holding onto my shoulders. "You look unbelievable. This dress is something else. Is it heavy?" 

"Yes very." I smiled and wafted my face to stop the tears. "Okay we need to stop and go because if we don't I'm going to cry."  He stepped back and held his arm out for me to take. The girls walked out first and called the elevator, heading down to the ground floor where our cars were waiting. The church was only 5 minutes away but I was not walking in this dress and heels. No way.  They were going to meet us there so they could help me sort my dress before they walked down the aisle. 

I was going to be walking the first half of the aisle with Roman and the rest myself. Traditional it was Dad's job to give me away and if he wasn't doing it, as much as I loved Roman. It didn't make sense for him to give me away. I wanted the power statement of doing it myself too. I looked delicate in this dress and I needed something to establish I was still a Brunelli. 

I leaned my head on Roman's shoulder as we stood alone. He kissed my forehead gently as he held my hand. It was just me and Roman against the world. It always had been and now he was handing me off to Jaxson to do the job he had been doing for over 25 years. I loved Roman more than he knew for everything he had done for me over the years and I knew just because I was marrying Jaxson that didn't mean he would stop. I would always be his little sister. Always his baby.