by Kent, Rina
“Lars wasn’t wrong.”
“Wait.” His hand leaves his belt, and I nearly reach over to put it back.
Ronan is so beautiful, sometimes I stay up just to stare at him.
It’s not only his physical beauty, though; it’s also his soul that speaks to me and wrenches me out of my own soul.
He’s the calm after the storm.
He’s the light after the darkness.
He’s everything.
“Go back.” He narrows his eyes. “Did I hear something about marriage?”
“Yeah. I thought…you know…we’d make things official?” Otherwise I’ll start punching every girl who looks at him at uni.
He still attracts attention like a magnet. I thought that would be over after RES, but nope, his popularity knows no limits. I need to stake my claim before anyone tries to take him away.
It’s not that I’m threatened or anything, but I’m as greedy about Ronan as he is about me. That will probably never change.
People say we’re too young to get married, but it’s not about age for me. I’ve decided Ronan is the only human being I’ll spend the rest of my life with. It’s a cemented fact. So why delay it?
“Hey.” He appears offended. “I was planning a night out to ask you. This is not fair.”
“You wanted to ask me?”
“I wanted to marry you before that fucker Aiden married Elsa, but you always say all the grandiose stuff is stupid, so I figured I’d wait.”
My heart skips a beat as I stand on my tiptoes, wrap my arms around his neck, and seal a kiss to his cheek. “It isn’t stupid when you’re involved, Ronan.”
His grin widens. “One-nil, Xander.”
I laugh. “So does this mean you’ll marry me?”
“Of course I’m marrying you, and you didn’t ask first — I did.”
“We’ll agree to disagree, your lordship,” I tease. “What did you have in mind with the chocolate?”
“A few things.” His eyes shine with mischief.
“Like what?”
“Like this.” His lips meet mine, and then we’re falling on the bed.
If this is my life going forward, I’m so ready for it.
5
Silver
Age Twenty-one
“What the hell are you doing here?” I whisper-yell as Cole leans against the bathroom’s door and clicks it closed behind him. “This is the ladies’ room.”
“I know.” He stalks towards me, and every step he takes is like he’s walking straight to my heart.
I was right. There’s no way my feelings for him would ever fizzle out.
With every passing day, I fall harder and faster into him.
With every day, he becomes my everything.
We moved to Oxford for university, and soon after, we told Mum and Papa about our relationship.
I can’t be with him officially. At least, not yet. Papa won the election and became the prime minister, then remarried Mum a year after Helen’s death.
That caused quite a ruckus in the media, despite their strategic approach. Frederic made it look like Mum consoled Papa and they rediscovered their initial attraction.
It’s true that Cole and I don’t live under the same roof anymore, and he eclipsed himself from the family circle to not be associated as my brother. But it’ll take years for the world to come to terms with us.
We’re bigger than the world, he and I. They’re not ready for us.
Papa and Mum are the Conservative Party — despite their non-conservative actions with that affair. I can’t exactly bring their votes down by announcing I’m in love with my ex-stepbrother.
I can only do that once Papa is out of 10 Downing Street.
Because of that, our relationship is just known on a familial and close friends level. As in only Aiden, Xander, and Ronan from our friends.
But even with that, Cole shouldn’t be here.
“Everyone else is outside,” I scold. “We’re supposed to be celebrating Xander and Kim’s engagement.”
“I know.” His eyes gleam as he cages me against the counter, his hands on either side of me.
I wrap both arms around his neck. “We can’t do this.”
“I know.”
And then his lips devour mine. I climb up his body as he fiddles with his belt, and soon enough he’s plunging inside me.
I kiss him like a madwoman as he fucks me hard, fast and dirty against the counter of the bathroom.
I’d be lying if I said this was our first time violating public indecency codes. Cole doesn’t show it, but he’s the adventurous type. He doesn’t stop when he wants something done — that something being me.
Nothing deters him, whether we’re at the university dorms or during a night out while everyone is getting drunk. And even during family dinners.
Mum calls him out on it every time, and he merely shrugs.
“C-Cole…” I grip his shoulders hard.
“Close, Butterfly?” he grunts against my mouth.
“Yes, oh, yes.”
“Who do you belong to?”
“You.”
“Say it.”
I bite my lower lip as I murmur the words that drive him crazy, “I’ve only loved you. Just you. You’re my first and last.”
He wraps his hand around my throat, squeezing as he pounds into me faster, making me fall.
Fall into him.
Fall into us.
He comes inside me at the same time as I shatter around him, biting his shoulder over his shirt to muffle my scream.
Once the wave subsides, I sigh, resting my head against the crook of his neck, breathing him in. “I love you.”
Instead of all the times I told him I hate him after sex, now I make it a habit to say my true feelings.
“And I love you.” He kisses my nose as I stand to my unsteady feet, stupid gravity pulling me down.
After I clean him and myself up, I face the sink to check my makeup. Cole remains at my back, wrapping both arms around my middle.
Not a day goes by where we don’t keep our hands off each other. We might not touch in public, but in private? We’re everything no one should know.
