Chapter 44
Fact or Fiction?
This marriage is fiction.
Luke
I watch my niece Everly walk my mom down the snow-covered aisle, forcing a smile I know she doesn’t feel. My mom, on the other
hand, feels every bit of her happiness as she takes her seat and gives me a wave and a hearty thumbs-up, completely oblivious
to the absolute pain shredding through my heart right now.
I have to marry the woman I love today . . .
Who is planning to divorce me tomorrow.
Life is a fucking bitch.
I glance out at the guests all covered in blankets and wearing their winter coats. Crisp, mountain air dances in front of
their lips as they speak quietly to each other. The snow-dusted evergreens all around us are beautiful, but I can’t appreciate
them like I normally do. In fact, every beautiful snowy image today feels like an extra stab through my frozen heart.
I glance over at my three brothers standing beside me. They’re outfitted in their Sunday best as they watch their ladies walk
down the aisle one by one. They all gaze at their person with love and adoration even though two of them were in the doghouse—or
the barn—with me last night.
But they still love each other.
They worked through it.
And they found forgiveness.
If only I could have been so lucky.
Ethan is next and he’s looking sharp in his dark green suit while pulling Stevie in a wagon covered in fluffy tulle. Stevie has my heart ready to burst as she smiles big and toothless in her blue-and-yellow flannel dress with a matching stocking cap on top.
Ethan pulls the wagon up to my mom, running over her foot in the process. Everly jumps up to help get them settled beside
her and then Sharon, the officiant, tells everyone to rise.
The music shifts to the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” sung by Kina Grannis, which I handpicked for today when I thought
this was going to be the happiest day of my life. Now it’s taunting me with a love story that doesn’t have a happy ending.
When Addison and her father round the corner, my heart stops, and the world disappears. All I see is her gliding toward me,
looking like fresh snow against the wintery landscape. Her dark hair is swept over to one side, curled and loose down one
shoulder. Her long lashes fan her rosy cheeks, and her shoulders peek out above the white fur shawl wrapped around her arms.
White Converse sneakers peek out under her skirt, and I’d laugh . . . if only I wasn’t crying.
Calder taps me on the shoulder and hands me a handkerchief, which I use. I’m crying about so many things. I’m crying because
she’s the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m crying because she’s my best friend and I’m lucky to know her. And I’m crying
because I’ll never have her in the way I want, but at least I’ll have her as my friend.
I would take Addison Monroe as a friend over nothing at all. And if that’s all she’s willing to give me, I’ll hang on to it
with everything in my heart. I will grow comfortable with this sense of longing. It will be my constant companion and that’s
okay. I would rather this throb of yearning live inside me if it allows me to keep her in my life. She’s worth it for me.
Sharon welcomes everyone to the service and tells us all why we’re gathered here before asking, “Who gives this woman in marriage?”
“I do,” John says firmly and then surprises me when he steps toward me and holds his hand out.
I stab my fingers into my eyes to see more clearly as I shake his hand, not expecting that gesture from him. He pats me on
the back and gives me a small smile.
Addison and I turn to face each other, and I struggle to make eye contact with her, knowing that looking her in the eyes will
only make repeating the vows the officiant wants us to repeat even more difficult.
When it’s finally time to say our vows, Sharons asks us to take each other’s hands. Addison passes her bouquet back to Dakota
and when Sharon says, “Addison, repeat after me,” Addison holds her hand up.
“Actually, can we do our own vows?”
My eyes snap up as I look at my friend, who’s staring nervously at the officiant.
Sharon looks to me and then back to Addison. “Of course, dear. This is your day.”
Addison turns to face me and it’s the first time I realize that she’s crying too. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and a tear streak
is frozen on her cheek. She licks her lips and exhales a trembling breath, reaching out to grip my hands firmly.
“Fact or fiction. I’m a fool.”
My head jerks back as I frown and force out a laugh I don’t feel as I look out at the guests who are all sort of laughing
but sort of not. They’re just as confused as I am, so I quickly shake my head and answer, “Fiction.”
Addison cocks her head and glares at me. “Don’t do that. Answer it honestly. You know we only ever ask each other questions
we know are fact.”
