Chapter Eleven
AMBER
THREE MONTHS LATER
I was speechless, tongue twisted at the thought of what was about to happen. Giant butterflies were swirling around in my stomach, and my blood was pulsing faster and faster. Today was the day. I would finally be Mrs. Wilson.
I stared at myself in the long mirror, my eyes sweeping over my perfectly braided, red hair. The twist-in diamond pieces I bought from the mall this morning glinted in the sunlight streaming in from the window. Celine was standing behind me, zipping up my white lace dress that flowed like a waterfall over my body. The lace sleeves covered my arms, leading down to my white nails that I had done that morning. My eyes trailed down the length of the gown, searching for imperfections but finding none.
“Stop it,” Celine giggled, stepping away from me to look at herself in the mirror. Her rose-pink gown accentuated her growing belly, making my best friend glow. She smiled, her blue eyes shining with happiness despite her swollen ankles and continuous morning sickness that had kept her glued to the toilet all day. Morning sickness stopped for most women after twelve weeks, but poor Celine was still saddled with it. “What time did you say the sun was setting today?” She placed a hand on her big belly and looked at me through the mirror.
“I think my phone said eight-thirty-nine on the dot, but I can’t remember. I need another glass of champagne, I think. Maybe some tequila will help?” I was turning into a nervous wreck. She laughed, shaking her head at me before waddling over to one of the plush armchairs overlooking the beach, where I would be saying my vows in just a few minutes.
“At least you can drink,” she retorted. I shot her a sheepish smile. “I’m dying for a coke and rum. Now, I have an idea. How about you make yourself one or get the runner to bring you one, and I’ll just smell it and live vicariously through you?” The makeup artist, who was currently doing my twin’s makeup on the other side of the room, snorted out a laugh as all the women in the big dressing room joined her.
My mother and Ryan’s mother were sipping champagne, looking over the aisle where Ryan and Ace were standing outside looking at the calm ocean. My sisters were all in different stages of getting ready. Seeing their excited faces, I thought back to the phone call three months ago that had changed everything.
My finger hovered over my mother’s name, my right leg bouncing with nerves and anticipation. I prayed they would forgive me. They had to understand that I was absolutely in love with this man, and even though we had gone through hell to get here, he was the person I knew I would be spending the rest of my life with. Nothing they could say would ever change that.
Ryan was at work, and the near silence in the apartment was driving me crazy. Just the ticking clock in the kitchen was all I had to keep me company and drive me insane all at once.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
I glared at the glowing screen. Sometimes, I hated being an adult.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The big clock mocked me with every passing second.
It was time to grow a pair and face my fears. They were only my family. They couldn’t hurt me… they wouldn’t.
I tapped my mother’s name, and with a big sigh, I raised the phone to my ear and waited as the phone rang. She might not even answer, and all these nerves would be for nothing.
“Amy.” Her familiar, southern accent sent a wave of sadness and happiness through me, and a lone tear spilled from my suddenly teary eyes.
“Hey, Mom,” I choked out, swallowing the massive lump in my throat. I was strong enough to do this. I could do this.
I briefly heard Ryan’s words of comfort echoing in my mind, could almost feel his gentle strokes through my hair this morning while we were in bed. If he believed in me, then I could do it. I could handle this.
“Is everything okay, sweets?” The old nickname caused the firm grip I had on my emotions to loosen, and the tears spilled over.
“I’m getting married, Ma,” I cried into the phone, clutching it tightly to my ear and holding my other hand over my heart.
“I know.” My teary eyes widened in shock. “That boy of yours called us months ago, asking for our permission. It seems we were wrong about him after all.” She sighed, her age showing through the weariness in her voice.
“You knew all this time and never called me?” I tried to keep the hostility from my tone, but the anger coursing through me was sickening. She hadn’t thought to call me once, to apologize for her harsh words about the mistakes she thought I was making with my life. She finally supported my decision to spend my life with Ryan, and she hadn’t even had the decency to call and tell me herself?
