𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞
✦ ˚ * ✦ . .˚ . ✦˚ . ˚ . ✦ ˚ . ˚ . ✦ . ˚ * ✦
˚ *
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄. 𝐈 contemplated the bright green grass beneath me, housing several distinctive plants that bloomed gracefully.
Beside the altar covered in flowers in different shades of pastel colors, stood a rustic arts and crafts house that the couple had booked. It was large and vast, very suiting to the area.
I breathed the garden-fresh breeze, allowing it to blow through my hair and mess it up just slightly. I stifled a laugh as Alex joined me.
"Lovely, isn't it?" He gazed at the house, admiring the details with his scorching eyes.
"Very lovely" I agreed, watching people pour inside in a large group.
We weren't late, but we weren't exactly the first ones there. Many chairs were already taken but me and Alex sat in the third row.
It wasn't until we were both seated that I noticed he was carrying a camera case around with him.
"You couldn't just brought your phone and used it to take pictures?" I cleared my throat, watching him adjust the lenses.
"Phones don't capture the moment like this baby does. The magic and grandeur of this professional camera cannot be compared to that of a cell phone. I want Zackery and Lola to have a transcendence to look back to"
I stared at him in awe, not believing that such a considerate soul could step foot on this earth. He never failed to surprise me with everything he did.
The thrill and the rush of blood of waking up and not knowing what to expect is what made him so appealing.
"That's the sweetest thing, Alex" I blinked, catching his eye, triggering a smile from him.
We were intercepted by a melodious tone playing naturally through the wind. Everybody rose to their feet and watched as Lola strolled through the altar in a magnificent dress, nothing like I'd ever seen.
Their following vows certainly made me glance at Alex and realize that we all had a different way of experiencing love for other people. Their words were different than the ones I would've used but their impeccable meaning prevailed.
We all clapped as the newlyweds happily strode along the altar. Alex captured the moment delightfully. He chuckled at Zackery and gave him a heartfelt smile when they reached our side. And they walked into their new chapter of life.
———————————————
The sun traced itself back into its daily deep slumber, shielded behind the great grasslands upon us. The trees stood still and no leave moved an inch for a few seconds.
Alex walked closer to me and suddenly the sunset wasn't the most pleasant thing to gaze at. He stole the spotlight with the tiniest of things.
We didn't say anything. No words were spoken but he noticed my breathing speeding up. He enfolded his hand in mine reassuringly. That familiar electric feeling rose up again.
He kissed my soul back into safety and soon we roamed to the nearest table.
Fairy lights poured down from tall trees and illuminated the area perfectly. We joined the guys in a white round table. They all conversed cheerfully and greeted us when we sat down.
"You look beautiful, Elaine" Amanda commented and I gave her a loving smile.
"You do too. I love your dress" She grinned and blew a kiss in my direction. I giggled and imitated her gesture.
Beside me, Miles sat and he poked my shoulder. I raised my eyebrows expectantly, waiting for him to say something. He got closer to my ear and mumbled.
"Look ahead, not too noticeably, though"
My eyebrows furrowed, but I obeyed his command either way. Darting my eyes through the venue, I caught a glance of a familiar face in a purple dress.
Oh.
I gulped nervously and stared into Miles' apologetic eyes. He understood without me having to speak up. A lump formed in my throat that forbade me from speaking clearly.
Alex didn't take long to notice as he had been checking on me since we entered the area. "Love, what's the matter?" His hand stroked mine under the table.
I discreetly looked ahead and he followed my gaze, soon analyzing the situation better.
We shared a glance at the beautiful woman tapping her nails against the white plate resting in front of her, twirling her hair with the other hand; the same hand that Alex used to hold pridefully, stroking it like he was doing with mine at that moment.
Her red lips, prominent as the bright lights dancing above her with the gentle breeze, were the same ones Alex used to kiss, never fearful of his feelings for her.
His eyes never left her. Even when I wasn't looking at her myself. I couldn't tell the difference between that familiar admiration that arose from inside his soul again or simply shock from seeing her there.
I wanted to speak up but the task was incredibly hard.
"Alex.." I whispered and he turned around immediately.
"Al, you're up" Matt stood in front of us with a smile and a microphone in his hand.
I watched my lover hoist himself up from the chair with an apologetic look in his eyes, before leaving my side for the stage, where a band of men waited for him.
He placed the microphone closer to his mouth. "Firstly, I want to congratulate both Zackery and Lola for cultivating a beautiful love together that they decided to affirm right here in front of all of us. I am immensely happy for you both and wish you nothing but blessings and happiness"
Everyone clapped admiringly as the band went on to a tune. He sang a staggering melody that suit his voice in the most astounding way possible. I smiled at him, watching him return the gesture.
People got up from their seats with their couples and strode into a passionate dance, including Alexa. I half expected Alex's eyes to follow her body, but found my mistake right then and there when his irises refused to leave mine.
The song followed to an end and Alex came up to me immediately, embracing my body closer to his, keeping me in his heart, everywhere.
We pulled away and I noticed he was concentrating on something far away. His lips stretched into a smile I couldn't quite figure out.