I rub my lips together, trying to figure out how the hell to get out of this weird line of questioning she’s forcing on me. “You’re not a fool, Addison.”
“I’m going to ask again, and I need you to be honest, Luke. Come on now.”
I shake my head adamantly refusing to be set up to fail like this. “No, don’t ask me—”
“Fact or fiction. I love you.”
Chills erupt over my shoulders, my chest, my arms, legs, and toes. I feel them all over as my body language transforms from
tense and defensiveness to pure, undiluted longing.
I circuit her face, taking in every inch of her expression and I see something there that I didn’t see before.
Hope.
I swallow the knot in my throat. “Please let it be a fact.”
She expels a noise and shrugs. “You know it is. It’s a fact. I love you. I don’t know when it happened, Luke, but somewhere
along the way, I stopped being able to exist without you and that is utterly terrifying because you are the only person I’ve
let in since . . . since . . .” Her voice cuts off as she shakes violently.
“Aaron,” I finish her sentence, letting his name exist in the space between us. He’s an important part of her life and I want
her to know I see that. I’ve always seen that.
Her face bends with emotion as her chin quivers. She nods as fresh tears fall down her cheeks. “I love you so much, and I’m
sorry for not letting that be enough last night. But I love you, Luke. I don’t want to be afraid. I want to be brave. You’re
my home and I want to build a life with you.”
I close my eyes and feel her words wrap around me like a heated blanket in this snowy wonderland we’re standing in. “My turn?”
“For what?” she asks, frowning at me.
“For my vows.”
“Oh . . .” She looks to Sharon, who nods, seeming enraptured by our little change in format.
I blow out a breath, trying to pull myself together. “Fact or fiction, I love you, babe.”
She smiles wobbly back at me. “Fact.”
“It is a fact. And it’s a fact that I want to take care of you. I want to wipe your tears after a hard day and eat your bread
until I’m fat. I want to lie on the couch with you until you fall asleep. And if the weight of my arm is what you need to
stay asleep, it’s yours. Forever my arms are yours, Addison, because I will love you forever. You’re my home and I want to
build a life with you too.”
“I love you so much,” she says and falls into my arms, her hands wrapping around my neck as she kisses me with abandon. Kisses
me with every single part of her soul. And I give her mine in return.
“Um . . . guys . . .” Sharon’s voice cuts into our moment. “We have some other things to do before that part.”
“Oh.” Addison laughs and pulls away. Her cheeks are flush, and her smile lights up her whole face as it heals the hurt inside
of me.
She loves me.
She fucking loves me.
“Rings?” Sharon asks and Addison turns her attention to her dad, who stands up and pulls a ring box out of his pocket.
He gives me a half smile that feels important as he opens the box and sets the band on the officiant’s open book. Calder steps
forward and adds the ring I got, and Addison and I both look at what we bought and smile.
They’re the matching Cartier love wedding bands. They’re both white gold and feature a flat head screw design motif on them, but the one I selected for Addison also has three round brilliant-cut diamonds evenly spaced around the band between the screwhead cuts.
“You did it again,” she says, her voice hoarse as she shakes her head and looks at the ring in shock.
“You like surprises,” I remind my girl and feel my insides melt over that thought.
She’s my girl.
Sharon has us take our rings and repeat after her. We actually listen this time and do as she says, and the moment I slide
Roe’s wedding band onto her finger alongside her nail design ring, I feel something inside my body click into place. A rightness
in the world.
This wedding is fact. Not fiction.
Nothing like coming down to the fucking wire.
“Without further ado, Luke, you may now kiss your bride . . . again!” Sharon exclaims excitedly.
Our eyes lock before we meet each other in the middle, our foreheads gently touching for a moment as we hold each other’s
face and smile softly knowing this is finally it. There’s no going back now.
I slip my hand down below her jaw and pull her into me, fusing our lips together as the whole world disappears and for a few
precious seconds, we’re just us again. Luke and Addison. Two friends who met in a lumberyard and fell in love.
The distant cheering of our friends and family pulls us apart as Sharon introduces us as Mr. and Mrs. Luke and Addison Monroe
Fletcher.
It’s about damn time.