Without The Grace

I'm sensing you still love him

The wedding came faster than I expected. One thing that had surprised me immensely was my dress.

Natilarosa came to deliver my dress to me personally, which was something that was apparently rare.

"I thought about what you said." She told me. "And you're right but if I changed, I'd be like everyone else and I don't want to be like everyone else. I like me as I am and that's all that matters. Though I am sorry if I offended you."

"Wow." I responded. "Thanks. The dress is beautiful. And you're right, you have every right to be yourself."

Gia was a jumping ball of madness. She hardly let me do anything from the moment I woke up.

I hadn't seen Elliot since the previous night. The three days after we met with the wedding planner we had spent every waking hour together.

We went snorkeling, exploring, and mountain climbing. I introduced the island to bungee jumping, the set up they were able to pull together was nowhere near safe but construction for it would begin soon.

We went to every restaurant and diner possible, just to give each other a chance to talk about ourselves.

I found out that he was the oldest of seven and that he was twenty five. He'd rarely ever been around women since they were mostly separated on his island. I'd found that fact very surprising since he was so good with me.

He owned almost every type of animal. He had snakes, tigers, zebras, a lion, monkeys, elephants, donkeys, hogs, horses, cows, and even a baby panda, which I was extremely jealous of.

When he spoke of his baby panda Wasabi, I found myself telling him about Alex, and then Kenneth came into the conversation and finally, Ezekiel who I said very little on.

My story was very popular everywhere. How I was kidnapped and overthrew a dictator and them got engaged to my kidnapper.

"What happened?" Elliot asked me.

"To what?" I asked, hoping that he wasn't referring to what I thought he was.

"Your engagement."

"Elliot,"

"It's okay, you can tell me. I don't want to end up another lost engagement." He urged.

I tried not to be offended by his statement. "He's a father." I said quietly.

"Of another woman?"

I nodded. "He didn't know."

Elliot was quiet for a moment. I wondered what he was thinking about. I wanted to tell him that he was it, that I was just ready to perform my duties and live my life not worrying about Ezekiel anymore.

"I'm sensing you still love him." He finally said.

I looked up in shock.

He laughed. "It's okay. I understand. But I guess if you wanted to go back to him you wouldn't be sitting here with me so I guess I have no worries right?"

I smiled and took his hand. "Right."

"Wala!" Gia cried. "You're ready to enter the next phase of your life."

I looked at myself on the mirror. I looked unrecognizable. I didn't know if it was because I felt different or because there were about three layers of make up on my face.

"Please tone it down." I told Gia who frowned.

"I still wanna be me when I go down the aisle." I explained.

She laughed and got a cloth to wipe some off.

My dress was a pale gold with white fabric underneath and glass sequins running up and down it. The sequins were of every color which matched the treasure theme perfectly.

Instead of being cake puffy like a princess dress it flowed down around me, light and swaying in the breeze. I truly felt like a queen.

"Okay. I'm going to go put on my dress. No talking to anyone or opening the door. Got it? Good." She said all in one breath before scurrying out of the room.

I sighed and plopped back down in my chair. I felt exhausted and the ceremony hadn't even began.

"Wow." Someone said.

I jerked around I see Ezekiel standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" I said coldly.

He looked hurt but I ignored it thinking off the blank look he'd given me at the party.

"I need to talk to you." He said.

No." I replied. "You need to leave. You're not allowed in here. Gia!" I yelled.

"Wait! I have to te-"

"I don't want to hear it! You didn't want to talk to me before so why should I hear you out now?!"

"Aa-"

"What's goin-Ezekiel?!" Raul cried. My father had returned for the wedding the precious morning.

"Mr. Grace. I real-"

"Need to leave. Lets go." He took Ezekiel by the elbow and dragged him from the room shouting the entire way.

I collapsed back into my chair in shock. Now I kind of wanted to know what he needed to tell me so desperately.

"Show time!" Gia cried entering the room. Since she was one of my bridesmaids she was wearing a simple white strapless dress that fell above her knees.

"You look great." I complimented admiring her curls.

She intertwined her fingers with mine and pulled me to the door. "Thanks. You stole the show though." She said smiling. "You're beautiful without all the gunk anyways." She told me.

We made our way down the empty hallway to the throne room where the wedding would take place.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach so suddenly that I doubled over and began dry heaving.

"Aaliyah!" I heard Gia exclaim. I tried to right myself but I was so anxious and couldn't control myself.

"Aaliyah?" a new voice came into the hallway.

I looked up and almost cried. "Alex! I've missed you so much!" I threw my arms around him. I forgot all about our disagreement before my engagement ceremony with Ezekiel and cried in his arms.

"No! No!" Gia shouted separating us. She immediately began to fix my face. "Geez Aaliyah. Wait till after the wedding!"