"What?" I asked and he shook his head, walking to a table in the back, displaying several champagne bottles. He snatched one and hid it under his vest.
"Alex what the hell?" I whispered-yelled, pulling him away from everyone's view.
"No one's going to notice, come on" He grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him.
"Where are we going? Everyone is going to notice we're gone" I insisted, looking back at the party, watching the people away from side to side and the shot becoming distant.
"Alex!" I exclaimed, tugging on his hand.
"Let go of the stress, El. Don't look back and just live in the moment with me" He sighed, pulling me into a large path, adorned with tall trees and grasslands on each parallel side.
Alex stepped forward while the brilliance of the fairy lights faded and ultimately disappeared behind us.
We wandered through this unknown walkway, our only source of light being the moon's radiance, projecting onto the pavement ahead of us.
"Where does this lead to?" I looked up at the sky, covered in a luminous starry cloak. He pondered for a moment, humming the song he'd just performed.
"A place I know you'll like" He responded, giving me a side eye, pacing through the way.
"What if you're wrong?"
That made him stop in his tracks and face me. For a moment he was as still as a statue, not even his eyes budged.
Then he leered at me mockingly, an appeasing sensation of superiority and inferiority flowing through us once again.
"I'm never wrong, Elaine" He tilted his head to the side, his lips poking out.
"Well, Alexander, they say there's always a first for everything" I got closer to his body, slowly running my hands up and down his neatly ironed suit.
He glanced down at me, caught up in his world per usual, but something lured him into me. "You always have something to say, don't you?"
"It seems that way" I agreed.
"Come on, there's only a few steps left" He said in a sultry voice. I engaged in his ability to make me submit to him instantly and paid no mind to it whatsoever.
"Look ahead, sweetheart" He called out for me as I obeyed. His finger pointed to a pool of darkness, at least that was all I could see. The darkness expanded and converted itself into something familiar to me.
A few steps away from our bodies, I recognized the moon's white trail reflecting. The water swayed gently from side to side, emitting a quiet noise I could only hear if I concentrated hard enough.
As we walked closer, the area became more detailed and I began telling apart from blurry spots and what was truly upon me.
We walked into the trees surrounding the small lake, pushing away the branches from the tall trees. I then noticed we weren't on the pavement anymore, but instead we were strolling through a short dock assembled of wooden planks, bleached with the pale moon dust.
"Thoughts?" Alex raised his voice a bit and I turned around to him, wondering.
"Where are we?" I conjectured, watching his eyes shift from the starry sky back to my eyes.
He took a deep sigh and a step closer to the edge of the structure to gaze upon his reflection on the water, rippling slowly.
"It's a special place, for me at least. I tend to do that. I don't know if you've noticed" He wondered but carried on. "Attach a memory of the highest quality to a place, I mean"
"I am more than aware that it sounds pathetic once the words leave my mouth and I hear them go through my ears. But we all have our ways and preferences"
"Being here, I figured I could seize the opportunity to steal you away and show you this place. You know, to annex another memory to this area. With you"
He gave me one of his perfect smiles: warm and the ones that brought me that feeling of home. I probably looked like an idiot, smiling crookedly at his gleaming eyes.
"Come on" He signaled the water with his thumb and snapping me back into reality. I widened my eyes, staring at the water and up at the night sky again.
"Into the water?" I asked, confused and he nodded brightly. Without notice, he began stripping out of his clothes.
Undoing the buttons of both his shirt and pants, he walked closer to the edge of the dock and jumped straight into the water. I heard the deep splash echo through the vast outdoor area.
His back muscles flexed once he resurfaced. The moonshine reflected on his pale skin, casting abstract patterns across of it. This was truly the majestic sight, not the lake.
Sliding his hands down his wet hair, he turned around with a vivid, inviting grin. I bit my lip to smother my actual expression, one that I for sure did not want to place on my face right now.
"I don't bite, Elaine" He winked, dipping closer to me.
"I thought you were a big scary vampire" I said in a questioning tone, teasing as always. He looked down at the swaying water.
"You're not understanding, baby. Part of being a vampire is trying to hide that off the beaten track. See, I'm deceiving you" He gestured at me with his index finger.
"Right, of course" I nodded falsely.
His excitement prevailed, his eyes strong and fierce in an attempt to lure me into the water with him. I would've been a moron if I ever declined to that look.
"Take it off for me, come on. You're mine and I want to see what's mine. No one's around for miles, anyway"
I looked down at my red dress and back at the water surrounding Alex's muscular body. He was right. I shouldn't feel shy around him, not when he was the center of my whole world.
Sliding my dress sleeves down, I stared at Alex shifting impatiently with a heavy lidded expression on his face, fascinating me entirely.
I removed every garment from my body, being gentle and teasing with my moves, watching Alex react desperately.
"One more" I hummed and his eyes darkened as my hands moved down my panties. I lowered the fabric down my thighs and I was finally entirely naked.
There was a warm, fresh breeze when I dipped only my feet into the water. I swayed them from side to side as Alex swam dangerously close to my body.
I placed my hands on the dock, throwing my head back into the night gust, taking a deep breath. Alex enclosed his hands around my ankles, pulling on them gently.
