Wednesday as I was finishing work, Shauna, Becca and Emily showed up and let me know it was girl time. Apparently they'd told everyone that they are "kidnapping" me for the night. No wonder there hadn't been any plans made for tonight. I wondered what they had planned.
They started by taking me to get mani-pedis. Which was awesome as I needed it done before the wedding to be honest, but now I have to not chip my nails for two and a half days. That will be a record for me! I must be the clumsiest person ever but I can never keep my nails nice for very long.
After nails were finished, they took me to my apartment. Yeah that's strange. Except when we walked in there were four mattresses on the floor. Obviously we're having a sleepover and they must have gotten the key from Mom. I have to feel a bit sorry for Seth and Adam, they get to stay in my apartment tonight with us crazy girls. When they came in I told them they could each take a bedroom to crash in since all the girls were on the living room floor for the night. Which they did after they did a security check around the place.
Pizza arrived shortly after we did, and just before Adam and Seth left us be so we sent them with some pizza to eat. It wasn't a crazy night after all we all had to get up for work the next morning. We did stay up a bit longer than we should have considering, but it was amazing and made me feel like I was back in college again.
First I was told I had to spill our love story, starting when we met for the first time at summer camp all the way up to yesterday. Telling it actually took a really long time considering all the interruptions and questions they had. And all the sidetracks we went down. It's really funny, out of the four of us I always imagined I'd get married last or not at all. Yet, here I am the first one to get married. Of course they've all had more long term relationships with guys, Becca was currently living with her boyfriend of two years. Emily has been single for the past six months after a year long relationship. Shauna well her love life can just be summed up by saying, it's complicated.
I love these girls, they have been there for me when I needed them, we've laughed, cried and shared hopes and dreams. I know they have my back, just as I have theirs.
Thursday morning our alarms went off way too early. We took turns in the bathrooms and all left for work at the same time. That night I was back at the mansion having my final fitting of the dresses. They had done an amazing job, the dresses looked amazing.
Friday I'd been able to arrange my schedule to get the day off, I would have been a nervous wreck at work anyway. There is no way I would have been able to focus, so it is better all around that I took the day off.
We all, and by all I mean Ethan, Mom, Dad and Miranda as well as Lord and Lady Maxwell, met with the wedding planner and finalized everything. We were all set to go tomorrow. After she left, Ethan took my hand and excused us from our parents. He took me outside to walk through the garden.
"I knew you were about to start freaking out that our wedding is tomorrow and that you needed space. If you need to be alone, I can leave you here, or if you would rather walk with me we can do that as well." Oh how this man knew me. Seriously, he makes me fall in love with him more every day. I seriously wonder how I deserve him.
"I'd love to walk with you. Can you believe it's only been four weeks and two days since the first walk we took through here." I still am a little in shock that our families, minus Mom, would have expected us to actually get to know each other enough in that time to get married now. It still floored me that they believe that's what we did. "I mean our families believe that we have only known each other that long. It's kind of crazy!"
"My parents let me know this week that I didn't have to go through with it. That they didn't want to force me into something I would regret. So at least they're not unreasonable."
"I'm glad they care about you. It would have made me sad if they were forcing you to marry me."
"No one can force me to do something I'm already overly willing to do." Ethan murmured.
"Do you think we can find our tree?" I asked when I noticed we'd gotten to the wooded area and I remembered that large tree he'd kissed me behind.
"Where do you think I've been leading you? It's just a little farther." He led me along and soon we were at our tree. He pulled me behind it and turned me so my back was against the truck of the tree. He looked at me and I felt my insides shiver with delight. How was I ever going to survive being married to him when his gaze can make my insides go crazy?
Heat rose from my stomach to my chest. Ethan's lips were getting closer and my heart was doing its own rhythm. Ethan's scent washed over me with its hypnotic power. His lips met mine and all my thoughts were quieted. Apparently this was a great way to deal with my run away thoughts. I'd have to remember that in the future. That is if I could remember anything but how his lips felt on mine.
My whole body tingled as the kiss deepened and he pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me. My hands seemed to have a kind of their own and reached up to his neck and ran through his silky hair. A moan escaped my throat and Ethan claimed my mouth further, hungry and intense. My knees were pudding and it's a good thing Ethan was holding me and there was a tree behind me.
Time ceased to exist, everything and everyone was gone, it was just Ethan, me, the tree my back was leaning against and this amazing kiss.