73. This most certainly doesnt fucking blow
Chapter 73
This most certainly doesn't fucking blow
Luca
I ’ve never been one to give a shit about the weather, but I’m thankful today that it’s cool for June in Southern Nevada.
My mom and dad are sitting in the front row, pointedly ignoring each other. Dad looks happy. He adores Ariana, and while he’s been a shit dad for half of my life, he’s trying to make up for it now. And more importantly, at least to me, he’s going to be a wonderful father-in-law to my wife. I can’t ask for much more than that.
Mom’s not making eye contact with me. I tracked her down this morning and told her to behave herself, or she wouldn’t be welcome near my family. Any of it. Ever. She’s made no effort to repair our relationship or to get to know Ari at all. Part of me expected her to take off before the wedding. Actually, part of me hoped she would.
Mia and Becca sit in the front row on the other side of the aisle, smiling and fighting back tears. I grin and shoot them a wink.
Music starts playing, and Callie steps out from behind the sheer white curtains hanging in the doorway. She skips down the aisle, throwing flowers everywhere and grinning ear to ear. When she reaches the end, she runs up to me, and I crouch down.
“Did I do a good job, Luca?” she whispers.
“You did the best job, Callie.” She throws her arms around my neck, then skips off to sit between my dad and Danielle. Dad holds out his fist, and she bumps it with hers.
Lil walks out next. Her eyes meet mine, and we both smile. After she takes her place, the music changes and my heart starts to pound. The curtains draw up, and Ariana steps out with Marco.
And nothing else matters. I don’t know shit about wedding dresses, but I know Ariana looks like a fucking dream in hers. She’s stunning, my girl. But she always is. Her eyes don’t leave mine as she glides toward me with a hint of a smirk on her lips at the instrumental mix of “You Are In Love” and “Watermelon Sugar” she spent hours creating.
When they reach the end of the aisle, Marco kisses her cheek. She smiles at him, and I hear her whisper, “Love you, Daddy.” Then she’s next to me, holding my hand, and it’s all I can do to not grab her and kiss her.
The minx winks at me like she can read my mind. She probably can.
Lil places their bouquets in holders on a small table next to her, then turns to face us.
A couple of tears slip down her face. “Shit, I swore I wouldn’t cry, and now I owe Ari a hundred bucks.” A chuckle runs through the guests. “But today, I get to marry my oldest friend, my best friend, my sister, Ariana, to my newest friend, my other best friend, my cousin, Luca. Which sounds weird when I say it like that, but oh well. Ari and I grew up believing in romance and love because it’s impossible not to around our parents. But we also grew up with a fear of never finding a love like theirs. This in front of me, is a love like we always dreamed of. Two people who truly belong together. Now they’ll say some lovey-dovey vows they’ve written.”
A beam of sunlight shines directly on Ari, and I realize she’s wearing the necklace she made herself last night. Not diamonds or pearls—a metal disc that says she’s mine. A tear breaks free and runs down my cheek.
I clear my throat. “Ariana, I was a goner the first time our eyes met. I didn’t know how to process it the beginning. My heart and soul knew that first day, even if my head had to catch up. Every day, I fall more in love with you, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be for the rest of my life but by your side. You’re my everything.” Her eyes are glossy with unshed tears, and her smile takes my breath away.
“Luca, you stormed into my life like this angry rain cloud, but somehow, I knew you were my safe place. The person who calms my soul and makes my heart sing. You bring me to a level of happiness I didn’t know was possible. I can’t believe I get to see your smile, hear your laugh, and feel your arms around me every single day.”
Lil hands me Ariana’s ring. I place it on her finger. Then she does the same with mine.
“By the power vested in me by the hopefully legitimate website I found, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Go on and kiss her like you’ve been dying to for the last ten minutes.”
Grinning, I kiss my wife, but not exactly how I want to since there are people around. Her smile shines brightly, warming my soul as we walk back up the aisle hand in hand.
The guests move into the house for coffee and cocktails while we take photos. Round tables are brought out, and the chairs are moved to sit around them, changing the aisle to a reception area. A dance floor and DJ table are added on one side, a drink station and a long table for the taco bar on the other.
I can’t keep my eyes off my wife. I can hardly keep my hands off her. I thought I followed her around like a puppy at the Hello, Summer! party, but that was nothing compared to how I follow her around at our wedding reception. She thanks everyone individually for coming and takes their compliments with grace and slightly pink cheeks. Callie follows behind, stopping to let everyone know she’s available to play the part of flower girl at any other weddings in the near future.
Ariana excuses herself to use the bathroom. I see her go upstairs, leaving the ones downstairs open for guests. She gasps when I grab her by the waist and bring my lips to hers before she makes it through the door.
“I’m about to drag you into our room for ten minutes, Mrs. DeVille.”
She crinkles her nose. “Mrs. DeVille. Nope, too weird. Call it off.”
“Call what off?”
“The wedding.”
“The wedding that just happened?”
“Yeah.”
“Can’t. Too late. You’re stuck with me now.”
