Evan
Evan
T his was ridiculous.
I was shaking as I stared straight ahead. The registrar smiled at me reassuringly. Beads of sweat crept down my neck as Jain laced her soft fingers with mine.
I took the ring from my brother’s hand as he nodded at me proudly.
“I, Evan Silver, take you, Jain Martin, to be no other than yourself. Loving and trusting you always, I will respect you and believe that we will stand side by side facing whatever comes our way. I want you to be the first thing I see when I wake up every morning and the last thing at night. I choose you as my forever.”
How I did it, I don’t quite know. However, all those practice sessions in front of the mirror certainly paid off, and my chest puffed out with pride.
Jain hadn’t heard my vows until that moment, and it didn’t fail to move her. I heard a chuckle from behind us and the crinkle of fabric as someone pressed a tissue into my almost wife’s hand as she thanked them hastily. Jain then fanned her face before someone approached her again, this time with a plain white gold wedding band she took gingerly. I smiled at her when she finally looked at me before nodding at the registrar.
“I, Jain Martin, take you, Evan Silver as my absolute life partner. Nothing ever worked before you, and meeting you showed me why.” Her voice was shaky yet full of genuine emotion. “I promise always to respect you as you respect me, love you unconditionally, and forever pay back the happiness that you give to me every day. I’ll always be yours, in this life and the next.”
I felt the eyes of our guests on me as I nodded, swallowing down the Jain-shaped lump in my throat.
“I love you,” I whispered as she began to cry. The registrar read out some more words as we listened intently.
“I now pronounce you, husband and wife.” The registrar beamed at us before opening her hands out, palms up. “You may kiss your bride.”
I didn’t need to be asked twice.
For the first time, I kissed my wife.
The kiss was familiar, her touch the same as it was hours earlier. But there was a little bit of magic there that had come with those beautiful words we had said before the people we loved the most. Something remarkable happened, and when I looked into her eyes, I knew she felt it too.
There was applause and hoots of happiness from our guests as I finally released Jain. Her hands were gripping mine, and I noticed her gazing straight down at her finger.
“We did it,” Jain breathed, and I simply squeezed her hand in response.
We walked down the tiny aisle as two of our guests—Sarah and Eloise, signed the registrars’ books as formal witnesses. I found myself gazing at Jain as she hugged our friends, the stupidly beautiful dress somehow making her look even more alluring than usual. It was simple, but it was on Jain . Therefore, it was outrageously stunning. Her hair was pinned up, soft curls escaping from the diamond tiara that adorned her head. I was grinning stupidly when Anya and Amaya ran up to us, looking picture perfect in their stunning silver gowns.
“Uncle Evan, you’re old now!” Anya cooed as I let out a snort of laughter. I caught Jain’s eyes as she laughed along with me, much to Anya’s dismay.
“But you get married when you are old—”
“Congratulations to you both. We are so happy for you!” Kate cried, her eyes raking over Jain for the thousandth time today. “How she isn’t pregnant, I’ll never know,” she murmured to me, causing me to shrug happily.
“Maybe the wedding night?” I quipped, shaking hands with Harley as he approached, followed by my brother Sebastian and his wife, Angela.
“You always were the dark horse in our family,” Sebastian joked, nodding at Jain. “Your wife is truly stunning. You deserve to be happy together.”
He handed me an envelope as I lifted my eyebrows questioningly. He stood tall, watching me carefully.
“What’s this?” I asked, holding the thick envelope out as he pushed it towards my chest.
“Mum and Dad couldn’t be here to give you that,” Sebastian said quietly, staring at the floor as my breathing slowed. Jain moved beside me, looking from me to my brother as curiosity danced in her beautiful eyes.
My parents didn’t accept our relationship, and as I had tarnished the family’s reputation with a criminal record, they had refused to accept our invitation to the wedding. My brother and I were incredibly close, and he wouldn’t have missed it for the world .
“They chose not to be—” I began as Sebastian placed his hand on my shoulder firmly.
