BROKEN MEETS GRIEF

Chapter 13

"I teach younger children, but it would still be interesting to hear her experiences as a teacher."

"So, April are you nervous about the wedding?"

"Honestly Cassie I'm not. I still need to find a dress but I'm getting something off the rack. So I don't have to worry if it will it be ready on time."

"That's very practical my dear what about you Ashton?"

"I'm having a custom suit made grandmother. We went to Servile Road earlier and choose the fabrics and colors."

April walk into her bedroom to see it was now empty of her things. "Engaged people don't have separate bedrooms and technically well you know," whispers Ashton.

"It would've looked odd to your siblings and your friends," realises April.

She walks to his bedroom with him. The first thing she sees when she opens the door was a very big bed. He closes the door, "Technically we are married was what I was going to say before."

"I never expected to see cream carpets and a sage green color on the wall with your bed. It's really a warm and inviting space. You have really good taste and clearly like the color green."

"Thank you, a decorator helped me to turn my ideas for the perfect bedroom into a reality. There is a his and hers bathroom to your left. As well as his and her closets that's why the whole floor is the master suite." He shows her around the suite, "And this is your bathroom and dressing area. Your clothes are right here and there is still a lot of room for you to add more items to your closet."

"Ashton this our six day together and our second as man and wife. I know we will share a bed from now on but I'm not ready to be intimate with you. We are still getting to know each other after all."

"I didn't expect you to rush into bed with me April since we both need to do some healing. I'm enjoying getting to know you and to be honest laughing and participating in life again. For the first time in three months, I'm not all about work, work and more work."

"I'm glad I could help you unwind. We can have a look on the internet to see what apartments or houses are for sale in manhattan later."

"Let's do that and I know someone who knows a good broker. I'll get the brokers details and give them a call. They will have some places for us to look at over the next few weeks. I'm interested to see your style of your apartment April. It must be immaculate for Mindy to want to pretend it was hers."

"I'm all about the neutrals and a pop of color every now and then. I'm nervous about you meeting my sibling. That won't happen until they meet us for the plane ride back to London."

"I'm sure I'll get on fine with them. Apart from Jamaica did you want to go anywhere else for our honeymoon. Or did you want to spend the two or three weeks there?"

"You think our honeymoon should be that long?"

"Yes, it's a honeymoon and when this week is over. I'll be spending time with you in New York at the company. It will be nonstop for the next three weeks. Live a little April and I'll tell you a secret."

"What?" She ask.

"Life doesn't always have to be about priorities."

"I seem to have forgotten that."

"Let's make a deal I'll show you that life doesn't have to be about priorities and please show me that there's more to life than grief."

She holds her hand out for him to shake then hesitates for a moment and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Shall we seal our deal properly April?"

"We just did."

He tilts her head slightly to the left so she was facing him. She swallows nervously but gives him a small nod. Taking his cue from her he bends his head and kisses her.

They smile at each other for a moment, "That was nice my first kiss in five years."

"Seriously! Then let me give you a proper kiss then my dear wife."

He kisses her with wild abandonment and April clings onto him for dear life. He grins when she seems to be collecting herself.

"I forgot how good that feels," she kisses him again and they take a moment to come up for air. "You have my permission to kiss me whenever you want."

"That's good to know wife."

"Why is that statement making me feel so naughty after what we just did?"

"It's been a long time since you've been with a man and I'm guessing you're thinking about me and you doing something very dirty."

Her face goes bright red, "I. Im going to put my nightdress on."

"See you in a bit."

Ashton watches as she walks towards him in a white silk negligee. It was the first time a woman turned him on in three months. "Did you enjoy your shower?"

She blushes and he laughs they weren't ready to have sex yet, but he would make sure by the time she was. She would've been on intimate terms with herself. He knew what she was doing in the bathroom. He thinks it may have been her first time doing it as well.

April looks at her new phone and sighs her phone number may have changed but her emails hadn't. News of her wedding had spread and people were shameless begging for an invite. She sends a wedding invitation to Meghan and her sisters at the palace since she had nothing to lose. She runs both hands over her face in a up and down motion. She was reading the twenty -second email asking for a wedding invite. The wedding list was now over two hundred people long, why? Ashton pointed out the important people her firm works with should be invited to the wedding. That way they didn't feel slighted and take their business elsewhere.

"This wedding is getting out of hand," says April in exasperation.

"I know thank goodness it's only one day. I'm proud of you for inviting Meghan and her husband. You even asked her to be a bridesmaid as well."

"I want her there I spent three years with her no three very precious years with her. We aren't strangers Ashton we were really good friends."

He rubs her back, "I know honey. I think people forget that part of the story. The friendship you had with her before the kidnapping revelations."

"My dad gave me up because I wasn't perfect in his eyes."

"Don't forget April another man kept you and raised you because in his eyes you were."

"Thank you, Ashton."

"How about we take a break and have lunch in the pub?"

She brightens, "I'll love that idea and we can stop off at the bridal boutique on the way back. I want to see what dresses they have."

"April, have you bought yourself any cheap tatty souvenirs yet?"

"No."

"We need to correct that before you leave."

The following day Ashton makes his way into the royal residence in Sardinia and sits where indicated. April was enjoying a day with his sister and mother and didn't know where he really was.

Princess Meghan walks into the room and he gives her a bow. "It's nice to meet you Lord Adams. Now tell me why you wanted to see me."

"I'm here about your sister."

The next chapter is well.. 🥺😧🙃👏🏽👊🏽😳🙄🥴🤧🤐🤭🫣