The Road To Forgiveness (16 page)

“Did I do something to hurt you?”

“I can’t speak, I’m so embarrassed at being
caught so I make a gesture for Sebastian to turn around. He looks
behind his shoulders and sees why I stopped. A man, probably in his
forties, is standing behind him.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Price, but I
need to know if you want to stay docked for a little while longer
or if you want to go out into the open water?”

Sebastian slowly sets me down as I remove my
legs from his hips. He looks me up and down, as if to make sure I
am completely presentable. Once he is satisfied, her turns to face
the man I am assuming is the Captain.

“It’s no problem, Roger. Why don't we get
ready to depart now? I have something I wanted to discuss with Ms.
Dechino. If you could let Marty know that we’ll be ready to eat
lunch in an hour or so, that would be great.”

“Yes, Sir. I let him know. We should be out
in the open water in about twenty minutes.”

“Sounds good,” Sebastian says as he shakes
our captain, Roger’s, hand. When Roger leaves, Sebastian turns back
to me with a smirk on his face.

“What is so funny?” I ask him.

“Your cheeks are red from embarrassment. I
was beginning to think you liked voyeurism by the way you were
grabbing me in public but I guess I was wrong. You must have just
gotten caught up in the moment.”

“I most definitely would not enjoy people
watching us, and I have never watched other’s in the act.”

He looks at me skeptically, “Never? Not even
porn?”

My cheeks become flushed again, “I’ve seen
porn, briefly, but I’ve never watched people have sex before, in
front of me. Do you watch a lot of porn?”

Sebastian drags his thumb slowly across my
cheek before pressing his lips to mine in a soft peck.

“I watched a lot of porn as a teenager. This
lessoned as I went to college but picked up again when I got
married. I haven’t watched it in years though. And now? Who needs
porn when I have you? You’re insatiable.”

“That might change after I have the baby. I’m
insatiable now because of the hormones,” I say, slightly worried I
won’t be enough after the baby is born.

“You were just as horny before the hormones,
if I recall. Plus, it’s my duty, as your husband, to make sure you
always want it. I will make it so you’re begging me to come,
daily.”

The way he is turning me on has me believing
every word he says.

I pull him closer to me, “I’m sure there is a
bedroom on this boat. Let’s go there so you can show me how well
you can make me beg to come.”

He kisses me again, a little harder this time
and drags his tongue across my lower lip. “As tempting as that
sounds, I have something else planned first. Come with me.”

Sebastian reaches for my hand and I give it
to him. We make our way inside the yacht and into a small room.
There is a bar on one side and a wood floor covering the other
side. Sebastian let’s go my hand to walk behind the bar. He plays
with something inside of one of the cabinets before I hear soft
music fill the room. It’s instrumental, something I’ve never heard
before, but it’s beautiful.

Sebastian walks back over to me and reaches
out for my hand again. As I place my hand in his, he brings it up
to his mouth and places a soft kiss on my knuckles. “May I have
this dance?”

He looks so adorable and young in this
moment. Like all the cares of the world have slowly melted away.
I’m not much of a dancer but I’d do anything for Sebastian, even
make a fool out of myself on the dance floor.

“Yes, of course. You can have anything you
want,” I say honestly back.

He grabs me around the waist and spins me on
the dance floor. We dance to our own beat. Not necessarily staying
in beat with the music but neither one of us caring. In his arms is
the only place I want to be. They keep me safe, warm, and
protected. In this moment, I never want him to let me go.

The song changes to an instrumental version
of Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. Sebastian slows down his
movement so that we are gently gliding from side to side. He lifts
my chin with one of his hands so that we are looking into one
another’s eyes. I can feel something happening. I can see it in his
eyes. Inside, I know this is a big moment but I can’t get my body
to register this. I no longer have the urge to run. Whatever
happens next, I am going to be present and I realize I’m no longer
scared.

We continue to dance slowly, neither of us
willing to break eye contact. Sebastian starts to sing the next
lyrics to me, softly.

