Chapter 74

I guess I have no choice but to wake up.

“Nate,” I whined and took the covers.

“What? Was I supposed to say no to our son?” Nate laughed, pulling the covers down again.

“Where are we going?” I groaned.

“It’s a surprise, but it involves a pool,” Nate told me.

I tried everything I could to get this man to stay in bed, but I lost each and every battle. I got dressed and wore the sundress Nate had picked out for me before we headed out. We picked Roman up, and then went to grab breakfast from a drive-thru.

We then broke down the news to Roman about our engagement.

“Really? I’ll be the best man,” Roman decided. Ever since we attended Everett’s wedding, he had been wanting to be a best man. I’m fairly certain he’ll end up being a ring boy, but it’s a conversation for later.

“Mhm. Mommy and Daddy will get married, and maybe we can change your last name– If you’d like,” I replied. He once asked about it, why his name was different, but since the twins were born and carried the name Tempest, he hadn’t asked again.

“I like my name, Roman,” Roman pouted, and Nathaniel laughed loudly.

“Not your first name, darling, your last name. From Tempest to Sullivan,” I explained. Of course, the choice would be his ultimately. “You’ll match with Daddy, Grandma, and Grandpa, and after Daddy and I get married, I’ll be a Sullivan too,” I winked.

“I love it!” he grinned.

We drove into a nice neighborhood, and I frowned. “What are we doing here?”

“Showing you our new home,” Nathaniel said, pointing to a mansion on the right. I looked at the house, but then I spotted the cars. That was Kai’s car along with our new friends and also the car Jennifer and Jonathan drove when they were in Australia.

“Wait, I know these cars– new home?” I stuttered, unable to process everything.

“Our new home if you allow it,” Nate grinned.

I gasped. This was a far fancier neighborhood, with lush green trees, and beautiful yards. All the houses were massive and looked quite luxurious. It was a gated community too. I assumed we were here to visit a friend of his, but I didn’t expect any of this.

“Kai had been wanting to move… I knew you’d always want to be close to him and Anya– Roman too, so I found us a perfect home,” Nathaniel mentioned. “I had some arrangements made so it would fit your dream home,” he added. This man knew us so well. When Kai spoke of moving I was already getting everything in order so we’d move close from each other. Kai was onboard and these past three months he had been talking less about it, I see why now. He was in on the surprise from the beginning!

I always knew I’d move out of the current house, I had ideas and wishes for my future home, wishes I shared with Nathaniel. I knew for a fact that Nathaniel executed those perfectly, I got tearful from the happiness.

We stepped out and headed into the house. I wasn’t given a chance to marvel at the house because everyone was there for our engagement party.

“Congratulations!” They all said and cheered for us.

“I love you so damn much, Nate,” I said to him and kissed him briefly, not caring about the crowd.

Perfect proposal, perfect ring, perfect engagement party. This man was all I could’ve hoped for. I’m so thankful I never pushed him away, I would’ve never been as happy as I am now if I hadn’t given him a well-deserved second chance.

***

Today was the day. I’d get married, and frankly, I’m freaking out. Don’t get me wrong, I was ecstatic to marry Nathaniel, but the day itself and the party were so overwhelming. I was scared of doing something idiotic and making a fool of myself. Nathaniel asked me to elope, but I refused because Roman was looking forward to this, and so was I. I always saw photos of stunning weddings, and I wanted one too. I just never thought I’d marry one of the world’s billionaires.

I stood in my room and checked myself out in the mirror.

My hair cascaded down in soft waves, swaying with the gentle breeze of the AC. The shorter strands were curled and pinned in the back with a jeweled hair comb. My hair had never looked this great before; each strand shimmered in the sunlight, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to my look.

I chose a gown fit for the occasion, its flowing silhouette draped in layers of ivory satin and lace. The bodice hugged my curves in all the right places, and the skirt swung around me with every move at my feet. There was lace on the sleeves adorned with little jewels. Intricate beading adorned the neckline, catching the light with every movement, adding a subtle sparkle.