“Well, shit. Alright, guess I’ll deal with it.” She grins at me and wraps her arms around my neck. “Oh, and I plan to take longer than ten minutes, Mr. DeVille.”
“Luca, Ari, it’s almost time for dinner and toasts and dancing!” Mia calls from downstairs. I groan. So many cock blocks in this house.
Ariana’s smile is radiant. I still can’t believe I get to see that every day for the rest of my life. My heart soars at the thought.
She runs her hands down my jacket and sighs. “With a wedding this small, there’s no way people won’t notice us missing for ten minutes right now. Let’s go eat.”
“Maybe you should pee first.”
“Damn it. I forgot that’s what I was doing. Hold on. ”
When I shove my hands in my pockets while I wait, I find one of the little frogs. I’m still laughing when she comes out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later.
“What’s so funny?”
I hold up the frog.
She grins. “That one took you forever to find! I slipped it in there hours ago.”
I thread our fingers together and bring our joined hands to my lips. Her smile fades as her eyes catch on something. It can’t be the bright pink rings we’re both wearing. “What’s wrong, baby?”
With a frustrated shake of her head, she groans. “My nails already look like shit.”
Glancing down, I see the polish is chipped. “There’s a lot going on today.”
“It’s our wedding day, Luca. I wasn’t planning on rocking the chipped polish look today.” She sighs heavily. “I should have just sucked it up and gone with the gel like I did for my toes. I was hoping I would be back in my ‘gel on my fingernails doesn’t freak me out’ phase by now, but no such luck. Could be tomorrow. Could be a year. I’m sorry.”
I grip her chin with my free hand and tilt her head up. Her gaze follows, her gray eyes filled with sadness. Not today, demons. “Don’t you ever be sorry for things that are out of your control.”
Her breath catches in her chest, and her voice comes out as a whisper. “I’m trying.”
Leaning in, I kiss the shell of her ear before whispering, “Good girl.”
She arches her back and moans. “That was mean, Mr. DeVille.”
My cock jumps in the silk boxers I’m wearing under my tuxedo. “Fuck, I like when you say that.”
“Even more than when I call you my good boy? ”
“Hmm. More research is needed.” My dick likes both of those things very much.
Her hand slides down my torso, cupping me through my clothes. “That’s research I can get behind.” Then, the heat of her palm is gone. “But we’ve already been gone for too long. Time to get back to the party.”
“Of course it is.” I adjust myself and let her lead me down the stairs.
We eat plates full of tacos. Champagne is handed out. Speeches are made. Lil can hardly make it through hers without crying. Mom sits and talks to no one, then disappears into the house and doesn’t come back. We cut the gorgeous cake Ariana baked and decorated, and do not smash it in each other’s faces. She threatened me with a week’s worth of blue balls if I even thought about doing that.
Jimmy, the DJ, introduces us, and we open the dancing. I hold Ariana in my arms, and we sway to the music. It’s too easy to get lost in her eyes, her smile, and the feel of her body pressed against mine. Everything around us melts away. When the song ends, others join us on the dance floor. Marco appears at my elbow, claiming Ari’s hand for a father/daughter dance. I dance with Mia while Lil dances with my dad. As that song changes into the next, Lil yells, “Change places!” with a laugh.
For hours, music plays, and people dance. Any time Marco and Mia dance, they look like Gomez and a blonde Morticia.
I dance with my wife every chance I get. She and Lil dance together almost as often, but I don’t mind one bit. Ford rolls his eyes when they each grab a hand and drag him out onto the floor.
“Come on, Windstar.”
“A fucking minivan, Airhead?”
“What, do you not like minivans? Shit, guess it’s back to the drawing board for your next birthday present. Hey Sully, you know where I can offload a purple minivan?” she asks as he dances by with Becca.
Sully cocks his head to one side. “Can we take it out to the desert and blow it up?”
Ariana’s eyes light up. Well, fuck. We have to make it happen, or the girls will do it themselves, and that’s just asking for trouble.
Once Ford’s on the dance floor, he’s all about it. At one point, he and Sully spin each other around, and the two of them lead the entire group in “The Macarena.” Even Parker joins in for a few songs.
As the sky darkens, the dancing goes on. Fairy lights glow above the dance floor. Once again, I have my arms around Ariana. “Don’t get me wrong, because I’m enjoying everything about this night, but I can’t fucking wait for it to end so I can see what you have on under this dress,” I whisper in her ear.
She blushes under the fairy lights. “Shit, I guess I shouldn’t have worn granny panties then.” I throw my head back, laughing. Then I dip her and press my lips to hers. My fucking smart-assed brat.
There’s a lightness in my chest. I could burst into a million pieces and float— like the dandelion fluff on my wife’s hip. Forever with her is my only wish.
When the night air turns chilly, she wears my jacket over her dress. The thing is huge on her, but damn if she doesn’t look like mine. The photographer snaps a few pictures of her that way. I sneak one with my phone and instantly set it as my background. I’ll never forget this day, but I want to savor every moment that I can.