Epilogue
Soft classical music filters through the autumn air. If I were nervous, I’d find them soothing. But I’ve never felt so certain over a decision in my life. So yes, my pulse is fluttering like the fall leaves around us, but it’s from anticipation, not anxiety.
My brothers are all lined up beside me. Juliette’s friends–many of whom are in relationship with my brothers–are lined up opposite of me. The crowd is filled with the entire population of Peach Hollow, as well as a few other friends and family. All we need to begin is Juliette.
The music swells, and I watch–heart in my throat–as Juliette rounds the corner of my house. Her arm is hooked through Poppy’s, who she asked to walk her down the aisle in lieu of her parents.
A smile stretches across my face as I take her in. She’s wearing a long sleeve satin ballgown that cinches in at her waist before flowing out around her. Her veil streams behind her long blonde hair. The wind is kind to us today, blowing gently in spite of the late fall weather. She smiles, bright as the sun, as she walks toward me. I’m tempted to rush down the aisle and meet her halfway, but I wait. Grayson is usually the one who fidgets, but today I find myself fighting the urge to wring my hands or bounce on my toes.
She’s so perfect. No one else compares. She glides down the aisle, radiant.
“Hi,” she whispers when she arrives.
I smile down at her. “Hi.”
We join hands. Grayson steps up, because on top of being my best man, he’s our officiant. I’m not sure how he convinced us it would be a good idea, but he did.
The ceremony begins, and Grayson is surprisingly serious, aside from a few short jokes about how he knew we’d end up together from the start. The time for vows come, and I pull out the piece of parchment I wrote mine on. Caroline–Juliette’s matron of honor–hands hers to her.
“Jules,” I begin, staring into her beautiful emerald eyes. “When we first met, I was closed off and unsure about love as a whole. I didn’t think trusting people was worth the risk of pain. You showed me I was wrong.” I squeeze her hand. “Ever since then, I’ve fallen more and more in love with you with each passing moment. I promise to drink tea with you every morning, listen to every thought that crosses your beautiful mind, and to read all of your favorite books so we can talk about them together. More than all of that though, I vow to love you in action and word, 'til death do us part.”
She sniffles and blinks away tears. “Sunshine.” There’s a smattering of laughter from the crowd at her nickname. “My whole life, I’ve sought to escape the world I was in. Be it through books, or by actually running away. I came here to find a life I didn’t have to run from. You gave me that.” Her words cut off as she tries not to cry. I can feel my own eyes burning. “I promise to love you with all that I have, to give you every part of me, from now until death do us part.”
Grayson says some more words, then walks us through the exchanging of the rings. I feel like I’m outside of my body, waiting for the moment.
“And now, it is with great honor that I pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride!” Grayson booms.
I pull Juliette to me and give her a kiss that I hope feels like forever to her. Because it does to me.
Maverick Carter – November
I hate to say it–and I don’t have to because he has ten times already today–but Grayson was right. After proposing to Evie at the lookout, we didn’t want to wait to get married. We almost went to the courthouse the next day, but we decided we wanted to have our friends and family celebrate with us.
So, we chose the soonest date possible that everyone could make it to, and threw together a backyard wedding. With the help of all of my siblings, it wasn’t hard to make today beautiful and memorable. Seeing Evie walk down the aisle is an image I won’t ever forget.
I smile as I watch another memory form before me. Evie dances with Drew in the middle of the makeshift dance floor we had put up in our heated reception tent. They’re both laughing, probably teasing and reminiscing about their life growing up together. My heart expands like pastry dough in the oven as I watch them. After everything we’ve all been through, I’m beyond grateful for moments like these.
The song comes to a close, so I cross the floor to steal Evie away. She smiles when she sees me coming, glowing beneath the warm twinkle lights. Drew hugs Evie, then gives me a back-slapping hug of my own before walking over to where Kayla is sitting with Archie and Beckham.
“Carter,” she says, her blue eyes sparkling.
“Carter,” I echo, making her smile double in size.
I sweep her up into my arms and begin to lead her around the dance floor. Other couples start to join in, but Evie and I are in our own little world.
“Today has been a fairy tale,” Evie says as we dance.
“It’s been perfect,” I agree. “Only one thing could make it better.”
She frowns. “What?”
I kiss the edge of her pouting lips. “Escaping to start our honeymoon early.”
A soft pink blush rises up her neck to her face. “Everyone is here for us.”
“So? They can eat cake without us. I’d much rather spend the rest of the night with you.”
She bites her lip. My grip tightens on her.
“Let me at least tell Kayla, then we can go.”
