“Enjoying the view?” Sebastian’s soft voice disrupted my dreamy thoughts.
I turned to face him. “It’s breathtaking,” I whispered.
He looked at me with a pinch of something I didn’t recognize. His lips twitched in a smile but it only took a moment for him to become serious again. Instead of saying something, he gently placed his hand on the small of my back and led me inside.
To my absolute dread, the moment we entered the huge hall, I noticed Sebastian’s entire family was already there and the otherwise beautiful experience was ruined. The following surprise was that we didn’t join their table, but were seated at the very opposite end of the hall. For some reason, Sebastian barely spared them a glance and it was more than strange. I couldn’t help but feel that the reason we were separated from them had something to do with me.
As a true head of the family, Theodore vigilantly observed our every move like he wanted to prevent the possibility of jeopardizing the perfect image they had managed to preserve for so long. The mean glances that traveled my way didn’t escape me when Sebastian pulled out a chair for me. When I sat down, I tensed and Sebastian had to have felt it because he held my hand, squeezing it firmly as a sign of discreet reassurance.
Acting like I would be burned by fire, I risked a peek at his direction, being fully aware that I was followed by more than one pair of prying eyes. The moment my gaze collided with the green sea of tranquility, once again he effortlessly got me to yield to him. Forgetting about the danger that surrounded us, a light smile escaped my lips and he reciprocated the gesture, looking at me with that same expression of amazement from earlier. I could tell he had the strong need to talk to me because we’d barely shared a word since my unexpected admission at the church, but both of us knew this wasn’t the right time to do it.
Convinced that we had reached a silent agreement, I reluctantly started to turn my head away from him and was caught by complete surprise when his hand twitched in mine, like he had lost some kind of an inner battle. An incredulous gasp escaped my throat when I felt his hand rising along my back with both teasing and threatening slowness until it finally reached its destination and rested on my shoulder, pulling me into a light embrace. Avoiding the shocked expressions of his family, I closed my eyes tightly, feeling that there was no coming back from this moment. Sebastian was openly demonstrating affection in front of the conceited members of his family who thought I was anything but suitable to be his wife. To make the matters worse, his minty breath started teasing my senses as my husband, who acted against every law of common sense, leaned closer and whispered in my ear.
“No more hiding, love. Open your eyes.” His breath burned the nape of my neck. “I want everyone to know how proud I am of my beautiful wife.”
As the deepest shade of red settled on my cheeks, I opened my eyes only to witness Catherine and Theodore’s shocked gazes shooting daggers my way. While Helen smiled with content and winked at me, Dianne didn’t even bother hiding her apparent disgust. After taking a huge sip of wine, she whispered something to Caleb but he seemed generally uninterested in whatever she was saying.
I glanced at Sebastian. “Your family isn’t happy with this,” I whispered and he immediately chuckled, glancing their way and tightening his grip around me as if he deliberately wanted to provoke them.
Then he turned towards me and a boyish smile teased his lips. “My family is going to have to accept that you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with or face the consequences.” To my absolute surprise, he pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. “Simple as that, angel,” he said as he slowly moved away from me.
I kept my head down because I had no intention of seeing the dread—filled faces that condemned me from the other end of the hall. To make the matters worse, several people came to sit at our table at the very moment Sebastian was ending his sweet show and I was a bit embarrassed to face them.
Throughout the entire evening, Sebastian continued treating me with extreme care and despite the fact that many of his friends and associates tried to get his attention, he wouldn’t leave my sight. He even tried to get me involved into a boring business conversation with the people at our table but it was more than I could handle so I courteously excused myself under the pretense that I had to powder my nose, which made everybody laugh and relax a little. In reality, all I wanted to do was to get some fresh air and disappear out of Theodore’s sight. Sebastian’s eyes followed me as I made my way through the crowd and while I was walking away I heard him comment something about his wife, but the music was too loud for me to make out his exact words. Suddenly, somebody grabbed my wrist, forcing me to stop.
When I turned around, I found myself face to face with none other than Dianne who was half—drunk, which was a given at every party I’d visited so far. She smirked self-contently and sipped her wine.
“Well, look who’s here.” She smiled with revealing insincerity.
I gave her the most threatening look I could produce. “Let go of me!”
She snickered. “Is that a way to greet your sister-in-law?” She shook her head and then sighed. “Silly me. I shouldn’t be surprised at your lack of manners. When I remember where you come from, I’m surprised you have any,” she mocked me and her lips touched the glass yet another time. “I wonder...” She started the moment she looked up. “What did Sebastian tell you to make you blush like that?”
I glanced at the half filled glass in her hands. “It’s none of your business,” I said calmly and smiled, not wanting to raise suspicion because I knew people around us were listening to our conversation. “Let me go. This instant,” I demanded in a harsh whisper.
“And if I don’t?” she challenged in a condescending tone.
I rolled my eyes at her and then looked towards Sebastian who looked my way and was instantly alerted. But I didn’t want him to fight my battles. Not this time. She started laughing and I could tell she was well on her way to getting completely drunk. I pulled my arm to free myself from her grip but it had only caused her to hold me tighter.
