"I don’t want to wait any longer,piccola," he says.
"Wait for what?" I ask.
He parks in front of a beautiful cathedral.
"To marry you," he says.
The smile freezes on my lips. To say that this is unexpected would be an understatement.
"A priest is waiting inside as we speak," he says. He grabs a large box from the back seat and hands it to me. "This is for you."
I open it to find yards of tulle and lace embroidery. It’s a wedding veil. The bejeweled comb glitters under the sun, casting its reflection everywhere in the car. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that these are real diamonds.
“I don’t understand,” I say. “Why now?”
"Because yesterday was a wake-up call. Life can change in an instant. And I don't want to go another day without making you my wife."
"You want to marry me because your boss escaped from prison?"
"I want to marry you because you have bewitched me."
My heart squeezes in my chest. His words are pretty, but they do nothing to calm my racing heart.
“Does it have to be right now?” I ask. “It feels so sudden.”
He watches me for a moment.
"You signed a contract," he says. "You read the fine print. I get to marry you on the date and time of my choosing."
I stare at him for a moment.
"Is that all this is to you?” I ask. "A contract?"
"I don’t see a point in waiting."
I glance down at the dress I'm wearing. He was the one who picked it out for me. It didn't even occur to me that I was wearing a wedding dress. God, I feel stupid.
I have to fight to keep the emotions from rushing to my head. I don't want to cry over this.
I can't tell him the truth either.
Because somewhere along the way, this bond between us felt like more. It felt like there was more than a contract and compulsion binding us together.
And although I haven't known him for all that long, I formed a connection with him that I’ve never had with anyone else.
I'm afraid he doesn't feel the same way about me.
"Fine," I say. "Let's get married."
He lifts my hand and kisses it.
It's obvious that he likes me right now, but will this feeling stay forever? Or is it going to be transient like everything else I've ever known?
DANTE
The reasons don't matter.
All that’s important is that I have my woman next to me.
