All the wrong reason episode 37
đ¸ALL THE WRONG REASONSđ¸
đšEPISODE THIRTY-SEVENđš
The next day became hectic for Adrienne. Abigail may
have looked shy and quiet at first, but hell! She ran a
military rule when it came to org-nizing stuff. She got on
the phone, putting pressure on the photographers,
videographers and other suppliers. She seemed so
meticulous and so strict. Adrienne no longer wondered how
she managed to straighten out the old Mason.
Abigail turned to her, taking deep breaths. âOkay, I
sorted out the cake! Now, letâs get you to the couture house
so you can pick out a dress.â
Adrienne nodded. She almost got scared of her future
cousin-in-law. While Abiâs driver transported them to a
shop, she spoke over the phone in Italian. She was almost
raising her voice. Adrienne found it a little amusing now.
When she hung up the phone, she turned to Adrienne
and smiled. âSorry. That was Justin.â She turned to her
driver to give out instructions in Italian. Adrienne had no
idea what she said.
âMy Justin?â
Abi nodded. âYeah. He speaks perfect Italian.â
It was already past noon and Adrienne realized they
hadnât eaten yet. Abigail kept her busy with choosing
anything from ribbons, to flowers, to linen and paper. The
arrangements were looking grand now and there would only
be four people attending the wedding.
They stopped by a small hotel. Adrienne seemed
confused because she thought they would go to look at
wedding dresses.
âAbi, I thought you wanted me to pick a dress.â
âYeah, but Justin berated me for starving you.â She
laughed. âHe said we could schedule dress-shopping after
lunch.â
Adrienne just nodded but deep in,side she thanked
Justin for rescuing her. Abi looked like she didnât know how
to take a break. She was all work, work, work!
âWhere is Justin?â she asked Abi.
âIn the restaurant with Mason,â Abi replied. âWe all
will have lunch together.â
Abi led her up the marble staircase to the mezzanine
floor to the restaurant. The door was closed. Abi turned to
her and smiled.
âSmile, Adrienne,â Abi said.
Adrienne didnât get what she meant. But then she
opened the door to the small restaurant. Adrienne then saw
Justin and Mason talking to some people seated across from
them. Adrienne looked at their guests and she felt like her
heart immediately went up to her throat as she looked at
their familiar faces. Justinâs guests were none other thanâŚ
Jill and Yuan.
âOh my God!â Adrienne breathed.
Jill let out a scre-m. She and Yuan stood up their seats
and immediately ran to her to give her hugs and k-sses.
âWhat are you guys doing here?â she asked them. Her
eyes started to get a little bit teary. This was indeed a
pleasant surprise.
âYour boyfriendâŚI mean⌠your fiancĂŠeâŚâ Jill said, her
eyes sparkling. âContacted us last night and told us to
immediately get on the next flight to Italy. No matter what
the cost.â
âI cannot believe you guys eloped!â Yuan said.
Adrienne waved her finger in front of them to show
them her ring.
âItâs wonderful!â They exclaimed.
âHeirloom?â Yuan asked.
Adrienne didnât exactly know the answer to that.
Justin came to her side, wrapping an arm around her wa-ist
and giving her a k-ss on the forehead. He turned to Jill and
Yuan and said, âThat ring originally belonged to my
grandmother. She gave it to my father when he proposed to
my mom. And my Mom gave it to me when she wanted me
to propose to my⌠âbetrothedâ.â
Yuanâs eyes wÂĄdened. âYou guys are so dead!â
âMaybe.â Adrienne smiled at them mysteriously.
They both raised a brow at her and she laughed.
âFunny how my mother arranged me to be married to
someone, too.â
Yuan and Jillâs eyes wÂĄdened. âWhat?â
Adrienne smiled widely at them. âWhat are the odds
that my parents arranged me to marry somebody I was
already in love with.â
âYou?â Jill echoed. âYou were the âbratâ who had been
destined to marry Justin all along?â
Adrienne laughed. âYes. ItâsâŚsurreal, really. Like, what
are the chances, right?â
âThe chances of that happening is not even one in a
million!â Yuan said in amazement.