We’re kinky, we’re dorks, we’re nerds. Or, rather, Cole is. We’re in love. We’re happy.
As long as I have him, I know I won’t need anything else.
He rests his chin on the top of my head. “You’ll marry me, right?”
I freeze, the lipstick suspended in front of my parted mouth as I meet his gaze in the mirror. “W-What?”
“You’ll marry me?”
“Is this because everyone else is getting married?”
“Fuck everyone else. I’m asking you.” He kisses the top of my head. “I know it’ll be a long time until I actually marry you, but I want confirmation.”
“Oh, Cole.” I spin around and face him. “Of course, I’ll marry you. You’re the only one for me.”
“The only one, huh?”
“The only one.”
“And you’re the only one for me, Butterfly.” He kisses me so passionately on the lips, I nearly climb his body all over again.
“Repeat that in front of that fucker Aiden when we go outside.”
I laugh. Cole is still low-key mad at Aiden for the three years I was engaged to him, and he seizes every chance to take revenge.
Cole will always be Cole.
I’m just glad he finally put Helen behind him. We both did. Now, we only focus on us.
When he demanded my firsts, I saved them for him. In return, he saved me his. We’re each other’s everything.
Hugging him, I whisper, “One day, I’ll shout at the top of the world that you’re mine.”
“And you’re mine, Silver, always.”
“Always.”
II
The Marriage
6
Levi
Age Twenty
If someone had told me a few years ago that I would be standing here today, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Me, standing in the aisle when I’m barely twenty?
Me, waiting for the most beautiful woman on earth to come and complete my life?
The first day I met Astrid in Uncle’s holiday mansion, when she was drugged and acted clingy, I wouldn’t have thought we would end up here. I didn’t realise how meaningless my life had been up to that point.
Completely, utterly meaningless.
As per Jonathan and Lord Clifford’s demands, the hall in which our wedding is taking place is huge. They didn’t want their offspring’s wedding to be small and cosy, because they care a lot about image and all that rubbish.
If it were up to me, I would’ve kidnapped her to Jonathan’s island and had a wedding only for the two of us.
However, I know how much she needs her friends with her and how much she’s been preparing for this over the last couple of months. Astrid’s parents got married in Vegas and never actually had a wedding, so she wanted a real one as a sort of gesture to her mother.
So here I am, standing while everyone is seated in neat rows with golden ornaments. I don’t focus on the grandiose of the hall or the big names who’ve shown up for Uncle’s and Lord Clifford’s sakes.
I couldn’t even if I wanted to.
My impatience is getting the best of me, and with each passing second, I regret not taking Astrid’s hand and eloping about a year ago.
Everyone says we’re too young to get married, but everyone wasn’t slammed with the connection Astrid and I have had since the very beginning. The type of relationship we have isn’t only healing, but it’s also peaceful. When the outside world gets too loud, it’s Astrid’s embrace that silences it. When my head gets dark, it’s Astrid’s voice that soothes it.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m sucking on her life essence, yet whenever she crawls into my embrace as if she’s always belonged there and tells me about her day, I feel like the luckiest bastard alive.
Yes, I’m selfish about that woman, and I have no plans to let her go. But I do plan to make her the queen of my life, the soul of my being, and the heart of my existence.
“Do you have the rings?” I whisper to Aiden, who’s standing by my side.
I had no choice but to have the little shit as my best man. Though Ronan or even Daniel would’ve been better, Aiden said he wants to.
Like he really wants to.
And I have no doubt that it’s because Elsa is sitting somewhere in the crowd. She became close with Astrid during the past few months, and they even share girls’ time now.
Aiden has a thing about wanting to be the centre of Elsa’s attention, even if he’s only the best man.
Not that I’m any different. In fact, I’m more obvious about it. I don’t like sharing Astrid’s time with anyone.
Her father and her best friend, Daniel, are already too much. I don’t need to add names to the list.
“I think I forgot them.” Aiden’s poker face remains the same.
“What?” I hiss and catch Jonathan’s glare in my peripheral vision.
He likes me and Aiden to be on our best behaviour in public to not sully the King name and blah fucking blah. Usually, my cousin and I abide by that rule to avoid his wrath.
But usually isn’t today, because I’m seconds away from punching my cousin in the throat.
“You had one mission, Aiden!” I whisper-yell. “One fucking mission.”
He pats his jacket and retrieves a small black velvet box. “Oh, looks like they’re here, after all.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “Did you do that on purpose?”
He lifts a shoulder. “You were being fidgety. I got your mind off things.”
“Fuck you.”
“You’re welcome, Lev.”
Astrid’s bridesmaid walks down the aisle, carrying a bouquet of red roses. Murmurs filter through the attendees at the unconventional choice of a bridesmaid, but did they really expect my free-spirited Astrid to do everything according to tradition?
Daniel grins, bowing and winking at the audience. The old ladies break out in smiles as he gives each of them a flower. By the time he gets to the front, he has none left, except for the one attached to his tuxedo’s pocket.
