WHEN FOREVER BEGINS
The air smells different today. Like...promise.
Evergreen garland filters through the scent of fresh linen and sweet roses, tinged with the salt from the ocean breeze.
It settles over me, relaxing my nerves with an odd sense of calm.
I close my eyes, listening to the distant crash of the waves.
The sound grounds me as I stand on the balcony, taking one last moment for myself before everything changes.
Before everything.
My hand brushes the soft cotton of my suit.
The fabric is cool against my palm, a tactile reminder of the reality surrounding me.
I’m really here, about to marry the man who turned my life on its head in the best way possible.
Declan. My heart does a familiar flip at the mere thought of him, and my breath hitches in my chest, a shaky exhale bursting out of me. God, how did I get so lucky?
There’s a knock at the door. “Sav, you decent?”
Lennon’s voice booms through the wood, dragging me out of my thoughts.
I chuckle and shake my head to clear my thoughts. “Yeah, come in.”
The door creaks open, and Lennon steps inside, looking unusually sharp in a dark suit and tie.
It’s a rare sight to see him out of his grunge rock attire, but he somehow pulls it off, giving himself his classic edge with the tattoos poking out of his sleeves and collar.
He whistles low, raking his eyes over me.
“Damn, man. You clean up nice. Declan’s gonna lose it when he sees you. ”
A nervous laugh bubbles out of me. “You think?”
“Think? I know.” Lennon grins, crossing the room to stand beside me.
He glances out the balcony at the crowd below.
White fairy lights are wrapped around the railings, and a wreath hangs near the entrance to the reception area.
Nothing too holly-jolly, just enough to remind everyone that Christmas is right around the corner.
It’s a small wedding by rockstar standards, but it’s our kind of perfect. Our closest friends and a few family members—the rest of Orion Skye, of course. Declan wanted intimate, I wanted real. And now, looking at the people here to support us, I realize we’re getting exactly what we both need.
“You ready?” Lennon asks, nudging me with his elbow.
I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. Am I? My mind flickers through all the moments that led us here—the whirlwind romance, the tours, the quiet nights, the laughter, the heartbreak.
I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
“Yeah,” I say finally, meeting Lennon’s eyes. “I’m ready.”
He claps my shoulder. “Good. Declan looks like he’s about to burst down there. Never seen him so antsy.”
A smile quirks my lips. The thought of Declan being just as nervous and overwhelmed as I am feels oddly comforting. He’s typically the confident one, the one who’s used to crowds and the pressure to perform. But today, it’s different. Today isn’t about performing. It’s about us.
“I’ll head down,” Lennon says, turning toward the door. He pauses, looking over his shoulder. “Just... breathe, Sav. This is your moment.”
I nod and watch him leave before returning to the view below. My moment. Our moment. The thought of it twists something in my chest—not anxiety, but anticipation. It’s finally here. The day I get to stand beside Declan and tell the world that he’s officially mine.
A soft knock pulls me from my thoughts again, this time gentler, more tentative. “Savion?” a familiar voice calls. It’s best friend Kelly.
“Come in,” I say, my voice thick with emotion.
She steps fully into the room, her eyes immediately finding mine, filled with the warmth only a friend-for-life can give. Her pale blue dress sways around her knees as she crosses the room, her smile radiant. “You look incredible,” she hushes.
I try to respond, but the words catch in my throat. Kelly closes in, wrapping me in a tight hug, and I let myself melt into it for a moment. Her arms are home, a link to my past—to who I was before all of this.
“I’m so proud of you,” she whispers against my ear. “You deserve this happiness, Sav.”
“I... I don’t even know how to explain how I’m feeling,” I murmur. “It’s overwhelming. In a good way, but...”
She pulls back, her hands still on my shoulders. “I know. But that’s how you know it’s right.”
I take in a deep breath and nod. Kelly grins, a little wider this time. “Come on. We can’t leave Declan waiting too long. You know he hates suspense.”
That pulls a laugh out of me and with it, a large amount of the tension in my chest.
I’m ready.
The ceremony is taking place beneath a canopy of twinkling lights, accented by the glorious lavender and radiant gold of the sunset behind us. The resort's holiday decorations blend effortlessly with the wedding décor, making the whole place glow.