For my makeup, there was someone hired too. She was a professional at her job and had successfully transformed me into a bride. I told her I didn’t want anything dramatic, and she obeyed. I looked quite timeless, and the look was quite romantic. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

“My god, you look stunning,” Jennifer’s eyes trailed down my dress with awe. “My son is going to lose his mind,” she said with a slight smile as she looked at me. I sure hope her son will love it. Yes, he had zero idea what I was going to wear.

“Selene, you look perfect,” Anya gushed, her hand carefully stroking the skirt of my dress to fix it. “We got you a gift, by the way. Your something blue,” she said and walked to her bag in the room. She pulled out a small box and opened it up, revealing a delicate bracelet. It was a set of three; the middle layer was the blue stones, and the two others were diamonds. I knew this brand very well and knew it must’ve cost them a fortune.

“Anya, no, I cannot take this,” I gasped at the sight.

“Kai demanded you take it,” Anya picked it up to put it on for me.

“Thank you,” I whispered, admiring the shimmer.

“As per Sullivan family tradition, you get a piece of jewelry from the man’s family. I worked with Anya to get you this matching necklace,” Jennifer then said. She revealed a necklace that matched the elegance of my bracelet.

“Jennifer, this is perfect,” I gushed, and Jennifer put the necklace on for me.

“You’re welcome, dearest,” she smiled and rubbed my arms.

“Now, finish up,” Anya winked.

“Can you tell Kai to come to my room?” I requested.

“Sure thing,” she smiled and nodded.

The two had left, and I waited until Kai came in. His jaw dropped as he looked at me in awe.

“Wow, my baby sister is getting married today. I can’t believe it,” Kai said with teary eyes.

“Best believe it,” I laughed nervously. I couldn’t put down my question much longer so I cleared my throat, “And I want you to walk me down the aisle.”

“What?” he asked, shock written across his face.

“Please?” I asked quietly, feeling my heart race.

“Selene– are you sure?” Kai then asked with a smile spreading on his face.

“Dad left us a long time ago, you always looked out for me no matter the distance, of course, I’m sure,” I confessed. He was the only family I had from my past.

“Yes, Selene, of course, I’ll walk you down the aisle,” he smiled and offered his arm.

Soon the ceremony began. Roman, our ring bearer, very proudly paraded down to the altar with a young girl from Nate’s side of the family as our flower girl.

The venue was a vision of extravagance, surrounded by lush greenery and adorned with twinkling fairy lights. It was in Colorado, the beautiful mountains in our backdrop so perfect, the backdrop was everything I could’ve asked for. I still had to pinch myself that this was truly my wedding.

Reaching the altar, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Surrounded by familiar faces, Nathaniel’s extended family, parents, Anya and the boys, and of course, all my friends– and Yaden and Yasmine, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

The ceremony was a mix of emotions as Nathaniel and I exchanged vows, promising to love and cherish each other forever. With a kiss, we sealed our commitment. The rings on our fingers glistened.

Then the celebration started. We all danced around, ate our food, and of course, cut into the cake. Our cake was completely chosen by Roman, and thankfully he had great taste. We saved the cake-cutting for last.

Nathaniel and I stood by the cake, many photos taken of us with Roman included in them.

“Ready, buddy?” Nathaniel asked, holding Roman up.

“Yes, Daddy!” Roman grinned. We all held onto the knife and cut a decent size of the cake.

We served it on a plate and then fed Roman the first bite of the cake first, the crowd cheered for him, and Roman then fed Nate and me a piece of the cake, sealing the last activity of the night.

We set Roman down, and Nathaniel laced his fingers with mine and then led the way outside. The sun was now setting, painting a beautiful image in our background over the mountain and lake. Nathaniel caught me staring and only smiled at me.

“Mrs. Sullivan, I love you so much,” Nathaniel pulled me over to him and slammed his lips to mine again, the taste of champagne faintly on his lips. I had managed to avoid drinking that and all alcohol in general. I might have a surprise for him, and I plan on telling him tomorrow.