Epilogue
“We’re gonna be late.”
Salem’s standing in the doorway of my bedroom, tapping his foot.
“I can’t be late to my own wedding.”
He scoffs. “Actually, you can be. Jasper’s gonna think you’re running away.”
Jasper would never think that. Hopefully. “You don’t think he really thinks that, right?”
Salem rolls his eyes. “No, I don’t think that. But it’s hot outside. He might run away. You’re getting married in a field. Why did you make us all wear suits?”
I glare at him, then sit on the bed to pull my shoes on. “Because I’m only getting married once, and I want to wear a suit. And I wanted you to wear a suit. I have to annoy you. That’s my role as a big brother.”
“So, let me get this right,” Salem says, sitting down on the bed beside me as I pull on my second shoe. “You all wore suits just to annoy me?”
“No.” I turn to him, booping his nose. “But wouldn’t that have been fun?”
“And you call me a brat,” he mumbles under his breath.
“To be fair, you are. But hey, you come by it honestly.”
He snorts. “Yeah, you’re a brat too.”
I shake my head. “No, I was talking about Nora.”
Salem stands, walking toward the door. “Oh my God. Just hurry up before we all die of heat stroke.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming. Jesus, don’t get yourself all worked up.” I pat my thighs, then stand.
In all reality, it is a sweltering fucking day for an outdoor wedding. It’s even worse for an outdoor wedding in suits, but I’m not about to admit defeat. And I’m especially not admitting it to Salem or Jasper, considering they both tried to talk me out of it when I mentioned what I wanted.
Jasper’s never tried to talk me out of something I’ve wanted ever before, and maybe I dug my heels in when I shouldn’t have, but damn, I’m not used to being told ‘no’ or ‘that’s not a good idea.’
Besides, it’s too late to go back now.
The man of my dreams is waiting for me. I’ve kept him waiting long enough.
I gesture for Salem to go on, and we walk out together and into the heat.
My fancy suit sticks to my skin as soon as the air touches me, and it’s so humid that it feels like I’m trying to breathe through a wet washcloth. In a word, it’s fucking miserable.
But when I look up, I see Jasper, and every bit of discomfort fades away.
He’s standing at the edge of the field, talking to Austin and Hunter—who are not dying of heat stroke, because they had the foresight to dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
Almost like he can sense me, Jasper’s head whips around, and his eyes lock onto mine.
His lips tilt up, a breathtaking smile spreading across his handsome face.
My heart flutters. My almost husband.
Jasper
I haven’t heard a single word that Hunter has said since we got up here. It was sweet as hell of him to get ordained so he could marry us, but I can’t drag my eyes away from Arlo. Can’t stop staring at his gorgeous blue and brown eyes. Can’t stop letting my gaze fall to his adorable freckle.
Can’t stop looking over each inch of his face. I know that I’m about to bind him to me for the rest of our lives, but it doesn’t feel real.
“Jasper,” Hunter says, and I finally drag my eyes away and look at Hunter.
Judging by the smirk on his face, it’s not the first time he’s said my name. “Yes?”
“Are you ready to say your vows?”
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yes.”
He inclines his head, gesturing for me to go ahead.
I have to draw in a deep breath, reminding myself not to lock my knees. Passing out in this heat in this suit wouldn’t be ideal. And especially not on my wedding day. Sure, there are a bunch of first responders in attendance, but best not do it anyway.
Blowing out a breath, I reach forward, taking Arlo’s hands in my own. “Baby boy, I have loved you almost as long as I’ve known you.”
Arlo smiles, and his eyes well up. If he starts crying with the first sentence, I’ll never be able to make it through.
“I took one look into those eyes and started falling, and I haven’t stopped since.
Every single day, I find something new that I love about you.
You brought things to my life that I didn’t even know I was missing, and I can never thank you enough for that.
I love you more than life itself, baby boy, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of the years I have left with you. ”
A tear slips out of Arlo’s eye, and he sniffles loudly, making Salem snort from our small audience.
“Arlo,” Hunter says. “Are you ready for your vows?”
Arlo sniffles again, then pulls a hand from mine to wipe at his face. “Ready as I’m ever gonna be.”
He wipes at his face again, then catches my hands in his. “I love you. I loved you when I thought I shouldn’t. I loved you when I thought I wasn’t worthy of you. And I love you even more now.”
My eyes fill with tears, and the second I blink, they spill over my lashes and drip onto my cheeks.
A small smile spreads across his face, and he pulls his hand from mine to wipe my tears away. For some reason, that just makes me cry harder, and more tears follow right after.
