Black Angel

Chapter Twenty

Zola / Derrick

Zola

    I wasn't ready to marry.
    At least that was what I thought. But two weeks after his proposal, I was standing in a room in the church, getting ready to marry the man I love more than anything.
    "From now on, right this second, you are not my daughter. As long as you don't change it, you'll only stay a Laston by law. Now get the fuck out of here."
    "I'm changing my last name, father. Just like you've wanted me to." I whispered to no one, my eyes lost in the mirror as the memories clouded my vision.
    Don't you dare cry, Zola! They're not worth it and you're marrying the love of your life, for God's sake!
    I was wearing my wedding dress already.
    It was a white, simple, but not tight hugging one with a one-tier quality A-line slip with appliqués cascading down the hem. My hair was styled half up half down with little white flowers.
    "Knock knock!"
    Oh. My. God.
    "MACY! RUBY! When did you guys return from Italy? And what took you so long anyways?" I engulfed them in a huge hug.
    "Oh, my goooshhh! Zola, you look stunning! I bet Derrick's gonna have a hard day today until you guys finally get it going, huhh?" Macy laughed and nudged me in my side. "MACY!" I said, a red flush creeping up my cheeks.
    I couldn't not think about it either. One thing I was scared of.
    "Ruby, everything okay? You look paler than usual."
    She nodded and said "Yes, but we gotta talk after the wedding. I can't stay for the reception."
    What?
    There was this nagging feeling again. The feeling I had the night we went to the shisha bar. The feeling that something's off. Before I could say anything, A tall man came in and my face lit up with a smile.
    God, did I miss him.
    I haven't seen him in forever, and he was my favorite uncle. Well, mom's other siblings were just like her, with the exception that they are six feet under by now. Mom and uncle Desmond were the only two of the six siblings surviving the house fire back then in Michigan.
    My uncle was always the only one who supported you, whatever you were about to do. You'd always know that you had his back.
    "Uncle Desmond! I'm so happy you could make it!"
    Walking over to my uncle, I hugged him by the waist since he was six foot plus and I kept being five-foot nothing.
    "Ladies, could you give us a second, please?" My two cousins nodded, smiling knowingly and left on command.
    Uncle Desmond pulled a little hairpin out of the pocket of his jacket. Its tip had pearls and its head carried a little white tulip. I recognized this hairpin immediately.
    Nona's hairpin.
    My grandma, his mother, always wanted the first one marrying out of her grandchildren to get the pin. If it were my cousin Ian, Paul or any other of the male ones, they simply would attach it to their tuxedo. We females attach it to our hair.
    Taking my hand in his, he said "It is a shame that Samuel isn't here to walk you down that aisle, but I know it isn't your fault. Annabelle changed so much after-" He stopped himself from telling me something I wasn't supposed to know, I guess, because he paled.
    "Anyways, since I'm the one honored with walking you down the aisle," He attached the pin to my hair and held his arm out for me to take. "I guess there is a gentleman waiting for you down there. Shall we?"
    I smiled, my eyes tearing up. "We shall."

Derrick

    I didn't remember any time I was this nervous. I'm getting married. And not only am I getting married. I am getting married to the love of my life. My endgame.
    Now, standing here beside the altar, my groomsmen – Brody, Aaron and Mark – standing next to me, I couldn't be any happier. On the other side of the altar stood Macy and Ruby, Zola's cousins and only bridesmaids.
    She once told me that she had a friend which was more like the sister she never had, until that friend decided to drop her without an explanation or even a goodbye. They were like Siamese twins for at least ten years and even if it happened a year ago, Zola still couldn't move on from this. That was for sure.
    And that's why there were only two bridesmaids. Her other friends were not in the country due to family trips, work or other reasons.
    "I'm very happy for you, D." Aaron clasped a hand on my shoulder.
    "Ditto. I'm really proud of you." Mark clasped a hand on my other shoulder.
    "I'm just happy that you didn't back up on your previous offer of me being one of your groomsmen." Brody clasped my back with such a force that I stumbled forward.
    Turning around to glare at him, he just grinned.
    Closing my eyes and turning back again, I counted to ten, so I don't crash my fist into his grinning face.
    Before I could reach eight, Canon in D by Pachelbel started playing and my heart nearly burst out of my chest.
    My eyes swung open as I waited for my bride to arrive.
    Everything went quite fast, but my mom always told me 'good deeds don't come to wait'.
    So, there we were.
    Did I have doubts? Yes. But only about myself. I didn't deserve someone as pure as Zola. At least that was what I thought. She didn't only accept my darkest sides, she fucking loved them.
    Well, later this night we'd see if she really did love them.
    I'd take my sweet time exploring her body, tasting her. But when she came for the first time in her life, I'd make sure it'd be fucking good and hard. I'd lap all her juices up on my tongue, drinking her out.
    But since it's her first time doing the deed, I'll have to put my desires in the background and solely focus on her pleasure.
    Just as I was about to think of ways I could make this experience special for her, the doors to the church opened and a little kid stood there. Lilly, Zola's little cousin, as she told me.
    She walked down the aisle, spreading the flowers from her basket on her way. And then, poof.
    My heart nearly exploded when I saw her. It didn't skip a beat, it skipped a whole song.
    My soon-to-be wife. My woman. My everything.
    The second our eyes met, something inside me crashed and I soon discovered that it were my lungs.
    Wow.
    In casual clothes and in gowns, she was gorgeous. Now, in that wedding dress, she was fucking breath taking.
    I bet without clothes she'd be sinfully breath taking.
    The man leading her to me was her only living uncle – named Desmond – as I found out. Well, at least from her mother's side. Those on her father's side were sitting in the crowd, minding their own business, like this wasn't their niece's wedding ceremony. Like they couldn't care less.
    Desmond led her towards me and when they came to a halt in front of me, he placed her hand in mine and said "You hurt her, I hurt you. I'll not only hurt you. I'll end you. May your life together bring all goodness to you two. May you both always be happy."
    I chuckled and clasped my other hand on hers, caging it between them, and said "Don't you worry. I love this woman more than anything and anyone else. If I ever hurt her, feel free to kill me." He chuckled and clasped a hand over my shoulder, leaving right after.
    "Your beauty is breath taking, princess." I whispered, kissing her on the forehead. She smiled and whispered back "You're not bad yourself, Mr. Brandner."
    The priest cleared his throat and the ceremony began fully.

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    "I now announce you as wife and husband. You may now ki-" I didn't let him finish. I just crashed my lips to hers with everything I had. All passion, all desire, affection, possession, love and patience. Everything I had, I put into this one kiss. And she kissed me back with just as much of everything. I love you, princess.
    Our loving ones – I might add Valentino and Nicoló – stood up and cheered, applause and laughter filling the room.
    We did it. We were officially married. She wasn't Zola Laston anymore, but Zola Brandner. Now, we were bond to each other by law too. Our hearts were bond already, our minds too.
    And tonight, our bodies would be bond too. I couldn't wait to tear that dress off her.
    We did it.
    Mr. & Mrs. Brandner.
    We found our forever-love.
    We reached the gates of heaven.