Chapter 46

FORTY-SIX

TWO MONTHS LATER

My hands shake slightly, but not from nerves. My entire body is filled to the brim with excitement as I stand next to the floral arch we made for our backyard wedding and wait for my bride. Three rows of white folding chairs sit on each side, thirty in total. We didn’t want a big wedding, just our closest friends and my family. There is no his and hers side because everyone in my life has fallen so in love with Lexi that I’m fairly certain they would’ve sat on her side even if they were my own relatives.

It’s been two months since I proposed, and I would’ve dragged her straight to the courthouse to make it official then and there if I could’ve, but I want to give Lexi everything from her wildest dreams. But I also didn’t want to wait, and once August hits, I’ll be in full-on work mode prepping for next season. Thankfully, Lexi didn’t want to wait either, and her “wildest dream” of a wedding included a backyard intimate wedding with only those who know us the best.

In the last two months, I’ve watched Lexi transform. She started seeing the therapist Danae recommended once a week. Therapy days are hard on her emotionally, but each time, she comes out stronger. I’ve even gone to two sessions with her after she asked me to, so I can learn some tips and tricks to help support her.I want to be a partner to her in every sense of the word, and I love seeing her feel stronger as she slays her demons one at a time. She’s only just gotten started, and she’s already more confident. She says it’s me—I make her feel brave and strong—but I know the truth; it’s all Lexi. I knew it the minute I saw her in that club nearly a year ago.

She’s a goddess.

And she’s mine.

The music changes, and I lift my head from where I’ve been staring at my hands folded in front of me. Nothing—absolutely fucking nothing—could’ve prepared me to have the wind knocked out of me as my bride, a vision in white, comes walking down the aisle, my dad escorting her.

My eyes burn with tears as my smile grows so wide my cheeks already hurt. I can’t believe I get to marry her. That she’s really walking toward me right now, vowing to be my wife for the rest of our lives.

How the fuck did I get so damn lucky?

Lana squeals in my mom’s arms as she catches sight of Lexi when she’s only a foot away from her, and everyone laughs. Lexi pauses to press a quick kiss to our daughter’s cheek before she looks back up at me, her smile wide and radiant, and her blue eyes shining with incandescent happiness.

I didn’t think I could possibly love her more than I already did, but I was wrong. Because the only way to describe this feeling filling my chest and making my heart pulse rapidly is pure love.

Lexi says Lana was our miracle that brought us together, and while I don’t disagree, she’s forgetting one critical truth. Lexi was my miracle before Lana ever existed. Lexi is my dream, my world, my everything.

When she finally reaches me, she breaks our eye contact to turn to my dad, who has tears in his eyes as he smiles down at her.

“Thank you,” she whispers, her voice cracking with emotion.

He hugs her tight and whispers something in her ear I can’t hear, but she hugs him tighter, and when she pulls away her smile is so wide, it fills her whole face.

He takes her hand and places it in my outstretched one and then winks at her. “And you tell me if this one is ever out of line.”

That gets a chuckle from everyone watching. I shake my head at him, but still can’t tear my eyes off my beautiful bride. I pull her against my body, wrapping one arm around her back as I nuzzle her ear.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” I murmur, so low it’s just for her.

Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes shining when I pull back. “I love you so much,” she says, her voice watery.

“I love you more.”

She shakes her head like it’s not possible, but I don’t think she has any idea the depth of my love for her. Maybe by the time we’re old and gray, she’ll understand.

The minister gets started on the service, but I can’t focus on anything but her. The way the sun shines on her black hair which is in some intricate updo, making it look like there’s almost a halo of light surrounding her. The way her eyes sparkle the longer we look at each other. The way her hand squeezes mine, and she arches a brow. The way her lips quirk with amusement, and I realize everyone’s waiting on me.

“Uh, sorry, I was distracted,” I admit, my own cheeks flushing and the back of my neck prickling with embarrassment. Everyone laughs, and the minister informs me it’s time for me to say my vows.

I let go of one of Lexi’s hands so I can dig in my breast pocket for the paper with my vows on it. I debated saying them off the cuff, but decided Lexi deserved my best and not just whatever I could think of in the heat of the moment.

