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Two Months Later
Climbing out of the car, I grinned at my father as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Natalie followed, her train floating to the ground as she stood straight and stared up at the hotel. She looked stunning as she moved, the lace around her arms fitted to her beautifully.
“This place is amazing,” she whispered, grabbing my hand.
I looked up too, admiring the sixteenth century stone as it arched over our heads. I was impressed with Aries’ choice of venue. It really was somewhere to make wedding dreams come true.
About to step forward, I paused when Nat tugged me back. “Virgo, I...you might not appreciate...I mean...”
“What is it?” I said, concerned that her nerves were getting the better of her.
Watching her face through the lace veil that covered her to her shoulders, I frowned. She bit her painted pink lip, her naturally made-up eyes glancing down at the bouquet she held.
Squeezing her hand, I encouraged her to speak. If I could help with something, I would. Was it her hair? It was half up, the top part in a pretty bun that held the veil. The rest of it hung loose, in glossy curls. It looked perfect.
“I paid a visit to Alice last week.” Nat looked me in the eye, waiting for my reaction. I just nodded, unable to say anything. “We had a good chat.”
Swallowing, I looked at our clasped hands. I hadn’t heard from Alice since the last time I had seen her. Gary had been furious when I’d given in my notice, but he understood and accepted the lies I’d told him. I had pretended that I missed working with people. But, in reality, I missed working in the lab. Doing the two different jobs had made me completely happy. Now, I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be in the joyous stakes.
“I explained my story to her. I didn’t impose anything, I promise. I just...wanted to thank her in person. So...I invited her to the wedding when I was there.”
My heart flipped, crashing against my ribs. Taking a deep breath, I nodded, still not able to reply. Maybe she wouldn’t come. Or, maybe she would. Either way, my body was reacting to the news that I might see her.
“That’s fine,” I managed to squeak out.
Nat smiled, her white teeth catching her bottom lip. “Okay, as long as I haven’t overstepped. I just...I don’t know, I just felt it was right to invite her.”
Pulling her into a hug, I reassured her that I was fine with her decision. It was her wedding, and Alice had cured her with her antidote. Of course she should be there. Regardless of me.
“Are you ready?” Father asked, tapping his watch.
Exhaling her breath, Natalie nodded as she went over to him. He held out his arm, ready to take her down the aisle. Her own father was no longer around, so ours had stepped in. It had made Aries’ day.
“Good luck,” I whispered, walking ahead of her.
The doors opened as the other bridesmaids entered the building. The old chapel was set within the hotel, a place where people would worship all those years ago. It had its own entrance, which made it easier for us to go straight down the aisle. Aquarius was waiting in front of me, his arm extended so I could hold it.
The aisles were decorated with red and orange bows and flowers that were bright and fiery, just like the groom. He stood at the front, his gaze glancing over us as we walked slowly towards him. Leo stood by his side, his hand reaching out and squeezing Aries’ shoulder once in a while.
My whole family watched us as all three couples did the walk of honour. Once we reached the front, I let go of Aquarius, who went to stand on the other side of Leo with the other groomsmen. I moved beside Cancer as she grinned at me, excitement evident in her face. She was holding Althea, rocking the sleeping child back and forth.
Avoiding the crowd, I kept my gaze on Natalie as she came down the aisle, a huge grin on her face. The soft instrumental music that filled the room made my skin tingle. Glancing at Aries, I almost burst out crying. Silent tears tracked down his cheeks as he watched his twin flame join him in front of the registrar.
Biting my lip, I watched them intently. I could not allow my gaze to trace the crowds. If I happened to see Alice, I might lose my composure. And, I couldn’t do that. The wedding had to be perfect.
The registrar spoke, but the words were lost to me. Watching the way Aries lifted the veil and admired his soon to be wife, my eyes traced the plunging line of the dress. The way the lace floated down over the white train was elegant, the craftsmanship, intricate and delicate.
“I promise to take care of you and our children forever. We may not have had an easy start, but we’ll last until our last breath and beyond.” Aries choked up as he spoke the final part of his vows.
My throat threatened to close as my gaze involuntary went out to the crowd, immediately landing on Alice. She was in the third row on the bride’s side of the room. Our gaze clashed, heat exploding within me.
“I promise to love you with all my heart for as long as it beats,” Natalie said.
Struggling to tear my gaze away from Alice, I took a deep breath to try and slow the beating of my heart. A small smile came to her lips as we watched each other. The romance in the air was tangible to anyone, so it was probably contributing to the intense look we shared. It was amazing how many words could be said with the eyes. How many meanings could be construed.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the registrar said. “You may kiss the bride.”
The applause that vibrated through the old chapel was so loud it completely broke my concentration. I clapped along with my family, happy that Nat had lived to see her wedding day. My brother was the first of us married. It was a wonderful feeling to know what he had achieved.
“That was beautiful,” Cancer cried beside me.
