ALENAI sat in the middle row of a local movie theater in darkness. It had already been four amazing days in Rio de Janeiro, and I was loving every bit of it. I loved all the undivided attention Dylan gave me, official romantic dates, and mind-blowing pleasure.He was by far the most romantic husband I knew who could go out of his way to make me laugh, giggle, swoon, and love him even harder. I could feel his love, as if he were madly in love with me. It was either part of my illusions or it was really happening, but he just hadn't told me the three magical words yet.We were done with all work-related stuff, and the following day, a Saturday, we'd fly back to New York in the evening. Dylan was out with his Brazilian friends at a bachelor's party. I knew the guy, and he seemed pretty decent and close to Dylan. Dyl promised not to get drunk and not to hook up with a stripper.If anything at all, I had learned to trust him more than ever. He never made me feel insecure by flirting with
ALENA"No. We're not into that," I replied honestly. I was afraid of being tied up due to previous experience."Do you two ever watch porn together?" he asked again, making me laugh in disbelief. He was very open and straightforward."Am I really supposed to answer that?""I see you like keeping your sexual life private.""Yes. What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom.""My girlfriend is very open about her sexual life. She has explicit taste and loves being dominated. She's amazing in bed, and watching erotic stuff turns her on.""I don't mean to be rude, but why are you sharing your private information? I'm a stranger, and you never know what my intentions are. Don't you feel uncomfortable talking about sex like that?""I'm sorry. My emotions are all over the place right now, and I can't stop thinking of my girlfriend. I thought I could talk to you about it.""We can talk about anything else, but not sex or uncomfortable topics like that. I don't feel comfortable talking to
ALENAI sat on the couch in silence, observing every move of intense stress that Gwen made. She had already finished a bottle of champagne in half an hour. She was tipsy, but not completely wasted. Had it been me, I'd have been flat already.I had a tube of cherry ripple ice cream with me, which I dug into. Gwen had stripped to her sexy black Victoria's Secret lingerie, and she sat on the king-size bed cross-legged. Her body was a masterpiece. I hated comparing myself with her because, in the end, I found more reasons why the possibilities of my marriage ending were high.I had changed into a white oversized sweatshirt and red over-the-knee socks. I felt more comfortable like that than in a nightdress or pajamas."You said you have feelings for my boyfriend, right?" Gwen asked me, staring uncomfortably at me."I do. I love him.""Even though you know he's madly in love with me and he's going to leave you in the end for me?" She asked me confidently, as if it had already been decided.
ALENAThe following morning, we were at the wedding ceremony around nine. Gwen had left earlier than the two of us for some errands she had to run after she received a phone call. At least the morning was peaceful without any drama.I was wearing a navy blue bodycon dress with lace sleeves. It matched Dylan's suit. The wedding ceremony was just perfect, from the theme to the atmosphere to the couple itself. They looked gorgeous and madly in love with each other.It was quite an emotional moment for me. This was the exact opposite of the day I got married. I wasn't involved at all in any plans or in picking the dress I wanted to wear. The groom didn't even look at me. They were painful memories of my life that I was fighting to forget and appreciate what I had at the moment."What's wrong, Alena?" Dylan asked me softly, putting his hand on top of mine."Nothing. This is just a beautiful moment," I replied, avoiding his eyes. The bride and the bridegroom were exchanging their wedding vo
ALENAWe had been walking for nearly twenty minutes in peaceful silence, admiring nature, and breathing in some fresh air. This was definitely one of the most beautiful forests I had ever been in. It reminded me of my special secret place with Dad. It had been a long time since I had been there. I had to make time and go there.I didn't know where we were going, but I trusted Dylan. I loved surprises a lot, and his surprises were always amazing. One thing I was definitely going to tell our children, if we ever had any, was that their father was a great man who always took good care of me."What are you thinking about now? dresses and tiaras?" Dylan asked me, making me chuckle. Dressing up was always my thing in my childhood days, and I was very fond of Disney princesses and wanted to look like them."My mind is more about demand and supply these days.""You've been handling the pressure remarkably well. You're really strong," he complimented me. This journey was tough, but I had to be
ALENADylan held my hands in place and looked at my angry face while trying to control his laughter.I remained still, watching him laugh. He was such a masterpiece. I could stare at him all day long, but I was mad at him. He really got me. I rolled off him and stood up. I folded my arms and looked away from him.Dylan stood up and went in front of me. He looked really funny with leaves and dust in his hair. I helped him remove all the leaves and dirt in his hair and on his clothes furiously until he was clean."I'm sorry I scared you, Princess. Come on. That was really fun, right?""Fun for you!" I grumbled."I can make you laugh in a second. I know your tickle spot after all," he crooned mischievously before attacking me with his tickles suddenly.I couldn't resist laughing. He held me really close to him, tickling me over and over again, making sure I didn't escape. He assaulted me with tickles, making me laugh until it made my stomach hurt.Dylan picked me up and threw me over his
DYLANAlena and I arrived in New York on a Sunday afternoon after a twelve-hour flight. Gwen had flown to New York before us on a different airplane. She was acting really weird, but it was to my advantage. It gave me an opportunity to spend time with Alena without disturbances.We were in a limousine on our way to Lynette's house. Alena was sleeping over at her place. She had to help her with some designs and go over her financial statements. They had a meeting with their family lawyers the following day to settle some paperwork regarding their assets, so she had to stick around.She sat next to me, talking mostly about what she wanted us to do together this summer. I loved listening to her speak and talking to her about what she liked and some of her dreams.Whenever I looked at her, I just saw beauty, grace, and love. She had her flaws, but she tried every day to be a better person and pick up the pieces of her broken heart. Her past was really rough, and it had affected her a lot.
