DYLAN"Whoopsie," Sophie breathed out when the silence lengthened, pulling those innocent puppy eyes.I was dumbfounded. For a moment there, I thought it was Gwen. Everything would have been so crazy messed up because of a stupid lack of self-control."Holy cheese, Sophie! Have you heard of this thing called knocking?" I shrieked."Right. You nearly gave me a heart attack," Alena added, turning around to put on her top. So crazy shy."Oh, my God. This is shockingly unbelievable. You are acting like you were caught doing something wrong, yet the two of you are husband and wife," she sighed, folding her arms."Even though. There is this thing called privacy, Sophie. Would you like me walking in on you and your partner being intimate?""You two weren't even having sex. You were just showing your wife how much you missed her, and it was totally adorable and steamy," she giggled, doing things with her feet."You are just impossible, Sophie." I surrendered, putting my hands up."I'm sure th
DYLANShe meant every word she said. She was dead serious. I knew she was very capable. She had nearly run over Crystal before because she threw herself at me. She was very possessive of me. I loved it, but at the same time, I feared her jealousy."You are my only woman, Gwen. No one will ever come between us. You are a good person, Gwen, and I know you will never hurt anyone, so don't say that, okay?" I said, kissing her forehead."Dylan Cameron, it's either you make love to me right now or you let me go. I'm dead serious," she said, brushing her fingers against my lips.I swallowed hard. Irresistible offer, but it felt wrong. Something was stopping me. I had just been with Alena. It would seem as if I had only been using her. I didn't want Alena to feel used. I kissed her neck, willing not to use her."I don't have a condom," I gave an excuse."I'm on the pill," she said, and with those words, we lost our minds.A few seconds later, she was lying on a table, and I was hovering over h
ALENAHappiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder.In the past month of my marriage and, basically, in the past five years of my life, all I ever did was search for happiness.I tried to please my family. I tried to make them love me again and be part of their happiness, but in the process, I only got much more broken and sad.With Dylan, I realized that maybe I was trying too much. I put up with all his mood swings and looked forward to his laughs, jokes, and hellos every day. When he didn't give me any of those, I started him just so he could at least talk to me.I wanted to be happy with him. I wanted him to include me in his happiness and respect me. I realized all the effort was coming from one side.Was it even worth it? Just eleven more months, and we'd be strangers. I had plans to go far away and start afresh all on my own after this one year. What would
ALENA"Yes, dear," Benjamin replied, brushing my cheek with his thumb. Well well. I guess this isn't so bad after all, I thought.Dylan cleared his throat audibly, and we both turned to him."I thought the contract clearly stated that during our marriage she couldn't date anyone. Her mom emphasized that point."Obviously, my mom thought I'd blow everything up and end up running away for my true love. At least she knew me well."I thought it was unfair after some thought about it. You have a girlfriend, so why can't she have a boyfriend? I'll talk to Lynette. There's no question on this one. She has equal liberties in this marriage as much as you do. Right, Alena?""Yes. That's very true, and I agree with you," I replied lively, and I saw Dylan shake his head."Dyl? It's agreed, right?" Benjamin turned to his son, who seemed to be strongly against the idea."What if she blows everything up? Anything can happen once she's in a relationship with a guy. What if she suddenly wants out?""
ALENA"I’m nervous as hell, Axel. What if they hate me? What if they say bad things about me? What if I embarrass both my family and the Camerons?" I fussed as I did the final touches on my make-up."Oh Lord! Will you calm down, Alena? You are going to be great. They are going to love you. You are an amazing human being. Who would even say anything mean about you? You are the sweetest person I know, and you are Mrs. Cameron. Your husband is the boss. He commands respect naturally, and everyone respects him. They'll respect you too," Axel encouraged me.My nerves were getting the best of me, and I needed someone to help me. The first person that came to mind was Axel, so I immediately called him, and I was lucky he answered.I heard a baby cry in the background, and it caught my attention."Oh my God! Axel, are you at work? I'm so sorry if I'm disturbing you. I'll call you later when you are free.""I just finished the night shift. I'm free for the next few minutes. I'm holding a frien
ALENAOver my dead body! I thought as I quickly freed my hand from his and went on to hold Benjamin's hand instead. I looked into his eyes, and I saw disappointment. He looked hurt."I'll come with you, Benjamin. Let's go," I said, and he nodded and led the way.Dylan grabbed my hand and drew me back to him. "Come with me. I won't do anything that'll make you uncomfortable, I promise.""When it comes to Gwen, I don't trust you at all. Have fun with your girlfriend," I answered passionately, then I freed my hand and left him standing there.For the first time in a while, I felt successful and victorious. I was able to stand up for myself and say no. I was also able to see the same hurt in his eyes that my eyes held whenever he did things with Gwen in my presence and was rude to me.He tried his best to mask it, but I could tell. His eyes told me a lot about him. They were like the map of his soul. I wanted to explore his mystery, but I was too afraid to let myself in. I was afraid of g
DYLANAlena and I walked in silence to my office. I didn't even know what to say to her. She was no longer the woman she was when we exchanged wedding vows and for the period until our honeymoon.Maybe she got fed up with me. She was distancing herself from me. The fact that she was ready to start dating gave me a rude awakening.I just found myself opposing the idea. She was my wife, and I didn't want to share her with anyone else. I didn't want anyone else to get to experience all the cuteness, childishness, and surprises Alena was full of.I couldn't be with her, and at the same time, I didn't want anyone to be with her either. Call me selfish, but sharing her was totally out of the question.She wore red, and she rocked it. It made her stand out, and the way she handled herself naturally was admirable.One of the things I liked the most about her was her relationship with my father. Dad liked her, and so did she. Their conversation was natural, and they were both comfortable with
DYLANI had just had a meeting over dinner, so I wasn't hungry. I went to the kitchen, and I found Emily there. Just the person I was looking for."Hey, Emily," I said as I placed the envelope I was carrying on the kitchen table.Emily had just finished doing the dishes and was probably about to retire to bed. She was just twenty-two, yet she appeared younger. She was youthful and full of life."Good evening. Let me serve you dinner," she offered politely."No thanks. I already had dinner at work. I'm here to talk to you. Sit down."Emily left what she was doing, and we both sat at the table facing each other. I was exhausted, so I decided to make everything short and precise."Here. This is the money you'll need to complete your studies and write your exams," I said as I handed over the envelope to her."You don't have to keep on working anymore to raise money to complete your studies."Emily took the envelope, and I could see tears well up in her eyes as she opened it and saw all th
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...