Hayze watched as River-rose stepped out onto the long white carpet and he was immediately awestruck. The whole crowd went silent and all that was heard was the soft playing of the music in the background and Hayze could have sworn he heard his heart beating in his ears.

He saw his groomsman Rudi staring, dumbfounded at his beautiful bride as she walked shyly down the walkway. He couldn't blame him for staring so openly at her either. She was breath taking. His beautiful goddess.

Her dress was simple but it flowed around her elegantly. Complimenting her small figure. She wore a veil, partly shielding her face which he knew was no doubt beautiful. Her dark hair contrasted deeply against all the white and it made her stand out amongst everyone and everything else.

Hayze felt Rudi nudging him but he couldn't even bring himself to tear his gaze away from River for a single second.

"You didn't tell me she was so beautifully tiny," Rudi whispered.

Hayze hummed quietly in reply and watched as she came to a stop in front of him. He held his breath and slowly flipped her veil back and he had to hold back a gasp. She looked stunning. Her makeup was simple and it was most likely there to only bring out her soft, angelic features. Her eyelashes were long and thick, shielding her shimmery honey-green eyes.

He froze when he saw a single tear drip from her right eye. It obviously wasn't a tear of joy.

The guilt suddenly crashed down on him like a strike of lightning. He was so selfish. Hayze couldn't even bring himself to look her in her pretty eyes any longer.

River's eyes took in the blue sky and then the rows and rows of people she did not know. She took in the sight of her parents sitting there, their hands connected and her mothers green eyes filled with tears which would never fall because she wouldn't dare ruin her makeup.

She then scanned the flowers scattered around the wedding. The little pergola that stood over them with vines wrapped around them. She couldn't help but think of the movie Alice In Wonderland with Johnny Depp. She so badly wanted a little white rabbit to run past with a coat on so that she didn't have to be standing here in front of all these strangers.

A sadness settled over her when she realized that all the petals fluttering around gently were real and they had been wasted on one single wedding.

Her eyes drifted back to the tall, built man towering over her and she slowly examined his black dress shoes. Then she took in the navy blue suit he had on which fit him just right and was obviously tailored to show him off in all the right places. She carefully looked at the gold watch on his wrist and took in the veins running up under his sleeves. He just looked so strong and big and for some reason slightly warm.

Nico never seemed so warm

Hayze noticed another tear fall from her eye. He couldn't seem to help himself when he lifted his hand to wipe away the tear but he quickly retracted it when she flinched away from him.

Is she scared of me?

"I won't hurt you, bellissimo," he said so only she could hear him.

He raised his hand again and swiped the lone tear away with his thumb. He noticed her subtly lean into his hand and he almost smiled for the first time in a while, but he fought to keep it back. The movement of her leaning into him wouldn't have been very noticeable had it not been for the way she stopped herself.

He gently brushed away another tear and whispered "I'm sorry. Please, no tears."

And then the wedding proceeded.

°•○●○•°

"The rings please."

"Wait!" Both River and Hayze said at the same time.

Hayze noticed her gaze up at him in surprise. "I bought my own ring," she said shyly.

His heart suddenly soared in his chest. He knew he had a chance to prove himself worthy of her love now. The ring was proof that she didn't yet hate him for stealing her away.

"As do i." He looked down at her and admired how her eyes lit up and she bit her lip, obviously to supress a smile. He wanted to see her smile.

Hayze pulled a small, velvety red box from his pocket and he watched in amusement as River shuffled around excitedly where she stood. He noticed that she was still young and childish at heart and he enjoyed that. Most of the people he was around acted older than they were or they were too stuck up. He noticed that, for some reason, she hid that part of herself and put on a more mature facade. He didn't want her to be fake but he knew deep down that someone had told her she couldn't be herself. He wanted to make her comfortable and know that she could be herself around him.

"You said you had a ring?" The man marrying them asked River.

Her cheeks flamed up. "Oh, right."

The guests in the audience gasped as she bent down a little to reach under her dress. Hayze could see out of the corner of his eye that her mother was absolutely horrified at the scene. He watched River with twinkling eyes as she ruffled around under her dress.