“Hmm what could it be?” She pretended to think about it. “Maybe you have a dirty little secret.” Her eyes lit up with wickedness. “That’s the only explanation why Sebastian would ever lay his eyes on you in the first place.” She snickered and that was the final nail in her coffin.
Her words struck a nerve and before I could control myself, I took hold of the glass in her hands and turned it over, causing its content to spill all over her beautiful, and expensive, dress. In a state of complete shock, she let go of my wrist and looked at me like she was about to explode from rage.
“Oops...” I said quietly and disappeared into the crowd before she got a chance to react.
As I walked away, I couldn’t help feeling content about the fact that I’d finally returned her long forgotten favor.
Since I wanted a moment of peace and quiet, I headed outside and walked straight towards that bridge that had caught my eye earlier. I rested my hands on the barrier and closed my eyes, enjoying the soothing sounds of the wind and running water. It was quite chilly and when the wind started blowing harder, I shivered from the cold. In an attempt to keep myself warm, I ended up wrapping my arms around my middle.
“Are you okay?”
I was startled when the wind carried the familiar voice in my direction.
“I’m fine.” I smiled and turned towards my husband who looked so mesmerizingly beautiful in the semi-darkness. “I just needed some fresh air.”
He shook his head in disapproval when I started shivering with more force. Smirking, he took off his jacket and pulled it over my shoulders. “There,” he said softly and then, in a light touch, removed the locks of hair that were repeatedly blown on my face. “I’m sorry about Dianne. What did she tell you?” His voice rang with worry.
I shrugged, pretending his sister’s wicked attack didn’t faze me in the least. “Just another one of her attempts to humiliate me.” Suddenly, I became
aware that my action might not have been the smartest one. “I’m sorry I spilled wine on her. I know it wasn’t an appropriate thing to do at your friend’s wedding,” I apologized.
He chuckled and caressed my cheek. “It was quite funny, actually. She definitely doesn’t like getting a taste of her own medicine.”
“I know that it shouldn’t bother me, but I still don’t understand why she hates me so much.”
His eyes narrowed. “Dianne is a very difficult person. She’s always been like that, but it has gotten worse since she married that bastard.”
“He’s cheating on her?” I bit my tongue, realizing I probably shouldn’t have asked that.
Sebastian nodded. “With his secretary.”
“That’s really sad. Why doesn’t she get a divorce?”
“She trapped him in marriage just to make a point. Divorce is an option some people aren’t even willing to consider no matter how bad their marriage is.”
After he said that, we remained silent for a while. Talking about divorce was a topic neither of us found appealing in the least.
I tried to change the subject and lighten up the mood. “The wedding was beautiful,” I said in a happy voice but when Sebastian remained in a serious mood, I was hit by the realization that maybe this was an off-the-table topic as well.
“It was,” he said with a pinch of sadness in his voice and then his green eyes pierced through me, compelling me to accept their sincerity. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you the kind of wedding you deserved. I would give anything to change that. Isabelle—”
“It’s okay.” I interrupted him and then smiled softly. “Let’s not talk about it. It belongs in the past and that’s exactly where it should stay.” I observed him as the images of happy times we spent together appeared before my eyes. “There are so many beautiful memories and I don’t want to think about the bad ones anymore.”
He nodded, pulling me in a tight embrace. As he looked at me, I got lost in the sight of the moonlight that reflected in those shiny eyes. “Say it again,” he whispered achingly.
I chuckled. “There are so many beautiful memories and—”
He shook his head, looking at me with teasing accusation because I’d deliberately misunderstood him. “Not that. What I wanted to—”
“I love you, Sebastian,” I breathed as the mere sound of the words lit me up with excitement and made my heart beat in a crazy rhythm.
His eyes lit up with brightness and he swallowed like his emotions were getting the best of him.
“So long,” he murmured and kissed the edge of my lips and then leaned even closer, lowering his lips to the nape of my neck. “I’ve waited for so long.” He exhaled, kissing the sensitive skin on my shoulder. “Please, Isabelle. I need to hear—”
“I love you,” I said in a shaking voice. I shivered when he started laying soft, ticklish kisses along my collarbone “S-Sebastian.”
“Again,” he repeated.
“I... I love you...” With every caress and kiss I kept repeating the words he wanted to hear. His thumb brushed against my chin and heavy breath escaped my lips. “I love you.”
He lifted his head and kissed my forehead. “I love you,” I whispered when he kissed the bridge of my nose. “I love you.” He kissed my temple and started laying soft kisses down my cheek, marking a path to my shaky lips.
Our eyes were leveled up, his nose gently leaned against mine and his lips so close he was teasing mine with his minty breath. “I—” I started telling another exclamation of love and he laid a finger on my lips.
“Shh.” He stopped me and said the very words I’d been meaning to say. “Whatever happens, one thing will never change... I. Love. You,” he said, panting as his lips crushed against mine, starting a kiss that lasted for what felt like eternity.
