Valentino's smile unfolded like dawn-slow, reverent, and utterly disarming. His golden eyes shimmered beneath the soft lighting, reflecting every unspoken stories between us. He looked at me like I was the only person in the room... the only person in the world.
As Reiner guided me down the aisle, my heartbeat thundered in my chest, a rhythm louder than the solemn string quartet playing in the background.
Every step was weighted with emotion, the moment pressing down on me like something sacred. The scent of white roses filled the air-heady and soft, mingling with the faint burn of candlewax as flickering flames danced along the aisle.
Chairs full of faces—some familiar, some strangers, all bathed in the golden hush of silence—watched with bated breath. It felt surreal. As if time had slowed, refusing to rush this.
"I must admit," Reiner murmured beside me, his voice low and laced with reluctant amusement, "I never imagined you'd be the second one of us to tie the knot. After Ruben, of all people."
I turned my head slightly, giving him a sidelong look as a grin tugged at my lips. "I think Ruben's marriage shocked the hell out of him just as much as the rest of us."
Reiner huffed a quiet laugh, the corners of his mouth twitching like he was trying not to smile too much. "Please. Just promise me you won't follow in his footsteps."
I snorted, trying to hold it in. "Trust me, I couldn't even if I wanted to. Val would have me shackled to the bedpost if I so much as thought about straying."
He gave me a long look, mock-serious. "Kinky."
I rolled my eyes.
Cameras flashed in delicate bursts like stars breaking through dusk. We walked slowly, in rhythm, down the velvet-lined path, Reiner adjusting to my pace, which I wasn't sure was due to nerves or just trying to draw out the moment.
He was quiet for a stretch, unusually so.
Then he said it—quietly, deliberately.
"I'm honored it's me walking you down this aisle, Rowan."
I looked over at him. He was staring straight ahead, jaw tight, eyes glassy but defiant.
"If Christian were here..." he paused, then smirked. "God, he'd be insufferable."