Mumurs from the crowd echoed through Hayze's ear about River so he turned his body to sheild her from the crowds gazes. He looked straight over her head and minded his business as he waited for her to find the ring. He soon realized that she had been wearing shorts with pockets under her wedding dress to hold the ring and he shook his head slightly in amazement.

Once the sound of her dress moving around stopped, he stepped back and his eyes immediately spotted the black, velvety box.

"I got it," River said quietly.

Hayze looked down and tried not to show the surprise when she flicked open the box.

The ring was perfect. It wasn't tacky, or too flashy. It wasn't huge and bulky and it wasn't like she'd added a really girly flare to it. It was sleek and special. It was safe to say that he really liked it.

It was even more special to him because the ring had come from her. Been chosen by her. Touched by her. She had thought of and searched for this ring... just for him.

Hayze then slowly opened the box with the ring that he had secretly and specially made for her. Her face was filled with childish wonder and excitement as she tried to subtly tiptoe forward and peak over at the ring.

She's so cute

It wasn't like him to think things were cute.

Hayze happily lowered the ring box down for her to see and she stumbled back in surprise as her eyes lit up like he had just given her ten puppies. He quickly caught her by the waist before she stumbled back to far and blushed like mad.

"Are you alright?" He asked in a husky whisper.

She gazed between the beautiful ring and him. "I-its too much," she whispered back.

The ring was a strong white-gold. The top of the ring showcased a beautifully detailed rose with shiny diamonds on either side of it.

"Nothi-" Hayze was cut off by the speaker.

"Say your vows please."

River said her vows first and Hayze couldn't help but feel dissapointed with how rehearsed they sounded. He was even more crushed when he heard her whisper 'im sorry Nico' as she slipped the black ring onto his finger.

The guilt then hit him like a bullet train. He kept his eyes trained on the new ring on his finger instead of on her stunning, honey-green eyes.

He was almost desperate to feel her fingers brush over his again, but they never did.

Hazye said his vows and then slipped the ring onto her delicately, slim fingers.

"For my rose," he said quietly.

Her eyes shot up to his face but he avoided her gaze and continued to admire the ring on his finger.

The ring fit him perfectly and it definetly felt heavy enough to be real. He wondered how much she paid for this and with what money because he had only sent over enough for her wedding dress and shoes.

This ring must mean she doesn't hate me, right?

Soon, they were walking down the white carpet together, his large hand on the small of her back and guilt weighing heavy on each of their chests.

I never kissed her. I never kissed my bride

For River, it was because she had just married a man she did not truly know and she was still with her boyfriend.

For Hayze, it was because he had just married a girl he did not truly know and he wasn't upset over it. In fact, he had hardly protested against his father when he came up with the absurd idea. He had just taken away a young girls life by marrying her, one she hadn't lived as long as he had.

He wanted this and she didn't.

He couldn't do this to her. He had to pretend he didn't want to marry her just as much as she didn't want to marry him.

He had to push her away before he fell in too deep for a girl whose heart belonged to another.

°•○●○•°

Hayze watched as his wife talked with her parents and their friends. When they laughed all she did was smile and when they smiled, she just looked off distantly. He didn't like seeing her so... unhappy.

He scanned the room slowly and realized River-rose was the only one in the reception not of age to drink, all except a few babies. She was practically the youngest one there. It made him feel slightly upset that she didn't even have friends attend her own wedding. He felt his heart clench at the thought and a wave of guilt washed over him.

What have i done?

"She's a beautiful girl. Seems a little younger than your previous flings, but she's cute. I'll give you that."

Hayze turned to see his bestfriend, Rudi, standing there in his dapper suit and a glass of champagne in his hand.

"Yeah, she is beautiful."

"I can't beleive i didn't know about her," Rudi said before taking a sip of his champagne and grimacing. "It seemed so sudden."

"Yeah. We've both been busy." Another wave of guilt hit him full force and he didn't know if he could take it any longer.

This was a mistake

"Are you going to introduce me?" Rudi asked as he guestered to River with his now empty glass.

