13 Chapter 13 Marrying My First Love

Devin's eyes were wet with tears as he waited by the entrance door of the Sistine Chapel.

"What are you crying for on your wedding day, Devin?" asked Aunt Isabel dressed in a lovely mix of black and cream dress.

Alexandra who was dressed in a pale blue maid-of-honor dress quietly handed him a handkerchief that she kept extra on her purse.

Ava and Sabina as bridesmaids were in emerald green dresses, plus Delphin, wife of Sebastian, the twin's elder brother. Daniel as best man wore a navy blue tux. Their older brother Sebastian and two more men were in cerulean blue tux. Kleia who was a flowergirl plus two more girls wore bright lemon yellow dresses. Mr. and Mrs. St. Claire were a pair in a black tux and red gown. And Devin wore a white tux. They were all waiting by the entrance for Sarah to arrive.

"Shouldn't it be the bride that cries on her wedding day?" Ava asked dryly looking at Devin. "Would you like a tissue?"

Devin chuckled against sniffs. "Nah. I'm fine, Ava. Thanks for showing your concern. I'm just perfectly happy on my wedding day. These are my tears of happiness."

He smiled.

"You're perfectly teary eyed on your special day, what makes it so?"

Devin dabbed his eyes and sniffed on the handkerchief first before sharing with Ava his thoughts.

"You see when I was a kid, I solemnly dream of marrying Sarah one day in the Sistine Chapel. I thought of it once in a daydream. She looking perfect in my hand designed gown. A blushing bride in bliss."

"That is a very sweet dream come true, Devin."

"Marrying my first love."

Alexander said wistfully.

"Yeah, Alex. Marrying my Sarah, my first love."

Devin agreed solemnly.

"You can marry me anytime you feel like, Alexandra," Daniel piped in meaningfully.

Alex eyed him dismissively.

"Hush it, St. Claire. You already asked me once."

"Then, I'll ask you again. Will you—"

"—shut up and stop ruining Devin's moment?"

"You two again," said Ava rolling her eyes.

"You just need to find yourself a beau, big sister. So, you have someone to fight with. Right, Dan?" said Alex looking at him.

He easily agreed. "Yeah, right, girlfriend."

"Yeah, I agree with that, Alexandra. I need myself a boyfriend."

"I can introduce you to Phillip, my cousin from England."

Ava eyed Daniel thoroughly. "Not a St. Claire, please."

"Guys, Sarah's car is coming."

Sabina announced with excitement.

"Well, here comes your bride, Devin St. Claire," chirped Ava.

They waited for the car to arrive.

Sarah came out wearing her bridal gown, a not so classic wedding gown in white but a classic lacy gown in shade of the palest turquoise that matched her ever turquoise eyes. Her trail was a perfect long lacy and embroidered trail in pale turquoise intricately designed and sewn by her own Devin St. Claire.

After a while, the group assembled and the wedding melody was played in the air. Devin St. Claire and Sarah Kale exchanged their "I do's" and they were announced as husband and wife.

Alex had her arms wounded around Daniel as they moved to the slow sweet music that filled the room. His hands were on her hips as they moved slowly to the music as a lead vocalist sang dreamy songs serenading everyone from his stool on the stage. The pianist, the guitarist and the saxophonist—all were blending their music perfectly to the husky tenor of the singer.

"Your hair smells sweet and relaxing, Alex," said Daniel in a relaxed tone as his nose sniffed the scent of vanilla and lavender on Alexandra's hair.

"You know, your nose tickles on my ear," said Alex as tiny shivers ran her body as they continuously danced under the slow music and the dim lit reception area glowing with violet and yellow blinking lights.

"You know what? I think Ava is really drank now," Daniel told her as he watched her older sister laughing loudly from a far table chatting with a guy. "And she's actually chatting with Philip, the one I mentioned earlier when we were waiting for Sarah to arrive."

"Is she?" Alex asked as she whirled him around so she could see her sister chatting with a big smile on her very flushed face, a sign that she was already drunk. "She can hold her alcohol well, anyway."

"I don't doubt it," Daniel agreed as they continued to dance around the dance floor. "Your sister has a higher alcohol tolerance than you ever are."

"I was able to hold alcohol the last time I've been to Tropical Suburb."

"You mean minus the hangover?"

"Oh, shut up, St. Claire," Alex said briefly looking at him under her lashes. "Do you want to know a trivial thing?"

"Now, you got me curious. What is it, Alex?"

Alex bit her lower lips and looked determinedly in his eyes.

"But don't get mad at me when you know about it."

"Wonder what will make me mad," he said amicably.

"The thing is…" Alex said trailing beforecompleting her sentence while looking straight into his blue eyes. "I accidentally kissed Devin the night I was drinking in the bar completely thinking that he was you."

She peered into his eyes. A guilty look on her face.

"Would you forgive me for that?" she asked with a hesitant feeling.

"Only if you allow me to kiss you right here, right now," he answered in almost a bare whisper.

Alex looked at his piercing blue eyes that were looking directly at her then her eyes lowered to his lips. She lifted her eyes back to his that were almost laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked already glowering at his face.