Arlo inhales a shaky breath, his fingers trembling against my cheek.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you. I only know that I’d never want to find out.
Thank you for showing me things about myself that I didn’t know existed.
Thank you for loving me loudly when I was afraid, and thank you for always fighting for me.
You’re the love of my life, and I can’t wait to spend forever by your side. ”
I’m basically openly weeping at this point, and Arlo just keeps wiping my tears away.
“Perfect,” Hunter says, a smile in his voice. “Rings, please.”
Luca hands Arlo my ring, and Austin hands me Arlo’s.
My lips feel like they belong to someone else as I repeat the words Hunter tells me to say, and my fingers are shaking when I slide Arlo’s ring onto his finger.
I don’t take my eyes off Arlo as he repeats the same words, and the cool metal of my wedding band presses against my overheated skin when Arlo works it onto my finger.
“Perfect,” Hunter says. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husbands. You may kiss your groom.”
The magic fucking words. I hook an arm around Arlo’s waist and haul him into me, pressing my lips to his as everyone cheers and screams.
Fucking finally. This man is mine. And I get to have him forever.
Salem—6 months later
I wake up to someone jumping on my bed, and I peek my eye open with a groan. “Why are you so energetic? Aren’t old men supposed to be decrepit?”
Jasper glares down at me. “That’s offensive. Get up. It’s adoption day.”
My stomach does some fucked-up fuzzy thing. It does that all the time. Well, mostly just when I think about how much better my life is now and how much more I love being alive than I used to. “I know it’s adoption day.”
Frowning, Jasper leans in closer. “So then, why are you still in bed?”
“Because I figured you’d come get me when it was time.”
Jasper bounces one more time, which, as Arlo would say, is ‘unbecoming of a man his age,’ and then he jumps to the floor. “I am coming to get you. Court’s in an hour. It’s a long drive, kiddo. Time to get ready.”
My stomach flips again, this time not in a good way. “What if…”
“What if?” Jasper echoes, raising an eyebrow.
I cover my face with my hands. “What if they don’t approve it?”
The bed dips as he sits down beside me. “They’ll approve it. It’s basically a formality at this point.”
It doesn’t feel like a formality. It feels like a big fucking deal, and also like everything is working against us.
Arlo and Jasper applied to adopt us literally the day after their wedding, but everything has gone wrong.
The courthouse lost our paperwork, and then it took months for my fuckass parents to get their rights taken away.
A big part of me wants to be excited, and I am, but I’m also still getting used to the idea that things can work out for me the way they’re supposed to.
“Wanna drive?”
I shake my head. “I can’t drive with Nora. You know that’s Arlo’s rule.”
“I know,” Jasper says. “But I already talked to him, and he’s gonna take Nora, and I thought maybe you’d wanna take your new car out with me.”
I sit straight up in bed, my heart jumping. “Are you deadass?”
Jasper’s brows draw together in confusion. “Am I what now?”
“Deadass. It’s like serious.” I roll my eyes. Old man.
He nods. “I am indeed deadass.”
That makes me laugh. “Okay, ew. Don’t say that.”
Putting on a pouty face, Jasper cocks his head. “What? Is it cringe or something?”
That makes me laugh even harder. “Oh my God. Don’t say that either.”
He rolls his eyes. “You kids don’t let me have any fun.”
I shake my head with a grin. “Are you sure you want me to drive? Arlo’s, like, always acting like I’m gonna kill us or something.”
He’s really dramatic about it. Last time I drove him somewhere, he kept grabbing the dash and slamming his foot into the floorboard.
I was on a back road.
Going five under the speed limit.
I looked in my mirror, and he yelled at me to keep my eyes on the road.
I nearly roll my eyes at the memory. God forbid I stay aware of my surroundings the way Jasper taught me to do.
“Burning buildings, kid,” he sing-songs as he walks out of the room. “Now come on!”
I get dressed in record time, and when I walk into the kitchen, Nora and Arlo are sitting at the island. “I’m really the last one up, huh?”
“Guess that’s being a teenager for you.” Arlo grins. “I’m glad you get to sleep in.”
Me too. After Arlo left, I spent a lot of time not sleeping.
It wasn’t long after that Dad moved back in and Mom started using again.
I didn’t tell Arlo for a long time. I didn’t want him to feel bad.
But I spent a long time staying up late to keep an eye on Nora and getting up early to get us both to school.
Sleeping in is a privilege. Even more so in a house that’s safe.
“Jasper told me to hurry up, but he’s not even in here.”
“He’s starting the cars,” Nora says. “Said he doesn’t want us to be cold.”