“I knew you would call when you were ready.” I bit back a scoff. “Can we come to the wedding—the girls at least? They ask about you all the time, sweets.”
“Then, why don’t they come visit me, or I don’t know, call me?” I asked, hurt bleeding into my words. “It’s not that hard. It’s the twenty-first century, Ma.”
“Doesn’t matter what they should have done. That’s the past now.” It was always like this. Just brush off my younger siblings’ mistakes but never my own. “Let’s talk about the future, about your wedding, about you.”
“We set the date yesterday,” I told her, letting her have her way. “It’s on Easter weekend at some swanky hotel on the beach. We want to keep it small—just family and a few friends.”
There was a crash on the other end of the phone, and then my mom was yelling at our old dog. “Harley keeps walking into things,” she explained when she came back on the line. “She’s lost her sight, poor thing. We’d love to contribute, sweets. Your Pa and I can pay for the reception. How about that?”
I just hummed in answer, unsure of what to say to her proposition. So, I went to an easier topic—Harley. “How old is Harley now?” I missed that damn dog so much. I’d been away from home way too long.
“Twelve this spring. We’ve been lucky to have her around for so long. The neighbors lost their Beagle to a bear last month. It was terrible.” I cringed. What a horrific way to die.
“Do you want to bring her with you when you come for the wedding?” I asked. “Ryan and I have a small apartment, but it’s pet friendly, and his sister has a big house. That’s where you guys would stay.”
“Yeah, sweets, we can do that. Now, about the money—how much should we send you? We want to help you. This isn’t something you’re supposed to pay for, you know.”
I sighed. My mother always got her way. “Just five grand and tell the girls they can bring a date.”
“Earth to Amy.” Alissa, my identical twin, was standing in front of me, hands on my arms, shaking me. “It’s your cue. The wedding bells are ringing!” she squealed, pulling me to the bright pink door that led out to the aisle I would be walking down toward my future husband.
Nerves flooded me, and my stomach churned. “I’m not ready…” I stuttered, following her on shaky legs.
“Of course, you are! Look at you—you’re absolutely stunning, Amy.” Jamie, my younger sister, stood next to Alissa, her strawberry blonde hair shimmering in the faint glow of the sunset streaming in from the window.
“Don’t be scared, sis! It’s your big day. You’ve been waiting for this moment for the last six years.” Mia, the youngest of my sisters, held my hand and squeezed it. Her green eyes shone with love.
“It’s time to become my sister, Ames. None of this being scared crap. It’s unlike you. Where’s the wild bitch I fell in love with?” Celine, in all her pregnant glory, bounced on her flats, pure excitement radiating off of every orifice of her body. I swore, I thought she was more excited about today than me and Ryan were.
“Pa is waiting for you outside, sweets. Smile, my beautiful girl. Your life is only beginning,” my mother told me.
The pink door swung open, and Celine led the way as my matron of honor. Ace was waiting for her and pulled her into him for a long kiss, earning a sigh from my sisters as they stared wistfully at the two of them. My three sisters were being escorted down the aisle by some of Ryan’s friends from the Army, all dressed in uniform, white gloves adorning their hands.
My ma and Ryan’s mother quietly snuck off and took their seats next to Mr. Wilson, and the wedding march began.
Ryan was already waiting at the altar, standing next to the priest, where a big American Flag flew proudly in the soft evening wind. He looked sinfully handsome in his military dress uniform, his clean-shaven face glowing in the sunlight.
He couldn’t see me from my hiding spot in the archway of the door to my bridal suite, but I could see him. His blue eyes were searching the processional line for me.
Ace and Celine walked down the aisle next, followed by Alissa and her groomsman, and then Jamie, and lastly Mia.
