Two

ERICA’S POV

Just so you know, I had never seen or met my husband until today. So I wasn’t surprised at his question. Although I thought that he would have done the math in his head. I was the one wearing the white gown, but Kyle just wanted me to go through the pain of explaining myself to him.

I opened my mouth to speak but no words made it’s way out of my mouth. I had suddenly lost the ability to use my brain. Maybe it wasn’t my brain but what my eyes were seeing. The mere sight of Kyle all blooded up made me shudder. I feared for what would become of my life when I get married to this violent drunk.

Kyle stared at me from top to bottom. He didn’t even try to hide the disgust in his eyes. All I wanted now was for the ground to open up and swallow me. I lost the bare minimum confidence I had gathered while standing there.

Luckily Lorenzo saw through my ordeal and came to my rescue.

“She is your wife, Erica. Now walk to the altar!”, Lorenzo said in a low growl.

He held Kyle up and the other two men helped Kyle to his feet. I held my breath as they made their way to the Altar. He had blood all over his face and no one offered to get him a cloth or something to clean up.

“Alright Priest, you can start now”, Lorenzo said with a huge smile on his face.

Just like that?.

I couldn’t keep up with the change of moods in the Caruso’s family. Lorenzo said that as if he had not been the one, who was responsible for the blood all over the groom. I snuck a look behind me. The horror written on everyone’s face was as glaring as dirt on a White shirt. I mean it’s not everyday you get to see a blood covered groom right?

Just as the priest was about to commence, Kyle tore out of the hands of the men and left the altar. His actions attracted yet another round of gasps and hands clasped over the mouth.

Then Kyle broke into a hysterical laugh.

“ Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt your Happy ending”. He turned to his father and smirked.

“Father, I will only get married to one woman and her name is Bella which clearly the lady at the altar is not” he said as he staggered around.

“Kyle!!”, Lorenzo thundered and yet again I flinched.

I would need to get used to his voice or it would start telling on my blood pressure. Lorenzo stormed out of the altar and so did his other men. They tried to keep Kyle hostage, but he began to fight them off.

Kyle didn’t know the moment his father came from behind and punched him. He fell limp and became unconscious. They tried to resuscitate him, but he wasn’t making an effort to wake up. And then chaos broke out in the church and everyone began to run away.

I looked at the sight before me and sighed deeply. I carried my gown and found a nearby chair and sat. Today had been a bad day for me. Obviously I wouldn’t be getting married today but definitely, I would get married to this beautiful man, who was more of a stranger and less of a husband.

Sighing, my mind began to drift back. As in a depth of many seas, I began to recall the events that led to the scene that was taking place now.

********Flashback***************

“Erica?!!! Theodore, my grandfather, shouted into the phone.

I was in the market, which was Miles away from home. We only come to the market if we have a pressing need to.

“Yes grandpa, I can hear you” I said into the phone.

We could hear each other well enough a while ago, but then a big truck horned louder and startled grandpa. He mistakenly flung the phone away in terror. My grandpa might have been the strongest man on Earth, judging by the way he worked, but I knew he hated one thing. Noise. He just couldn’t stand it. So when the truck honked, l cursed underneath my breath.

“Erica, now you have to be here on time. The discount sales are about to begin” my grandpa said.

“Yes grandpa, I am almost there” I replied.

“Do you have all you need? Do you have the list of items we made?” my grandpa inquired.

“Yes grandpa. I have them all. Now don’t worry your old self. I’ll get everything done okay?” I tried to assure him.

He had always been a worrisome person. Getting off the phone with him, I increased my pace and walked towards the market.

Just as I was about to cross to the other side of the road, I saw an old man. He had with him a bag and paper. He was trying to cross but the cars would not just let him, so I walked up to him.

“Sir are you okay? Let me help you with the bag and let’s cross” I said as I held his hand.

He looked up to me and smiled. Actually he grinned. He looked so handsome. I never knew old people were also this good looking.

“Thank you so much, you kind heart,” he said. I smiled back at him.

I looked left and right and together we crossed. When we crossed, I asked him what brought him here, and so he gave me an address.

“Ah! I don’t really know this place” I said.

“It’s alright, I’ll just sit here and wait for the bus then” he said smiling.

“Okay I have somewhere I have to be. Take care” I said waving at him and he did the same too.

When I had gone far, I turned to find him still staring at me. Truth be told, I found that kind of odd but I brushed it off.