“
I feel wonderful

Because I see the love light in your
eyes

And the wonder of it all

Is that you just don’t realize

How much I love you”

I feel a single tear fall from my eyes as his
words speak to me. I want to capture this moment in my mind and
never let it go. It’s the most wonderful moment of my life.

“Mia?” he whispers softly to me.

“Yes,” I whisper hesitantly. I don’t trust my
own voice at the moment.

“I’ve loved you for so long, I think I even
loved you the moment I met you. I’ve watched you grow so much as a
person and I’ve loved seeing you become the woman you are
today.”

His hand slowly caresses my back before he
lets go of me and kneels on the floor, on one knee.

Oh. My. God.

This is happening. This is realty happening,
right now. I internally wage war with my thoughts because I sound
like a giddy sixteen-year-old girl.

Sebastian reaches inside his pant pocket as
he pulls out a little black box. Never breaking eye contact with
me.

“I’ve known you are the woman for me since
the very start. It kills me that you will forever know that I was
married before you. I didn’t know what I was doing then. I didn’t
believe in marriage until I met you. Please know that, you are the
only person I will marry out of love. You mean everything to me and
I’ve known I wanted to marry you since the first time you let me
in. Since the first time you let me see the real you. I promise to
make you happy. I promise to be faithful to you, honor you, respect
you, and love you, until the day I die.”

Sebastian opens the black box and inside sits
a delicate, basic ring. It’s not too flashy, with a small diamond
placed in the center. It’s exactly what I would have wanted, if I
were to choose.

My hands start to shake as more tears begin
to fall down my face.

“Mia Dechino, will you do me the honor of
being my wife?”

In that moment, there is no hesitation. I
know exactly how I see the rest of my life playing out… It’s with
Sebastian. No matter where life takes me, no matter what roadblocks
are ahead, I know I want to get through them with Sebastian.

I drop down on my knees in front of him as I
sob out, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Sebastian slowly breaks out in to the largest
smile I’ve ever seen on him as he places the ring on my finger and
kisses me hard. I can taste the salt from my tears on our lips. The
kiss starts off slow but grows hungry as Sebastian pushes me back
on to the wooden floor. His hands are everywhere. I feel his touch
all over my body but yet it’s not enough. I need him inside me,
now.

“Sebastian, make love to me,” I moan out as
his hands trail down my sides. His eyes open to lock on mine, as he
shakes his head no.

“Marry me… today… right now.”

My head is a little foggy from the kiss but I
still know how crazy he sounds.

“Sebastian, what? No… we can’t. Our family
isn’t here and… and who would marry us.”

“Roger can marry us.”

“The captain? How?”

Sebastian kisses my lips again and I’m lost
in the feeling of him. My hands move to rub his erection when his
body stills. He stops kissing me a second later and I’m ready to
beg him to make love to me.

Sebastian needs to understand that you can’t
mess with a pregnant woman’s hormones.

“He’s ordained. He can do it right now.”
Sebastian’s hand moves to gently caress my face. “I don’t need our
family here or our friends, all I need is you. I can’t imagine
living another minute not married to you. Let’s do it now. We can
spend tonight as Mr. and Mrs. Price.”

I know how crazy what he is proposing sounds.
It sounds crazy to me, too, but I can’t help the excitement I feel
about being Mrs. Price. I have no real arguments as to why we
should wait. I love him and he loves me. What more do we need?

I kiss him for reassurance before I break the
kiss and look into the beautiful blue eyes of the man I love.

“Yes, yes I’ll marry you. Let’s do it.”

He grabs me from behind my head and pulls my
mouth to his. We kiss, rolling around on the hard wood floor, not
caring who might walk in. In a few hours, I will be Sebastian’s
wife. I will be Mrs. Sebastian Price. Nothing will ruin the feeling
of complete bliss coursing through my veins.

*****

I don’t have any dresses for this kind of
occasion with me but luckily, Sebastian planned ahead. He had a
white cotton sundress waiting for me in the master bedroom aboard
the yacht. I make a mental note to tease him for thinking I am a
forgone conclusion, but who am I kidding, I was.