The familiar ache of nerves filled my stomach as I stepped out of my hiding spot. All eyes immediately landed on me. I sucked in a harsh breath when I missed my first step, fearing taking a hard fall in front of all of these people, but my Pa’s firm grip tightened around my waist. “You look stunnin’, darlin’.” His voice was filled with a raw mix of happiness and sadness, like he was happy for me but also sad that I was truly growing up. The thought of seeing my old man tearing up pulled at my heartstrings.
“Please, don’t let me fall,” I whispered, my voice shaking with nerves. His grip tightened more.
“Never, my darlin’ girl,” he promised.
My gaze swept over all the full chairs. There were so many eyes on me, so many whispers, so much judgement.
In a sudden moment, my eyes locked on Ryan, and the world faded away. It was just him and me on this gorgeous beach, about to promise each other eternal love. And that was all I needed to continue walking into my future with him.
Pa and I walked slowly down the aisle, along the stone pathway I designed a few weeks ago. Ryan’s eyes filled with tears as they swept over me, and a crooked grin appeared on my favorite pair of lips—his lips.
This was really happening. We were about to be husband and wife. I was about to carry his last name.
I didn’t remember all of the steps that I took, but somehow, I just knew it was twenty-two, and then suddenly, he was holding my hand, pulling me to him in a quick, gentle embrace. His spicy cologne washed over me, and I was instantly reminded of the first time I met him.
How crazy I had been at twenty-one, how intimidated I was by my best friend’s sexy brother, and now, I was going to marry him. Spend the rest of my life with him. It still felt a little unreal.
“I love you,” he whispered, his lips barely moving as the priest told everyone to sit. I could only see him, see the absolute love and adoration shining in his eyes for me. “You’re beautiful,” he mouthed. I fought the giggle that threatened to burst from my lips.
This was really happening. I was finally going to completely belong to him.
I couldn’t hear the priest. My attention was solely on my handsome man—the man who was about to become my husband. Ryan’s blue eyes reflected the ocean on a calm day, and the setting sun behind us illuminated his whole face, making my heart soar. His eyes darted from me to the priest, a tiny smile twitching at his lips. I just wanted to kiss him already. I just wanted to be his wife.
His wife . I loved the sound of that.
Celine coughed my name under her breath, and I jumped in shock, swinging my head around to look at her in confusion. She handed me my vows with a big, fat, shit-eating grin. Damn evil bitch. Ryan covered his laugh with a cough.
“I didn’t want to forget anything,” I started, feeling a blush blossom on my cheeks as they burned. Ryan only grinned at me, so much love and adoration for me shining in his eyes that I almost forgot what I was supposed to be doing. I blinked, focusing back on the paper, which was shaking in my grasp. “There’s so many things that I love about you, Ryan Wilson, just so many that if I listed them all, we would be here until next week, and nobody wants to hear that.” Our families laughed, and then, silence rang once again, everyone waiting with bated breath for me to share my vows.
“I fell in love with you six years ago, sitting next to you on your bed after Celine’s surgery.” I heard someone sniffle, but I looked up from my paper to see Ryan listening intently to what I had to say. “You were talking about her and how much you loved her, how you only wanted the best for her, even though you had scared the love of her life away. Thankfully, I convinced him to come back.”
Ryan’s lips twitched. Laughter rand through the crowd again, but I didn’t look away from my carefully written words, afraid if I did, I’d lose my composure and cry. I didn’t want to ruin my makeup—at least, not yet.
“I fell in love with you the first time you kissed me, so gentle, so unsure if we were doing the right thing because we didn’t want to hurt Celine. But your sister turned out to be our biggest fan. Who would have thought, right?” I looked up and cleared my throat to stop the burning fire of emotion fighting its way out, threatening to spill from my eyes.
