Chapter 219 Book 5: Weston’s Vulnerability

Chapter 219 Book 5: Weston’s Vulnerability
After that magical experience, both Weston and Isabella felt more relaxed, and more complete in each other’s company. A sense of satisfaction and belonging developed between them. It led to an amazing, out-of-the-world love-making, and finding different ways to please one another.
The next morning, Weston took her to The Pacific Marine Mammal Center to see marine life up close. It was a rehabilitation center for seals and sea lions that covered all 42 miles of the Orange County coastline. Isabella could touch the animals recuperating there. Afterwards, they took a self-guided Laguna Beach Walking Tour. It was their last day at Laguna, and they wanted to make the best out of it. After lunch, they went to Laguna Canyon Winery for a wine tour, something they had never done before. The evening they spent cozily cuddling on the patio of their cottage watching the ocean, the stars above, and wishing that they could live here forever.
The next morning, they bade goodbye to Laguna and were on the way home. Isabella kept the shell in which he had presented the engagement ring to her as a memory. It would go into her treasure chest.
They reached Las Vegas by lunchtime. Their mom and Anna Sophia excitedly greeted them. Although they saw the glittering ring on her finger, they didn’t say a word about it, waiting for them to announce their engagement. So at dinnertime, Weston announced their engagement. Everyone congratulated them.
“I will apply for our marriage license tomorrow, dad. So after a month, we’ll get married,” said Weston.
“Fine, start planning,” said his dad.
Their mom and Anna Sophia were very excited about the planning. Weston didn’t have many ideas to give them. He was fine with whatever Isabella wanted. “My dream is to make Isabella happy. So her dream wedding is mine as well,” he shrugged.
“If she wants a beach wedding in swimming costumes, would you be okay with that?” asked Hudson, with a teasing glint in his eyes. Isabella looked baffled. Where did they get such ideas from?
“Hey, bro, I’m not interested in marrying in a bikini,” she glared at him, looking shocked at the suggestion.
Weston gave him an ‘I told you so’ look. “You got your answer? She knows better,” he shrugged, and Hudson chuckled.
“So how do you want to get married, Isa?” asked her mom. Amidst everything, she looked the happiest with both her sons finally settling down.
“Mom, I always dreamed of a lakeside wedding with only the closest of people around, but it’s not a compulsion. Whatever you can arrange is fine for us.” So they started planning. You get married only once and it should be a very memorable one. They wanted to make all her dreams come true. After all, that’s what parents always strive to do. The wedding would take place in Summerlin, right on the shores of Lake Jacqueline, located a few miles away. Their mom contacted a good and reliable wedding planner to help with everything, since she couldn’t give time. With the responsibility of looking after their dad, she couldn’t run around. Isabella couldn’t be happier to know that her dream wedding was actually happening while Weston was happy to see her excited.
The next entire month Weston was extremely busy setting up their dream company. Isabella helped him in any way she could. They registered the name of their company, Wise Software Solutions. Weston was too happy with the name as it contained Isabella’s first two letters between his two.
They planned everything together, going out to check more office spaces together, and doing paperwork together. After seeing twenty spaces recommended by Cody’s dad, they finally selected a small cozy space that could seat around 10 people. It was workable to start small and then grow with lots of hard work and dedication. With everything finally falling into place, Isabella was satisfied to see the spark, the zeal in Weston’s eyes. His dream was finally coming true, and he looked genuinely at peace with his life. His parents couldn’t be happier to see their son finally getting the happiness he deserved.
However, when an excited Tiffany and Sebastián arrived at their house one evening, Isabella felt very guilty for forgetting to attend her wedding. She came over to invite Isabella to her wedding scheduled next week. Weston walked up towards her, waiting to be introduced.
“Tiffy, Sebastián, meet my fiancé, Weston,” she introduced with a smile, watching Tiffany’s jaw-dropped stare.
“Is he your Colton?” she asked in disbelief and Isabella nodded. She clapped her hands with happiness.
“Congratulations, you two. I’m so happy for you,” she said excitedly, making Weston smile. He, of course, knew her since Isabella told him of her life at UCLA, as well as later with Tiffany. What he didn’t know was that her brother Travis was still interested in her.
“Weston, please come to our wedding. We would be honored to have the two of you,” said Sebastián. After chatting a lot, they left.
The next weekend, Weston drove Isabella to LA to attend their wedding. Although he didn’t particularly like Sebastian, he had no choice but to accompany her. They would stay the night and return home the next day. The moment she entered Tiffany’s house on Hermosa Beach with Weston following her, she was greeted by an over-excited Travis who had been waiting for her eagerly since morning.
“Hey, beautiful! I’d been waiting for you. You left without informing me. That’s not fair,” he said, pulling her into a hug, which surprised Isabella. She could feel Weston’s heated, angry breaths on her neck and extracted herself from Travis’s hold.
“Meet my fiancé, Weston Gray,” she said, picking up Weston’s hand and leaning into him. He wrapped his arm possessively around her shoulders and placed a quick peck on her lips.
Travis’s mouth hung at the news. Here he was planning to propose to her, and she had already patched up with her Colton? “I didn’t know you patched up with your Colton?” he sulked.
“Does he know me too? So won’t you introduce us, Isabella, hmm?” asked Weston, holding her by the waist lest Travis again tried to hug her.
“This is Travis, Tiffany’s twin,” she introduced. Travis and Weston avoided each other pointedly throughout the day. It was like a cold war going on between them. After the wedding, when Weston and Isabella left to go to the hotel where they would spend the night, a furious Weston whirled her around to face him.
“You didn’t tell me you had an admirer here with whom you were flirting? No wonder you didn’t want to return home,” he said with jealousy. Isabella looked hurt as tears fell from her eyes.
“I’ve never encouraged him, Weston. I spoke only a few times and wasn’t even friends with him, let alone flirt. If he liked me, it wasn’t my fault. You can ask Tiffany how dedicated I was to you. I went nowhere. I only wrote our story sitting in our dorm room. That was my only solace. You have no reason to be jealous, Weston,” she said, a sob escaping her mouth. She got up and went to the kitchen to gulp down some water to calm herself. She was too upset with Weston’s attitude today. Travis had a reason to feel bad, but Weston had no reason to continue the cold war.
Weston sat thinking about what she had just told him. He realized one thing out of all this. If she wanted, she could have chosen Travis, who was not only handsome but a successful football player, too. He played for Los Angeles FC and would soon be involved at a more professional level after gaining adequate experience. But looking back at the next to nil interaction between him and Isabella, he realized that Isabella truly loved him and there was no place in her heart for anyone else.
He slowly got up and walked towards the dark kitchen, going up to her. She had not switched on the lights, but that didn’t matter since the place was already bathed in bright moonlight. She was staring out of the kitchen window at the stars up above, remembering her parents, maybe. Weston felt guilty for hurting her. He had failed her again with his immaturity and jealousy.
He walked up behind her and held her tenderly from behind, pulling her into his body. “I’m sorry, my little fiancee, extremely sorry for doubting you,” he whispered in her ear.
Her whole body trembled as a shuddering sigh escaped her mouth at his words. “Why are you so vulnerable, Weston? Why do you react this way every time? You’re the only one for me. I don’t have the eyes to see anyone else, can’t you get that?” she whispered.
“Yes, love. I’ve finally got it. I won’t ever doubt you,” he promised her. They kissed, lingering in the dark kitchen with moonlight pouring in from the window, lightening up their love-struck faces. They were confident of their love for one another and eager to get married, just like all their friends were doing. Theirs was the longest journey of love, having known one another for over ten years and continuing to know one another forever!