Our Secret [Completed]

Chapter 27

As I stared at the rock on my finger I realised in less than three minutes my life would change forever. I hadn't expected things to move this quickly but what other option was there? I wanted this all to be over and I needed it to be over so I can continue with my life, so that Noah and I can continue with our life together. We sat in a courthouse waiting for our turn, we had a ten-minute slot. Who knew it only took ten minutes to get married?

Everyone I would have wanted was here with the exception of Jasmine. Noah and I sat side by side, Kelly, Jackson, Alan and Sherry sat in the odd few spare seats around the waiting room. Every girl's fairy-tale wedding was never something I aspired to have, it was never something I saw in my cards because after all weddings cost money. Sitting in this courthouse now was exactly how I saw my wedding, its the cheaper way to legally marry and it never bothered me. If you love someone strongly enough then a basic spur of the moment wedding is more than enough. You don't need the year's planning, the huge engagement party and the gifts, all you need is the person you are going to marry and the ones you love supporting you every step of the way.

Beside me Noah's leg bounced up and down repeatedly, he was nervous and more than I was. If anything I felt excited. I twisted the ring on my finger as my eyes fell upon the documentation Alan was drawing up across the room. He had his papers spread out on the table in front of him and he was pencilling in information. That was the most important part of our union and under other circumstances, this may have been seen as Noah keeping me at arms length but in truth, it protected us both. A prenuptial agreement was the best way forward. Noah would keep his 50% of MKT- well MKJT as it'll soon be called- and I'll protect the other 50%.

Alan finished the paperwork relatively quickly as he already had a basic draft outlined for other clients and passed it to us. Noah was hesitant to sign, he held the pen in his hand and hovered above the signature line. I took it upon myself to sign first, taking the pen from his hand I neatly signed my name and passed the pen back. I hope that it showed him that this document is insignificant in our relationship, it won't affect anything. It's merely for legal reasons.

Legally I own half of MKJT but it doesn't feel that way. I'm more of a protector than an owner. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought of owning a newspaper, I'd only ever dreamed of working at one.

Still hesitant, Noah with a shaky hand signed his name and passed the documents back to his father.

Alan then passed over another document and this was one Noah didn't have any problem signing; the change in company name.

Once again I had to sign for legal purposes and then we passed it back just in time for our names to be called. "Noah and Sophia," the receptionist called into a speaker and an older woman appeared from a door beside the desk gesturing for us to hurry. The couple who had married before our slot rushed out of the room barging past us, their hands were joined and they looked no older than eighteen.

Sherry, Alan and the twins took their seats while Noah and I waited at the front of the small room. The registrar began the basic structure of the ceremony and bypassed any personal vows, there wasn't enough time for those and finally reached the part of objection. I glanced at the four sitting in the audience, each were smiling and shaking their heads indicating no objection.

"I hope we haven't missed it," a deep male voice came from outside the room followed by a loud knock and the swinging of the door which hit the wall on the other side. "Shit." The three scurried into the seats behind Alan and Sherry. James gave me a small wave but then dropped his head when he realised his brother was glaring at him. Beside him sat Jasmine and next to her...Lia?

"Nice of you to finally join us," Sherry scolded her oldest son who replied in a mumbled voice.

"These two couldn't figure out what to wear."