Emmaline [h.s] AU

2

Sweat rolls down my forehead as I stare at myself in the white gown. My mother wipes it away with a tissue, careful enough not to smudge my makeup. The nerves were good, I had no doubt in my head that I didn't want to do this. In fact, I have very much been waiting for this day to come ever since I met Oliver.

My father kept reminding me that if I wasn't sure, I could always walk away but I knew that was just him being a father. My brothers and I were never close but they made it clear that if Oliver ever did anything to hurt me, they would quote on quote "kill him". I always reminded them that wasn't necessary.

"Are you ready?" My mother asks me, a smile and tears in her eyes.

"I think so." I grin, huffing out a breath of nervousness. I honestly couldn't wait to just skip all this and see Oliver again, we might have to actually leave the wedding early to go on our honeymoon in the Maldives. My mother hooks her arm around mine, my bridesmaids had already walked out, they were just waiting for me. I could hear the sound of the church bells as we leave the room, just outside my father waits with my bouquet of flowers.

He grins at me. "You look gorgeous." He kisses my temple and hands me the bouquet. I let out a breath as we resume position. "I'm giving you away today, but you will never stop being my girl. I was here first, pétalo."

I chuckle. "Nobody could ever replace you, dad." I reassure him. I loved my father more than the air that I breathe. He gives me a look as if silently asking if I was ready to which I nod. The moment the doors open, I felt everyone's eyes on me. I raised my head and looked straight ahead, seeing Oliver at the other end in a all black suit, a small smile on his lips.

I smile back at him and notice my both brothers at his side as his best men. "It's so good to see you." I whisper to Oliver.

"You look amazing in white," he comments. "Even though I like red much better." He gives me a wink and I know how much he loves red lingerie on me, it's basically all I own. The ceremony commences.

"...We will now do the vows," The priest says after a good while of speaking.

I go first. "I have never met anyone before in my life that just gets me. Everyone else has been intimidated by my being and what I'm surrounded by, but you stuck by my side even when things weren't always so pretty." Oliver smiles back at me. "You make me the happiest I have ever been, no one will ever amount to you in the way that I love you, and I do. I will love you forever."

Oliver clears his throat. "I don't really have much to say, because as much as I may love you I will never be able to sum it all up in one sitting. I guess just—thank you for allowing me in, you're unmatched." He sends me a small wink and I grin at him, our hands interlocked as the priest smiles. When it's time for the rings, I turn to Julia who hands me Oliver's ring, I slip it on his finger and he slips mine on.

"All that is left to do now is ask if you will take each other's hand in marriage, in sickness and in health, in rich or poor..."

"I do." I say, Oliver and I maintaining eye contact.

"I do." He caresses the back of my hand.

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife." As he says this, Oliver's lips fall on mine, his arms wrap around me. Applauses from my family and his erupt and engulf us as they let us know how happy they are for us to have united today. I smile into the kiss and soon, we begin to walk down the isle together hand in hand, ready to start our own life together.

Excited wasn't even a big enough word I could use to describe this very moment. I always dreamt of marrying the love of my life and my best friend and now, I could gladly say that I have done so. We catch glimpse of our families, smiling widely at us, his mother wraps her arms around me and rubs my back.

"Congratulations, I know my son will make you the happiest person in the world." She says to me, her cherry red lips formed a smile.

"I know," I smile back at her. "He already does." Just as I was hugging my parents, the sound of gunshots and people screaming fill my ears in a terrifying way. I don't have time to look around as more guns go off and I am being pushed down to avoid getting hit. People have already scattered and when I look around I see my fathers goons with their guns out, firing at a spot that I can not see.

"Oliver?!" I shout, looking around for him while I was down on the floor but I don't see him. My heart was racing a thousand beats a second and I ran as I heard the gunshots get closer.

"Emmaline!" I hear my father shout, my vision was blurred and I had no sense of direction this moment. "Emmaline, get in the car!" He shouts some more.

"Dad?!" I feel him grab my arm and push me towards the black truck Oliver and I were supposed to be leaving on. I don't have any time to ask questions as he basically shoves me inside and slams the door shut behind him. "What's going on?"

"I need you to listen to me," he says as chaos surrounded us. People screaming, gunshots, some more screaming and some more gunshots. "I need you to leave."

"What-"

"Peter here will make sure he drops you off at the border, your mother and I can not have your life at risk."

"What is going on!" I interrupt, why was he not telling me anything? "Where is Oliver?"

"Stay hidden as long as possible, you hear me? I will come and find you when it's safe." He begins to exit the truck and I grab onto his arm to stop him from doing so.

"What about you and mom?" He lets go, shuts the door and I lower down the window. "Dad!"

"Go!" He shouts to the driver, Peter and immediately the tires scurry and squeak against the floor. I am pushed back into the seat due to the force but I quickly recollect myself and look out the window to hear the loud gunshots were now becoming barely audible by how quick we're getting away.

I try to look around for my phone but I remember my belongings stayed in the dressing room of the venue. "Shit." I breathe out as I sit back and run a hand through my disheveled hair. Why this was happening, I had no idea and on my wedding day. Why did my father not want to say anything to me about what was going on? He was clearly afraid of something that he wanted me to leave.

And what about my brothers and my mother? When am I gonna see them again?

I look around and see that Peter was focused on the road in front of us and look down at myself. My once white dress was covered in a few holes from where people stepped on it, it was dirty and it had a few specks of blood. I also noticed I had dry blood on my skin that I needed to clean up before I arrive at the checkpoint.

Where the hell was Oliver and what the fuck is going on?

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I promise I have big things planned for this book, first few chapters are almost always so shit but bare with me besties