Expectations

Chapter 39

I run my hands over the front of my lavender dress, checking my appearance in the mirror one last time. Grabbing one more bobby pin, I stick it in my hair to make sure my loose bun stays in place, and I pull out a few tendrils of hair to frame my face. Satisfied with my appearance, I walk out of the bathroom and into the hotel suite.

Peeking into the bedroom, I find Alex standing in front of a full length mirror struggling to get his tie on, eyes squinted in concentration and tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. I lean against the doorframe, deciding to let him adorably struggle for a few more minutes. When he has the tie in complete knots, I can't help but giggle, catching his attention.

"Help me," he whines, a pout forming on his face.

"I think I still remember how to do this," I say, pushing myself off the doorframe to stand in front of him. Taking the tie in my hands, I recall the last time I did this for him for the fashion show he attended months ago.

After a couple of tries, I finally manage to get the tie securely around his neck, flattening it against his chest.

"Thanks." He softly smiles, grabbing his black suit jacket off the back of a nearby chair and shrugging it on. "You look beautiful by the way."

"Thank you." A small blush makes its way onto my checks.

"Ready to go?" he asks, grabbing our winter coats.

"Ready."

After layering up, we go outside to brace the bitter cold, early December Maine air. There's a thin layer of snow on the ground and a few flakes swirling around in the wind.

Alex sticks out his elbow and I loop my arm with his, the both of us huddling together for warmth on the short walk to the venue. Shay's wedding is two blocks down the street from our hotel, so we decide to just walk there.

When we get to the wedding venue, we shed our winter apparel at the door, and Alex grabs my hand to claim seats towards the back on the bride's side. The venue is beautiful and elegant all decorated in white, gold, and blush tones. It screams Shay.

While the venue has the heat on, there's a slight draft that flows in whenever the front door opens, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

"Cold?" Alex asks, already shrugging off his suit jacket and handing it to me.

Normally, I wouldn't take his jacket from him, but I'm so cold that I don't think twice about taking it since the straps on my dress are so thin, providing zero warmth. I slip on the jacket, the material engulfing me and shielding out some of the cold.

"Wow, you really are freezing." Alex lightly chuckles while taking my small, cold hands in his large ones. His hands are by no means warm from walking around in the cold, but they hold a little more heat than mine, so I'm grateful when he holds them for a while.