The baby gurgled to herself, the loud noise obviously waking her up. I reached for her as Cancer asked me to take her so she could hug everyone. Natalie and Aries walked off down the aisle. We had to follow them out exactly as we had come in. I had arranged that the whole family were outside before the guests, just so we could watch the happy couple drive away in their horse and carriage.
“That was amazing,” Leo said, his face full of joy. “Good job!”
Glancing down at Althea, I passed Alice, smiling at the way her small fingers wrapped around my thumb. She really was a miracle, and one that we would have to take care of. If Nick’s threat was real, Libra would have to stick to our bargain.
Speaking of my sister, I drew level with her as Aries and Natalie waved goodbye. We would be seeing them in an hour to eat food and then party hard. The wedding breakfast and reception would be held in the hotel, so we only had to take a few steps to our rooms if anyone wanted to change.
“She’s adorable,” Libra said, her eyes crinkling as she cooed down at Althea.
“She is. Have you heard anything from Nick yet?” They had exchanged phone numbers so the particulars of the deal could be worked out.
Shaking her head, she ran her hand over the smooth line of her red dress. It sat beautifully on her tall frame, making her dark eyes stand out. We all wore the same shade of red, especially to meet the requirements of the fire sign in Aries.
“I’ll hear soon enough. He’s still concentrating on you, I’m sure.” She glanced towards the entrance, her eyes widening slightly. “So, Alice decided to come.”
Her words made me suck in the air. The baby shuffled, feeling the tension in me. I didn’t dare to look as a group of people made their way off to the hotel to get ready for food. If I could avoid her until the reception, that would make me feel easier.
“Come on,” Libra said, linking her arm through mine. “Let’s go eat.”
We cut around the side of the hotel, away from the others. It was nice of Libra to realise that I was nervous about seeing Alice. Something made me afraid to speak to her. But, I wasn’t sure what. Surely, I should feel comfortable within myself?
“You do know that Natalie spoke to Alice?” I asked Libra.
She shook her head, her perfectly shaped eyebrows lowering. “No, I didn’t know that.”
Sighing, I shook my head to clear the stress. There was no point in worrying over what would happen with Alice. It was meant to be a happy day. I hadn’t expected it to change the way it had. It threw me off slightly.
“Relax and have fun, don’t think about your mission, just enjoy our brother’s day.”
Libra was right, her words echoing what I had been thinking. I wouldn’t allow Alice’s presence to make me feel uncomfortable. Instead, I would be myself, without any fear of what anyone else would think.
“This looks amazing.” Libra walked ahead of me into the old hall.
We had arranged for the food to be served at a sit down meal before the room was transformed into a party room with dancing and plenty of drink.
“They’ve done a great job.”
Father had paid for the wedding, with a little help from Aries. The groom didn’t realise how much expense had gone into everything, but my father would make sure that every one of us didn’t have to worry about the best day of our life. That was one thing he had promised us from a very young age.
Would I ever want to marry? I wasn’t sure. It didn’t need to happen nowadays. It wasn’t looked down upon if you weren’t married. So, why bother?
My gaze traced the tables, which were decorated with the same bows as in the chapel. Small wedding favours were on each place with a nameplate made out of chocolate. Natalie had requested the sweet treats.
I smiled to myself, happy that everything had gone to plan. The day had been a success so far, and everything had looked delightful.
“Virgo,” Natalie said, coming up behind me. “This is so pretty!”
The bride and groom had taken a short carriage ride before coming back to the hotel. Throwing her arms around me, Nat hugged me close. My gaze met Alice’s as she came in the door with Aries, a smile on her face.
Pulling away, Nat looked down at me. “You’ve done such an amazing job in organising all of this. I never could’ve got it together in time. Thank you so much!”
Her thanks weren’t needed. Arranging the wedding had helped to take my mind off my own mission. I had also signed up to do as many shifts as possible, although making sure to time them so I knew I wouldn’t bump into my old boss.
“I can’t wait to eat, I’m starving. I couldn’t eat anything this morning, but now I’m going to eat everything.”
Taking Althea, Nat hurried off to talk to her guests. She was completely healed and back to normal, which was such a relief. After all, it felt like it was my fault her life was in danger in the first place.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Aries called, his hands held in the air. “I’d like to say a quick thank you to Virgo for arranging this beautiful day. Her organisation skills are phenomenal. However, I’ve managed to persuade the caterers to serve us now. Apparently, the bride didn’t eat this morning, so I can’t have my wife go hungry. Wife? Did you hear that, babe?” Aries shouted across the room to where Nat was watching him. “That sounds odd! She’s my wife, everyone!”
As a cheer went up, my gaze accidently landed on Alice again. The corner of her lip lifted into her cheek, her pale face blossoming into colour. I nodded, somehow interpreting her request to talk. Not here though, at the reception, when everyone else was drunk. I needed a clear head, away from my siblings to talk with my twin flame.