My feet sink into the soft sand as I walk down the aisle, my pulse thundering in my ears. Every breath feels heavy. Each step feels monumental. Declan stands at the altar, and the second I see him, my heart stops.
He’s breathtaking. His all-black suit fits like a glove, the undone buttons of his shirt giving it the true Declan feel.
But it’s not his clothes that make me pause.
It’s the way he’s looking at me, like I’m the only person who exists in the world right now.
As if the sun could fall right out of the sky, and he wouldn’t even notice.
God, I love him.
My feet carry me closer of their own accord, my body drifting toward my forever.
His eyes—those deep-blue eyes that the ocean couldn’t hold a candle to—are locked on mine.
there’s an intensity to them, a love that pours out so freely, so openly.
My hands tremble with the desire to have him until I’m standing right in front of them.
Declan reaches out, and the contact of our hands brushing sends a shock of warmth up my arm.
“You’re beautiful,” Declan whispers, his voice low and meant only for me.
“You’re one to talk,” I return, trying to keep my voice steady, but it’s hard when his thumb is brushing slow, calming circles against my skin.
I don’t catch a word the officiant says. It’s like he’s speaking underwater. I can’t focus on anything other than the man beside me, the way his lips twitch into a soft smile, how his hand feels solid and reassuring in mine. He’s my anchor, the only thing keeping me from floating away.
Then I realize the officiant is waiting for me to say something. Shit, my vows.
I clear my throat, suddenly hyper-aware of all the eyes on us, but when I look at Declan again, everything else fades. It’s just him. Me. This moment.
“I didn’t know what love really was until I met you,” I begin, my voice shaky.
“I thought I had it figured out. My life was set, my plans made. And then you walked into it, and everything changed. You showed me that love isn’t about following a path or ticking off boxes.
It’s choosing someone every single day. Even when it’s hard.
Even when it’s scary. And I choose you, Declan.
Today, tomorrow, for the rest of our lives. ”
There’s a tremor in Declan’s hand, and his eyes are glossy with the threat of tears. I swallow the lump forming in my throat as he squeezes my hand gently, leaning forward to whisper, “I love you.”
Declan clears his throat, running a hand through his hair before he begins to speak.
“I never believed in fate,” he says, his voice surprisingly even.
“But then I met you, Savion. And suddenly, I believed in everything. Destiny, soulmates... stars aligning. You brought light into my life when I didn’t even know how much I needed it.
You gave me hope, laughter, and a love I never thought I’d have.
You make me want to be a better man. And I promise to spend every day proving that I deserve you. ”
My heart pounds so fiercely that I worry it’ll explode right out of my chest. There’s so much emotion between us that it almost feels too big for two people to carry. But somehow, we shoulder the burden together.
The officiant smiles and glances between us. “You may now kiss your husband.”
And before I can even process the words, my husband’s lips are on mine. The kiss is soft and tender, but there’s something beneath it so raw and powerful that tells me everything that words can’t possibly measure up to.
Noise from the guests swells around us—cheers, applause, even some hoots from Lennon and the rest of the band—but all I can focus on is the weight of Declan’s hand in mine, grounding me in this moment.
The tingle from the kiss lingers, even as he pulls back slightly, his forehead resting against mine, our breaths mingling in the air between us.
“You okay?” Declan whispers, his voice soft but full of emotion. He’s still holding my hand, still gazing at me like I’m the most important thing in the world.
I nod, even though my chest feels like it’s about to burst with everything I’m feeling. “Better than okay,” I manage to say. “I’m... perfect.”
“You are. Truly.” His mouth relaxes into that easy, natural smile that’s reserved just for me.
It’s the one that makes the world seem quieter, softer, like nothing else matters.
I lean into him for a moment, just letting myself feel.
The heat of his body, the steady beat of his heart against mine—it’s all so real.
But then someone claps me on the back, and we’re pulled back into the chaos of the moment. Lennon’s grinning from ear to ear, holding up his phone like he’s been filming the whole thing. “That kiss is definitely going viral,” he says with a wink.
I can’t help but laugh, even if it’s matched with an eyeroll. “You better not post that without my approval, Lennon.”
Declan chuckles beside me. “Oh, come on, let him have his fun. It’s not every day you get to be the best man at the wedding of a rockstar and a paleontologist.”