My wedding day.
I never thought I'd see it. But here I am, standing in the most beautiful dress I've ever owned next to a man that I've come to love.
I lose myself in thoughts as the priest extoles the virtues of marriage. I know I should be listening, but it's not like there'll be a test on this later and right now I'm too busy concentrating on the smiling dark eyes of my groom. He seems to sense what I'm thinking and winks at me.
A shiver of happiness runs through me. I can't believe that I was once actually afraid of this man. When I first met him, he seemed so dark.
So unsafe.
I was horrible to him at first. Bratty doesn't even begin to describe it. But when he looked at me with those seemingly bottomless onyx eyes, even then, I had felt something, something that Jesse had never inspired in me.
I feel a laugh of happiness well up in me. Who would have ever thought I'd be his wife? Who could have guessed how quickly and intensely I would fall in love with him?
He squeezes my hand in his as he says his vows. The words are solemn, but there's as michevious smile lurking around his mouth. I echo the words Father Emilio reads and know I'm smiling broadly. I catch Rick out of the corner of my eye. His eyes are bright with unshed tears. He tries to smile at me, but his expression is that of someone valiantly trying not to be sick. A small cloud of unhappiness flitters through me. Today would be perfect if Rick could just accept that this is the man I love.
But of course, he can't do that.
"You may kiss your bride,son," Father Emilio then says and all thoughts of Rick and his objections disappear as my husband, God, what a beautiful word, leans in and kisses me. It's a soft but sure kiss with a promise of what's to come later that night. I slip my hand in his and we lace our fingers together as we walk down the aisle. I know all the joy that is bursting in my heart is showing on my face. I'm married. We finally did it.
Just then, I notice a man whose standing in the very back of the church, smirking as though he knows some terrible secret of mine. His eyes seem to burn holes right into me and I instinctively step closer to my new husband. The man notices that and his smile widens.
I turn my eyes away from him and walk resolutely out of the church.
Only later, when we are safely ensconced in the limo do I turn to my groom and say, "Nino, who was that dark haired man in the back?"
Nino's eyes darken and his tone is icy as he says, "That, Mrs. Rivera was Danny Santos."
*******************************************
"Mrs. Rivera."
I blink in disbelief at the man on my doorstep and clutch the neck of my robe tighter. I had been expecting Abby, so when the doorbell rang, I had flung the front door open wearing a simple rose silk robe over my nightgown.
Danny Santos leans against the doorframe and smiles an ingratiating and utterly insincere smile. "I seem to have woken you. I apologize."
"N-no." I stammer. "I'm just..." I give a flustered sigh and push a curl out of my eyes. "Lazy." I finish lamely.
His smile becomes genuine.
That scares me for some reason.
I stand up a litle straighter and fix him with what I hope is a stern look. "Nino isn't here right now, Mr. Santos."
He pushes himself off the doorframe. "I didn't come to see Nino, Mrs. Rivera. I came to see you."
My eyes widen for a moment. "Why?"
He holds out an elaborately wrapped gift. "A wedding present."
My eyes narrow. "We already received a very generous gift from your family Mr. Santos."
"Ah, yes. My mother's always impersonal check no doubt.. But this gift isn't from my family." He smiles and his dark eyes glitter. "This one's from me."
He leans in and says in a conspiratorial whisper, "For you."
I take a sudden step backward. There's something dangerous in his tone, in those eyes and in his affected casual manner. The hair on the back of my neck rises and I grip the door and begin to push it closed. "The check from your mother was more than enough, Mr. Santos." I tip my head back slightly to look defiantly at him. "And speaking of your mother, she should have taught you that one does not give...personal gifts to a newly married woman he doesn't even know."
He chuckles and I shiver a little. From what?
"Well said, Mrs. Rivera."
Suddenly a he runs a finger down my cheek."Michelle." he murmurs.
I jerk back and to my horror, feel tears prick the back of my throat.
"My husband will hear about this visit."
He smiles again and my body goes hot and cold all at once. "See that he does, Mrs. Rivera. See that he does."
Later that night, in our bedroom, I lay curled in my husband's arms and tell him that Danny stopped by. I am unprepared for the venom in Nino's eyes as he grips my shoulders and looks into my eyes. "Did he touch you?"
My cheek still tingles from Danny's touch but I shake my head. "No."
I brush a lock of dark hair off Nino's forehead. "What is it between you two? Why should I be afraid of him?"
Nino looks off at a spot somewhere beyond my head. "Because Danny Santos is always looking for a way to get revenge against me and I think he's found the perfect tool for that in you."
I shudder. We've only been married for two weeks and despite what I tell myself, I'm already beginning to see the sort of life I've signed up for.
But it's worth it, I think as I stroke Nino's face.
"Family business?" I ask with more nonchalance than I feel.
Nino shakes his head. "Personal. Danny and I...well, when we were younger, we were always competing, you know?"
I nod.
"Danny was like the goddamn crown prince in his family. It just wasn't like that with me and Bernard."
I've never heard Nino call Bernard "father".
"So you were jealous?" I venture.
Nino shrugs. "I guess. The thing is, if I had a fast car, Danny had to have one faster. If Danny was graduating with honors, I had to too. And if one of us had a woman..."
I roll my eyes. "Let me guess. You had to have her too."
He has the grace to look sheepish. "Yeah. Anyway, there was this one girl. Ana. Little curvy thing with black hair and big blue eyes. Danny met her in college. I thought-" he sighs. "I thought she was just one of Danny's girls, you know? Nothing special."
My heart begins to sink. "But she was."
"Yeah. Anyway, Danny had taken this redhead from me a few months back."
I stamp down a brief flare of jealousy. "So it was like revenge?"
Nino pulls me closer."Sort of. It worked though. I got her."
I raise my eyebrows. "You stole the woman he loved?" I feel odd all the sudden and sympathy for Danny Santos begins to seep through me.
"She was with me one night. We were driving back from-" he sees the warning look in my eyes. "We were driving, ok? In the Jag."
I gasp and my fingers seek out the nearly invisible scar in his hairline. "The accident."
Nino rubs his eyes. "Yeah."
"So she-" my voice cracks, "she died?"
My husband gives me a barely perceptible nod of his head.
"Danny's never forgiven me for that," Nino finally says softly.
"Can you balme him?" I counter and am shocked to hear myself defend Danny.
Nino must be too, because he looks at me with surprise. "Are you sure he didn't say anything to you?"
I blush. "Yes. He just said he had a gift for me and I sent him away."
Nino holds me so close I can barely breathe. "Good. I love you, Michelle."
"I love you too."
We settle in to sleep and he murmurs, "Just be careful around him, Michelle. He's dangerous."
I nod against his chest. " I know."
I do know. And what scares me is that I'm not afraid of him at all.