I smirk and lean down to brush my lips against hers. “I’m kidding. I just wanted to see what you’d say. It seems like someone is eager for tonight though.”
She gapes. “You are terrible.”
“And yet you love me,” I say with a smile.
“I do.”
Grayson Carter – April
“Shhh,” I say to a giggling Sloane as we make our way to the resort pool. “You’re going to get us caught, Bubbles,” I say, which only makes her giggle all the more.
“I can’t be Bubbles, I haven’t had anything to drink yet,” she whispers as I open the gate to the pool. They should really have locks on these things if they want to keep people out.
“Just the proximity to the champagne is making you drunk,” I say with a laugh. She bumps into me with her shoulder. “If you push me in the pool I’m taking you with me,” I warn .
“I wasn’t trying to push you. If I were, you’d be in the pool.”
“Is that so, wifey?” I ask as I spread a towel on the ground near the edge of the pool.
“Yes, it is, hubby,” she replies, making my heart sing for joy.
I always knew I’d love being married, but being married to Sloane outshines every dream and fantasy I ever had. It’s been two days since our wedding, and those two days have been the best of my life.
We take our seats by the pool, slipping our feet into the cool water. Our skin glows in the blue pool lights. Sloane holds the slice of cake we ordered from room service, while I pop the cork on the champagne, a towel wrapped around the bottle to catch any overflow. The pop echoes through the darkness. I take a sip as soon as it’s open, then pass it to Sloane.
When I told Sloane we should sneak out by the pool with champagne and cake in honor of the beginning of our relationship, she didn’t even hesitate before saying yes. While she’s still my beautiful introverted bookworm, she’s come out of her shell a lot in the last year. We do karaoke at least once a month now, and she tries new things with me fairly often. It’s made me so proud to see her grow.
I take a bite of the cake, then hold a piece up to Sloane’s mouth. I watch as her lips wrap around the fork. She hums in delight and my stomach flips.
“How are you so perfect?” I murmur.
She ducks her head to hide her blush. I set the cake aside and tilt her chin up.
“I love you, Mrs. Carter,” I say, staring into her hazel eyes. I hope she can see just how much she means to me when she looks into mine.
“I love you too, Mr. Carter. ”
I bend down and press a gentle kiss to her lips. She deepens it, and the taste of the frosting on her lips undoes me.
We break apart, a little breathless, a little dazed. The sexy little smile she gives me makes my blood heat. I can’t believe this is my life. Drinking champagne and eating cake next to the love of my life in Hawaii. Kissing her and holding her because she’s mine .
Every night that I laid awake in my empty house wondering when it would be my turn is now in the past. After this week, we’ll go home and share that same bed.
I look at Sloane as she tips the champagne bottle back, similar to that fateful night on the golf course, and smile because I know that she’s my happy ending.
Levi Carter – May
“Jasmine Chamberlain,” the announcer booms into the speaker.
A roar of cheers erupts around me. I stand to my feet with my siblings, their spouses, and Dahlia as we cheer. Jasmine walks across the stage in her cap and gown, beaming up at us. Technically you’re supposed to wait until the end to cheer like that, but I don’t mind breaking the rules so that Jasmine can know she’s loved and supported.
“I can’t believe it,” Dahlia says in my ear once we sit back down. “My baby sister is graduating high school.”
I wrap a comforting arm around her, knowing that she might cry at any given second. She’s been on the verge of tears all day. If I’m honest, I’ve come close to shedding them a time or two .
“I know, and she’s going to be a Thrasher!” It takes a lot of effort to keep my voice down.
Dahlia laughs. “I think you’re more excited about that than her graduating with honors.”
“Hey, those grades are what got her into Georgia, so I’m excited about those too.”
“You’re incorrigible. What am I going to do with you?”
I smirk. “I can think of a few things, especially since we’ll have the house to ourselves tonight.”
Jasmine is going to have a sleepover with some of her friends who are moving out of state for college. So that means tonight will be a taste of what it will be like when she moves out at the end of the summer.
Dahlia hits my arm, her face red. “We are surrounded by your family. You can’t say things like that.”
“I didn’t say anything. If you read into it, then that says more about you than me.”
She shakes her head, but I can tell she’s holding back a smile.
“Come on, Doll, you know that was pretty funny.” She bites her lip. “Now don’t result to torturing me. That’s just cruel,” I say and she giggles, leaning against my side to hide her blushing face.
I hold her tight, so unbelievably happy to be married to her, and excited for this new chapter of our lives together. I’m sure that they’ll be amazing, because any day spent by her side is.