DYLAN"But you've been cheating on me as well," Gwen said, cupping my cheeks with her warm hands. "We've both been cheating on each other, which makes us even."I put my hands on top of Gwen's and slid them off my face. "We're even, yes, but also officially done. I want this to be fair for the two of us. I don't want to break your heart. Deep down, you know you don't love me either. It's simply an obsession.""Dyl...""I want you to think with a clear mind. Reflect on our relationship. Remove the sex and the money. What do we have left? What are we without those two? Just think about it, please."Gwen's eyes were filled to the brim with tears. I let go of her as she walked to the couch and sat down, hugging her knees. I was willing to give her all the time she needed.I sat down as well and reflected on our relationship. Without sex and money, we were close to nothing. I looked at the coffee table in the middle of the room. There was a large bouquet of red roses, a teddy bear, boxes o
ALENA’S EPILOGUE Our black SUV pulled up in Mom's driveway a little late in the afternoon and we all got out of the car. Amelia was snuggled in her daddy's arms, a place I knew was one of her favourites in the whole world and the way he paid enough attention to her and kept her smiling just made their bond stronger.Aidan and Iris were on either of my sides each holding each of my hands tightly as we walked up the driveway to the main entrance. We had all been looking forward to this family gathering for some time now. Spending time together, catching up on each other's lives and just being there for each other was something we all enjoyed. We were a family and meeting up together like this was always a pleasure."Thank you so much, Mommy, for buying me these pretty sparkly shoes and sparkly dress," Iris squealed excitedly, jumping up and down on her feet as we walked, staring admirably at her new outfit. "I feel like a princess," she added, giving me a brilliant smile that revealed
FIVE YEARS LATERDYLAN’S EPILOGUEThey say that you will never truly understand something until it happens to you.I honestly never paid much attention to this saying until realistic things happening in my own life started weighing much on it and opening my eyes to how everything I was once told about this big mystery called life started unfolding before my own eyes and manifesting in my life.Many a time, Dad would tell me about how marriage and fatherhood changed his life greatly for the better and it barely made any meaningful sense to me, but right now in this very moment, bonding with my baby and showering her with unconditional love made it all make perfect sense.There was something inexplicably intoxicating about seeing our precious bundle of joy happy with a radiant smile on her face. That smile had to be the prettiest thing I had ever seen, for it extended deep into my soul and filled me with joy. I couldn't resist smiling back at her with an even brighter smile, placing the
ALENADylan twirled me around, dipping me as he leaned forward closer to me. Staring at the masterpiece of a husband before me, my breathing became shallow and my heart felt heavy in my chest.Dylan pulled me back up into his arms and I rested my head on his chest and let him sway my body as the chorus rolled in. The song twirled like thread around us, the rhythm of our bodies simply passionate and majestic. I was deep in love."Alena, you're the inspiration for this precious song, and I just wanna see your face light up since you put me on. So now I say goodbye to the old me, it's already gone. And I can't wait to get you home, just to let you know, you are...""The love of my life," we whispered together in unison as I joined him in saying some of the lyrics along to the song playing.I was crying. He was way too sweet. I never imagined he'd be able to love me this much and take our relationship to a whole new level.Couples eventually started joining us on the dancefloor. I looked
ALENADylan pulled me towards him gently but firmly by my waist and he placed his lips firmly on mine, cupping my cheek with his hand.His lips were soft, almost silken against my own. Our lips fitted perfectly as if they were meant for each other. Moving against each other, feeling each other.Warmth blossomed in my chest, sparks igniting. This was beautiful and magical, a dream come true. When we pulled away from each other, the crowd was cheering loudly for us, clapping and everything.We both chuckled, holding hands tightly. We turned and faced everyone. Their cheers grew even louder and more enthusiastic.I could see Mom sitting in front with Benjamin, Steve and Celeste. Ezra was in front on the other side with Axel, Sophie and Elizabeth. Everyone else followed behind them. They all looked happy for us.Dylan and I stepped down from the wedding altar and we proceeded down the aisle. Everyone rose and started throwing confetti at us as we walked out. It was perfect.I looked up at
