The Story Of Us

Speak Now

I felt my throat close as I looked at myself in the mirror. My makeup was perfect, my dress was a shimmering white, and my hair was up in a beautiful bun. I looked like a bride from a magazine. I knew the man who was my fiancé would lose his breath at the sight of me. I sigh as I stare at myself, thinking if I should do this.

"You look beautiful, love." A voice said behind me. I looked behind me to see Hardin.

"Hardin!" I exclaimed, turning to look at him. He's in a black suit and looks oh so handsome. "You aren't supposed to see the bride before her wedding. It's bad luck." I say, but Hardin merely laughs.

"In case you forgot, bad luck in my nature."

"You're ridiculous..." I laughed, looking away from him.

“What’s wrong, love?” He asked, looking at me with sadness in his eyes.

“I’m…I’m getting married. I just don’t believe it.”

"He’s a lucky man,” he says, and I look at him.

“I’m glad you're here. I would’ve sent an invitation, but my fiancé thought I shouldn’t because of our history.”

“You could’ve sent it to the man cave,” he says. I roll my eyes and notice talking to him has made my pre-wedding jitters go away.

“You’re silly” I whispered.

“Only for you, love, only for you.”

“Since when have you been loyal to me?”

“Since I became your pierrot.”

“Alas, it’s time to move on, I’m another man's bride,” I say and see hurt in his eyes as he walks away.

"As you wish."

"I did love you...once," I whispered, turning back to check my hair. My teenage years were behind me, and it was time to move on.

An hour later, I was in front of the chapel doors, with my bouquet in hand, waiting for them to open, and walk down the aisle. I soon heard the music begin to play, and the workers opened the double doors and saw my father on the left side of me. I see my family dressed in pastels that my fiancé picked out sitting in the pews. Molly and Riley, my maid of honors, gave me a thumbs-up as I began to walk down the aisle. This was supposed to be a happy day, so why did the organ sound like a death march?

This isn’t what I thought it would be, I thought. My husband-to-be looked like a pageant model, standing there in his navy suit. We looked good together, and our children were sure to be little models once we started our family together.

I saw the curtains move out of the corner of my eye and smiled. Hardin had found his way into the chapel. My heart shook as I imagined what he would look like in the navy suit and blushed at the thought. I forced myself to look back at the altar. I was getting married. This was not the time to be having second thoughts…right?

The preacher's words washed over me, the world becoming a blur. I looked into my fiancé's eyes, hoping to feel what I felt when I agreed to marry him that day on my parent's porch in front of my family, but it wasn’t there. Something had changed within me between now and then.

“Speak now, or forever hold your peace.”

The preacher’s words struck my heart as I looked out into the audience. This was the last moment, the eleventh hour before I signed myself off to this man. A gasp filled the room as Hardin stepped out from behind the curtain, all eyes on him. I knew there were horrified looks from everyone in the room, but it didn’t matter as I was only looking at him.

“I am not the type of man who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion,” Hardin said, as he made his way over to me and extended his hand. “But you are not the kind of woman who should be marrying the wrong man.”

I felt my throat close up as tears stung my eyes and realized why I was having second thoughts. I looked at my fiancé, who had a face full of shock. I then looked back at Hardin, who still had his hand extended towards me.

“Don’t say yes. Let’s run away. Now.” Hardin pulled me to his chest, his whisper tickling my ear. “Don’t wait. Don’t say a single vow.”

“Meet me at the back door”, I whispered, embracing him.

“I’ll do better than that!” he said, a smirk spreading across his face. He picked me up and I squeaked in surprise. I had no idea what faces my loved ones were making, but I didn’t care. This boy was my lover, my partner in crime. I knew that was the reason why I was having second thoughts. Hardin is who a partner should feel like. I buried my face in Hardin's chest, inhaling his cologne and his deodorant.

“Take me away” I whispered to him. He looked down at me with a smile.

“As you wish, love.”