Page 69 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 2
"Thanks, Dad." I walked over to him.
"I just want you to know how proud I am of you. For fighting for what you want. And not listening to all the noise. You are strong and independent. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
No one ever called me strong. My dad knew me and he had chosen an adjective that I strived for. He saw my struggles and fears and he believed in me. I didn't know weddings were going to be so emotional. I hadn't even realized how much love I had in my life. Especially after yesterday when I had felt so alone. The contrast was too much. I felt completely overwhelmed.
My dad handed me his handkerchief. He was one of the only people I knew that still used them.
I quickly wiped under my eyes.
"It's time," Justin said. He was smiling from ear to ear.
I heard the violins start playing the processional.
"You ready, Pen?" my dad said.
I took a deep breath. "I'm ready." I grabbed his arm. It felt like a dream as I walked out the doors. It could have been a thousand degrees and I wouldn't have noticed. All I could see was him.
And when we made eye contact, I had to blink away my tears. I felt it in every fiber of my being. This was love. This was the kind of love you read about in fairytales. And I suddenly knew exactly what I would say in my vows. James smiled at me as I walked down the aisle. That smile made me instantly less nervous. There were so many things in my life that seemed uncertain. But not him. James was everything to me.
We stopped and my dad turned me toward him. "Penny, I love James like a son. You couldn't have made a better choice." He kissed my cheek just like Justin had instructed him to do. But then he pinched it too, because that was us. It made me smile.
"Thanks, Dad."
It felt like I was floating up to James. His hands grabbing mine pulled me back down to earth. I didn't even hear what the pastor said, but I heard people laugh. James rubbed his thumbs against my palms like he did so often. It felt like it was just us. His intoxicating brown eyes were staring at me so intently, like he thought I might disappear at any second, as if this whole thing was a dream. I squeezed his hands. We weren't dreaming.
"You look beautiful," he whispered.
I smiled. He wasn't paying attention to anything but us either. "You look so handsome," I whispered back. And he did. Whoevermade his tux should have been the only person in the world allowed to design men's clothes. It fit him perfectly. He was wearing an emerald colored bowtie that matched the bridesmaid dresses. He looked even more like he had stepped out of the pages of a magazine than he normally did. The thought made me smile. It was one of the first things I had ever thought about him.
He lowered his eyebrows slightly. "You're shaking," he whispered and inched a little closer to me.
"I'm just excited." I swallowed hard when the corner of his mouth turned up in a smile.
He glanced at the pastor and cleared his throat. Apparently he had been paying better attention than I had. Rob handed him something and he grabbed my hand.
"Penny," he said as he slid my wedding band onto my finger. He paused for a second and I watched his Adam's apple rise and fall. "You once asked me if I was a believer in fate. I wasn't. But I am now because of you. When you fell into my arms, I had no idea that my life was about to change forever. But you knew. You fought for me when I didn't deserve anyone on my side. Your persistence and stubbornness and beauty brought me to my knee after only knowing you for two months. And now we're here. I know that we can get through anything together, I know that we're strong enough together.
"I'm crazy about you and I can't wait for our future. I can't wait for our lives together with you as my wife. You showed me that our pasts don't matter. You see a goodness in me that I was never able to see in myself. You make me want to be a better man for you. You saved me, Penny. You are the air I breathe. You arethe dreams I dream. You are the light of my life. I'm consumed by your beauty, inside and out. I'm the lucky one. And I don't know why you picked me. But I'm grateful every day. When I wake up every morning and see your face, I'm reminded that I am the luckiest man alive.
"I will never push you away again. Penny, I swear to you I won't. And I'm so sorry. I want you to be able to rely on me. I need you to know that you can always fall into my arms. I'll always be there to catch you."
He wiped away my tears with his thumbs. "Don't cry, baby," he whispered. "It hurts me to see you cry."
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. "I'm crying because I'm so happy."
He grabbed my chin in his hand. "It's your turn."
I nodded. I turned around and took James' wedding ring from Melissa. My throat suddenly felt dry. Public speaking had never been my forte. And everyone was waiting on me. I grabbed James' hand and slid the ring onto his finger. I knew he could feel my hands trembling.
He stepped forward and put his hands on my waist. "Don't be nervous. Just talk to me. Pretend it's just us."
That was easier than he probably realized. When we were together all I noticed was him. But it didn't make me less nervous. Because I needed him to listen to me. I needed him to understand. I took a deep breath and stared up into his eyes.
"James, I love you with everything that I am. I could go on for hours about all the things I love about you. Days probably. When I look at you, I still get stars in my eyes. I don't even know how it's possible, but I love you more and more each day."
He smiled.
"But what I need to tell you right now is that I forgive you. I forgive you for not always believing in what we have."
