Page 24 of The Impossible

She looked at me, those cool blue eyes boring into mine as if she was looking for something. I guess she found it because within seconds she was nodding. “Okay?”

“Okay like what, Nic? Like you're still about to marry me today?”

She smiled. “Yes, I’m still gonna marry you today. But you do have to let me go so I can get dressed.” She then motioned to the silk robe she was still wearing.

“Nah, you good. You can dress in here.” I grabbed my phone from the end table, dialing my security. I instructed them to let the makeup and hair people up, but for them to be brought to my room. Nic was my responsibility and about to be my wife. Hell nah I wasn’t taking my eyes off her again, not until I knew what the fuck had just happened.

While she dressed and got put together like she needed, I sat in the chair watching the whole process. My eyes jumped from person to person, never looking away from her too long, like I’d lose time.

“Um. Hondo, why are yo—” My mother’s voice had me moving to the doorway where she stood.

“We good.”

“You sure?” My mother’s eyes went from me to Nic.

“Gotta be. Anybody come in here after you left?” I asked, taking my eyes off Nic for less than a second to look at my mother before they went back to her.

“Her father, but that’s it.”

I was quiet, my eyes tracing everything about her. I felt paranoid about what I was thinking.

“You don’t think…” my mother started, but her sentence trailed off when Nic looked in our direction. “Coming dear, we have to get this show on the road.” My mother left my side, moving toward her.

Nah, couldn’t be. But in my eyes, everybody was guilty until proven otherwise.

When my baby was done, my fucking soul beamed. I had never been one of those men who doted over a woman, but for Nic, I did it all. Her dress was long sleeved and form fitting, low as fuck in the front, but didn’t show too much, just enough so I wouldn’t have to take more life today. That didn’t mean motherfuckers could look too long though. If they knew what was best for them, they’d give a brief glance and look away.

“Son, you gotta get your jacket and get to the altar.” My father’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

I blinked a few times, standing to grab my jacket from his hands. “Nah, I’m walking her down the aisle.”

“Hondo.” My mother’s voice had me looking over my shoulder.

“She’s safe, Hondo.”

“I know, because I’m walking her down the aisle and handing her to my damn self.”

My father chuckled.

“Stop laughing and talk some sense into your son.” My mother mugged my father, then stepped up to fix the buttons on my shirt.

“That makes sense. Makes perfect fucking sense to me, Lora.”

She grilled us both. “You’re both crazy.”

“Nah, the man is protecting his future and I respect it. Now let’s go take our seats.”

My mother shook her head, then allowed my father to take her hand. “You look beautiful, baby doll,” she said to Nic who was looking at us.

She approached me after everyone left. “You think my family had something to do with this?”

“Everybody bears watching, baby. Meaning I don’t trust anybody with your safety but myself right now.”

She giggled. “Okay, so you’re gonna walk me down the aisle?”

“You damn right.”

She shook her head. “You’re nuts.”