It's Not a Fairytale, It's an Arranged Marriage to the Mob (26)

“I just want to let you know that you don’t have to do this Fabia” my brother Enzo said looking down on me with a stern face.

“I love Rocco, I’m happy to be able to marry him for daddy’s business” I lied to my brother. I had been so used to lying about being madly in love with Rocco that it was now second nature to me.

We were lined up in the back of the church in a hallway waiting for the wedding to start. I was in my gorgeous grand wedding dress and long sheer veil over my face. I was linking arms with my brothers; Marco on my left and Enzo on my right. Both of my brothers were in crisp black tuxedos with deep red ties to match the color of the bridesmaid’s gowns for my special wedding day.

“I like Rocco too. He’s a good kid” Marco happily said, “I like the entire Cappazo family; it’s really a shame that we were enemies for so long. Stephano is like my brother from another mother”

“Technically he will be your brother from another mother after this” I commented

“They are all nice people but I just want to make sure that your ready for this” Enzo said in the same tone my father would have used, “Your 18 years old and that’s way too young to get married”

I shrugged, “It probably is. But seriously I’m happy to be doing this”

“If you’re happy, I’m happy” Enzo said as the music began to play from inside the church. My bridesmaids were lined up in front of my all linking arms with the groomsmen. Everyone looked beautiful; London and Teddy’s younger brother Mickey, Nicki and Lorenzo, Caprice and Teddy, lastly, Eva and Romeo.

As they walked out I caught the eye of my best friend Duke as he opened the doors into the hallway. My heart sank when I saw the dark circles under his eyes and the red tint to his usually bright white eyes. Romeo was right when he said I was ruining Rocco’s life. But now I was also ruining the life of my best friend Duke. I was ruining any future that Romeo and I could have had together.

Diego had warned me that I needed to open my eyes to the person who really loved me, he told me that I needed to stand up and fight for what I really wanted. He said that nothing in life worth having was going to be simple, I would have to fight for it.

The wedding party was walking out in front of me and all of a sudden I couldn’t move my feet. I wanted to run, I wanted to tell Romeo to meet me at the back door and we could run away together. His Taylor Swift fantasy could come true.

My eyes quickly welled up with hot tears that I fought to keep from falling. Would I really be able to do this?

Enzo and Marco tried to take a step forward when it was our turn but my feet didn’t move, “Fabia?” Marco said turning to me, “Come on”

Enzo quickly saw the tears in my eyes and ushered for Duke to shut the doors. Duke gave him a confused look but knew to follow my brother’s orders.

“Fabia do you not want to do this?” Enzo asked

“Sweetie everyone is waiting, we have to go” Marco said

I thought about three months prior when my father died and Marco was the one who was so against me getting married while Enzo knew it was the smart thing to do. Now the tables had turned and Enzo was helping me fight against it while Marco was pressuring me to join the family he had already been accepted in.

“I don’t know what to do” I cried as my knees bucked below me. My brothers were holding me so I didn’t fall but they gently lowered me to the ground. My dress gathered in bunches around me as Duke rushed over to my side also,

“Fabia are you okay?” He asked, “Should I go tell them we need five minutes? There are over 400 people waiting”

“Yeah go say we need five minutes” Marco instructed, “Fabia what do you mean you don’t know what to do? I thought you were in love with Rocco”

“Seriously Marco?” Enzo asked, “She’s not in love with him, he’s gay”

“WHAT?!” He yelled in shock

“Shhh” I hushed, “How did you know?”

“Eva told me that it’s a family secret everyone knows but no one talks about. Half the reason his family is making him marry you is to see if he’d finally come out of the closet. Also because they knew he’d never find a wife on his own”

“So they know?! And they still want me to marry him?”

“Arranged marriages never work, they know you will both cheat on each other. But at least the business will be successful because of your union”

“Wait Fabia you know he’s gay and your still willing to marry him?” Marco asked

“He’s a great friend, I do love him. Just not like that”

“Well at least I don’t have to worry about you guys having sex. He is probably literally repulsed by your body” Marco said always trying to find the positive in every situation

“Gee thanks” I said rolling my eyes, “So his family knows that we will cheat on each other and they are fine with that?”

“Yeah” Enzo simply said, “This was and remains a business transaction, don’t put so much emotion into it”

Duke walked back in, “Mr. Cappazo is going to kill you guys if you don’t come now”

I looked up at his eyes again, “It’s just hard not to put emotion into it” I said to Enzo

“You and Rocco have to get married today, if not our business and their business will cease to exist. Chances are we will all end up dead or in jail”

Duke looked down and me and grabbed my hand, “Fabia your doing the right thing, marry Rocco”

I could tell in his eyes that he knew exactly what I was feeling, but he was giving me the permission to marry his boyfriend, “Alright, I can do it”

“That’s my girl” Enzo smiled, “Duke open up the doors”

He opened the doors as the music began to play and all the guest’s rose from their seats. This time when Enzo and Marco walked forward I followed them. I smiled as we slowly made our way down the aisle past hundreds of guests that I didn’t know or only recognized by their face. They were all smiling back at me which was oddly comforting, I had never been the type of girl who wanted to be the center of attention but today I sort of enjoyed it.

I looked forward to see Rocco smiling at me. He genuinely looked happy and I gave him a big smile back. He was reassuring me that this was the right decision; I knew I could be happy with him for the rest of my life. My heart warmed as I felt like I was gliding down the long aisle.

Everything seemed so perfect for the first time, until I saw Romeo. He was standing there next to Rocco. Looking at him was like I always imagined it would be in my dreams. Him standing at the end of the alter to be my husband instead of the best man at the wedding to his gay best friend.

We reached the end of the aisle and stopped in front of the priest, “Who gives this woman to be married?”

“We do” Enzo and Marco said in unison

I smiled at each of them as they gave me a kiss on the forehead over my veil before I took Rocco’s hand and stepped forward.

The priest spoke again, "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Rocco Ginovanni Cappazo and Fabia Loren Luciano in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

Rocco squeezed my hand and smiled at me, “You okay?”

“I am now”

The priest spoke again, using a microphone so all of our guests could hear him, “True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons; it is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day. Marriage is love. May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in each other, to laugh with each other, to enjoy life together, and to share moments of quiet and peace, when the day is done. May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth and understanding."

"Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years, May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth."

After the priest spoke I looked over at Romeo, he gave me a wink which made my insides flutter and my mouth giggle. I couldn’t believe that I felt like such a school girl around him.

“Before we recite the vows does anyone have any objections to this union? If so speak now or forever hold your peace”

There was a silence among the people in crowd. I looked over at Romeo wondering if he was going to keep his promise not to say anything. We locked eyes and he kept his lips locked as well. That’s why I had to look around when I heard someone say,

“I object”

I was shocked when I realized it came out of the mouth of Rocco, of my fiancé.

A murmur of people talking in the crowd came over us, “What? No!” I said to him in a hushed voice

“Sorry Fabia” He said as he let go of my hands and turned to face everyone, including his family, “I object to this marriage because I’m gay”