The music from the bachelorette party spilled out to the entrance of the house. Inside, the laughter and excitement of the celebration carried on without them, oblivious to the tension unraveling between them. Leon had barely arrived in his car when he saw her outside. The moment their eyes met, he knew he couldn’t let her go. Not this time.

He was furious. Not at her, never at her, but at the absurd idea that in just a few hours, she would give herself to someone who wasn’t him. His chest burned, his hands trembled as he cupped her face, trapping her between his desperation and his love.

"When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night, with your head in your hands, you’ll be nothing more than his wife." His voice broke, but he didn’t let her go. His thumbs brushed against her cheeks with a tenderness that contrasted with the rage in his eyes. He leaned in just enough to keep her from looking away.

"And when you think about me, all of those years ago…" He took a breath, as if saying the words tore him apart. "You're standing face to face with 'I told you so'." His forehead nearly touched hers, his warm breath ghosting over her skin. Leon swallowed hard, his pupils darkened with sorrow and the weight of the moment.

"You know I hate to say... that 'I told you so'". His jaw trembled, but he held her face even tighter, as if that could keep hold of what little was left between them.

He couldn’t lose her. Not like this. Not without fighting until his very last breath.