His Naughty Lessons

** Harper ** ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

With every step she took, Harper could feel her heartbeat thrumming faster. With every step that led her closer and closer to the man of her destiny, the past between them flashed before her eyes, like a rolling film of old memories locked into the most beautiful frames over the years.

The days they spent running around the neighborhood together, playing video games together, going on vacations together. The days when nothing but the simplest form of like and trust drew them to each other, etching the beginning of a mark on a young heart before either of them was aware.

The days she spent pining over him, when she finally realized the existence of that mark only after they grew up and parted ways. The days when she was lost and confused by those feelings, yet at the same time, dazed by the soft flutters in her heart that she felt for the first time in her life.

The days when she cried upon the discovery that he wasn’t hers to have. The days she tried to forget him ... and the day when he suddenly reappeared in front of her, in the last way she could ever imagine.

And then, all the special Saturdays that they spent together.

All the not-dates that they went on.

All the times when that flutter in her heart would return again and again, reminding her of one simple truth — she had never forgotten about him. No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, he was her first and true love ... and fate had a humorous way of sending him back to her, after all those years of unexpected twists and turns.

So there came the day when she confessed to him.

The day when he made her his.

The day when they pledged their love to each other.

And all the days that led to this day, to this very moment when she walked down the aisle that crossed the distance of fourteen long years, finally coming to his side.

Because that was where she belonged. Because that was where her heart had chosen, long long ago. At last, she was here.

A tear of joy slipped quietly down her cheek.

Ah, what a wise decision to go for waterproof makeup.

~ ~

** Eli **

Eli stopped blinking as soon as the bride stepped into view from behind the garden gate.

The moment was unreal. She was unreal. Bathed in the full glory of golden sunlight, she was glowing, as if that purest and holiest brightness came from not above her but within. The veil behind her stirred in the wind, fluttering and sparkling like a delicate wing, and for a moment, he thought that she wasn’t walking — she was drifting toward him over a cloud of rose petals, like a true angel taking flight.

With every step she took, Eli could feel his heartbeat thrashing wilder. With every step that brought him closer and closer to the woman of his dreams, the past between them flashed before his eyes, like a cinematic replay of a long and meandering journey that wielded its own divine magic, taking them to where they stood today.

He remembered the years when he was still a teenage boy, meeting the quirky little girl next door who liked console games and pajamas. He remembered how easily her bright smiles chased away the shadows looming over him, how easily her spirited company made him forget the sorrow that had followed him ever since the day he lost his mother. He remembered the unusual friendship quickly blooming between them, becoming one of his happiest memories in those worst days of his life.

He remembered the years when the two of them slowly grew up, when she became even more than just a friend. She was family, the most important thing that he didn’t think he would ever have the luxury to have again. But then they drifted apart ... and eventually lost touch when he left town. He remembered being confused by the change, feeling so puzzled and scared by the thought of losing such an important person who meant so much to him.

Then he remembered the day when she suddenly reentered his life ... all grown up, daringly asking him for a bold bargain.

So there came all the special Saturdays they spent together.

All the not-dates that they went on.

All the times when her presence would ignite a spark that he didn’t know existed before, that drew him to her with a deadly longing he didn’t know where to place. All the times that the unfamiliar feeling frightened him, tortured him ... until the day when he finally understood.

Until the day when she asked him to take a leap of faith with her.

Until the day when she told her a story between a boy and a girl, and the fairytale love between them that made his mind reel.

Until the day when she made a promise to him under the stars and let him put a ring on her finger ...

Until this day, this very moment when she walked down the aisle that crossed the distance of fourteen long years, finally coming to his side.

He understood, at last. She was his best friend, his family, his true love. She was all of those, but at the same time, transcending them all. She was his destiny, his home. Because that was where he belonged, because that was where his heart had chosen, long long ago. And at last, she was here.

A tear of joy slipped quietly down his cheek. When the music stopped, and she took her last step to join him under the rose arch, it took all his will not to hug her, kiss her, whisper into her ears all those thoughts that he could barely put into words.

Instead, he blinked his vision clear, and he gently offered his hands. As she clasped them firmly within hers, he saw a matching trail that glistened down her cheek, sparkling against the glowing sunset.

There wasn’t another sight in this world that could make him feel more humbled, more blessed, beyond his wildest imagination.