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21. WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY:
A celebration of another year of marriage, no divorce, no separation. Whew!
Friday morning, I called up Adam. I wasn’t really mad at him. I knew that he was only looking out for me. I told him that I would catch a ride with him, as I wouldn’t be going with Ryder to my parents’ party.
“And if they look for Ryder, what will you tell them?” Adam asked.
“That we’re taking time off. That I wasn’t ready. Ryder is a wonderful guy, but he was too serious about getting married and I’m not ready for that commitment yet. Plus, he’s in Manhattan eighty percent of the time.”
“And what will you really do about Ryder, Astrid?” he asked.
I took a deep breath. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s… my boss apparently. I’ll keep working on this, until the profits sta
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Knight in Shining Suit 22. I DO
I DO:Powerful two little words that actually mean, ‘I will love you, take care of you, serve you, protect you, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.’Before I joined my parents, I looked at Ryder and said, “Thank you, Ryder. You’ve been very kind to all of us. I guess this is the last, huh? I'll call my parents after a week to tell them that it’s over. Don’t worry. I'll make sure nobody blames you. I’ll tell them that I want to stay single for a while. To… date around…”“Do you?” he asked bitterly.I raised a brow. “Do I what?”“Want to date around?” he asked.I laughed… to cover up the pain that I feel inside… and to hide the truth behind the lie that I’m about to say.“It’s been a while, hasn&rsquo
Knight in Shining Suit 23. BOND
BOND:A connection that fastens things or people together.The next morning, I woke up Ryder with kisses. He smiled at me and then he held me by the waist, pushed me on my back and pinned me between his body and the soft mattresses of his bed. There was no need for words after that.It was almost noontime when we got up from bed. I knew that Ryder would leave soon and this made me want to cry already.“What time’s your flight?” I asked him.He smiled and pulled me to him. “Tomorrow at ten.”“Why?” I asked in surprise.“I canceled things today.”“Ryder… why did you do that?”He kissed me. “I wanted to. A day won’t hurt. It’s our first day together… for real. The first day that didn’t have to end.”I gave him a hug. “Geography&rsqu
Knight in Shining Suit 24. VEIL
VEIL:Covers the bride’s face to the groom until he has fully committed to her after the wedding ceremony.I am made of stone. I can do this. I am not giving up! I told myself over and over.I was sitting on the deck of Ryder’s Malibu home. After so many nights I still felt alone, my heart was still broken and every single minute, I ached for the man who swore he would make my ‘ever after’ come true.But he was not here anymore… I never felt so alone in my life. The pain was ten times worse than what I felt when Bryan and Geena betrayed me.I remembered his laughter, his smile. I remembered his arms around me and the way he would look at me. I remembered how he never gave up on me. How he waited for me to realize that he was the right one for me. How long he waited for me to realize that I was in
Knight in Shining Suit 25. VELLUM
VELLUM:A thin, transparent or semi-transparent type of paper the effect of which resembles a frosted glass, commonly used in wedding invitations.Ryder.When I woke up at the hospital, my first thought was that I was late for my meeting in Malibu. I just opened Oil Rig and would soon open another bar, Rig Style.When I opened my eyes, my family and friends were staring back at me curiously, all with tears in their eyes.That’s when I realized that something must have happened to me. Judging from the throbbing pain I felt in my head, the fact that I could barely move my body due the tight bandages wrapped around me in the rib area, I guessed that I was in a car accident.Damn! I wonder which of my cars I have to say goodbye to. I hope it’s not my McLaren. I just bought it a month ago and the price was not sweet at all. I would hate to
Knight in Shining Suit 26. BRIDAL REGISTRY
BRIDAL REGISTRY:A log of the couple’s gift preferences aimed at making it easier for wedding guests to shop for gifts for the couple.Astrid.I went to the hospital every single day. But I never got a chance to see Ryder. The doctors didn’t encourage it until all the tests were done and they were sure about the gravity of his amnesia.“You should go back to Malibu,” Janis advised. “We’ll keep you posted, when he’s ready to see you.”I shook my head. “He should at least try to see me, Jan,” I said hopefully. “Maybe if he sees me… it would trigger some memories to come back.”“We have to do this slowly, Ash,” Jake said. “Only time can help Ryder now.”I think the sight of me was unsettling to Ryder and it didn’t help his recovery
Knight in Shining Suit 27. PRENUP
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Knight in Shining Suit 28. GUARDIANSHIP
GUARDIANSHIP:Legal term which is used to describe the legal and practical relationship of a parent and a child, which includes the right of the parent to make decisions for his or her child as well as his or her responsibilities to take care of his or her child.Astrid.“Damn it!” I shrieked when I opened my office and found a tall figure standing by my window.Then my heart hammered in my chest when I realized who it was.I got that familiar urge to run after him and throw myself in his arms, thinking that he would catch me, like he always did in the past. But I knew I would hit the wall this time.Then I got that usual flicker of hope that he remembered even a fraction of his time with me. Or he somehow felt our connection. Or he was even willing to work on it until he finally heals. I knew
Knight in Shining Suit 29. KISS
KISS:The groom kisses the bride at the end of the wedding ceremony toseal their union.Astrid.“I want you to stay here while I’m gone.” His words echoed in my head over and over. Tears were rolling down my cheeks.Okay, Astrid. Better cry now than later. Better here than in front of him.I couldn’t show him how affected I was. No matter how much I beg, it’s not helping him. I didn’t give up on him yet. But I knew that putting pressure on him would only make him run away more.He did tell me that he was always cautious about girls. Now, he doesn’t know me. So I fall into the general category of women who just might like Ryder Van Woodsen for money and not for who he is inside.Quite ironic, actually. He accuses me of the very things that ke
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Knight in Shining Suit 36. PRESENT
Knight in Shining Suit 35. WEDDING ALBUM
Knight in Shining Suit 34. SOMETHING BORROWED
Knight in Shining Suit 33. SOMETHING BLUE
Knight in Shining Suit 32. SOMETHING OLD
Knight in Shining Suit 31. SOMETHING NEW
