Chapter Twenty-One
DEE
One Week Later
I can’t believe it.
This time tomorrow, I will be Mrs. Deliah Slade.
It’s taken Colt and me years to get to this point—years filled with ups and downs, heartache, healing, and a couple of near-death experiences.
But through it all, one thing has remained constant—him.
Us. And now, I can say with complete certainty, I’ve never felt more connected or in sync with another human being.
I used to wonder if soulmates were real, if that kind of deep, magnetic bond actually existed.
Now I know.
If soulmates are real then Colt is mine.
Without a doubt.
I’m lying in bed without him for the first time in what feels like forever, and it’s unsettling not waking up to his warmth beside me.
He stayed at Anna and Johnny’s last night—tradition, they said.
All the guys are getting ready over there and will arrive just before the ceremony.
It’s happening right here at our home, our manor, out back, where everything is being set up.
Anna has organized it so perfectly. The ceremony is down by the lake beneath the big weeping willow tree.
Colt and I spend a lot of time there—it’s peaceful and grounding.
He often goes to write under that tree. It’s his quiet space, his sanctuary, and I’ve watched him fill pages in that spot with lyrics that cut straight to the bone.
We always said that if we got married, it should be there.
And here we are.
Anna is my maid of honor—there was never any doubt—and Huxley is Colt’s best man.
Sia, Kira, and Joseph make up the rest of my bridal party.
Joseph is technically the unconventional bridesmaid, and while he refused to wear a dress—thank God—he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
I was a little worried he might feel weird about it, given our history, but he was thrilled when I asked.
He’s been one of my biggest supporters through everything.
Even though he’s my ex, he stands beside me today more like the big brother I never had.
And honestly, I can’t imagine this day without him.
I stretch and yawn, a soft sigh escaping my lips as I sit up. Despite my expectations, I slept soundly. No tossing and turning, no nerves. Just a calm, quiet happiness humming inside me.
It’s strange how people get caught up in the idea that marriage changes things.
But really, it’s just a piece of paper.
It doesn’t deepen love or magically make a relationship better.
If anything, it should be a formality, a symbol of something that already exists.
If you’re getting married, it should be because you’re already in deep.
After all, that person is your everything.
Not because you’re hoping a ceremony will make things feel more real.
That’s what I love about Colt and me.
We don’t need to prove anything to anyone.
Still, I’m not going to lie, it’ll feel incredible to call myself his wife.
Officially.
That paper won’t define us. It won’t measure the love we’ve bled for, fought for, and chosen time and again. The valid proof is in our commitment—our fire, our resilience, our raw, unapologetic love.
His wife.
Colter Slade’s wife.
God, I can’t wait.
The door creaks open slowly, and I look up to see a familiar face peek around the edge.
“Hey, sorry, did I wake you?” Joseph asks softly.
I shake my head, smiling. “No, it’s fine. I was already awake. Come in.”
He crosses the room and sits beside me on the bed. I shift up, tucking my knees beneath me as he takes my hands.
“How are you feeling?”
I beam. “Amazing.”
He chuckles, a warm sound that fills the room. “This could have been us, you know.”
I smirk, rolling my eyes. “Hmm… yeah, what a great marriage that would’ve been.”
“Right? Your husband sneaking off with another man. Ford would’ve murdered me.”
“Yep.” I giggle. “Things have a way of working out, don’t they?”
Joseph’s smile turns softer as he tightens his grip on my hands. “Dee, I’m sorry for how I treated you when we ended. But honestly? I’m kinda glad I was a dick. Because if I hadn’t been, you might not have gone to the Hyatt, and you might not have met Colt.”
I smile at the memory—the tears, the vodka, the tub of Ben and Jerry’s. The man who knocked on my door and didn’t run when I fell apart.
“That feels like a lifetime ago,” I whisper.
“Seriously, Joseph, you don’t owe me an apology.
If anything, you saved me that night from a life I didn’t even realize I was spiraling into.
I hated you for a while, sure. But then I realized it was the best thing that could’ve happened to both of us.
And thank God it happened that night. If it had been the next one, Colt would’ve already been in America, and we never would have met. Life works in funny, fated ways.”
His eyes glimmer as he nods. “Well, I couldn’t be prouder of you than I am right now, Princess. Let’s get you ready to marry your prince, yeah?”
I nod, a flutter of anticipation taking root in my chest.
We head downstairs to the kitchen, and the scent of fresh fruit and flaky pastries fills the air. Anna and Sia are bustling around, prepping breakfast.