He stands opposite me and Aiden, and I resist the urge to ask him how she looks and if she’s coming right this second.
“She’s stunning,” Daniel whispers to me as if hearing my unspoken question. “I don’t think you’re ready for her, Captain.”
“I’m always ready for her,” I mutter back.
Daniel gives me his cocky smirk, and while he’s usually pasted to Astrid with superglue, I haven’t ever felt threatened by him. They have a special bond that’s never gone beyond friendship. The fact that he agreed to be the maid of honour for her sake says something about how far they’re both willing to go for each other.
It’s sort of like me and Aiden, but in my and my cousin’s case, we’ve only ever bonded through our rivalry and the innate need to prove ourselves to Uncle Jonathan.
Astrid and Daniel are the pure form of us. Their relationship is more about lifting each other up instead of bringing the other down.
Even though Daniel chose an entirely different field of study than Astrid and they don’t share the same passions — he prefers physical activities and partying while she’s an introvert artist — they still find time for each other.
Of course, that time needs to be reduced once she becomes my wife. I might approve of Daniel, but I need her attention on me at all times.
Obsessive? Probably. After all, she’s always been my obsession.
The music changes to an acoustic version of one of Muse’s songs and I smile. Only Astrid would make her favourite band’s song her wedding song.
I love that woman more than words can describe.
And Daniel was right. I’m not ready.
The moment she shows up, her hand tucked into Lord Clifford’s arm, I stop breathing for a second.
She’s...breathtaking.
Her white tulle dress falls to below her knees in a weirdly beautiful way. And she’s wearing her signature fishnet stockings and sneakers instead of heels.
I tried to sneak a peek at her dress before the wedding, but she and Daniel shooed me away. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she’d be this breathtaking. Though to say I’m surprised she picked something like this would be a lie. Astrid has always been the type who owns up to her quirks without caring about societal standards.
The fact that she’s so real is what made me fall for her this deeply and why I could never find a way out.
Not that I’d ever want to.
A huge grin lights up her features as her intense green eyes meet mine. She’s more than ready to belong to me. Just like I can’t wait to belong to her, now and beyond.
Lord Clifford places his daughter’s hand in mine and says low, so only I can hear him, “I’m giving you a piece of myself and if you hurt her in any way, I will murder you. Not even Jonathan will be able to save you.”
“Dad!” Astrid whisper-yells at her father, but she can’t wipe the grin off her face.
I give a curt nod, and he brushes his lips against his daughter’s forehead. “Be happy. You deserve it, Star.”
Then he joins a solemn-faced Uncle, who hates everyone and everything in this world — especially Lord Clifford. Let’s hope they don’t burn the place down before the ceremony ends.
“Lev?” Astrid’s eyes meet mine, and I take my time committing this face to memory.
It’s almost like I’m seeing her for the first time.
This moment is too special to just let it go without engraving it in the box inside my heart that has her name all over it.
Her dark brown hair is pulled up, revealing her delicate throat that’s surrounded by a star necklace I gave her as an early wedding gift. Her makeup is barely there, as usual, but she couldn’t look any prettier than she does right now.
If there was a way to screenshot this moment and safekeep it, I wouldn�
��t hesitate.
“Levi,” she calls again. “The priest is talking.”
“He has to wait until I get my fill of you.”
Her cheeks redden as she smiles.
“You’re blushing, Princess. I love it when you blush.”
She tightens her clutch around my fingers and I vow to myself in this moment that from today onwards, this woman will be the reason I’m alive.
7
Aiden
Age Nineteen
Whoever invented the thing about not being allowed to see your bride before the wedding is a fucking idiot. If I could find him somewhere, he’d be finished.
But hey. Not seeing Elsa beforehand means there will be a surprise element, and I’m here for that. Mostly.
“Can’t you get one thing fucking straight?” I glare at the bowtie in the mirror and then at the fucker sitting behind me who’s reading from a book as if this were an everyday occurrence. “Choosing you as the best man is the worst decision I’ve ever made.”
Cole turns a page. At least he looks presentable in his tux with the neat bowtie and the elegant shoes. “No one said anything about fixing ties. Besides, you didn’t choose me. You’re stuck with me, King.”
“I did choose you.” I completely remove the bowtie and start from scratch.
“If I remember correctly, Xan said he’d have Ronan as his best man, and Ronan said he’d reciprocate because he doesn’t like us most days and wouldn’t allow either of us to ruin his wedding day. So you, being an arsehole, wouldn’t have picked either of them, knowing they wouldn’t reciprocate. Since your cousin hurt his leg, he wouldn’t be able to stand for a long time. That makes you stuck with me. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Fuck you, Nash.” I yank off the bowtie again because it’s still wrong. “You’ll be stuck with me in your wedding, too. You better be prepared for what I’ll do then.”
“I’m more than prepared. After all, all this is happening for a purpose.” Nash tilts his book to the side to watch me through the mirror. “Wait a second. Are you nervous?”