Hayze cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "Yes, of course."

As they were making their way over to River, Rudi placed a hand on Hayze's shoulder. "Whats wrong man? You seem tense... well tenser than usual."

"Im alright." Hayze continued walking towards River until she noticed him standing off to the side. He motioned for her to come to him when he caught her eye and she seemed to be stuck between releived and nervous at the same time.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, before slipping away from her parents and their preppy friends.

When she was standing in front of the two men who were easily towering over her, Hayze stood even taller and cleared his throat. "Rudi, this is my wife River-rose. River, this is my good friend Rudi, he works along side me sometimes."

Hayze couldn't help but like the way 'my wife' sounded.

River smiled warmly at Rudi and stuck out her small hand. Her mother would have surely had a fit if she had seen what River just did. "Its nice to meet you Rudi," she said as she shook his hand.

Hayze couldn't help but feel a little proud.

Rudi smiled brightly, showing off his barely noticable braces. "Wow, you've got a really firm handshake." He turned to Hayze. "I like her already."

Hazye was about to put a hand at the small of her back to pull her to his side but he quickly stopped himself. He didn't want River to feel uncomfortable so instead he just nodded in response as River blushed at the ground.

A lady with a tray of cupcakes walked by and Hayze spotted River eyeing them shyly. "Would you like one?" He asked quietly.

She looked up at him with bright, big eyes. "Can i?"

He looked at her with furrowed brows. "Sì. If you want one, i will get you one."

She smiled shyly to herself. "Yes please."

Hayze excused himself before quickly coming back with a red and white, meringue frosted vanilla cupcake. River looked at it with wide eyes before taking it into her two small hands.

"Thank you," she said with a smile that made Hayze's heart jump in his chest.

Hayze and Rudi watched as she slowly licked a bit of the frosting off the side before taking a small bite of it. For some reason, to them it was really strange yet entracing to watch her eat the cupcake. It was as if it was her first time having one. She hummed in satisfaction as it melted away in her mouth. The sound had Rudi snickering and Hayze cursing under his breath when his pants suddenly grew a little tighter. River made eating a cupcake much more sensual than it really was and Hayze liked that she was so innocent that she had no idea how she had been affecting him.

"River?"

Hayze watched in confusion as River's eyes widened and she scrambled to hide behind his broad shoulders.

He felt her hands on his back through his dark blue suit jacket and it had him craving for more of her touch. It was making him realize how hard it would be to push her away. She was too sweet.

"I hope for your sake that you have no icing on your hands because if you do; Hayze won't be too happy," Rudi said through a chuckle.

River jumped away and gasped. "I am so sorry. I didn't meant to."

Obviously, she had gotten icing on his very expensive suit and usually he would be fuming, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at his sweet little wife. She was just too good.

"Why were you hiding?" Rudi asked with a small grin.

"Because o-"

A gasp interrupted her. "River-rose! You shouldn't be eating that junk. You need to be looking your best," her mom whisper-yelled as she put her hand out. "Give it."

River sighed and passed the cupcake over to her mom. "I'm sorry mama."

Why does everyone treat her like a child that can't make her own deciscions?

Hayze couldn't see the damage one little cupcake would do. River was already small enough for her age. "With all due respect Lianne, i am her husband now and i think that means i get a say as well. I think River deserves a cupcake and more. Especially because it is her wedding day."

"B-"

"Miss, bring over another tray of cupcakes," Hayze ordered. He saw River practically bouncing on her toes as the server brought over the cupcakes.

"Go ahead River. Take what you want."

She eagerly snatched up three cupcakes and then thanked the server.

"Careful," Lianne warned before gracefully making her way back to her husband.

To Hayze's surprise, River held out the two cupcakes for him and Rudi. "For you."

He shook his head. "Those are for you."

"I can't eat them all." She smiled innocently and waved the cupcakes around. "Take one. Please."

The little chica. How am i supposed to say no to her in the future?

The 'please' at the end had both Rudi and Hayze taking a cupcake without hesitation.

Pushing her away would be harder than it seemed.