THREE MONTHS LATER…
"Do you accept Aurora William as your lovely wedded wife?" the Judge asked.
Adrian took a long while to reply, recalling the last discussion he had with Zoey, which made him accept his miserable fate.
"Adrian, I want to live without you, not because I cannot forgive you or accept you with Aurora, but because I want to find myself. I want to understand how it feels to be away from someone I love. Also, I want to live with the fear that you will forget me one day. It may be too late when my heart finally accepts you with another woman, then it won't be worth the wait. Please, move on." Those were Zoey's words.
He took in Aurora's hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling. "Yes, I do."
A bright smile lit up her face, like she had forgotten the deal they made. He shook his head, rolling his eyes.
"I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the Judge said.
Adrian shuddered at the thought of kissing her. Meanwhile, excitement came to her spark-plugs, roaring her engines into the purr of anticipation.
"Do what?" he asked.
"He said you should kiss me now," Aurora whispered, almost laughing. He shot her a deadly glare, which made her wish the Earth could open up and swallow her. She composed herself, then he turned to face the Judge.
"Please, can we skip this part?" She heard a tremor in his voice.
"No man is ever hesitant to kiss his wife, except he's shy," the Judge explained.
"Exactly–"
"No, he's not," Aurora cut in.
"What do you think you're saying, blondie?" He opened his eyes wide, as if they held a dark warning.
"Why now? We have done it before," she smiled, remembering the night they made love. "So, we can do it again. Just to prove the love we have for each other," she added.
"Okay?" the Judge asked, waiting.
Adrian was not ready to initiate the first move, so Aurora had to do it. She looked over at him as she bit her lower lip, slow but seductive. Their eyes met, undeniable sparks flying around. Then she leaned closer and pulled her arm around his neck, digging into his hair with fingers. Their lips were a few inches away.
A heat of desire rushed into his face. Before she could enclose the tiny space between them, he turned his face away and her soft lips pressed on his cheek. He didn't reciprocate her gaze when she looked up with widened eyes. He looked away, ruffling his messy hair. She felt a twinge of disappointment.
"Adrian–"
"It's okay." The judge's tone screamed sarcasm. Then he busied himself with the other procedures.
She nodded and poked Adrian's arm, making him turn around. "Oh. Wait, are you… blushing?" she asked in disbelief. He pressed his lips into a thin line and squinched his face. She almost mistook his silence for a yes until he spoke up.
"Why? Hell no!" he scoffed in a low tone, but his dark red cheeks betrayed him. In his blush was a genuine sweetness she had been craving.
"Sign here, Mr Garcia…" he said, handing over a black ink. "And over to you, Mrs."
Adrian signed as the groom and Aurora as the bride. Their marriage was legal and successful.
Finally, they were out of the courtroom. They were faced with the least people they expected to have an encounter; the paparazzi. Adrian didn't bargain to make it known to the public, but fate had a different plan. Always.