LOGINShare
29. KISS
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56KISS:
The groom kisses the bride at the end of the wedding ceremony to
seal 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
Related chapters
Knight in Shining Suit 30. TULLE
TULLE:A kind of textile that is lightweight and has very fine netting, usually used for veils.Ryder.I was dreaming for sure because I haven’t felt like this before. It was like I was in a trance, and I don’t ever want to wake up. I felt the surge of emotions sweep through me in tides that I could not control. I gave up fighting. I gave in.I crushed her into my arms and kissed her the way I have wanted to kiss her since the first time I laid eyes on her at the hospital. The way I always wanted to kiss her whenever I looked at her.I know I shouldn’t let my guard down. But there is something about this woman that draws me in, and drowns me.The minute she walked into the house, her scent captured my senses. If I close my eyes, I could swear that I know that scent well. But when
Knight in Shining Suit 31. SOMETHING NEW
SOMETHING NEW:Brides are supposed to wear something—anything—new during the wedding ceremony. It can be as small as a trinket, jewelry, an undergarment, or the gown itself.Astrid.I met up with my friends at Starbucks.“So, because Ryder forgot about you, we all have to be sober now?” Dannie asked. I knew what he meant. Since Ryder forgot about me, I had been steering clear of Oil Rig and Rig Style. It was too painful for me to go there. The sweetest guy I’d known didn’t want anything to do with me and looked down at me as if I was the biggest gold-digging slut on the face of the Earth.“No, Dannie. No one is preventing you from getting drunk out of your wits. As long as you don’t do it with me and in any of Ryder’s bars,” I said.“But those are my favor
Knight in Shining Suit 32. SOMETHING OLD
SOMETHING OLD:A bride must also complete her ensemble on the wedding day with something old. It could be an heirloom piece, old jewelry, or anything that the bride owned in the past.Astrid.The following days, I barely left John’s house. Rose was taking care of all the queries for the company. I spoke to my suppliers over the phone. I searched through the net to find a new place with a lower rent.I was getting frustrated because the places with lower rents are really smaller. So it means that I have to rent a separate apartment for myself.“Why don’t you just rent a room instead of a place of your own?” John asked. We were eating pizza in his house.“I suppose you’re right. I mean, I can afford a new apartment, but I don’t want to spend too much on that. I still have a long way to go with my co
Knight in Shining Suit 33. SOMETHING BLUE
SOMETHING BLUE:The Bride must always wear something… anything… blue. It can be a trinket or undergarment. Some choose to put a blue lining on the wedding garter that they wear under their wedding gown.Ryder.That did not go as planned.Astrid is a little firecracker. You don’t handle her properly, she will explode. And damn! I did not handle that well.I wanted to woo her, show her my charming side, the one that is not uptight and suspicious of all women. The real me without masks and with all my guards down.I thought I was doing a great job earlier in the afternoon. I thought she’d appreciate the movers, but I don’t think Astrid likes owing people anything, especially favors with a financial value attached to it. A very admirable trait.Wow! I have
Knight in Shining Suit 34. SOMETHING BORROWED
SOMETHING BORROWED:A bride must complete her outfit by wearing something that is not hers. Suggestions would be a tiara, hair clips, gloves, jewelry, and the list goes on and on.Astrid.My heart pounded in my chest. But I knew that I shouldn’t panic. This was Bryan! He was one of my best friends before we decided to become more than friends. I knew him. Once in his life, I loved him. And he loved me. He will never hurt me physically… or will he?“Bryan…” I breathed. “Are you okay? You look… drunk.”He laughed. “Oh, I am more than that! And I like it!” His eyes gleamed with mischief and I got even more scared.“Wha-what do you want?” I asked him, taking a step backward.“Ha!” He sighed angrily. “You still don’t know
Knight in Shining Suit 35. WEDDING ALBUM
WEDDING ALBUM:A collection of the snapshots and pictures captured during the wedding day. The Wedding Album holds all the memories of the most wonderful day between a husband and a wife.Ryder.I have to meet her. The girl I spent half a day looking for around the city! I thought I would never see her again.“I’ll cover the bar, guys!” I told my bartenders. I took my jacket off and grabbed the baseball cap from one of my staff and wore it on my head. “Borrow for a while, okay?”He looked at me like he thought I was high or something and then he nodded.I watched her. She was alone. Now, I wish I knew some pick-up lines. Or if I did, I knew how to use them effectively! But so far the only things that I could remember hearing around were:‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’or
