This Cruel Love

I’m sure you can guess what happened next. The rungs of the ladder held up better than I thought they would with our weight against them. And my prince charming, my knight in shining armour, he was such a gentleman making sure I didn’t get any splinters in my ass. But I’m not sharing my post engagement bliss with you. Sorry, not this time. Some things are better left to the imagination, and for now, I want to keep it private. Just between me and my future husband. Don’t worry, there was a happy ending. A very happy ending for both of us. Well, I had more than one happy ending, but that goes without saying when you have a god-like man between your thighs.

One year later…

This was the longest I’d gone without seeing Jackson, and I was having serious withdrawal already. Twenty-four hours and counting. Okay, so today was our wedding day. I couldn’t really complain, but still it didn’t feel right being away from him.

Sitting in my childhood bedroom, I glanced around at all the little trinkets and memories my parents had kept here. This room was like a museum of my younger years. Hanging up on the back of the door to my bathroom was my wedding dress. White, lace, and fitted with a cute little train at the back, it was the most beautiful dress I’d ever owned. I couldn’t wait to get into it and race down that aisle that my parents had set up in our back garden, so I could get to my happily ever after, my man.

I always thought I’d be one of those brides that tried on a billion dresses before they found the right one, but this dress was the first one I tried, and even though I tried a few more on just to be sure, I knew it was the one the minute I slipped into it. Mum and Sylvie agreed too. Yes, I invited Sylvie to come wedding dress shopping with me. She was the closest thing Jackson had to a mother, and seeing as she’d had a say in the other dresses Jackson had bought me in the past, I knew she had good taste. We both insisted that Sylvie and Len played a role in our wedding. They would sit with the bridal party at the top table for the reception afterwards. Sylvie tried to refuse. She always hated a fuss, but they had to be there, they were his family, and soon they would be mine too.

I was antsy and couldn’t wait any longer for Mum to come and help get me into my dress, so I bent down to lace up my diamanté encrusted chucks.

“Ryley Emerson, what on Earth are you putting on your feet?” Mum laughed. “There’s a perfectly good pair of Jimmy

Choos in the box over there. Please tell me you’re not walking down the aisle in those chucks?”

“But it’s for Grandma,” I argued. “Remember how she always joked about running down the aisle to snag Grandpa?”

“Good lord, for your father’s sake, please tell me you aren’t planning on running down there?” She rolled her eyes and placed a large blue box onto the bed next to me.

“Only in my head, Mum, don’t panic. Plus, if he changes his mind and tries to do a runner I’ll be well equipped to chase after him.”

“From the look of your young man downstairs I don’t think that’ll be a problem. I think if he had his way he’d be whisking you off to elope right this second.”

“Is he nervous?”

“He’s taking nerves to a whole new level. He can’t sit still.”

I looked at the box and frowned. “Is this from him?”

“Actually, no. It’s from that insanely attractive best man of his. I’m hoping to get a dance out of that one later. I think he’ll be busy though. He’s definitely got a way with the ladies. Poor Daisy doesn’t know what to do with herself downstairs.”

I could just imagine Cill putting his killer moves on Daisy, and every other woman today. He’d already told me he was looking forward to all the wedding sex he’d been told about.

“I’ll give you a few minutes to open it and get your thoughts together. Then I’ll come back and help you into your dress.”

Mum turned and left, pulling the door to and leaving me alone with my excited butterflies and my eagerness.

I placed the box in my lap and pulled the lid off. Lying on top was a note in Cill’s scribbled handwriting.

Ryley,

So, today’s the day the male population will be in mourning. I can’t believe you chose the moody old guy over me! I did see you first, but I guess I can overlook that. He worships the ground you walk on, and the guy did deserve a break.

I’m glad he met you. I couldn’t have picked a better sister in-law. Anyway, enough with all the mushy stuff. I love you and if he ever messes up, I’ll be there to pick up the slack.

Now, onto my reason for writing this letter. I know it’s not the tradition for the best man to do the whole ‘something old, something new’ thing, but I’ve never been a traditional kinda guy. So here is my little pre-wedding gift, just for you, Ryley. I hope it puts a smile on your face for when you walk down that aisle. Oh, and remember, even though I look insanely hot in a tux, you’ve gotta keep your eyes on the groom. He gets crazy jealous when it comes to you.

Something old…. You do know your man is nine years older than you? He’ll be needing a pipe and slippers soon, so I figured you’ve already got the ‘something old’ part covered. P.S Don’t tell him I said that. I like my balls right where they are.

Something new…. Now I could be cheesy and say you have a new dress, new life, blah, blah, blah. But that’s boring, and I’m never boring. So the pink parcel is your something new, something Jax will appreciate looking at too.

I reached into the box to pull out the present wrapped in pink tissue paper. When I saw what was inside I laughed. Two string bikinis, one white, the other black, but both had the words ‘Mrs Caine’ written on the back of the bikini bottoms in tiny diamonds. I loved it, and it was very Cill.

Something borrowed and something blue…. For these, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone. Your something borrowed is on loan from me. I do expect these babies back, and I think you’ll both appreciate the blueness of it.

All my love, your new brother, Cill x

At the bottom was a gift in blue tissue paper, and when I tore it open I was thankful my mum wasn’t in the room to see this. Great, Cill had wrapped up his extensive and rather eclectic porn stash just for me. School of Cock, Throbbin Hood, Edward Penis Hands and The Sperminator were just a few of the cringy and hilarious titles. Only Cill.