“So, as your big brother,” he continued, a broad smile on his face, “allow me to do the honours. Please, Evan, take it,” he added quietly before releasing my arm.
I stared down at the packet before lifting it open with my little finger.
“They’re tickets. Plane tickets?” I hoarsely said as he smiled, glancing at his wife beside him, who beamed back at us.
“We thought it would be nice if you had a break together, away from normality. So, we booked that. We hope you like it,” Angela blurted out quickly.
I saw Jain smile before looking up at me.
“Barbados?” I whispered, sifting through the paperwork. “Seb, I can’t take this—”
“I’m not taking it back.” Sebastian smiled before nodding at the envelope. “Anyway, your names are on there. If you don’t go, the holiday goes to shit.”
We all laughed then, and Jain squeezed my arm with excitement.
“Thank you, honestly. It means so much to us,” Jain said solemnly, and I watched as my brother moved his loving gaze to her, his eyes slightly changing before he spoke.
“You’re most welcome, Jain. We want you both to be happy.”
His wife nodded, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he afforded all of this on a professor’s salary. He seemed to read my mind, chuckling as he rested his hand on my forehead.
“Stop thinking. Get yourselves over that threshold and then later, onto Barbados,” he commanded, his dark eyes meeting mine before sliding his arm around Angela .
I didn’t question it, and I thanked him all the same. But there was something in my brother’s eyes that told me he was cooking up a storm behind the scenes, and I wouldn’t know until it had blown over, what it was all about.
After copious amounts of alcohol and dancing at the local pub, it was much later when I finally got him alone.
“Seb. You need to tell me what’s going on,” I muttered, his eyes turning to me in surprise as he patted his wife’s ass, moving away with me to speak privately.
“Evan, seriously. It’s a wedding present—”
“Sebastian—”
He winced before letting out a childish groan. “Not the full name, mate...come on.”
“An all-inclusive luxury all-inclusive break in Barbados isn’t cheap,” I argued as he glanced around us with exasperation. His dark hair, much longer than mine and worn in a ponytail, gave him the hippy vibe that made him so popular in school. But that’s where it stopped. He was a handsome man, the strong jawline we both shared, except his eyes were a bright blue. He wore sharp suits whenever he was out in public, and he worked out daily.
I’d never have guessed he was a professor, but the man knew his shit.
“Take your wife on holiday, Evan. Make love to her on the beach, and drink until you can’t focus anymore. Make babies. Forget reality, just for a short while, and when you’re back, come and tell us all about it over a good meal, hmm?” He smiled, knowing he had persuaded me within the first line.
“You should’ve been a gangster,” I muttered, swigging my drink as he smirked.
“I should’ve,” he remarked quietly before clapping me on the back. “It must pay more than teaching, right?”
He walked away, his arm snaking around Angela’s waist as she welcomed him back with open arms. They’d been married a few years now, and they were pretty much inseparable. Then, I saw Jain cross the small floor to meet me, her eyes filled with the effects of alcohol and joy.
“Mr Silver, I married you, hic —” Jain giggled, and I laughed as I pulled her towards me.
“Yeah, you did, Mrs Silver. I think it’s time I took you home,” I whispered, her hands lacing around my neck as her mouth found mine. The kiss was hot and sexy, different to how we had kissed for most of the day.
“We have to have sex,” she declared, and I winced when I heard wolf whistles around us.
“You could’ve used the word consummate.” I chuckled as she leaned up to whisper in my ear.
“Darling, I’m your wife. Make it legal. Take me home and fuck me.”
I raised my eyebrows as she smiled up at me innocently. I smiled, knowing that if we didn’t leave soon, I’d end up hitching that beautiful gown of hers up around her waist as I fucked her in the toilet cubicle.
Nah, she deserved better than that.
Home first, then Barbados.
Sounds like a plan, Silver, I thought to myself happily as we began to make our exit.
I did like a carefully executed plan.