Chapter 64
Chapter Sixty-Four
KNOX
Three Months Later…
Bella knocks on the door lightly before opening the door with her eyes closed.
“Are you decent?”
Killian chuckles, “No, but we are dressed.”
She pops her eyes open and comes in, handing Carter an envelope.
“It’s for all of you.”
She turns to leave, and I ask, “Should we be worried?”
Bella giggles a loud belly laugh as if I told a hilarious joke.
“Not at all. If she runs, it’ll be down the aisle to you, not away from you.”
When she leaves, Carter opens the envelope and clears his throat before reading it out loud.
To my men,
Today has been a very long day. Not being allowed to see you until I walk down the aisle is a cruel form of torture I never want to experience again.
I’m writing you this letter to tell you all the things I will be too choked up to say at the altar.
Carter, you aren’t the man you think you are.
You say you’re fucked up, I say you’re as perfect as you claim I am.
Bad things happen to good people, and it doesn’t make them evil.
You are not your trauma, my love. Anything that happened as a result of that trauma, was not you.
Forgive yourself, Carter, so we can be free.
Knox, you taught me about safety. Something I never knew existed. My consent king, my safe place. I’ll never understand how you know the exact right thing to say, but thank you, for being my soft place to land.
Killian, We’ve been through it, haven’t we?
I have learned so much from all three of you, but you taught me that forgiveness is an act of love.
For yourself and the other person. It was with that forgiveness that I found a path to loving you as I do your brothers.
When I saw the real you, how could I not fall?
I panicked when I thought you were making me choose because I never could. I love all three of you equally. You are triplets with distinct personalities. Yet you all share the same heart I fell in love with. Thank you for being mine and never making me choose something that’s impossible.
I cannot wait to call you my husbands. I’ll be the one in white with purple boots living my best life because I’m marrying all of you.
XOXO,
Little Heathen
Killer
Tesoro
Or my favorite nickname… Wife.
“I need to see her. Now.”
Kill moves in front of the door.
“You will not. It’s time to go outside, anyway.”
Carter nods and straightens his tie.
“Do I look okay?”
Kill opens the door and chuckles.
“You’re a sexy motherfucker, Carter, just like I am.”
I roll my eyes at them as we walk out of the room, to the side door that leads to the garden where we are marrying our girl.
Carter
My brothers and I stand on a white gazebo decorated with purple flowers, clear lights, and tulle.
A red carpet separates the two sides of black chairs.
Our girl decorated every inch of this place to create the wedding of her dreams. We had to hire a minister to marry Heather and I legally but his part will be only that.
The vows don’t need someone ordained to matter.
Our hearts are connected in ways the law will never understand.
The violins play, our guests consisting of our newly discovered family, rise to their feet as Heather comes into view.
I can breathe again.
She stops halfway down the aisle and winks at us as she lifts the bottom of her dress, showing off her boots, and Killian chuckles as he shakes his head at her.
“This woman is fucking perfect.” He says loudly as our guests laugh while the minister arches a brow in disapproval.
The second she’s close enough, I take both of her hands, my eyes trailing her stunning body.
She’s wearing a white floor length strapless gown, exposing her shoulders, her hair is in a high ponytail with diamonds surrounding it and white ribbon hanging to the base of her neck.
Jesus, she's gorgeous.
Heather stares at me, and I stare back. We are in this moment, joined by our new family, but it’s as if they aren’t here. All I see is her.
“I, Carter, choose you, Heather, to be my partner in life. I promise to always stand by your side, to be your partner in crime. I choose you the way you always choose me.”
Her hands shake and I squeeze them to calm her nerves as she begins to speak.
“I, Heather, choose you, Carter, to be my partner in life. I promise to always stand by your side, to be your partner in crime-”
Tears fall down her cheeks as she exhales a shaky breath before continuing.
“I choose you the way you always choose me.”
We don’t exchange rings since it’s not a legal requirement. This was at Heather's request to save the rings for the second part of the ceremony with all four of us.
“I now pronounce you husband and-”
Pulling my wife into my arms, I slam my lips to hers. Heather throws her arms around my neck and pushes her tongue into my mouth as a sweet little moan escapes from her mouth into mine.
Killian clears his throat.
“Carter. We aren’t done yet.”
I pull back from Heather and gaze at her as she giggles while wiping lipstick from my lips. Her cheeks blush beautifully as Knox moves to her side, and Killian stands in front, facing us.