He then hoisted himself up a bit and grabbed my waist, his wet hands sliding on my body in a sultry manner.
Before I could conquer any other thoughts, I was already surrounded by the warm water, splashing on my face.
"Alex!" I exclaimed, hearing him giggle as I wiped the water off my eyes. Once I could see him properly, I gave him a shooting glance. "You could've at least given me a warning"
"What's the fun in that?" He mumbled, drawing me near his body, dangerously near to his body. His lips trailed down my neck, producing goosebumps on my skin.
"Mmmm" I buzzed, wrapping my arms around his neck. He began feeling up my thighs before heaving me up more easily underwater. My legs enveloped around his waist tightly, refusing to let go any time soon.
He swam us closer to the dock, reaching out for the champagne bottle. I giggled when he opened the bottle swiftly.
"And what are we supposed to drink from, smartass?" I rolled my eyes and he held up a finger on my lips. Instead of replying with his words, he lifted the bottle up to his mouth and chugged some of the drink down.
I gave him a confused expression. "Oh come on. It's like drinking milk straight from the carton" He suggested and my confusion settled in deeper.
However, I wiped the lack of certainty from my face and received the bottle from his hands. I swallowed a little bit, savoring the sweetness, one that didn't overwhelm me.
He placed the bottle back on the dock and turned his attention back to me with a bright smile.
"Do you like this, sunshine?" He muttered gently against my forehead. I nodded, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm glad you do. But also not surprised since I did, in fact tell you you'd like it"
"I had my reasons to be skeptical. You're stealing me away from the wedding to take me around somewhere in a place I've never been before in my life" I looked around the vast area as the words left my mouth.
The brightness of his eyes softened. "Well this hadn't been my plan all along. But once I noticed you weren't quite at ease, I wanted to divert your attention from that"
We both knew that what had happened needed to be addressed, but we were both terrified of confronting it. I guess we felt as if that obstacle in our path was gone and forgotten by now. Little did we know...
I had so many uncertainties regarding this issue. Many queries that troubled my head. But there was a haunting one I desperately needed to know about.
"Alex. I need you to be honest with me. We're here and you brought me to your sacred place. So no lies, please?" My voice was frail when he nodded. I stared down at his expectant eyes.
"Is there anything left? Of what you felt for her? Of your love for her?" Please say no. I can't lose you now. Not when we've already crossed out the negative factors in our relationship.
The night air whispered softly as his thoughts assembled into place. "Elaine, I'm looking you in the eye and swearing on what's most precious to me that my love for her is sealed away and gone now"
"Why would I be digging through my past when I all I've ever wanted is right in front of me staring at me like I'm about to break her heart?"
"When I get physically sick when you're not beside me? When my mind and soul react immediately whenever your name is brought up? When my blood rushes at the sight of you?"
"When I feel like an eighth grader looking at his crush when I look at you? When any song comes up I spend all my energy trying to look for one lyric that reminds me of you?"
"No, Elaine. I'll make it my life's purpose to demonstrate that my affection for you could never compared to anything I've ever felt"
"You make this world seem so much bigger with your effortless grace and strength, your inside beauty"
"I told you this once and I'll say it how many times it's necessary for you to grasp that concept; I am safe for you. I will take care of you no matter what is occurring and when you're around me nothing, nothing, absolutely, conclusively, omnipotently nothing is going to hurt you"
"Understand, love?" He said quietly.
My lips pouted at his words, his loving words that always made me want to tear my heart out off my chest and place it on his hands.
"Understand" I smiled, embracing him softly.
Suddenly, this was all I needed. He was all I needed. Time would continue, but mentally I would always be in that exact spot at midnight with nothing but love to offer him.
"Hey, Elaine?" He called out and I lifted my head from his shoulder to face him.
"Yes Alex?" I responded but he only gazed up at me, his irises sweet and inviting. My eyebrows furrowed at the ongoing silence. He was just losing himself in my eyes.
"Hell, you're so beautiful I forgot what I was about to say" He muttered in a low voice. I giggled at his sincerity and pressed a kiss on his cheek.
"What happened to all that big talk, huh? You know all the, 'I'm always right, Elaine. I'm your master'" I mocked his accent, watching his eye soften.
"That part of me is still present. But right now I choose to be my true self in front you. To show you my true colors and what I've always felt but never found the right words to express"
I hummed distractedly in response, suppressing a smile. "Why? You want me to keep being like that?" He chuckled after a moment.
"I like all of you. So it doesn't matter as long as you stay right where you are with me" I tilted my head to the side with his gaze glued on my every move.
"Do you think they noticed that we're gone?" I looked back into the dark area surrounded by large trees. Even though the wedding wasn't even a blurry dot in the distance, I searched for any signs of someone nearby.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Either way, I would not pay any mind to that. Not when I could be doing..." He placed his fingers on my chin, slurring his last word.
"...this" Was the last thing I heard before our lips connected, before we were one, before I was myself again, before my feelings for him duplicated in size, and before he kissed me like tomorrow would never come.
And if you ask me, still to this day I am swimming in that lake with Alex Turner's arms around my waist as he professes his love for me.