The dress was an off-white color, fitted to
my body. It was strapless and stopped right above my knees. I had
no other jewelry on except for the engagement ring Sebastian gave
me an hour ago.

I look in the mirror and take a deep breath.
In a few short minutes, I will be Mrs. Sebastian Price. I can
honestly say that before I met Sebastian, I never pictured myself
getting excited over taking someone else’s name. Now, I couldn’t
wait for it to be official. I send off one more silent prayer in my
head and make my way over to the bedroom door.

It’s a quick walk up to the deck of the boat.
Sebastian informed me he would be up there waiting for me with the
captain. When I get to the top step, I can see him. His back is to
me. I take the few brief moments I have before he sees me, and I
look over at my future husband. He is wearing a pair of Khaki
shorts and a white t-shirt. He is barefoot on the deck so I decide
to ditch my sandals on the top step and go barefoot with him. This
might be the most casual I’ve ever seen him look.

He must hear me take off my shoes because he
stands up a little taller and slowly turns around to face me. He is
the most gorgeous sight I have ever seen. The sun is up behind him
casting a glow over his shoulder. I’m in awe of his perfection.

Sebastian walks over and takes my hand. “You
look radiant,” he whispers for only my ears to hear. “Are you ready
to become Mrs. Price?”

“Absolutely.”

We walk over to the captain, Roger, and stand
before him.

“We’re ready when you are, “Sebastian tells
him as he gives my hand a quick squeeze.

“When you asked me to bring you out on the
water today, I never imagined I would have the privilege of
marrying you off,” Roger says jokingly to Sebastian and then turns
to me. “You’re marrying him willingly, correct? Blink twice if he
is forcing you?”

I giggle at this strange man in front of me,
who obviously has a good relationship with Sebastian. Otherwise,
I’m sure Sebastian would not be taking his joking around so
well.

“Yes, I am marrying him willingly. I love
him.”

Sebastian turns and gives me a quick kiss on
the cheek, “I love you too, Honey.”

“Okay, then let’s get you two hitched.”

The ceremony lasts only a few minutes. We say
the traditional vows, both of us adding in a few words here and
there. It goes by in a blur. I’m honestly just so mesmerized by the
man next to me. It still shocks me that he can love someone as
broken as me.

I would have thought that not having my
mother and Charlie at my wedding would be a disappointment. I was
wrong. Knowing that it was just us, partaking in something so
personal, makes this day complete. Our only witnesses being the
Captain, Roger, and a member of Sebastian wait staff.

“Since there is no one to object to this
union, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Sebastian, you may
kiss your bride.”

Sebastian grabs me around my waist and dips
me dramatically, so my back is horizontal to the floor. His mouth
meets mine and he kisses me passionately. It’s slow and sweet. The
perfect way to start our union.

He pulls me back up as he continues to place
small kisses all over my face. I smile bigger than I’ve ever smiled
before, loving the fact that Sebastian is mine, forever.

“I love you, Mrs. Price,” Sebastian whispers
against my lips.

“I love the sound of that. Say it again,” I
beg.

“Mrs. Price,” he says as he kisses me on my
lips. “My wife,” he says as he kisses my cheek. “The woman I’m
spending the rest of my life with,” he says as he places a trail of
kisses up my neck. He reaches my ear and whispers, “Mrs. Price, my
beautiful wife and mother of our child. I will love you
forever.”

I melt into his arms as he holds me tightly
to him. “I love you, too.”

We stand like this for a while. Neither one
of us willing to let go. It’s not until the captain comes back,
with flutes of champagne, that we separate.

“To the happy couple,” he toasts. “May you
live a long life together, support one another, love one another,
and realize that true happiness will only come when you are
together.”

We all raise are glasses in toast. Everyone
takes a sip but I hold back because I’m pregnant and shouldn’t
drink alcohol.

“It’s bad luck not to partake in the toast, “
Sebastian says to me. “Roger put sparkling apple cider in yours,
you can take a sip.”

I smile at my husband, who is always so
thoughtful. “You think of everything don’t you, husband?”