âYep,â Justin agreed. âBut it doesnât change my
decision. My parents could never force me to marry anybody
else than your best friend.â
âAnd when I saw you at Blush you were looking rather
happy.â
Justin laughed. âMaybe I was. Because I planned to
scare off my designated fiancĂŠe and it was working. I had no
idea then that it was Adrienne.â
âDid you tell your parents?â
Adrienne shook her head. âWeâll justâŚshock them
when we get back.â
âIâll bet they will be,â Justin whispered staring down at
Adrienne. Then he leaned forward and k-ssed her forehead
again. He turned to Jill and Yuan. âLetâs have lunch first.
There are still a lot of things to be done. And I believe I have
made Abi fall behind schedule. She will order a firing squad
if we donât eat fast. Donât choke on your food, okay?â He
grinned teasingly at Adrienne.
Adrienne sat beside Justin. She felt very happy. She
would have loved it if Jin, her Mother and Pierre were
presentâŚeven her Father, but for now sheâs content that at
least Jill and Yuan had made it. And she couldnât help falling
in love with Justin even more for doing this for her.
âI love you,â she whispered in his ear. âThank you so
much for getting Jill and Yuan here. I donât know how to pay
you back for this.â
He grinned at her. âI accept paymentâŚin kind,â he
whispered. âAnd you already know which kind.â
She laughed. âAnd yet youâre gonna have to wait.â
He let out a frustrated sigh. Then he pulled her to him
and gave her a squeeze. âYouâre going to be the death of
me.â
Adrienne looked at him from under her lashes and
said, âAnd Iâm just getting started,â she said in a voice full of
mischief.
Justin laughed and gave her a squeeze again. âI canât
wait to spend the rest of my life with you.â
âAnd I canât wait for you to start ordering lunch,â
Mason said to Justin, bringing them both back to reality.
Adrienne blinked back at the other people in the table.
She immediately turned red, realizing theyâve been
oblivious of the others around them. They had whispered
but Mason sat close enough to Justin that he couldnât help
overhearing.
Justin shot Mason a murderous look and then he
looked at the menu in front of him. Mason just laughed. It
was obvious he loved taunting his cousin. And Adrienne
found it adorable how Justin had so much patience for
Mason. Maybe even more than heâd shown Gian.
After lunch, Abigail took Adrienne away from Justin
and they went gown shopping with Jill and Yuan.
They went to a boutique that looked like it only sold
expensive couture gowns. The moment they walked in, the
doors closed behind them and the saleslady turned the
âClosedâ sign on the door.
Abigail smiled at Adrienne. âSo you can shop without
interruption.â
The VIP treatment gave Adrienne a bit of a headache.
She wasnât used to this. And she felt like Abigail would make
a good principal at âHow To Be A Bitch Academy.â Itâs
amazing how she didnât even have to open her mouth but
things would just go the way she wanted them to be.
âWell, I like her,â Yuan said beside her. âBesides,
youâre running out of time. A woman who runs military rule
is exactly what you need to get everything up and running
in two days.â
Abigail took her to an aisle of dresses. They were all
beautiful, flawlessly tailored with sparkling crystals and rich
laces.
Adrienne picked out a simple gown that went all the
way down to the ankles.
What could you wear in a wedding with six people,
right?
âAh-ah!â Abigail said, shaking her head. âThat looks
more like a c*cktail dress to me, sweetheart.â She took out
a ball gown that had folded layers over the skirt.
âSeriously?â Adrienne asked. âFor a four-guest
wedding?â The dress looked too grand for such a simple
occasion.
Abigail raised a brow at her. âSeriously,â she stated
simply. Then Abi let out a sigh. âAdrienneâŚJustin is Masonâs
go-to guy. My husband owes him a lot. If thereâs one thing
Iâm good at, itâs reading people. Your fiancĂŠ feels guilty
about not being able to give you a wedding thatâs fit for an
heiress like you are. He knows that you deserve a fairy-tale wedding. But as it isâŚyouâve eloped and canât bring the
wh0le United States of America to Italy. So apart from the
lack of guests at the wedding, donât you think you should do
everything else as grand as it would have been?â Abigail
said, finally giving Adrienne a piece of her mind. âThat
would erase Justinâs guilt and make him really happy!â
Adrienne blinked back at her. Then she realized Abigail
she was right. Justin would want to give her a grand
wedding. And he could afford it. But his desire to have an
intimate, solemn and rom-ntic ceremony prevailed. And
honestlyâŚshe preferred it this way, too. But Abi made a
great point. Nothing should stop them from making this
wedding majestic. Their love story was a fairy-tale anyway.