ALENA"Of course, I will. When can we start making the preparations?"Dylan laughed, pinching my nose. "Silly, I mean today. Everything is already set. You just have to get ready and walk down the aisle.""You're kidding right?""I'm dead serious, honey. Everything's the way you wanted it and mostly your choice. I know this isn't our first wedding, but I want us to consider this our actual wedding because the previous wasn't even one. This time around, I'm marrying you willingly with pride."I laughed, failing to believe this. "How? I can't believe this.""Believe it, baby. We're getting married and this time around the proper way. I've been so excited to finally take you as my wife the proper way and give you the joy you deserve. I want to marry you, Alena.""Dylan, how did you even think of this? Just how?" I asked him, blinking away my tears.He wiped away my tears with his hands. "Because I want to see you happy and make your dreams come true. It's called love, honey. You've drown
ALENADylan opened the door of his car on my side and I stepped out, taking his hand which he had extended politely towards me to help me out. I murmured a polite thank you with a smile on my face as he helped out and closed the door once I was standing next to him.We linked arms and he gave me a small peck on my forehead before we started walking down the pathway that led to the dock of a beautiful lake.There were bright heart shaped lanterns hanging on tree branches and rose petals artistically scattered on the pathway we were walking on. Star shaped twinkle lights were wound around branches and lining the pathway. It was breathtakingly beautiful.It was a beautiful sunset and it felt extraordinarily magical with the water in the lake glimmering beneath the beautiful sky, looking calm and inviting.I had no idea if it was the beautiful weather and scene that added the special magical effect or if it was the exceptional man right next to me, holding me like his entire life depended
DYLANI loved it when she played dirty. I loved seeing that side of her that only I knew. I loved this state where she was raw, untamed and fierce sexy."Naughty girl," I chuckled, smacking her butt firmly. She winced, her lips cracking into a wider smile."If I am naughty, what are you?" she purred, pressing her body firmly into mine. She bit her bottom lip tenderly, looking at me with lust filled eyes."Your sexy husband who loves bringing the naughtiness out of you." I smacked Alena's butt one more time, pressing her body into mine at the same time."Ah," she moaned, throwing her head back. She loved it.I took my spoon and scooped some ice cream onto it. I trailed the spoon from her earlobe down to her throat. She shivered, looking at my hand. "Cold," she breathed."I'll set you on fire," I promised and with those words, I smashed my lips onto her neck, earning a loud moan from her.I held her firmly close to me by her butt as I attacked her neck with deep kisses, soft nibbles and
DYLANShe took her wine glass from me and looked up at me, taking a step closer. "Careful what you wish for, Princess. I want to, I can and I will eat you," I said, closing the small gap between us."Is that a promise?" she asked me, running her finger slowly down my torso. I had been working out a lot to get back in shape. All my hard work hadn't gone to waste."It is," I affirmed, brushing my lips against her smooth skin. "And you know I never break my promises."Alena stood on her toes and she pecked my lips. She held both of our glasses, looking deep into my eyes with her bottom lip between her white teeth. I poured the wine and took my glass from her."What are we toasting to?" she asked me."To us. To our lives, love, freedom and everything we ever wanted that we can proudly say we achieved.""Cheers to that," she said, raising her glass."Cheers." We clicked our glasses and washed down the red wine together in one go. We had a second round and we drank the wine in the same mann
DYLAN"No," she mumbled quietly. She was crying."Show me your face. I want to look at you," I spoke softly."Do I have to?" she replied quietly. She sounded cute and in my head, I could see a cute pout on her lips as she said so. That made me smile."Yes. You have to," I murmured, kissing her temples. Alena slowly pulled away from me and she sat up, facing me. She had tears in her eyes and a few had fallen down her cheeks. I wiped them away using my thumbs."And why is my beautiful princess crying when we're supposed to be celebrating?" I asked her, taking both of her warm hands into mine. I planted sweet kisses on both of them and looked up at her. "I don't know," she mumbled, looking at our hands. "Tears of relief if there's anything of that sort I guess.""You don't have to hide your feelings from me, you know. It's okay to cry if you feel like it. We all express joy and relief in different ways.""Does that mean I can bawl my eyes out and you'll still be okay with it?""Hmmm...