While I got lost in the sweetness of his kiss, the sounds of the guitar coming from the inside started spreading through the silence of the dark night and he tilted up my chin, gazing at my eyes; revealing every emotion and every thought. There were no secrets or restraints between us. We were closer than ever before.
“May I have this dance, my dear?” he whispered seductively.
Intoxicated with him, I couldn’t even bring myself to say anything so I simply laid my hands on his shoulders.
Gently, almost like I was a baby in a cradle, he rocked me in his arms following the captivating melody that was both sad and romantic. The echo of the words that traveled our way described this moment and captured it in eternity. ‘Chrome my mind. Cauterize this feeling. You’re my kind of something to believe in.’
The chorus talked about learning how to love and the sole fact that I was listening to these beautiful words while being held in a strong embrace of the man I loved made my heart flutter. ‘Teach me how to dance with you. Teach me how to love’. The male voice sang and Sebastian pulled me into an even stronger embrace, laying my head on his chest like he wanted me to feel exactly what he felt and I was overwhelmed by the sensation. All I breathed was him. All I felt was him. All I knew was him. The music ended up in the blurry background and all I could hear was the fast beating of his heart, emerging from his warm chest.
He kissed the top of my head and continued swinging me in his arms. I heard him swallow and the vibration of his low voice made me shiver.
“I never told you...I didn’t want to admit it back then but...You were a beautiful bride, Isabelle.” He smiled sadly. “Even then, you looked like an angel. Maybe I was oblivious to so many things but your beauty never escaped my eyes.” He made me look at him again. “I made my sweet bride cry on her wedding day, but I will be making it up to her. For the rest of my days.”
As the final chords of the guitar announced the ending of the song, his lips touched mine in a prelude of another kiss and I closed my eyes, burning the perfection of the moment in my memory.
“I love you, Isabelle,” he whispered and my throat squeezed under the power of the emotion brought about by his passionate kiss.
In slow motion, I opened my eyes and caressed his cheek, feeling his soft skin under my fingers. “I love you, Sebastian.” I wanted to say it again and again.
And I meant it. I fell head over heels in love with Sebastian. I loved him more than anything on this earth. I loved him with everything I had.
I loved him.
Chapter Forty-Eight
In the magic of the night, I dreamt that I was lying on the soft grass. I could feel the teasing breeze of the summer wind and the warmth of the sun on my skin. The light scent of daisies and the ticklish feeling on my skin urged me to open my eyes and I saw him standing above me; his eyes shining brighter than the sun, his smile wider than the horizon. My heart was filled with peaceful harmony and I knew that nothing on this world could surpass the bliss that was bestowed upon me at that moment.
As the beautiful dream faded away, I opened my eyes and met the brightness of a new day. When I noticed the empty side of the bed next to me, I frowned in disappointment because I wanted nothing more than to wake up next to him. Closing my eyes, I replayed the beautiful dream in my memory. I remembered how he picked one of the many flowers that danced with the wind around us and gently placed it in my hair. A smile returned on my face when I thought about his kisses that felt so real that I could still feel them on my lips.
“I love you.” I whispered into thin air, counting the times he repeated the words in that wonderful dream.
If this was what love felt like, I never wanted to wake up. I thought for a moment and despite myself got out of the bed, hoping that it wasn’t too late and that I would still get a chance to see him.
Alas, he wasn’t there when I entered the dining room. I chuckled when I noticed the wrinkled newspaper on the table—a clue that gave away that he might have been there only moments ago and I had probably just missed him. Still, it was enough for me to stay in the same space that breathed with his presence even though he wasn’t there.
The sound of the steps disru
pted my dreamy thoughts and I looked up, noticing that Anne walked in, carrying my breakfast. She smiled at me, but there were traces of worry on her face and I was alarmed because it was so unusual for her to fall under the influence of hysteria. Something was wrong.
My lips parted as I observed her in anticipation and I feared to ask, but I knew I had to.
“Is something wrong, Anne?”
Several seconds had passed in a quiet torture before she shook her head which should have reassured me, but didn’t. I sensed that she was lying to me and it didn’t matter as long as the one thing I cared about remained safe and untouched.
“Have you seen Sebastian?” The voice in which I asked the question was so small, almost inaudible.
“He’s in his office but you can’t—” she started in a whisper and before she could finish, I was already walking out, rushing through the hallway.
“Isabelle!” I heard Anne’s voice yelling after me, but I didn’t turn around.
As I was approaching his office, I heard voices. Sebastian was yelling at someone, demanding for them to leave and never return if they knew what’s good for them. I stood behind the door, careful not to move or make the smallest sound. I didn’t even dare to breathe.
“Sebastian, don’t be a fool.” As I recognized Theodore’s disapproving voice, inexplicable fear and disgust took hold of me. “You might think you’re in love, but you’ll get tired of her the moment she gets under your sheets.”
A shaky breath escaped my lips and I had to place my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound.
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