𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 |✔

|Chapter 45|

|the wedding|

Ruby POV

A week has passed by since Val's and mine's birthday. Honestly, I thought it would've been better. It was one of the most boring birthdays I've ever had. Sure I got to see Val -which was the highlight of my birthday (just don't tell anybody that)-, we got a lot of presents, but they were so impersonal. It was honestly pretty sad to realize that after all the time we spent with our brothers they still don't know that we don't give a shit about expensive presents, but rather want something that they put a lot of thought and effort in. And to top it all off, we weren't even allowed to drink a bit of alcohol. Like not even a small sip. Do they realize that even though we were raised in The Élite, we grew up in the British tradition? Like, we start drinking when we're like twelve or thirteen. Just because they were raised in the American tradition and aren't or weren't allowed to drink until they turned twenty-one -which, please we all know they started drinking before that (even Ale)- doesn't mean we can't. Either way, Álvaro sneaked Val some alcohol and Val sneaked me some of that alcohol which made it a bit better.

Honestly they are so annoyingly overprotective, it's not even funny. And today wasn't going to be any different. No alcohol for Ruby and Valentina Romano at Valentina's wedding. Just fucking peachy!

Valentina POV

Today we have the twenty-second of July and guess what special occasion is today? The wedding!

And what do I want to do? Kill myself!

Anyhow, my dress looks fantastic, but only because I'm wearing it. My make-up and hair have been done professionally and I have gotten my nails done yesterday, also professionally. My hair has been curled and been fancily pinned up and stuff like that. My shoes are as pretty as the dress, even though you can't see them, because of the dress and my crown is already on my head too.

Yes, crown. How else should everybody know that I am a queen; a literal goddess? Exactly, what I'm saying! Besides I got Alessandro to pay, so who wouldn't have taken a million dollar crown, that looks all bling bling and let's everybody know who you are? Just that the million dollar crown actually "only" cost a few thousands. But meh, it looks pretty.

"Are you ready?", Alessandro asked as he entered the room that I had gotten ready in. I nodded, growing a bit nervous. Alessandro was going to walk me down the aisle since I didn't have a father anymore and he is the oldest out of all of my brothers, so yeah. Makes sense, right?

I hooked my arm under Ale's and let him walk me to the door that separated me from Álvaro and the guests. Taking a deep breath in, I looked up to my brother, who gave me a reassuring nod. As we walked inside, I gripped the bouquet tightly. Did I actually have to throw this stupid thing? Whatever.

♧

"Welcome family, friends and loved ones. Today, we have gathered here to celebrate the wedding of Valentina Romano and Álvaro Rodriguez", the Priest started. He went on and on, talking about love and some other shit. I had given the bouquet to Ruby as soon as I had reached the aisle. Ruby, of course, was my maid of honor and I would like to say that I have more maids, but I don't. Eric was standing behind Álvaro, seeing as he was his best man. My hands were lying in Álvaro's, who gripped mine tightly. Both of our hands were a bit sweaty, which made this a bit disgusting but whatever.

"Do you, Álvaro Rodriguez, take Valentina Romano to be your lawfully wedded wife?", finally, we got to that part, "Do you love, comfort, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do", Álvaro answered, sounding just as bored as I felt. Well, at least he was smiling.

"Do you, Valentina Romano, take Álvaro Rodriguez to be your lawfully wedded husband?", no, I don't. If I wouldn't, I wouldn't be standing here, would I?! "Do you love, comfort, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do", I answered, probably sounding just as bored as Álvaro. But I too was smiling. We are trying.

The next thing went by in a blur. We got our rings, were pronounced wife and husband and then we kissed. Like we actually kissed; on the mouth. And I have to admit that he is a pretty good kisser. Probably would've been better if we actually were marrying out of love and not out of a contract, but it is what it is, right?

Álvaro and I walked out of the church, my arm hooked under his, as we walked down and to the limousine that was waiting for us.

"So, Mrs.Rodriguez, how do you feel, now that you have a great and sexy husband by your side?", Álvaro asked as the limousine started driving.

"So, Mr.Rodriguez, how do you feel, now that you have a hot and badass wife?", I asked back. "Not to mention that I am way out of your league." He pouted at me and mumbled something along the lines of "you're just like my brother and father" and "so mean". Like literally, are we back in kindergarten now?

♧

Dancing. I loved dancing. But not with Álavro. Don't get me wrong, he knew how to dance, how to sway his hips and it looked good, like actually hot, but this wasn't real. We weren't in love, we were just to pawns that did what our fathers wanted us to do. And even though my father is dead and I haven't seen him in years, he still manages to ruin everything.

The way Álvaro swayed me across the dance floor, it always made me feel so free to dance like this (I was secretly in love with the ways they used to dance way back in time), but with him it doesn't feel like I'm free. Because I'm not. The same thing that has happened to my mother was happening to me. The only difference was that I was no coward, no little bitch who would take everything like an obedient wife, like my mother did. I learned to stand up for myself and even if I was to be in love with Álvaro, I would never let him dare walk over me or my children like my father did to us.

But, I suppose, Álvaro wasn't like my father. Sure, he was a bit sexist and he was a major asshole, but nothing I couldn't deal with. The only thing that I am actually worried about is being pregnant. Or rather becoming pregnant. I have never really told anyone, but I am partly infertile (got it from my mother's side), which -obviously- makes it harder for me to get pregnant. There's also a very high chance of losing the baby or even losing my own life.

How am I supposed to tell Álvaro that?

To be continued...

I'v gotten a comment to make her wedding dress black, which I thought was a pretty cool idea. But I didn't find one single black wedding dress that looked good :( , so white it is. Or, of course, as always you can choose something entirely different. Let your imagination run wild!