Page 83 of The Actor and His Secret

We’d managed to keep the engagement a secret for a few blissful days. When we’re in Greece, now that Nikos doesn’t have to sneak around anymore, we’re welcomed with open arms. And while each of the Yiayia’s in the village could win a contest in prying into our lives, they’ve turned out to be fiercely protective of Nikos and his privacy when it comes to the outside world.

A herd of donkeys very memorably chased a reporter down the street and nearly off a cliff when she’d dared to sneak too close to our house. We laughed about it until we couldn’t breathe.

When we’d arrived back in London, we’d announced it on Nikos’ Instagram page, a simple black and white shot of us holding hands. The response had been an outpouring of love and support which overwhelmed the both of us. All the comments from fans and friends alike kept me going as Nikos had left for a month-long filming stint in Scotland to complete the second Age of Dragons movie.

Yes, he did fuck me whilst in his Armin Wolfe costume. And yes, it did fulfil every single one of my bookish fantasies - and then some.

The only way to keep our wedding from being a media circus is to keep it incredibly small and covert. I knew from the moment Nikos proposed that the longer planning went on, the more likely it was that the media would catch wind of what was happening and intrude on something that I want to be just for us.

‘Oli, love. They’re napkins.’

‘Yes,’ I snap waspishly. ‘And they come in so many colours.’

I yelp as Nikos literally picks me up off the chair and cradles me to his chest. Now that he’s still all bulked up from playing Armin - and staying that way, for the already-announced third movie - he can toss me around easier than ever. It’s so unfair.

It’s also incredibly hot, though, so I guess it’s alright.

‘Honey, darling.’ He presses a kiss to my forehead. ‘All napkins have to do is wipe food off your mouth. No one will even remember what colour they are a week later.’

‘They’ll be in all the pictures,’ I moan. ‘I’ll remember them forever.’

‘The only thing you’ll remember is that you’re marrying the love of your life.’ His warm brown eyes gaze into mine, and my heart flips the way it does each and every time that I remember this man is mine. For the rest of forever.

I sigh, putting a hand to my forehead like I’m a fainting maiden. ‘Oh Armin, thank you for rescuing me from the terror of our decorator’s hundred-page PDF of napkin colours. However can I thank you?’

‘Oh,’ he says, steering us out of the office and into the kitchen, where he sits me on the counter. ‘I can think of a few things.’

He’s clearly been cooking dinner, because I can smell the delicious Greek spices in the air, coming from the direction of the oven. We decided to keep my house in London, because even though it’s where I was heartbroken over Geoff, it was also where I fell in love with Nikos.

And as he looks into my eyes and sinks down to his knees, I’m so, so glad it’s the choice I made.

My life has turned out better than I ever could have dreamed, a true fairytale romance. I’m the luckiest man in the world. And I can’t wait to write the rest of our story - together.

34

NIKOS

I never imagined getting married. For me, growing up, it was never in the cards. But as I stood at the end of aisle, facing a room full of adoring friends and family, I felt as though I was the happiest man on earth.

Of course, it was mainly friends that came for me. My family were either buried six feet under, or behind bars for blackmail and intention to spread revenge porn. But, as I saw Oli walking up to greet me, I knew that wasn’t the case.

He was my family - my home.

The wedding, despite Oli’s begging me to not go overboard, cost a fortune. But I would pay it ten times over just to experience those moments with him again, and I wanted him to have the wedding of his dreams. And now, as our driver sweeps us away from the over-the-top manor house venue, we wave at our guests, old tins and bottles clattering on the end of string, attached to the bumper of our car.

Oli’s hand finds mine, and I catch the glint of silver. Plain and simple, just as he liked it, glittering next to the diamond eternity band I’d proposed with. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’

I offer him a smile, feeling the answer come swiftly. ‘I do.’

‘We should turn this into a drinking game. How many times can we say ‘I do’ in one day?’

I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder, my suit pulling at the recent muscle gain after filming An Age of Dragons: Ruin. ‘I would drink the ocean dry just to get to say those words to you, over and over.’

‘Until I’m sick of them?’

I smile. ‘You’ll never be sick of them.’

‘You’re right,’ Oli replies. ‘Never ever.’

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