Tied to You

I do

The next couple of days fly by and before I know it my wedding day is here. I stare at myself in the mirror and take in the sight of myself. My hair has been swept up at the front and styled to include a beautifully delicate silver headband studded with tiny turquoise crystals. My makeup is subtle with that 'barely there' look that takes a thousand layers to achieve. And my dress is like a second skin, hugging my body and giving me curves where I was lacking.

I know I have only a few minutes before I need to make my way downstairs, and I have to force myself to take a couple of deep breaths to calm myself. Despite Alex's intention of us staying at the hotel, Sheila nearly had a fit when he told her and she insisted that the night before the wedding we would be staying in the family home—separate bedrooms of course, which made us chuckle.

In a feeble attempt at distracting myself, I think back to what it was like meeting Alex's family yesterday. The first thing that hit me as we walked through the front door was that chaos and noise reigned supreme, and it took a couple of minutes before anyone even noticed us standing there in the hallway with our small overnight bags. Moments later I was swept into a giant bear hug by a man who could only be Alex's dad. With the insistence of calling him Bruce, I was then passed around the family members as we made our introductions.

For the most part, Alex had made sure I was briefed on his mum and dad; two older brothers, Chris and Luke; and his sister, Nadia, whom I had already met. I had spent hours poring over the details that Alex had included in the summary of each of his grandparents, parents and siblings, their respective partners and children included, so I felt like I knew my way around the family tree. That, combined with the f*******: stalking I had done—well, if you have an open profile, what do you expect?—had made me feel more confident about meeting this tight-knit family. Research has always been my default setting when faced with the unknown and I had indeed researched the s**t out of the family I was about to join.

What those hours of research had not prepared me for, however, was the love that seemed to flow throughout the house. From the gentle teasing to the all-out banter, this was the kind of family I had always envied growing up. As the day wore on and I got to know everyone a little better and they, in turn, interrogated me until Alex stepped in to rescue me with a tour of the estate, I finally felt accepted. Something which terrified the living s**t out of me, given that I was basically lying to their faces. It wasn't until I had curled up in bed later that night that I finally let go and quietly sobbed into my pillow. My part in this deception would surely come back to haunt me, no matter how much Alex and I tried to justify it.

So here I am, in a beautifully appointed guestroom, waiting to become Mrs Alexander Davenport. I hear a gentle rap at the door and Nadia pokes her head around the door to let me know everyone is ready. With a final, fortifying, breath I make my way out of the room and come face to face with Bruce, Alex's dad. Despite his appearance as a giant, Bruce is actually a teddy bear at heart, a fact I discovered as I watched him dote on his grandchildren. Emily, Nadia's youngest, in particular, has him wrapped around her little finger.

"Liv, you look beautiful," Bruce says in his gruff voice with a twinkle in his eye.

"Thank you, Bruce," I reply with a smile. "And you look rather spiffy yourself."

"Argh, this is a monkey suit," he responds, tugging on his shirt collar. "Listen, love, I know you don't have your old man here, but I wondered if you would like me to walk you down the aisle. I know it won't be the same, and you haven't known us long…" Bruce trails off, clearly uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Bruce. That would be lovely," I reply softly, trying to hold back the tears in my eyes. "I would really appreciate that." And I actually do. The thought of having to walk down the aisle all by myself has brought me out in a cold sweat several times already.

"All right then. Let's get this show on the road," says Bruce, offering me his arm.

Before I know it, I am standing at the top of the aisle in the beautiful spot that is commonly used for wedding ceremonies on the property, surveying the scene before me. Guests have filled the covered chairs that sit on either side of the red carpet that I am about to walk up. At the bottom of the aisle is a shady pavilion, amongst a few large eucalyptus trees, where I will be saying my vows. The music is indicating that it is time to move, but my feet feel glued to the floor. A small nudge from Bruce and a whispered 'Just one foot in front of the other, love' gets me moving. My eyes are on Alex, who smiles encouragingly at me from the pavilion. As I make my way down the aisle, I can feel everyone else's eyes on me as well, and I chant Bruce's words over and over in my head until I am standing at the front with Alex.

