Epilogue
Scarlett - six months later
D eep breath in. Deep breath out.
I stop at the top of the marble stairs, my heart tripping over itself as nerves get the better of me.
What if I trip and fall? I inwardly groan, counting the abundance of steps I’ll need to take in my four-inch heels. When I chose the New York Public Library as our wedding venue, I never considered all the steps it would entail.
My fingers anxiously twist on the silver chain around my neck before quickly smoothing out the pendant so that it lies flat against my skin and the blue diamond is perfectly centered.
With the stone archway blocking me from being seen by anyone, I take a moment to calm my beating heart. Gently, I push back the cathedral-length veil, ensuring it glides gracefully down my backside. My hands slide down the front of my ivory lace bodice, resting on my stomach, where I feel the movement of each rushed breath I take.
Beautiful music performed by the string quartet drowns out the voices of the three-hundred-plus guests, and the smell of thousands of books eases my racing mind.
“You can do this,” I breathe, not feeling as confident as I should be for someone who is about to have a room full of eyes on them. I’m starting to regret not taking Maddy up on her offer to accompany me down the stairs.
As I lift my trembling foot, ready to take my first step, my eyes catch on movement beside me.
“Thought you might want some company.” Vin strolls up to my side, looking every bit the part of the perfect gentleman in his black three-piece suit. He smiles warmly at me as he braces his forearm out for me to take. “You look beautiful, Scarlett.”
“Thank you.” I smile as I loop my arm with his, my hand resting on his forearm for support.
“Don’t forget, there might be hundreds of people waiting for you, but there’s only one person in that room who would burn the whole goddamn world down for you.” He squeezes my hand with his free one. “And I’ve never seen him so nervous in my life, so why don’t we put the poor guy out of his misery and get this show started?”
I laugh quietly, nodding. “I’m ready.”
“Of course you are.” Vin straightens his shoulders. “You’re an Alarie, after all.” He gives me a wink and leads us down the stairs. My heart thunders in my ears as I focus on each step, careful not to trip and make a damn fool out of myself.
“He’s only got eyes for you,” Vin whispers.
“What?” I ask, glancing up. He tilts his head toward the far side, and just as we take the last step down leading to the aisle, I look over, and my heart stills.
Everything around me fades into the background as my eyes latch onto Leo. And all the nerves bundled inside me wash away to a distant, faraway place.
My heart thrashes in my chest as I see my knight in black armor. His perfectly tailored black suit fits him like a glove, showing off his taut chest and thick thighs. His dark eyes travel over me with so much adoration and love, as though he is engraving this moment into his memory.
He rolls in his bottom lip, his eyes watering. I love you , he mouths.
I swallow hard, my throat tightening. I love you , I mouth back.
The quartet begins to play our chosen song, and everyone in the room stands, turning my way.
Vin uses his hand to cover my own, resting on his forearm. He leads us down the aisle, white roses lining the way with lavish white flowers draped like vines throughout the space.
It’s truly a fairy tale come to life.
I see Maddy and Alina standing beautifully at the left side of the altar in their satin soft-pink dresses. They’re both blotting their eyes with tissues, making my eyes water even more. Alex, Mauro, and Eli are standing to the right in their matching tuxes, all three of them displaying warm smiles. And Mrs. Alarie sits in the front row, a broad, beautiful smile overtaking her face as tears tumble down her cheeks.
My eyes stray back to Leo, and I notice an urgency in his demeanor. He rocks back and forth on his heels as if waiting for me to get to his side is absolute torture for him.
Just as much as it is for me.
The moment I reach him, Vin quickly places my hand in Leo’s and grins at us as he takes his spot beside him.
“You look perfect, Firefly,” Leo whispers in my ear. I shift to face him, coming only inches away from him. The officiant’s words blur in the background as Leo brushes his lips against mine. “I have a proposition.”
“And what is that?”
As the officiant continues speaking, his words echoing across the grand room, Leo leans closer to me. “Seeing that your husband so generously rented out the whole library for the entire day, I say we make the most of it,” he whispers, ensuring his words are only heard by me. A mischievous smile forms on his handsome face. “You. Me. Naked. In the romance section, with a bottle of champagne to celebrate.” A flush crawls over my skin as I begin to fantasize about this scenario. “I promise not to get the books wet.” He brushes his lips against my ear. “But I can’t make the same promise to you.”
My tongue runs across my bottom lip, wishing he would close the space between us. It’s taking every ounce of self-control I have not to wrap my arms around him and tug him against me, devouring him before everyone in here. I tilt my chin up, his breath caressing my face as I lean in, needing a taste.
He ghosts his lips across mine, not pressing down. “I can’t wait to lick the champagne off of every inch of your body.”
My cheeks instantly flush as I roll in my bottom lip. I was going to wait until tonight to tell him the news, but I guess now is just as good of a time as any. “It’s too bad I won’t be able to enjoy any of it,” I say softly, not wanting anyone in the room to hear what I’m about to tell him.
He pauses, his brows furrowing. “Why not?”
I give a slight shrug and a mock frown. “Unfortunately, pregnant women can’t drink alcohol.” I bite down on my bottom lip, stifling a smile.
Leo’s eyes widen, his lips parting. “You… You mean?”
I give a little nod, unable to contain the smile blossoming across my face.
Without a second of hesitation, Leo pulls me against him, crashing his lips down onto mine. I savor his taste, his demanding touch, and the love seeping into my bones.
Not only is he my first love. My husband. My everything.
But now, he’s the father of our child.
The room erupts in hollers and cheers as the officiant clears his throat, appearing confused by our early kiss.
Pulling back, I look up at him, my heart swelling. “I take it you’re okay with this?”
“No, Firefly.” He cradles a hand over my cheek, his thumb brushing away any loose tears. “I’m over the fucking moon about this.” He rests his forehead against mine. “We’re having a baby.”
“We’re having a baby,” I repeat, savoring being in his hold. The one place in the world I have always felt most at home.
“I may not be much of a reader, but without a doubt, I can say that this is my favorite story,” Leo says.
My brows tug together. “Which story?”
“Our story.” His lips curve up, my eyes watering as warmth caresses my skin. “The one where we made our way back to each other and fell in love all over again.”
I bite down on my bottom lip, holding back tears. “And what happens next in our story?”
“Well, that’s the best part.” He frames my face in his hands, his dark eyes latching onto mine. “We get to find out together. Because it’s you and me until the end of time.” His nose rubs against mine. “My wife. My everything. My firefly.”
His lips meet mine in a tender kiss as the world stops moving and everything around me disappears. I stand on my tiptoes, wrapping my arms around his neck. He deepens the kiss, his hands grabbing my waist, pulling me flush against him. And as my heart thrashes beneath my rib cage, it hits me.
I’m living out my very own happily ever after.
The end.