Man And Wife| 18+

Excerpt

"Do you take Estrella Rosa De Leon as your wife?"

The pulse in my temple was throbbing with strange feelings. I never signed up for this. I love Valentina. How will I be able to love anyone else? It is now or never, but I cannot just walk from the altar like this when she sacrificed herself for my parents and brother's sake.

This will only bring shame to her. I cannot do it, however, I love Valentina. I can never betray Rosa, for she is the one who, despite anything, stood up for my family and Valentina's family. I cannot.

"I shall repeat. Do you, Enrique Esteban Reyes, take Estrella Rosa De Leon as your lawfully wedded wife?" The pope spoke loudly this time, and my eyes cleared the hazy vision as I looked at my bride. Dressed in the red lace off-shoulder wedding princess gown, the net veil draped in front of her face, her eyes were cast at our entangled hands. She is trembling with nervousness, worried that I might reject her right in front of everyone.

"Yes, I do."

A sudden relief washed over Rosa; her lashes fluttered as she looked at me from under the hood of the veil. I could clearly see through the flimsy net as well. She gave a small smile, her grey eyes watering when she heard the priest ask her the same question.

"Do you, Estrella Rosa De Leon take Enrique Esteban Reyes as your husband?"

"Yes, I do."

I breathe as her deep red-tinted lips whispered her answer. With her declaration, the whole church boomed with a different type of enthusiasm as the pope then declared.

"With the power bestowed upon me by the heavens, I now declare you both man and wife."

Thunderous clapping resounded in the air while Rosa tightly held my hand in hers. Two children came forward with our rings as she picked up the platinum band studded with red diamond and slipped in my ring finger. I too picked the platinum ring with a princess cut red and white diamonds and slipped in her ring finger.

In all the process, I made sure that not a single ounce of emotion would slip from my cold and hard exterior. She doesn't need to know because I cannot feel anything for her right now, not even gratefulness for her act. It, even so, feels like a plan when I know it is not.

"Now, you may kiss the bride."

Inhaling the longest breath of the day, untangling my hands from hers and slowly lifting her veil, I stared at the divine beauty. My breath was caught in my lungs to look at her magnificent beauty now that wasn't tinted all red by the veil.

Cupping her face, and cranking her head up to look at me, I descended my lips at her, claiming those sinful lips for a quick kiss.

I always knew she was the untouchable sin for me. My dad's best friend's daughter, the girl who is a princess for her father. The reason why I and my brother always kept a safe distance from her.

She is nothing like Valentina. The princess everyone talked about. Out of our league.

Her eyes fluttered close; her lips molded against mine. She tasted sweet with a tinge of liquor. The feeling inside me suddenly had a strong warmth as my grip on her jaws tightened and pulled her closer. My arms wrapped around her small waist pulling her body flush against my own.

Her hands grabbing the coat of my tuxedo in a death grip kept me close to her. I ran my tongue over the seam of her lips as they parted and I entered my tongue inside, too lost to understand anything. She moaned in my mouth wrecking the sensible strings in my brain further.

I did something I shouldn't have. Her one kiss ruined me for anyone else.

Hearing the loud sounds, I forced myself to part from her. This wasn't supposed to happen, I loved the girl whom I let go of for my brother's sake.

Rosa shyly smiles and stepped back as I released her from my grasp. We turned together to look at our family as they approached us but suddenly the world froze when the gates of the church opened and Valentina came inside crying in a wedding dress.

She looked at me and ran towards me. Puzzled by what occurred, I left the altar to go to her as she hugged me sobbing in my arms.

"What happened?" I panicked feeling her tears wet the tuxedo coat.

"Everything is finished, Enrique. Dante used me. Later, I asked him why he did that and he laughed at my face saying, I was just a trophy he wanted to use to win against his brother. He mocked me saying, I was a fool to believe him. He married me to win against you. Everything is finished." She cried hard; I didn't care who watched. My jaws clenched hearing her and knowing what my fucking brother did.

"How dare he?" A threatening voice boomed in the silent space reverberating through my chest. I grabbed her wrist, looked at her broken self, and with confirmed determination pulled her together as we marched out from the church.

"Enrique... Enrique..."

"It shouldn't have happened. Us, it isn't possible even if we're married, you know it."