I am in a bit of a dream as I say my vows. The nerves in my belly have entirely disappeared, and in the abstract, I wonder what it is about Alex that makes me feel so calm. He should bottle the stuff. When, finally, all is said and we have exchanged our simple platinum bands, I finally hear the words that I have been dreading: "You may now kiss the bride." For the last few days, it has been bothering me that I would have to kiss Alex in front of everyone. Granted, Alex has been quite touchy-feely and affectionate in front of everyone, but this will be our actual first kiss.

As Alex stares down at me, my breath hitches and I know he can sense my nerves. Then he lowers his lips onto mine and the world recedes. The kiss is gentle as his lips meld against mine. I feel his arms go around my waist as he pulls me closer to his body. Without thinking, my arms wind around his neck of their own accord and the kiss deepens as my mouth parts slightly. Taking the cue, Alex slips his tongue into my mouth and suddenly a hunger takes over as he growls softly into my mouth.

A cheer suddenly brings us both back to the present and I feel my cheeks flame with embarrassment. Seriously, making out at your wedding is a little crass. Alex grabs my hand and plants a kiss on my palm before turning and pulling me up the aisle.

"Photographs," he murmurs, reminding me that we would be going around to the vineyard's lake to have our official pictures taken. We wait for the shower of confetti to finish before jumping into the 4x4 waiting to take us on our short journey.

"You okay?" Alex asks, putting an arm around my trembling frame.

"Yeah, it's just the adrenaline. It's not every day you get married," I joke, and I see a strange expression cross Alex's face.

"You look very beautiful, Liv," Alex says seriously.

"Um, th…thank you," I stutter, not sure what else to say. Do I compliment him on his suit? In the end, I don't say anything else and just sit back and wait as we wind our way to the lake.

The setting is beautiful and it is a relief to have some private time after the scrutiny I have been under for the last few days. I am exhausted by the questions and trying to make sure that I have kept my story straight, and my heart breaks a little each time I lie to these amazing people. The photographer walks off to set up his equipment and Alex turns to me, pulling me into his embrace as we maintain our façade.

"Thank you, Liv," he says softly.

"For what?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"For being the perfect bride. For being so gracious. And for making my family so happy. I know this is probably not what either of us envisioned for our wedding days, but I am being completely honest when I say that I couldn't have asked for a better partner in crime." Alex breaks out a grin, lightening the mood, and I find myself grinning back.

"Well, we have pulled it off, so now just the reception to go…" I add.

We pose for what feels like ages, but in reality, it's only about half an hour before we head back to the restaurant. When we arrive, I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the spot. The building is a traditional tin-roof construction with a wide wrap-around deck. The inside is cool in the heat, but the large open doors allow the air to flow through. Long tables are covered in pristine white linens and delicate glassware, a gorgeous contrast to the dark wooden chairs. Alex loops his arm through mine and gently guides me up to the top table as we are surrounded by applause. He pauses only to drop a kiss on my lips before pulling out my chair. If any of this were actually real, I think I would probably swoon.

The remainder of the day passes in somewhat of a blur. The dinner, the speeches, the dancing and the socialising are all perfect, but it is a relief when eight o'clock rolls around and Alex lets me know our car is here. Once we have made our final farewells it feels liberating to slip into the cool quiet of the limo, knowing that I can finally let my guard down.

"So back to London then?" I say, realising in all of this I had completely forgotten about what would happen after we got married.

"Nope," says Alex, rubbing the bridge of his nose. I take in the circles under his eyes and realise today has been a strain for him as well. "No, I think we both deserve a bit of a holiday after all that. So we are off to Bali for a week."

"What?" I screech, and Alex looks at me, confusion on his features.

"Sorry about that. I mean, seriously? I have always dreamt about going to Bali. It's actually on my bucket list," I say.

"Then I picked right," Alex confirms with a smile. The air conditioning in the car is up a little too high and goosebumps break out across my skin, causing me to shiver. Seeing this, Alex winds his arm around me and pulls me into his warmth. I lay my head on his shoulder, relaxing for the first time in days, and think to myself how lucky I am. This may be a marriage of convenience, but Alex is such a good man and I could do far worse than spending a year with this generous and kind guy. But I know I need to be careful and guard my heart because falling in love with him would be the biggest mistake ever. Despite the closeness we have, Alex has shown no sign of finding me the least bit attractive, and I am sure he chose me only because of my desperate situation.