She took the dress from Abi. âYou should have said
that earlier!â
When Adrienne finally came out of the dressing room,
her friends gazed at her in awe. She turned to the mirror
and almost gasped at herself.
The silk gown hugged her body to perfection. The
bodice with a sweetheart neckline, was fully embroidered
and lined with crystals. The flowing side draped skirt was
made of folds of rich silk. Each fold ended with floral crystals
and embroidery. Additionally, the dress included a
detachable crystal-adorned chapel-length train that could be
used during the ceremony and removed at her convenience
during the reception.
âWow!â Jill cried. âThat is the dress, if you ask me.â
Adrienne had to agree. She wanted to check out the
other dresses, but she was sure this was it. She fell in love
with it. She actually imagined herself getting married in it.
âSee?â Abi began. âThis is perfect-ion!â Her voice was
full of approval.
âHow could you get it right the first time?â Adrienne
breathed.
âTalent, my dear.â Abi giggled. âCome, you have to
choose your shoes.â
Adrienne looked at herself in the mirror one last time
and smiled. The dress she wore looked fantastic. It was
doubtlessly expensive, but she didnât care. Its beauty
glowedâŚexactly how she felt in,side. And she couldnât wait
for Justin to see her in it.
Abi and Jill also chose their own gowns. Then they all
chose their shoes and other accessories. In the evening,
they returned to the hotel to meet Justin and Mason.
Adrienne felt exhausted by the time they had dinner. It was
a long day. Brides usually have at least three months to plan
the wedding of their dreams. She had three days.
The wh0le group gathered at the poolside to have
some beer. For Abi, it was the time to remind everybody of
their roles for the next two days. By ten in the evening,
Adrienne yawned. Justin gave her a squeeze, then he turned
to the group.
âGuys, we would have to go now,â he told them. âI
think my bride-to-be can hĂŚrdly keep her eyes open.â
âNo, Iâm okay,â Adrienne said.
Justin shook his head and stood up from his chair.
Adrienne stood up after him. To her surprise, Justin scooped
her up on her feet and carried her bridal style as they bid
goodnight to the group.
âThis is embarrassing!â she said to him. âPut me
down.â
Justin laughed. âI would have to carry you the same
way after the wedding. I should practice not to drop you.â
âIâll be wearing a big gown, Iâm sure youâll have
difficulty nevertheless,â Adrienne warned him.
Justin looked at her for a moment and his eyes
sparkled. âReally? How big?â
Adrienne smiled proudly at him. âCinderella gown
big!â
Justin smiled back at her. âOh, I canât wait to see you
in it.â He walked in,side the elevator. Adrienne pressed their
floor number. She turned back to Justin. He smiled at her mischievously. âAnd of course, I can most definitely not wait
to see you⌠out of it.â
Adrienne laughed. âJustin, will you stop that? You have
less than forty-eight hours to go.â
They reached their floor and Justin walked towards
Adrienneâs bedroom. Adrienne swiped her access card and
the door opened. Justin kicked the door closed behind him
and put Adrienne down on the bed.
âForty-eight hours is torture, honey,â he whispered to
her. He leaned forward and touched his l-ips with hers.
She k-ssed him back. Then Justin deepened the k-ss.
He wrapped his arms around her wa-ist and pulled her to
him.
âJustinâŚâ she mo-ned.
âAdrienneâŚâ he whispered coarsely. He nuzzled her
neck and she almost squirmed in his arms.
He pushed her towards the bed. She landed on her
back and he landed on top of her. His hands and l-ips
claimed her and she felt completely and insanely lost. She
could feel him between her thighs. Desire was evident in
every part of his body. Her arms wrapped around his neck
and she pulled her to him.
It had been too long since she held him like this and
she forgot that this one man could undo her in ways she
never thought possible. His touch electrified her and his
k-sses made her forget anythingâŚeverything.