“Like I said, there are many things that I love about you, but here are just a few. I love how you raise me up, always boosting my confidence, cheering for me when I need it most. You’re always there rooting for me.” I swallowed past the ever-growing lump in my throat. “I love the way you hold me in your arms after a long day apart, and the extra squeeze you give me before letting me go. I love how you hold me every night when I drift off to sleep in your arms. I love the way you play with my hair, even when you think I don’t notice.” I paused, feeling the first tear roll down my cheek. Ryan silently reached up to gently swipe it away.
“I love the way you give me butterfly kisses, thinking it won’t wake me up in the morning before you leave for work.” I drew in a shaky breath. “I love how safe and secure I feel when I’m with you. I love how confident you are in yourself and in us. But mostly, I love the man that you’ve turned into since I first met you. Every day, I see a new piece of your soul, and I fall even harder and even more in love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know every inch of your beautiful soul, Ryan Wilson.”
I looked up at him with blurry, tear-filled eyes and watched as a tear rolled down his cheek.
“To think I have to top that, spitfire.” He chuckled, his voice raw. He reached forward and swiped a tear off my hot cheek. Ace leaned forward to hand him a small paper, but he didn’t take it, just waved it away. “I have it all up here, man, but thanks.” He touched his head before grabbing both of my hands, the paper containing my vows falling to our feet.
“You’re beautiful and smart,” he began, and my chin wobbled as I smiled. “Your laugh is absolutely contagious. Even when the joke isn’t funny, I find myself laughing with you. You have the most beautiful heart, and you have become the most selfless person I know. Your eyes are my favorite shade of green, and your smile sets my soul at ease.”
He paused to draw in a deep breath, and I took that moment to slowly close my eyes and breathe with him.
“You take me as I am, battle scars and all, and you love all the parts of me that I hate. You care about my feelings. The day that you fell in love with me, I fell in love with you, too. I fell in love with the wild, free-spirited, red head who wanted to hear my problems, even though she had her own. I wanted to kiss you the moment you rushed into my house to see how my sister was. I wanted to marry you the day I saw you at her graduation. But instead, I pushed you away like a damn fool.”
I heard Celine snort behind me, and I fought the small smile forming on my lips. Ace barked out a laugh before roughly clearing his throat and rolling his lips into his mouth.
Fucking Ace.
“A year of being without you showed me that I couldn’t live without you and be happy, that you were the reason my soul felt free. And I realized it’s not about having a perfect relationship like everyone else—it’s about finding someone who understands and loves every inch of you, even the ugly bits. You went through six years of long-distance with me, six years of wondering if I was alive, so many days alone, and you never gave up on us.”
I was crying, big tears rolling down my cheeks so fast, I could barely make out his face.
“I am so in love with you, spitfire. I am honored to be given the opportunity to spend the rest of my life by your side.”
“Now, repeat after me, children.” The priest brought me back to the small beach, to the people around me, all sitting on the edge of their seats, many crying over our heartfelt vows.
“I, Amber Phillips, take you, Ryan Wilson, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” My voice shook, and my bottom lip trembled with emotion. My fingers were unsteady as I slid the silver band onto Ryan’s finger.
This was really happening. We were sealing our futures together.
“I, Ryan Wilson, take you, Amber Phillips, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
His warm hand held mine as he slipped a beautiful silver band onto my finger and raised it to his lips to kiss.
My knees wobbled, and I feared I was going to faint at the thunderous emotion coursing through my body.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Ryan took a slow step forward, his hands coming up to frame my face, and his eyes—those gorgeous blue eyes—drew me in as he lowered his face to mine.
His lips brushed mine softly in a tantalizing tease, and then, he applied a little more pressure. I plunged my fingers through his short hair, holding him to me. His tongue teased at my bottom lip as our family and friends cheered, their applause and screams of joy barely making sense in my mind.
Ryan pulled back, leaning his forehead against mine. “Hey, Mrs. Wilson,” he whispered before kissing me again. I beamed at him.
“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Wilson,” the priest announced.
I laughed, more tears spilling down my cheeks, my smile so wide, it actually hurt my face.
I was finally Ryan Wilson’s wife.