Knight in Shining Suit 36. PRESENT
PRESENT:A moment or period in time perceptible as intermediate between past and future; The period between Yesterday and Tomorrow… Today.It is also referred to as something special given to another person… a Gift.Remember this quote? “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, and Today is a GIFT, that is why it’s called the Present.”Astrid.It’s been almost a week since I got out of the hospital. I got away just fine with some stitches on my forehead, just above my left brow. My wrist was also stitched up as apparently, I landed on broken pieces of glass when Bryan banged my head on the kitchen counter.Ryder was still at the hospital. Apparently, he took a couple of blows for me when he came to my rescue. And I k
Knight in Shining Suit 37. RING
RING:A ring is round because it represents eternity… like a love that will last forever. It is a symbol of never-ending commitment. It is usually worn on the left hand, on the fourth finger, as “myth” states that this finger contains the “vena amoris” or the “vein of love”, which is connected to the heart.We were sitting on the deck; Ryder was strumming his guitar, serenading me with his smooth, soulful voice.I couldn’t help but be drawn to him and the world he was bringing me to when he sings. If I wasn’t in love with him already, hearing him sing to me would probably do the job.“How come you sing so well?” I asked him.“Genes, I guess.” He smiled.“Did you always know how to play the guitar?”He nodded. “Ever since I was a kid. I play the piano, too.”&ldq
Latest chapter
Knight in Shining Suit Epilogue: THE WEDDING
THE WEDDING The ceremony that officially takes a couple to the beginning of their happily ever after… a gathering that involves a lifetime of promises. Breathe in. Breathe out. I looked at myself in the mirror. I could barely recognize myself. The girl staring back at me was wearing a very elegant white princess gown made from the finest duchesse satin and silk. The bodice that has a sweetheart neckline was encrusted with genuine crystals. The romantic full skirt with elaborate ruffles and folds was adorned with crystals and intricate embroidery, as well as the cathedral length veil that I wore. The famous designer who made my gown made sure that the dress was fit for fairy tale and princess romances, too. My hair was curled and clipped in a half pony and fastened with two diamond hair combs that belonged to Ryder’s mother. My hair cascaded around my face and there were very s
Knight in Shining Suit 38. THE VENUE
THE VENUE:The place where the whole wedding will take place. Considerations in choosing a venue could be because the place holds special memories for the couple or it could be sentimental to one of the couple’s parents or grandparents. But more than anything, the venue chosen must accommodate the theme of the wedding.It was the most hectic following months of my life. I was setting up Ever After Manhattan, meeting up with potential suppliers, and hiring and training people. On top of all that, I was planning my own wedding. I had to actually get Nicole to stay in New York once in a while to help me. Leilani, my assistant in Malibu, was left in charge of the branch and Nicole and I would just fly in if there were important matters that needed our attention.The first major problem that I had was the location of my wedding. I could easily have that in a hotel, but it wasn’t good enough
Knight in Shining Suit 37. RING
RING:A ring is round because it represents eternity… like a love that will last forever. It is a symbol of never-ending commitment. It is usually worn on the left hand, on the fourth finger, as “myth” states that this finger contains the “vena amoris” or the “vein of love”, which is connected to the heart.We were sitting on the deck; Ryder was strumming his guitar, serenading me with his smooth, soulful voice.I couldn’t help but be drawn to him and the world he was bringing me to when he sings. If I wasn’t in love with him already, hearing him sing to me would probably do the job.“How come you sing so well?” I asked him.“Genes, I guess.” He smiled.“Did you always know how to play the guitar?”He nodded. “Ever since I was a kid. I play the piano, too.”&ldq
Knight in Shining Suit 36. PRESENT
