Until Death Do Us Part

Twenty-Three

~Control~
Zoe Wees

"You took all my doubt
because you were home."

I sat straight up as the jet slammed against the ground. The plane jostled around as I tried to adjust to the light and the fact that I was awake and not asleep anymore. I looked over to see Tom's hair in disarray and falling in front of his tired eyelids. Our chests were both rising and falling at a rapid speed, shocked by the sudden jolt that woke us.

Once I shook my mind awake, I couldn't stop myself from climbing over Tom to look out the window. We were in an air zone, but I could still see the tropical trees, and the sky seemed to be more blue than anywhere else.

Tom chuckled underneath me, and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "You'll be able to see the view better once we're off the plane," he pointed out.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. I had no idea," I replied with a role of my eyes, but my lips curved into a playful smirk. The crew came into the cabin with our bags, and the stairs were being attached to the door of the jet so that we could be on our way.

"A car has been brought up for you, Mr. Holland," one stated with a respectful bow of his head.

"Thank you," he answered while I moved my way off of his lap and towards the door. I was anxious to get off this plane, get a shower and change, and to be on my honeymoon in whatever way, shape or form it came in.

The second the door was opened, warm air flooded in, heating my skin and sending a breeze to flow through my hair. Tom was at my side, his eyes closed as he took in the engulfing warmth of the air. It was like a warm blanket that would send us right back to sleep if we allowed it.

I reached my hand out to him, lacing my fingers through his as we stepped down onto solid ground. The crew loaded our car, which was a black Lamborghini Sesto Elemento with red seating, and handed Tom the keys. That's when my phone buzzed.

"Our parents gave us the address to the place we're staying," I said with a sigh. I wasn't mad about them paying for our housing, but the fact that they were involved in every aspect of this trip was a little unnerving. I made a mental note to never be as controlling over my children as my parents were to me. I wanted them to trust me, not loathe me.

Tom plugged in the address, and then we were off. I watched with eager eyes at every single flash that passed us by on the drive. Everything was so beautiful here. It was different from London, but doesn't every foreign place leave you in wonder? The unfamiliar beauty of a place you've never been. I was still able to appreciate it, even if I was breaking a contract by being here, even though just by breathing this air I was risking my life. It wasn't the island's fault, and it's beauty left me speechless.

"We're coming up on the house now," Tom said, bringing my attention away from the window and towards the front of the car. There was a gate and a long driveway ahead of us.

"How were they able to score this in Raptis territory?" I asked, my eyes wide as we rolled up to the gate.

"Should we really be surprised by the strings our parents can pull?" he replied with a disbelieving chuckle.

"I guess not." I laughed, shaking my head slowly. "Here, they gave me the code," I added, giving him the numbers that would get us past the gates and into our home for the next few weeks.

As the mansion came into view, my jaw dropped once more. It was a giant white building that overlooked the ocean, having its own private deck with one of those net things that hung above the water. There were a few windows, but I couldn't see through any of them as we creeped up the hill that the driveway lead up.

Once Tom parked the car, I practically ran to the front door, leaving my bags behind. I swung open the front door to find a large entryway made of smooth, white concrete. I turned on the lights to find multiple large light fixtures illuminating the space with a cozy hue. There were multiple entryways, but the one that caught my eye lead me outside.

I opened the glass doors to find an infinity pool and hot tub waiting for me. They both had beautiful views of the ocean, and I could smell the saltwater floating in the warm air. I took off my heels and dipped my toes into the water to find it warm and inviting. I was definitely going to be changing into a swimsuit and jumping in the second I was done exploring.

I heard shuffling behind me, and my eyes landed on Tom trying to drag in all of the bags by himself. "Hold on, I'm coming!" I shouted after him, not being able to hold back my laughter at the sight of his bent-over figure as he continued to trudge along.

I rushed to his side, grabbing some of the bags. "Have you found our room, yet?" he asked with a teasing smile, his eyes moving towards where I had run in from.

"I was too captivated by the pool," I admitted with a chuckle. I turned towards the left to see a staircase, so I decided to move that way as I just assumed the master would be upstairs. Tom followed behind me, his steps slow and tired.

The halls were wide, but still inviting, not as harsh as the marble that my home was made of. We trailed down, looking into each room until we stumbled upon the largest of all of them. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, sending crystallized light bouncing against the walls. There was another door that lead to the bathroom where a large, golden bathtub sat in the corner while a rain shower was in the other. Everything was white with golden accents, giving the whole home a classic yet elegant feel.

I heard Tom drop our bags as I continued to look around. When I left the bathroom, I found him on a balcony that shot off of our room. He stared out at the ocean, the breeze flowing through his dark curls. A smile formed on my lips as I came up from behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist, which was still covered by his suit jacket from last night.

I felt his hands rub against my arms, my head nestled against his back. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe this trip wouldn't be as awful as we had originally thought. Maybe we would make the best out of what we had been given.

"I wasn't lying, you know," he said after a few minutes of content silence. His voice vibrated in his chest, sending a tickle against my cheek.

"About what?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows. He turned around to face me, a smirk on his lips. His hands moved to my cheeks and he lowered his head closer to mine.

His lips tickled against my ear as he whispered, "I'm not going to waste this trip." His eyes met mine again and there was a fire burning in them as he brought me even closer to him, his eager lips finding mine.

My heart began to beat out of my chest and my cheeks took on a fierce blush as I gripped onto the collar of his dress shirt, pulling his weight against mine.

"Neither am I," I answered against his lips.

~ ~ ~

Ahh, look at me posting twice in the same week, not a month later, hehe.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Don't worry, some action is gonna pick up soon <3

Thank you all so much for the support on this story and on my debut novel which is available on Amazon! (I Pledge My Loyalty by A. Quinn) It means so much to me, so thank you.

Anyways, I'll catch y'all in the next chapter!

~Aidan