“Can I help with anything?” I ask, stepping forward.
Anna scoffs, hand on hip. “Uh-uh, Dee. This is your day. You’re not lifting a damn finger. Sit down. Kira will go over your makeup while we get everything ready. No arguments either, missy.”
Sia gives a solemn nod like it’s gospel.
Laughing, I shake my head and join Joseph and Kira at the table. “I just want to say… thank you. For being here. All of you. I wouldn’t want to share this day with anyone else.”
A chorus of “awws” rings out.
“You know we love ya guts,” Kira says, grinning. “Now prepare to be pampered, chicka.” She removes the band from my ponytail and begins running her fingers through my hair, gently playing with the strands.
Okay—guess she’s doing my hair and makeup.
Truthfully, I don’t know much about how the day’s going to unfold. Anna has kept most of it under wraps. But if I know her, it’ll be amazing.
“It’s wild to think that Colt is getting married today,” Kira says with a laugh. “Honestly, never thought I’d see the day that man would settle down. I bet Jessi is well pissed.”
Ugh. Jessi.
The one person I wish would never be mentioned again.
“Ha! Jessi is a scrag,” Sia says with a shrug. “She used Colt to chase her fifteen minutes of fame. I can’t believe I ever called her a friend.”
I blink, surprised at her bluntness.
Sia continues, “That bullshit she pulled about being pregnant with Colt’s baby? Please. I lost all sympathy for her after that circus act.”
“We’re not thinking about her today,” Anna interjects firmly. “Today is about Colt loving Dee. Period. They’re perfect for each other.”
I glance around the room, the love radiating from my friends washing over me.
“Yeah, we are a perfect match, hey?” I say softly.
Joseph leans in and kisses my cheek. “Absolutely perfect, Princess.”
Anna and Sia walk over with plates of colorful fruit, buttery croissants, and bowls of creamy Greek yogurt. My stomach growls on cue, and I dig in without hesitation, scooping a piece of cantaloupe and dipping it into the yogurt. It tastes like sunshine and heaven.
Outside, it’s a picture-perfect August summer’s day—bright, breezy, and twenty degrees Celsius.
Anna couldn’t have picked a more ideal forecast. It had drizzled for a few days before, but now the sun is back and the manor gardens look like something out of a fairytale.
The flowers are in full bloom, the grass is lush and vibrant, and everything smells fresh and alive.
And in just a few hours, I get to marry Colter Slade.
After breakfast, the glam squad—AKA my ride-or-die bridesmaids—kicks into full gear.
Kira has my hair pinned in a stunning, textured updo—elegant but overdone—and my makeup is subtle, dewy perfection.
Anna pops a bottle of champagne and pours us each a glass, dropping a fresh strawberry inside like it’s a five-star spa experience.
We all clink glasses except for Sia, who sticks with sparkling water.
I really wish the doctors would figure out what’s going on with her. She’s been so off lately, and it weighs on all of us.
With a buzz of excitement in the air, we head upstairs to the guest room where my wedding dress is waiting.
As soon as I see it, laid out with delicate precision, the soft shimmer of the fabric catching the morning light, something inside me shifts.
The calm that carried me through breakfast disappears.
Suddenly, I’m sweating over things like walking across the grass in heels or forgetting every single vow I painstakingly memorized.
“Anna, what if I fall on the way to the willow tree?” I ask, my voice cracking slightly as my chest tightens. My breathing comes in shallow spurts, and the panic starts to bloom.
“Oh, sweetie, you won’t fall,” she says, stepping closer with that mothering tone she’s so good at. “And even if you do, your dad will be right there beside you, holding you up. You’ve got this.”
Her words help. A little.
Just knowing Dad will be walking with me down the aisle gives me something to latch onto.
“What if I forget my vows?” I ask next, anxiety creeping higher.
Anna grins, completely unbothered. “The officiant has a copy, just in case. But don’t worry, hun, everything is going to be perfect. What happened to the calm goddess we all saw this morning?”
I inhale deeply and let my eyes drift to the dress again. It’s more than just a dress, it is the moment everything becomes real.
It doesn’t matter if I fall.
It doesn’t matter if I forget my vows.
By the end of today, I’ll be Colt’s wife.
And that’s all that matters.
“I’m okay. Just had a little panic moment, but I’m fine now,” I tell them, shaking it off with a forced smile. “I’m marrying the love of my life, and nothing’s going to ruin that.”