She felt desire completely overtake her. She pushed
his jacket off him. She felt Justinâs hands underneath her
shirt, touching her⌠skin to skin, feeling the pounding of her
heart in,side her rib cage.
âOh God!â she mo-ned as she felt the urgency
overtake her. She felt him s-ck at her neck and she let out a
mo-n of pleasure. âJustin⌠please!â She mo-ned although
she wasnât aware that she spoke at all.
His l-ips returned to hers and he k-ssed her savagely,
biting at her l-ips, invading her mouth with his tongue. Then he k-ssed her more gently⌠and he suddenly stopped
moving.
She gently opened her eyes to stare back at him in
confusion. He looked at her with a smile of triumph on his
devilishly handsome face.
Finally, she remembered the rule she made. They
cannot make love until theyâre married.
âNow, donât you wish you didnât make those damn
rules at all?â he asked with a slight smirk on his face.
She playfully hit him in the shoulder.
âI told youâŚyouâd be begging for it, too,â he teased
her.
âI didnât beg for it,â she protested.
He narrowed her eyes at her. âOh, right! You just
said⌠what was it you said? âJustin⌠pleaseâ?â He shook his
head. âSounds like begging to me, honey.â
She laughed and pinched his shoulder.
He leaned forward and k-ssed her l-ips gently. âYou can
break the rules, Adrienne,â he said. âIf you ask me nicely
again⌠I just might have mercy.â He continued taunting her.
She punched his shoulder again. âThatâs it! Get off me
and get out of my room, you conceited prick!â she said in
between giggles.
Justin laughed and k-ssed her gently on the l-ips.
âReally? Youâre not going to change your mind about this?â
Adrienne gave him a push. She shook her head.
âNope. Letâs torture ourselves some more.â
Justin lied on his back and gathered Adrienne in his
arms. She rested her head on his shoulder.
âYou better have plenty of energy drinks prepared on
our wedding night,â he said, chuckling.
She stared up at him. âA lot of people say that newly-
married couples usually donât have sâŹĂ on their wedding
night. You knowâŚbecause theyâd be too exhausted they
would just sleep. Do you think that would happen to us?â
âAre you kidding me?â Justin asked. âI can barely keep
my hands off you now. Do you really think I would let the
wedding night pass? BesidesâŚthereâs only one wedding
night. We could sleep any other night but that night
deserves a celebration. Why did you think I opted for a very
small wedding? You could put your energy to better use
than smiling all night and entertaining a lot of people you
barely even know.â
Adrienne laughed. âYouâre probably right. Where are
we getting married anyway?â
âIf you can torture me about not being able to make
love to you before the wedding day, then I can torture you
about not knowing where exactly weâre getting married.â
Adrienne stared up at him. âYou think youâre very
clever, huh?â
He laughed. âI donât think I am. I know I am.â
âCome on, Justin!â she insisted. âWhere?â
He pulled her to him. âNo. I want it to be a surprise.
Patience, okay?â
She sighed in frustration. She couldnât understand,
but she suddenly felt really angry about it. She felt like she
didnât have a say in anything about their wedding when in
normal weddings the most involvement grooms have is to
just actually show up on the wedding day. But on hers, she
was the one tagging along and being pushed over.
Everything came as a surpriseâŚor a shock. She didnât
understand why, but normally she wouldnât make a big deal
out of these things. She might actually feel itâs sweet how
Justin got so involved with their wedding preparations. But
right now, she couldnât help feelingâŚangry.
She pulled away from Justin and turned her back on
him. She stood up from the bed to head for the bathroom.
She suddenly felt queasy. She ran to the bathroom, hoping
she would make it to the sink. It only took a second for
Justin to run after her. Adrienne threw up almost everything she ate that evening. When she finished, she washed the
sink. Then she washed her face and gargled mouthwash.
Justin leaned on the sink beside her, carefully studying
her. She caught his eye in the mirror in front of her. She still
felt nauseated, her pulse was hammering visibly at the base
of her neck.
He narrowed his eyes at her and couldnât help the grin
that was slowly forming on his face.
âJustinâŚâ she began. âWhy are you smiling?â
Tears welled up in Justinâs eyes and he pulled her to
him in a tight hug. Then he said, âIâm justâŚvery happy,
honey. I think my insurance just came through.â