03.

Alva's POV.

Alva stood at the door of the wedding hall that same morning as she waited for the music to start. She had her arm hooked around her father's and a bouquet in her other hand while trying to fight away the nervousness.

"Alva,"

She glanced at her friend who stood behind her, "hmm,"

"You have to stop shaking now, it's going to be alright..."

She paused in her every movement, she hadn't realized that she was shaking until her friend said it and now that she knew it, she tried her best to stop shaking.

She reached for her friend's hand which was beside hers despite the flowers and squeezed them, "thank you so much,"

She nodded.

At the sound of the music, she released the hand entwined with hers and faced the door which now opened.

Immediately it did, she felt her mouth drop open at the sight of the people inside the hall. She had never seen such an amount of people in a place at the same time and she was amazed as well as afraid.

Yes, she knew her dad was a very popular real estate man and the man she was getting married to was the heir to a large internet company but nothing could have prepared her for the number of eyes that focused on her at that moment,

"Alva, what are you doing?"Her father whispered beside her and she realized that she hadn't moved an inch from the doorway, "...you have to start walking,"

"Oh sorry, right, let's go,"

She took the first step into the hall conscious of everyone that stood taking pictures and cheering her on even though they didn't know her well and she tried to calm the reviving nervousness that started deep within her. Her friend which held her wedding gown trail behind her tried to make it all better with subtle whispers and all but it just didn't work.

She couldn't help the feeling.

She kept putting one foot in front of the other trying to make it oblivious that she was scared and she did a good job at it. No one knew that she was afraid and scared and no one knew that she was unsure of the future.

She got to the altar.

Her father released her hand, not so much as soaring her a comforting glance and he left for his seat. She walked the rest of the steps, standing in front of the priest and beside the man she was about to marry.

She hadn't seen his face, not yet since he seemed to be more interested in the priest than in the lady he was about to marry and she shook off her negative thoughts. She wouldn't think anything but positive.

She took notice of the man beside him and at least, that one appreciated her looks as he couldn't take his eyes off her. He kept glancing at her and when she caught him red-handed, he looked away like she hadn't just seen him making her smile...he was cute.

The priest cleared his throat getting the attention of everyone and he started, "we are gathered here today to witness the wedding ceremony between Mr. Jaxon Smith and Miss Alva Garcia..."

He directed them to face themselves and that's when she got a good look at his face. He was beautiful to say the least, handsome and gorgeous to say the most and she had never seen a man so beautifully sculpted and made by God.

He had a sharp diamond face with well-defined edges and full round lips that accentuated it. His dark brown hair was ruffled on the side like someone had just run a hand through it and he ran a finger through it at that moment. His honey-brown eyes on the other hand were so deep, it drew her in for a moment then they looked away into the congregation,

Wait a minute, what was that?, Didn't he like the way she looked? He hadn't looked like someone who appreciated her efforts to look good for him, instead, he had looked like he didn't want to be there and she wondered if he didn't want to marry her.

She shook her head, no that was not possible, then he wouldn't be here.

She glanced at him again,

"You may now say your vows...", The priest continued

She cleared her throat proceeding to say her vows which she had memorized earlier that day and when she was done, she applauded herself within. She had just memorized the vows that morning and even though she had forgotten some words, she filled them out with hers making it a long loving speech, she expected the same from him.

Now that it was his turn, he cleared his throat, "though I don't have any vows to say to you...I can assure you that I'll treat you well,"

He closed his mouth and the whole crowd gasped. She was dumbfounded, same for his best man who stood beside him.

What did he just say?

The priest cleared his throat awkwardly, "Uhm..you may proceed to exchange rings,"

They exchanged rings without a word or

glancing at each other and the priest declared the words she dreaded, "you may now kiss your bride,"

As expected of any bride in that situation, she moved forward slightly expecting him to place his lips on hers even if it was just for a moment but he didn't, instead, he placed it on her forehead, and that sent shock waves through her.

His lips were so warm and soft, she felt the aftermath on her head

Feeling overwhelmed, She stepped back lightly to get a hang of herself but didn't expect her shoe to get entangled in her cloth, that's when she went spiraling down but before she could hit the floor, she was caught mid-fall by her husband and he pulled her close.

The angle at which he caught her made her face come close to his and he stared deeply into her eyes for what seemed to be forever.

  Why was he staring at her so long?

                           ****

Jaxon's POV

She was familiar...

That's why he kept looking at her like she was the only woman in the room. The bluish-green eyes, the cupid bow lips, the long celestial nose, they all felt like a bigger part of someone he remembered.

He shook his head.

Seeing her in the picture hadn't triggered the feeling but seeing her so up close in real life felt surreal.

He shook his head again, she couldn't be the one.

She brought up her hands to push him away, and a memory flashed before his eyes.

The girl pulling him by his shirt, the boy following her through the narrow corridor, her looking back constantly cause someone was following them and him running with her as if his life depended on it.

“Jaxon,” the small whisper brought him back to his senses and he pushed her away as he had just touched hot coal.

“Who are you?” He furrowed his brows at her.

She looked puzzled by the question and questioned him with her eyes, “Who am I?”

The priest interrupted, “let me present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith…”

The whole crowd applauded, immediately forgetting his action which he had displayed a minute ago. It wasn't that he didn't have the vow to say, it was just that he didn't want to give her any false hope, he had no plan of loving her or cherishing her as the vows would be promised.

He only cherished one person, and that was Erin.

 ****

The reception party was held in a different venue, with the hall designed to look casual and welcoming. The tables were arranged circularly with the guests seated around them in order, and he led his wife to the seat arranged for them. He did his best to maintain his distance from her, as he couldn't help wondering what had happened back at the altar.

He was still surprised that he had noticed that memory flash which he didn't have for the past fifteen years and wondered if she was a connection to his past,

He shook his head, no, she couldn't be the one.

Likewise, he looked for the one that would give him assurance, Erin, but he couldn't find her anywhere, where was she?

The anchor cleared his throat welcoming everyone to the party, and he announced the next event on the list, “we would now invite the couple to the dance floor to have their first dance together,”

Alva was beside him, visibly startled, and he presented his arm to her which she took. He led her to the dance floor with everyone's eyes on them, trying to put on a fake smile for the media, and he managed to pull it off. He absolutely didn't want to be there, and he wondered where his sweetheart was, he needed her reassurance that she will always be there for him and be the one for him because he was simply confused.

Furthermore, he entwined his fingers in Alva's, pulling her close as the music started, “Just pretend that you're dancing with your friend…” He whispered in her ear, “… You're so stiff,”

She tried to visibly relax, flexing her shoulders and breathing slowly, and they made it through their first dance. They ate the cake next after cutting it, and they greeted the guests followed by the appreciation speech made by Alva's father, then it was all done.

He could go home, and he could be with his sweetheart.