"Dammit woman, talk to me," Zach pulls at his hair in frustration; his eyes never leave my face. There is a hint of sadness in his voice but other than that, he sounds cynically mad.
I shake my head no, with my gaze still on the floor. Suddenly, he...
Stepping into the gown, I pull it over my body and smile at myself. This might be my only wedding, who knows.
However, I struggle to pull the zip. On cue, I hear Natalie asking me if I was done.
I open the door and stifle a gasp when I see Zach at a distance. Natalie doesn't know he is there for sure because it was a custom for the groom to not see the bride now.
As soon as I see him, I hide behind the wall but the I still get a glimpse of him in wedding suit and my stomach churns.
Natalie helps me with the zipper of the dress, thankfully the skin there doesn't have many scars and I had used make-up to hide the small ones. Robert enters shortly. With Natalie in the room, he acts like the sweetest dad in the world and I am surprised when I see a fake tear roll down his eyes.
I, however, remain emotionless. Natalie leaves and after adjusting my veil, we walk outside.
With my hand on Robert's arm, I feel disgusted but still, I walk down the aisle. My white heels step on the beautiful green grass and the white flowers.
Everyone stands once they see me and I keep my eyes on the ground while walking. The sound of a waterfall would normally make me ecstatic as I loved them but now, the anxiety is eating me in the inside and my heart is beating so wildly, I feel like I am going to have a heart attack.
I dare to raise my head and meet the green eyes once we stop. I drink in Zach's appearance. The beautiful green eyes are fixed on my form and the world stops. I take in his high cheekbones and his perfectly sharp jaw. His expression is stern, like always and I don't know why I thought he'd at least smile at me.
He hates you, you idiot. He said it himself. Stupid hopes and expectations.
He has a white shirt on, that hides an impressive body, with black wedding suit and same dress pants. He also has a black bow tie on.
The dark brown hair that is usually falling down his forehead is now touselled to the side and I find myself looking at his eyes again.
For a second, I think I see admiration and adoration in them but it is gone when a throat is cleared to snap us out of the trance.
Robert gives a sloppy fake kiss on my cheek and I almost cringe. He hands me to Zach.
I stand next to Zach and look at the ground. Little drops of water fall on me once in a while and I wish I could turn around and look at the waterfall but the bride isn't really supposed to do that.
I feel hundreds of eyes on me and my heart becomes heavier. If only they knew this was fake. He doesn't even give me a second glance and I hear the priest blabbering stupid vows. Zach repeats it after the priest and I feel the anxiety doubling.
I won't be able to repeat it after the priest.
The crowd is startled when I don't but we maintain our cool. Thankfully, most of them already know I am mute and fewer people are invited, all close family members and friends of Zach.
Zach was suspicious to find out I hadn't invited anyone and he thought the reason was my embarrassment. He couldn't be more wrong. It was because I had no one.
"Zachary Kane, do you take Ellen Sallow to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage?"
"I do." This time, he chooses to look at me and his voice gets a bit deeper than before.
"Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honour and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
The priest turns to look at me and I feel Zach's gaze, perhaps because he doesn't think I will be able to speak but I live to surprise.
"Ellen Sallow, do you take Zachary Kane to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?"
"I-I do." my voice comes like a squeak and surprisingly, soft. Not croaky, thankfully. I nervously look at Zack and while his face is stern but his eyes again have that look.
We exchange the rings that are awfully expensive for sure.
"You may now kiss the bride."
I expect Zach to kiss me on the cheek or give me just a small peck in the lips because that is what happens in the books and movies with arranged and forced weddings, right?
So, I wasn't prepared for this. At all.
My breath is caught when Zach leans down and snakes his hand on my waist, pulling me up. I fist his clothes in my hand in surprise, no doubt wrinkling it, but he doesn't mind.
He leans down and I look at the darkened green eyes. My eyes flutter close when his lips touch mine and he pulls me into one of the longest and most passionate kiss that I am ever going to have.
And, I unwillingly cling to him for life. Hating myself for actually liking it.
.
unedited.
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