Epilogue #2
It’s been long enough without my girl. If she’s not prepared for us to leave, it doesn’t matter.
I’ll get her location one way or another, even if blood has to be spilled.
I need to lay eyes on her and tell her how much I fucking love her.
That I don’t need any grand gestures to know how much she loves me right back.
That I would have been just as happy to come home to her in a fluffy robe and slippers with chocolate smeared across her lips.
I snatch the blazer off my bed, not wanting to put it on just yet and start sweating, and open my door to demand Ryker to take me to Sam now… or else.
He’s already sitting on the couch waiting for me and rises from the couch before I can say anything. Nyx appears to be freshly bathed and groomed, and when she spots me, she lets out a half-whine, half-growl, as if she’s trying to tell on him. I’m not even going to ask. There’s no point.
“You look beautiful, Ki,” Ryker says with a smile, opening the door for me and Nyx to go first.
“Thanks. So do you,” I tease.
He runs his hand down his buttons, smoothing out his shirt. “I know.”
I roll my eyes and chuckle quietly. Nyx bolts around the house to her usual potty spot and then rushes back to jump in the back of Ryker’s car, sensing we are riding together.
My body is unable to stay still, and neither can my mind.
My leg won’t stop bouncing, and I’m on the verge of drawing blood if I don’t stop picking at the skin around my nails.
I’ve stopped contemplating what Sam is up to before we left the house.
The only thing on my mind is getting to her.
I can breathe easier when she’s near. She calms my heart, body, and mind without even trying.
I’m obsessed with her, sure, but I’m also addicted to the way she makes me feel.
If I believe in anything, it’s that we were destined to find each other.
We are both gasoline and the world set us on fire to burn together. An eternal flame of two bound souls.
Ryker turns down the road that leads to the beautiful riverside that now belongs to us.
I perk up when I see people and other cars already here.
My eyes scan over everyone to find the one that belongs to me, and I come up empty.
I’m less concerned about why there are family members here and more about going hunting for my other half.
The urge to put another collar around her neck and lock her inside a cage is tempting.
She would be where she is supposed to be at all times.
I think it’s time to put a microchip under her skin. Let’s see her hide from me then.
“Can you not give me a hard time for once tonight?” Ryker complains. I walk around to his side to find him hovering over Nyx, trapping her between his legs, and attempting to shove a necklace of flowers over her head. My heart is beating erratically to the point of pain.
“Hey pretty girl,” I purr, scratching under her chin. She stills long enough he’s able to shove her head through the opening when I pull my hand back. A forced exhale blows through her nose when she accepts defeat.
“I swear she’s a brat on purpose because she enjoys my pain,” he gripes.
“Oh, I agree.” I pet the top of her head, my hands trembling along with my voice.
I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “Am I going to see Sam in a wedding dress tonight?” I ask the question I know won’t be answered because he seems to love keeping secrets from me now.
“Come on,” he says, extending his arm for me to hook my elbow around his. If all these pieces are coming together to form the picture I think it will be…this is more than just a grand gesture. This is…everything.
My mom bombards me with affection the second she sees me, and when she starts crying, tears well up in my eyes too.
This is definitely what I think it is. My dad pulls me into his strong arms and plants a kiss on the top of my head, saying how proud he is of me.
I wonder what he would say if he knew exactly how me and Sam came to be.
He wouldn’t have much room to talk. Like father, like daughter.
He was just a small-town country boy who fell in love with a southern rose on vacation with his friends when he was eighteen.
When he realized how crazy he was for my mother, he hopped back on a plane and didn’t stop searching until he found her again.
Turns out she was pregnant and trying to find him too. True love always finds a way.
The closer we get to the water, the display comes to life, and it’s beautiful.
The wooden square arch, adorned with white fabric and vibrant flowers, overlooks the calm, slow-moving water behind it.
Only a few chairs sit on either side of the grassy aisle, already mostly filled with immediate family.
My mom walks to her seat as my dad takes my arm and walks me down the aisle.
He kisses my cheek before taking his spot next to her.
It’s happening.
I don’t have even a moment to prepare, not that I would need one.
She’s my future. But my emotions feel like a shaken bottle of soda, ready to burst. I tug at my neckline and undo the top button.
Movement catches my attention briefly, and I notice the photographers I hadn’t paid attention to earlier capturing every moment and angle.
I chuckle when I see Nyx run out from behind the curtain draped between two trees, concealing the view behind it.
She slams on her brakes when a whistle breaks the silence and trots back behind only to return with Ryker and Taylor this time.
“She’s beautiful,” Ryker whispers quietly when he comes to stand next to me.
I inhale a shaky breath, but it does little to calm my racing heart.
“You And I” by Bradley McFly begins playing through hidden speakers, and my eyes go to the curtain that is slowly moving.
My breath gets trapped in my lungs, and I freeze.
Everyone rises from their seats and looks towards my future.
My knees weaken when she comes into view, and all the air I was holding leaves in one big rush.
A lump forms in my throat and a tear trickles down my cheek.
She’s more than beautiful. She’s breathtaking.
The champagne lace with delicate embroidery hugs her body before loosening and falling into a gentle train.
The neckline dips between her breasts, and the lace sleeves leave her shoulders bare.
Her hair is expertly curled and pinned back just slightly.
Our eyes lock, and everything else fades away.
Calmness washes over my body, and my hands are no longer trembling.
My gravity, my air, my heart. I’m unable to keep my feet planted after her dad kisses her cheek the same way mine did to me.
The moment he walks away, I rush to her and cradle her face in my hands, claiming her lips softly.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper against her lips. “I couldn’t help it.”
She smiles so genuinely and presses her lips to mine. “You can kiss me whenever you want, Kioni. For the rest of our lives.”
I take her hand and lead her back to the altar where an officiant is standing.
My boss would be terribly disappointed in me today.
I’ve missed everything. My mind has only been on one thing.
Her. We get to the rings, and before I can panic that I don’t have hers with me, Ryker hands it to me.
The officiant doesn’t get the full sentence out before I’m already kissing my bride.
Everyone cheers as I dip her, deepening the kiss.
She laughs when I put her back on her feet again. “I love you, wife,” she says, smiling so big.
“I love you to the moon, wife,” I tell her with the same smile and kiss her again, slow and unhurried.
The photographers take about a million pictures before we are allowed to walk to the reception just a little ways down the river where a campground used to be.
Now it makes sense why Ryker came in from the other direction.
Lights are wrapped around trees and draped between them, and when you walk inside the tent, it’s like you are transported into a high-end reception hall. It’s wildly impressive.
After hours of mingling, dancing, eating, and drinking, I pull her back onto the dance floor. “How were you able to keep all of this a secret?” I pry.
“I recruited our moms and my sister. I told them my vision, and they made it happen so you wouldn’t expect a thing,” she gloats.
“When I was trying on dresses, I left my phone behind the counter at a coffee shop.” Amusement and pride shine on her face that she managed to trick me… and get away with it.
I pull her closer to whisper in her ear. “I want to punish you for that.”
“Remember when I said I wanted to be bound and gagged in a wedding dress, kneeling at your feet?” Her grin turns mischievous, and need rushes straight to my core.
“Let’s go,” I demand, grabbing her hand and tugging her outside. I lift her in my arms, bridal style, and she giggles. Her kisses up my neck feel like fire is left behind after each one. “I’m fucking you in front of that altar and then we can rejoin the party after you come let’s say…five times?”
“There’s already a bag of goodies waiting for us,” she whispers seductively into my ear. My steps falter and she squeals.
“Forever isn’t long enough.”
She kisses me tenderly, resting her hand on my cheek. “It will never be enough.”