It’s harder to unfold it with one hand than I expected, but I refuse to stop touching her. Based on the sweet, bashful smile she gives me, she knows it, so she brings her free hand up and helps me unfold the paper. I give her a grateful smile and then take a breath, trying to tame the emotions stirring inside me and threatening to clog my throat.

“Precious, you might not know this, but you saved me. It wasn’t obvious to anyone else—least of all me—that I was in need of salvation, but I was. I didn’t know I was living in the dark until I met you, and it was like someone flipped a light switch on. Suddenly, I could see everything clearly. You illuminated my life and then disappeared just as quickly as you came into it. Those weeks without you were all I needed to learn I couldn’t live without you, and that was before I knew everything about you.”

A tear falls silently down her cheek.

“Through the highs and lows we’ve already been through, you have remained my light. You honor me with your love, and I want to honor you with these vows. I vow to love you through your hardest days. I vow to make you waffles whenever you’re craving them.” She laughs and my chest expands. “I vow to rub your legs and your back when you need to relax. I vow to take over midnight baby duty when you need more sleep.” Another laugh, this time also from our friends and family. “I vow to always take care of my physical fitness so that your eyes get that heated look in them every time I take off my shirt.” Now it’s my turn to crack a smile as her eyes narrow, but her lips are tilted up in a grin so I know she’s not really mad. Locking my gaze with hers, I don’t need to look at my paper to know this last line. “But more than anything else, I vow to always choose you.”

Keeping my gaze on hers, I fold the paper back up and tuck it in my pocket and then brush away her tears.

The minister turns to Lexi. “Lexi, are you ready for your vows?”

She nods and gives me a watery smile. “That’s going to be a hard one to follow.”

She slips her hand into the pocket of her dress—something she was so excited about when she bought it—and pulls out some notebook paper.

“I didn’t believe in love when I met you. Happily ever afters only existed in books, but weren’t something I ever expected to find. Then I found you, and you scared the crap out of me.” Everyone around us laughs, but all I do is smile, not wanting to miss a single word out of her perfect mouth. “You made me feel things I didn’t know were real. You made me believe in love and more importantly want it for myself, and that scared me most of all because I’ve only ever lost the people I loved, and I knew in my heart I’d never survive losing you.”

I squeeze her hand, and another tear slips down her cheek. Before it makes it to her chin, my finger is there to catch it and wipe it away.

“Your love scares me because I want it so badly. It’s like the rays of the sun warming my skin, and I never want to experience the arctic cold I lived in before I met you.”

I’m already shaking my head. She’ll never experience that again—not if I can help it.

“When I get scared, I vow to always choose you. To not run away, even if it’s easier. I vow to let you in when I need help, and to always give you the love you deserve. I vow to stay by your side, fighting with you and for you for the rest of my life, no matter what comes our way. I will love you with every single breath I take for as long as I live.”

She drops her hand with the paper, signaling she’s done, and I don’t wait for the minister before I surge forward and kiss her. It’s too soon—we still have to exchange rings—but I can’t not kiss her after that speech. The minister clears his throat, and I pull away just enough to tip my forehead to hers, her blue eyes shining into mine.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips.

“I love you too,” she whispers back.

The minister clears his throat again and leans forward. “We’re not quite done yet, you two.” There’s a chuckle in his voice. “She’s almost yours, but let’s get these rings exchanged first.”

I turn to him with my smile wide. “You’re wrong about that. She’s already mine. Today’s just about making it legal.”

I don’t bother keeping my voice down, and I hear the other members of the Fierce Four chuckling in the front row. They get it.

The rest of the ceremony goes by in a blink. We exchange rings, and then finally, I get to seal our marriage with a kiss. I hold her body close to mine, my tongue running across the seam of her lips until she parts them and lets me in. I don’t care if it’s indecent in front of our guests.

She’s my wife now and I’ll kiss her however I want.

Based on how she moans into my mouth and slides her fingers in my hair, I’m guessing she doesn’t mind. Cheers and laughter, followed by hoots and hollers when we don’t break the kiss right away, ring in my ears. When I finally pull away, I hold up our joined hands like I just won the Super Bowl.

But this feels better than any victory I’ve ever had on the field.

It feels like heaven.