Page 78 of Viktor at Sea

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Word travelled fast in Jorvik. And when people started talking, things started happening. Unfortunately for Chara and Crosby, that meant they were set to get married much sooner than they anticipated.

And by soon, I meant today.

Nearly a week since it was revealed that Chara was pregnant with Crosby’s baby.

Not for the first time since finding out Chara was pregnant, I was immensely grateful that the baby wasn’t mine. If it was, I would have dropped myself to my knees in front of Astrid, in front of all the people of Jorvik, and begged for her not to leave me. It would have been pathetic and very unfair on my part, but I was deathly afraid she would leave me.

There was only so long a man could go without the love of his life. Especially after coming so close to having everything I could have ever wanted and needed.

Falling short at the last hurdle would have killed me.

Similar to our wedding, everyone in Jorvik was invited to Chara and Crosby’s wedding. Given our recent drama with the couple, it was a little awkward for Astrid and me to be there,but we didn’t want to be the only two people in Jorvik not in attendance.

Everyone knew that Chara and Crosby were only getting married because it was the proper thing to do–she was pregnant with his baby, after all–and they didn’t even try to pretend otherwise.

If they truly wished, they could have put up a fight. They could have united, stood their ground, and refused to get married. I’m sure Barden, Josephine and their parents wouldn’t have been a fan of the idea and would have tried several tactics to sway their minds, but at the end of the day, there was only so much they could do.

Instead, they instantly folded, and now, they were being forced to marry.

The wedding ceremony was awkward. Their vows were short and snappy. Nothing like how beautiful and heartfelt it should have been for two people who were deeply and madly in love.

“I hate to say it, but it doesn’t sound like they put even a minute of effort into their vows,” Astrid leaned over to whisper to me.

“You don’t buy that they’re madly in love with each other?” I joked.

“Even Kis doesn’t buy it,” my wife chuckled and scratched the feline behind the ear. Her favourite spot.

After the officiator had declared them husband and wife, Crosby had gone in for a kiss, but Chara had turned her face at the last minute, so his lips landed on her cheek. Everyone stopped clapping after that, and no one knew what to say.

“Ouch!” Astrid winced.

“You know, at our wedding, I didn’t think you would kiss me either.”

Astrid’s dark brows shot up in surprise, and she turned to face me. “No?”

“No,” I chuckled and shook my head. “I still can’t believe sometimes that you agreed to marry me.”

Her gaze softened, and she cupped my face. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, pirate.”

I pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand, maintaining eye contact.

As if everything else hadn’t been bad enough, the queue to congratulate Crosby and Chara on their nuptials had been very short. Nothing like how it had been at mine and Astrid’s wedding.

Astrid and I would have joined that queue to congratulate them, but we had both agreed that it would have been better if we didn’t. Something told us that neither Chara nor Crosby would have been too happy to see us after their failed love square with us.

The one good thing about their wedding was the exquisite food. Not that I had expected anything else from Gustav who had also been asked to cater this wedding. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and have a good time, except for the bride and groom who wouldn’t even look at each other.

And then there was their first dance which was downright tragic.

Crosby had to all but drag Chara into the middle of the square for their first dance. They lasted a whole five seconds before she stomped on his foot, grinding in her heel and swiftly turned around, flicking her hair over her shoulder before stomping away in a huff.

If there was a book containing the worst of everything, Chara and Crosby would have come first in the first dance section for how bad it was. I cringed just watching it.

Poor Crosby limped all the way after her. They then disappeared for hours before finally returning, hand in hand and with tight, forced smiles.

I had never been to a more terrible event before. Andterriblewas putting it lightly.

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