PRESENT:A moment or period in time perceptible as intermediate between past and future; The period between Yesterday and Tomorrow… Today.It is also referred to as something special given to another person… a Gift.Remember this quote? “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, and Today is a GIFT, that is why it’s called the Present.”Astrid.It’s been almost a week since I got out of the hospital. I got away just fine with some stitches on my forehead, just above my left brow. My wrist was also stitched up as apparently, I landed on broken pieces of glass when Bryan banged my head on the kitchen counter.Ryder was still at the hospital. Apparently, he took a couple of blows for me when he came to my rescue. And I k
Knight in Shining Suit 35. WEDDING ALBUM
WEDDING ALBUM:A collection of the snapshots and pictures captured during the wedding day. The Wedding Album holds all the memories of the most wonderful day between a husband and a wife.Ryder.I have to meet her. The girl I spent half a day looking for around the city! I thought I would never see her again.“I’ll cover the bar, guys!” I told my bartenders. I took my jacket off and grabbed the baseball cap from one of my staff and wore it on my head. “Borrow for a while, okay?”He looked at me like he thought I was high or something and then he nodded.I watched her. She was alone. Now, I wish I knew some pick-up lines. Or if I did, I knew how to use them effectively! But so far the only things that I could remember hearing around were:‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’or
Knight in Shining Suit 34. SOMETHING BORROWED
SOMETHING BORROWED:A bride must complete her outfit by wearing something that is not hers. Suggestions would be a tiara, hair clips, gloves, jewelry, and the list goes on and on.Astrid.My heart pounded in my chest. But I knew that I shouldn’t panic. This was Bryan! He was one of my best friends before we decided to become more than friends. I knew him. Once in his life, I loved him. And he loved me. He will never hurt me physically… or will he?“Bryan…” I breathed. “Are you okay? You look… drunk.”He laughed. “Oh, I am more than that! And I like it!” His eyes gleamed with mischief and I got even more scared.“Wha-what do you want?” I asked him, taking a step backward.“Ha!” He sighed angrily. “You still don’t know
Knight in Shining Suit 33. SOMETHING BLUE
SOMETHING BLUE:The Bride must always wear something… anything… blue. It can be a trinket or undergarment. Some choose to put a blue lining on the wedding garter that they wear under their wedding gown.Ryder.That did not go as planned.Astrid is a little firecracker. You don’t handle her properly, she will explode. And damn! I did not handle that well.I wanted to woo her, show her my charming side, the one that is not uptight and suspicious of all women. The real me without masks and with all my guards down.I thought I was doing a great job earlier in the afternoon. I thought she’d appreciate the movers, but I don’t think Astrid likes owing people anything, especially favors with a financial value attached to it. A very admirable trait.Wow! I have
Knight in Shining Suit 32. SOMETHING OLD
SOMETHING OLD:A bride must also complete her ensemble on the wedding day with something old. It could be an heirloom piece, old jewelry, or anything that the bride owned in the past.Astrid.The following days, I barely left John’s house. Rose was taking care of all the queries for the company. I spoke to my suppliers over the phone. I searched through the net to find a new place with a lower rent.I was getting frustrated because the places with lower rents are really smaller. So it means that I have to rent a separate apartment for myself.“Why don’t you just rent a room instead of a place of your own?” John asked. We were eating pizza in his house.“I suppose you’re right. I mean, I can afford a new apartment, but I don’t want to spend too much on that. I still have a long way to go with my co
Knight in Shining Suit 31. SOMETHING NEW
SOMETHING NEW:Brides are supposed to wear something—anything—new during the wedding ceremony. It can be as small as a trinket, jewelry, an undergarment, or the gown itself.Astrid.I met up with my friends at Starbucks.“So, because Ryder forgot about you, we all have to be sober now?” Dannie asked. I knew what he meant. Since Ryder forgot about me, I had been steering clear of Oil Rig and Rig Style. It was too painful for me to go there. The sweetest guy I’d known didn’t want anything to do with me and looked down at me as if I was the biggest gold-digging slut on the face of the Earth.“No, Dannie. No one is preventing you from getting drunk out of your wits. As long as you don’t do it with me and in any of Ryder’s bars,” I said.“But those are my favor
