chapter2211
Jason never remembered leaving the hospital. He reached the street outside still light-headed, replaying that kiss and her whispered promise in an endless loop.
He prided himself on being a gentleman, yet he was still a man. How could he not crave a deeper closeness with the woman he loved?
Even so, one fear tugged at him he might hurt her if passion moved too fast.
But her parents had blessed their relationship, and he had finally proved he could earn a living. Hope spread through him like sunrise.
Before he knew it, daydreams pressed in—vivid, heady, impossible to shake.
One week later, Cecilia arrived at Charlotte's wedding flanked by a circle of close friends.
The ceremony filled the city's grandest hotel; Charlotte floated across the suite in an ivory gown that seemed spun from starlight.
Charlotte stopped in front of Cecilia, nerves flickering in her voice. "Boss, do I look all right?"
Cecilia studied her, smile soft. "More than all right-you're stunning."
"Thank goodness." Charlotte paced in her heels, one hand pressed to her racing heart. "My heart's beating so fast."
"Breathe," Cecilia murmured. "Your only job now is to be beautiful. Let everything else unfold."
Charlotte exhaled and nodded, composure gradually returning.
Just then, the door swung wide. Sven Lindberg—immaculate in a charcoal suit— filled the threshold, cool gray eyes settling first on Cecilia.
"Ms. Smith," Sven said, tone impeccable.
Though they had known one another for years, his formal politeness toward Cecilia never waned.
She accepted the greeting easily; every personality carried its own contours. "Congratulations to both of you," Cecilia said, warmth outweighing ceremony. "Thank you," Sven replied, a rare softness tilting the corners of his mouth.
Sven tipped his head toward Cecilia, voice low yet earnest. "Someone's waiting for you outside."
Waiting for me?
Cecilia stepped through the doorway. Sunlight spilled across polished marble, and within a few strides, she spotted the person Sven meant.
The man wore easy weekend clothes, but the light around him felt winter-cool. Compared with the warm boy she remembered, this version seemed sculpted from river stone.
"Calvin!" Cecilia's surprise burst out before she could temper it.
At the sound, Calvin pivoted. His smile was gentle, familiar, fog-soft. "Ceci."
She hurried across the lobby carpet, breath catching. "You came too."
Calvin nodded once, hands resting in his pockets. "The company's quiet for the moment. I thought I'd attend our friends wedding and steal a little time with you." fo
Nearly two years had sluiced past since they last met. It was a surreal moment.
"How have you been?" Calvin asked, eyes searching hers for truth rather than politeness.
"Pretty good-honestly, not much different from before." Cecilia's answer came with a small shrug and a brave smile.
Time had stretched, yet when she looked at him, no film of distance clouded the space between them.
"And you?" she asked, tilting her head.
"The same... more or less." Calvin left the darker chapters unspoken. The struggle was over; only faint bruises of exhaustion lingered in his gaze.
"When do you head back to Tudela?" he asked.
"Tomorrow. Today is Lottie's wedding-I want to keep her company as long as I can."
"Then after the ceremony, tonight, would you like to stroll around with me?" he ventured.
Sven's hometown lay cradled
among lush ridges and clear streams. Cecilia had planned to explore anyway, so Calvin's invitation felt like fate arriving on que. She nodded.
"Sure."
"It's a promise." Joy flickered bright in Calvin's eyes, warming the coolness she had noticed earlier.
They stood talking a while longer, trading stories, stitching two lost years together with laughter and quiet sighs.
When the wedding music finally called, they drifted back into the hotel lobby, the air now humming with celebration.
Side by side, they found their assigned table, where Lucille, Madeline, and the rest already waited.
Seeing Calvin, the small group reacted at once. Vivian, in particular, gaped.
"Wow, Mr. Reese, you're here too!" she blurted.
Madeline sprang to her feet. "Mr. Reese."
Calvin had once helped Madeline; gratitude still shone in her lifted gaze.
"Hi, everyone-it's been ages." Calvin brushed a hand through his dark hair and
greeted the small circle with an easy smile.
That smile lit the room. Handsome
felt too weak a word; he looked as
though a talented sculptor had chiseled him for the sole purpose of stealing breaths.