"You. You know how cute your face transforms from guilty innocent to a fiery one ready to fight?" he teased her back.

"Seriously, Daniel?" she asked firing back. "So, are you just going to look at my face all night?"

His eyes softened and he lowered his mouth on hers. Daniel was a really a gentle and good kisser. They pressed their lips for a long time just savoring the simple pleasure of touching each other's lips until it turned fiercer and he bit her lower lip and kissed her until they were almost out of breath. When they removed each other lips, Alex mind was still fogged and she had to clear it.

"You definitely know how to kiss," she said flashing a coy smile at him.

"I can do so much more, Alex," he said gently to her. "Why don't we just get married?"

Alex looked hesitantly at his face. It was the second time today that Daniel casually threw the question at her. Trust this guy to be easily familiar with her just because he had asked her once to pose as his fake fiancée for Sarah. She looked away from him and threw her gaze at Sarah who was happily chatting with her now husband, Devin who was leaning close to her like the two were sharing a very secret conversation. Daniel followed her gaze and looked to where Sarah and Devin were having an animated chat.

"That's what I meant when I told you at the beach," he said casually casting his eyes at the two couple. "She never had those eyes set on me like it. With Devin, she was mostly attentive and gentler than when she speaks to me. I had been too blind to see that."

Alex released her arms from his neck and tugged one of her hands on his hands and guided their way out of the dance floor to join Sarah and Devin on their table. They walked over to them and occupied empty seats to join the couple.

"You and Alex are so sweet on the dance floor, Daniel," said Devin looking at his twin with a very broad teasing smile on his face as Daniel just took a seat beside him. "I almost felt that ants can no longer pass between the two of you."

"And you two guys seem to be having the best time of your life simply chatting away as if you're the only two people in the world, Devin."

Daniel retorted.

"You've completely ignored your guests," he added while picking flute from the table and pouring champagne on it.

Devin had his right hand clasped on Sarah's left hand. The two were more than content to be simply sitting beside each other in the reception table.

"That's what it means to be getting married to one's love of life. Time merely passes without a second glance because I'm more than content to have her sitting beside me."

Devin returned a reply.

"I haven't seen you two in the dance floor since the opening of the reception," said Alex looking at the happy couple. "Why don't you show us some more of your energy, Devin, Sarah on the dance floor?"

Just then, the band by the stage changed their tune and the music became a fast tempo beat. Everyone on the dance floor gamely changed their pace and had their hands in the air. Their feet were moving to the beat of the music. Their hips were swaying to the sound.

Sarah almost jumped as she stood from her seat and tugged Devin's wrist as they rushed to the dance floor joining the crowd having fun with the music. Alex and Daniel joined in as well. For the next fifteen minutes everyone was having the time of their life to the beat of the music.

Ava and Phillip who also joined the happy crowd disappeared from the dance floor after dancing with everyone. So much for refusing one's suggestion to meet another's cousin, but it appeared like Ava for the time being found a worthy one to share her time with.

The merriment of the wedding reception last until past midnight. The men turned louder and crazier as their stomachs filled with liquor. The women became more daring as the night deepened.

Sarah was laughing with everyone when she felt that she hasn't yet removed the garter from her left leg. She leaned down to Devin to inform him about it and later they were in front of the crowd to remove it receiving good-natured hoot-hooting from everyone as Devin took the garter off her thigh. Devin threw the garter and Daniel who had the least interest in getting it happened to be the one who caught it like it just landed on his hand while he stood along with other men.

And since Sarah forgot about the garter, it also meant that she still had to throw the bouquet as well.

Sarah stood in front of the crowd while all the women faced her. She turned on her back and threw the bouquet up on the air. Alex merely stood at the middle of the crowd uncaring to catch the bouquet unlike the other women even Sabina who was game to catch it with eagerness, hoping she will be the next bride.

As it happened, the bouquet was thrown in Alex' direction and she caught it with her hands. She was even unaware until she felt the ribbon and petals of the bouquet in her hand.

"Congratulations, Alex!" shouted Sabina. "You're going to be the next bride and guess who the groom is?"

She teased with a flushed face.

Alex looked at her hands and absentmindedly looked up to see who caught the garter. She saw Daniel holding the garter in his hand.

The men and the women all gave them teasing smiles and hoots as they were ushered to the front so Daniel could put the garter on her leg.

Alex sat on the chair and waited for Daniel who was on his feet bent on the floor as he put the garter along her left leg. Everyone was loud and teasing as he inched it higher on her thigh.

Even Daniel was laughing around with everyone until his hand passed her knees and he inched it higher on her leg. Alex felt a hitched in her breathing anticipating looking at him until something seemed to pass in his eyes as he placed the garter on her left thigh.

The world seemed to have stopped moving and they were the only two people in that room. He looked at her with that kind of tenderness that he only ever looked at for Sarah before. Alex was mesmerized by him while he also stopped just simply looking at her.

Then, the crowd cheered and more wine and champagne flowed.

Alex regained consciousness of her surrounding and Daniel looked back at her with a smile on his face.