Zo
Rum Punch had the whole room floating, but nothing had me more drunk than watching the woman I’d already called my wife for seven years glow like she was walking into my life for the first damn time.
I stood back and watched her. She had been smiling all night and dancing to the music playing over the speakers in the middle of my mother, my cousins, and my aunts.
I didn’t bother to hide it, but seeing Rem tonight hit different. I hadn’t expected to stand at the altar and be fucked up. But it happened, and I wasn’t going to fight it.
We were celebrating seven years of being together. Waking up to my best friend and the mother of my children. The only person who could calm me down and make me crash out at the same time.
Seven years ago, we met by chance. But seven years later, we were choosing each other, by choice.
The music changed to something slow and sweet. The crowd parted. People gave us space without being asked, and she pulled me closer to her.
I held on to her, pulled her in by the waist.“You good, baby?”
“I’m perfect,” she said, sliding her hands up my chest. “Are you?”
I nodded, and she threw her arms around my neck. I wasn’t a dancing ass nigga, but tonight I would make an exception for her.
We swayed to the music with her head under my chin. We just danced in silence for the most part, forgetting the noise of everyone else around me.
I kissed her forehead.“Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked softly.
“For standing up there with me again.”
She took her head off my chest and looked at me like I was tripping. Then she smiled and said, “I’d choose you every time.”
I leaned down to kiss her, and we kissed like we were the only two people in the room.
My mother came over with her napkin, waving it like a church fan. “Zohan, sweetheart, kiss yuh wife and carry her home. Buttah, ain’t for de whole island.” She joked.
Remy laughed, burying her face in my chest, embarrassed.
The song faded into something faster, and the noise returned to the room. Storm and Kennedy were arguing about who had the better wine. One of the island elders was on the ground like her knees ain’t have sixty-plus years on them.
I tilted her chin up. “You ready to go to the house, baby?”
She nodded. “Yes, I am, husband.”
We made our rounds, making sure that everyone knew that we were calling a night. They didn’t seem to care at all. They were still on the dance floor, and shots were still in rotation.
I helped her into the car, her dress brushing the pavement, her perfume catching the night air. Before I closed the door, she caught my hand.
“Zo?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“We made it seven years.”
I leaned down and kissed her slowly. She moaned into my mouth as we stood in the parking lot, wrapped in each other.
“We gone make it seventy more.” I got in, and the door shut behind me.
Remy leaned over to me as the driver pulled away from the curve and bit my ear. Her hand went from my chest to rubbing my dick through the material of my pants.
“Rem,” I warned.
“This is mine, Zohan. I got it in blood. Or whatever it is that you be saying.” She slurred as she leaned against me and laughed. I chuckled and shook my head at her.
I held on to her. Thinking about all the things that we had been through to get where we were now.
I always thought about how life would have been if she had actually gone through with that arrangement with Jax.
But I couldn’t imagine life without her in it.
These last seven years have been one hell of a journey. But if I had to do it all over again….
She’d still be wearing my last name.