Our minister steps back, allowing us to conduct the rest of our ceremony.
Finding someone who would legally marry Heather and I, but also allow a ceremony with my brothers, was challenging.
This one agreed but would not take part in anything other than our legal marriage.
People are so fucking closed-minded. I’ve never understood why people worry about who’s fucking who.
Killian clears his throat nervously, which is surprising to me because I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with shaky hands before today. He holds the ring we had made for her to the end of her finger and speaks, his voice filled with emotion, something I’ve rarely seen from Kill.
“Heather, I love every part of you. Your kind heart, your ferocious spirit, even the disobedient little brat. There is no part of you I would change if I could. We call you perfect, not because you’re a human being without flaws, but because you're perfect to us. For us. Wear this ring as a symbol of our undying love for you.”
A tear falls down her cheek as she says the words we’ve all heard her say before.
“A love like ours never dies.”
Knox moves the ring to the middle of her finger, his eyes stare into hers, also filled with the love we all have for our woman.
“Tesoro, you came into our lives like a storm threatening to destroy everything, but instead, you calmed our world. Made it better. Healed the broken parts inside us. It wasn’t calculated, it wasn’t planned.
You do it by simply being you. I call you Tesoro, but it’s not just a nickname.
It’s the fucking truth. You are a goddamn treasure.
And we will always treat you like the gift you are.
Wear this ring as a symbol of our undying love for you. ”
I push the ring the rest of the way onto her finger, and gaze at her as I speak to her, my wife.
“Wear this ring as a symbol of our undying love for you. You are ours and we are yours. Not for a lifetime but eternity.”
She smiles softly as she takes us in, one by one.
“Because a lifetime would never be enough.”
Heather breathes out a slow breath as Bones steps to her and hands her the small box holding our rings.
She takes the first one out and hands the box to Bones.
Holding my left hand in hers, she stares into my eyes, as she speaks heartfelt words.
“Carter, I see you—all of you. Our trauma bonded us but we became so much more than that. You don’t simply have my heart and soul—you are my heart and soul. Wear this ring as a symbol of my undying love for you.”
She pushes the ring on my finger and I press my forehead to hers, breathing in her scent, giving myself permission to selfishly take this moment and commit it to memory. I kiss her on the forehead and release her as she turns to Knox.
Taking his hand she stares into his eyes and Bones hands her another ring. She places the ring over the tip of his finger and speaks to him.
“Knox, you are my safe space. Somehow you always know what I need. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how you always seem to know the right thing to say. I will always tesoro you. Is that how you say it?”
My brother laughs, “No, Tesoro, it’s not yet, somehow it’s perfect, like you.”
She blushes as she pushes the ring the rest of the way onto his finger and closes hers around the titanium.
“You don’t simply have my heart and soul—you are my heart and soul. Wear this ring as a symbol of my undying love for you.”
Heather turns back around facing Killian and Bones hands her the ring. Tears stream down her face as she whispers.
“I need a minute.”
Knox rubs circles on her back as I speak low, my words only meant for her.
“Take all the time you need. We have an entire lifetime.”
She glances at me and admonishes me, right here at the altar.
“You’re not helping me stop being so damn emotional.”
Turning back to my brother she stares into his eyes, both of their gazes filled with emotion as she places the third ring on his finger.
“The day we met, if you had told me we’d be here today, I’d have said you were insane.
Yet, here we are. Thank you for showing me the man you are.
You love as fiercely as you hate and to me, that’s a beautiful thing.
You don’t simply have my heart and soul—you are my heart and soul.
Wear this ring as a symbol of my undying love for you. ”
After she pushes the ring all the way onto Killian’s finger, she takes my hand with her left and both of theirs with her right as she sighs sounding elated.
“We’re married, all of us. My husbands. I love you.”
I kiss her again. Knox is next and then Killian.
“He thinks we are crazy.” Heather giggles, nodding to the minister and I shrug.
“Who fucking cares? Are you happy?”
She nods, more tears in her eyes.
“So happy.”
That’s the only thing that matters to me and to my brothers. Our girl is happy. This woman has been abused for the majority of her life. Never again.
Screwdriver by Prince starts playing over the loudspeakers. Heather pulls her dress up to her knees.
“Come on, husbands, dance with your wife.”