Epilogue

LUCA

6 months later

This. This is what I could’ve missed out on if I’d been stubborn enough to insist on not getting close to anyone.

The golden glow the sun casts all along the beach in Belize. The halo of light around the archway of flowers over Tori’s and my heads.

The smiling faces of the Sheppards and at least half of the Admirals team looking up at us from their seats.

The feel of Tori’s hand in mine as I rub my thumb along her wedding band and promise to love her and cherish her for the rest of my life.

The way she looks at me like I’m everything she could have dreamed of and more while she swears to stand by me and love me no matter what comes.

I’m so unbelievably grateful for everything that brought me to this moment. None of my past pain compares to my present joy as our lips lock and our friends and family erupt in cheers.

“That was so much better than our kiss the first time we got married,” Tori says when we pull apart. “I can’t wait to find out what it’ll be like when we renew our vows again.”

I laugh, kiss her head, and take her hand to walk down the aisle, where flower petals and cheers rain over us.

Austin and Troy sprint ahead through the sand, making for the tent, where the DJ system, dance floor, and food await. A few tables lit with white lanterns line the entry, and we slow as we pass through them.

One is stacked with gifts, and Tori points to a particular one: a DVD wrapped with a white bow and a short note from Zach: Probably time you watched this . It’s The Proposal.

A few Polaroid cameras and extra film sit on another table next to a sign that says: Snap a few shots and help us fix this sad, empty album! The gag wedding album Tori’s family gave us sits open beside the sign, still entirely blank.

I grab a Polaroid and face it toward us, then press my cheek to Tori’s and click the button. She pulls the film out of the camera and waves it in the air as it exposes.

“What do you think?” I ask as we look at it.

She stares it for a few seconds and smiles even wider. “I think if I’d had this picture to send my family when I texted them we got married, they might’ve actually believed me. You finally look like you might be obsessed with me.”

“Not as obsessed as you are with me .”

“Obviously,” she says. “What do you think?”

I take the picture in hand and look at the two faces full of uncontrollable, unfettered joy. “I think I just married the most beautiful woman in the world. Twice.”

She kisses me on the cheek, and I slip the photo into the first spot in the empty album.

One of Tori’s non-negotiables for the wedding was incredible food, and we made sure her dream of well-fed family and friends would be a reality. Fried plantains, five types of taco meats, an entire table of toppings and condiments, coconut tarts, and a host of other sides and desserts line the food tables.

Austin gets the music going, and Tori’s only eaten halfway through her stacked plate when she pulls me up to make our way to the dance floor, still chewing.

There are a few people already there—Troy dancing with Eden, Bennett has managed to coax Tori’s friend Jess into a dance—but our arrival seems to act like a catalyst. The Admirals come out in force, and before we know it, every last one of them has surrounded us and is doing an imitation of Tori’s now-famous touchdown dance.

Even Sue and Rick Sheppard give it their best shot, which leaves Tori and me holding on to each other, doubled over laughing.

The Sheppards know how to party. The Admirals know how to party. That’s why Tori and I don’t make it to our hotel room until almost two in the morning, our cheeks aching from smiling for hours and hours.

“I can walk, you know,” Tori says, her heels hanging off her hand as I carry her over the last stretch of sand and toward our bungalow. The door is made entirely of glass, as are the walls around it, making this side one big window to the water. It’s surrounded on the three remaining sides by palm trees, making it feel even more secluded than it is.

“That’s debatable,” I tease. “Do you really want to?” I stop just shy of the bungalow.

She looks at me, the lights of the nearby torches flickering in those big, beautiful eyes. “Not even a little.”

Once we’re inside, I take her to the bed, which the hotel has covered with rose petals, and set her down gently.

She turns onto her back, her palms face up as she stares at the ceiling and lets out a huge sigh. “I might need a two-year break before we get married again.”

I chuckle and come to sit on the other side of the bed.

She turns her head to look at me, then pats the bed for me to join her.

Like I ever considered anything else.

She turns on her side, supporting her head with her palm, and I do the same.

Our faces are just inches apart, our eyes locked in the sort of silence that comes after a day as idyllic as the one we just had.

“I love the way we did this,” she says.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It was…” She searches for the word.

I nod because there isn’t a word to describe it. We started our married life on a crazy whim, and we did it entirely alone, hiding the truth from everyone.

Today, we got married in paradise surrounded by all the people we love, all the people who love us , shouting the truth for anyone who cared to hear.

There was no impatient officiant, no awkward kiss, and no paperwork.

Just love.

I lean in, slide my fingers up into Tori’s hair, and stop with my lips just shy of hers. “I love you, Victoria.”

Her hand settles on my cheek, warm and soft. “I love you, Lucas.”

My smile at the made-up name is stifled by her lips as they cover mine, ready to say everything words can’t.

She shifts suddenly, and I pull back as she tugs the fabric of her dress out from under her leg where it was stuck.

“I think it’s time for that thing to come off,” I say. “Don’t get me wrong—it’s absolutely, knock-out gorgeous. But it’s interfering with important things.”

She cocks a brow. “I bet you a thousand dollars I could sleep in this dress. No problem.”

“Keep your thousand dollars.” I scoot closer and reach around her back for one of the many clasps, letting my lips graze hers. “It’s not staying on.”

She smiles against my lips. “Did I ever mention how bossy you are?”

She doesn’t even give me the chance to defend myself.

THE END