When I got into this office this morning, I had expected to see Erica already at her desk, since she wasn’t answering my texts and had left for work before me, but that wasn’t the case. I walked into the office to no Erica, couldn’t find the guys, and no one was answering their damn phones.
Max had shown me last week an app on my phone to keep track of Erica, which I didn’t think I would need, but he said just in case something ever happened. He knew just as much as I did that I would be lost without Erica.
Now here I was pulling up the app trying to figure out where the hell she was and where everyone else was. Margaret, my executive editor, was taking on the light Friday workload I had while I was now rushing to my car and heading toward the little blue dot that showed where Erica was. It was a part of town I was familiar with, since it was where The Ink Well used to be, but I hadn’t been there in years.
It felt odd pulling into the area to see it completely renovated, but I was still puzzled and stuck on the fact Erica was here. She didn’t have any shoots today that I knew about, and it felt eerie that no one was answering their phones, not even Max, who was always a stickler for prompt answers.
I swung my car into the nearest parking spot and slammed my door shut when I pulled in front of the building, but instead of charging it, my steps faltered as I saw my mother and sister standing with Erica’s parents and our friends.
“What the hell is this?” I asked, confused by the fact all of them were here. The guys dressed in khaki pants and white shirts and Lilly and Alexa in cream dresses. It all seemed staged and I felt like the odd man out right now. “Where is Erica? Why are you all here? And what are you guys wearing?”
Max moved to the side from where he was standing next to Jack and Erica stepped out from behind him in a white wedding gown. I slapped a hand to my mouth that dropped open. Tears stung my eyes and my heart sped up at the sight of her. My peaches was standing in front of me in a wedding dress.
I had no idea what was happening, but I knew nothing could beat this sight.
“Marry me, Chase.” Her words rang out between us and I took a step forward, grabbing her by the waist and wasting no time to crash my lips to her.
“That’s supposed to be after the ceremony!” Jack yelled at us. I pulled away to see Alexa slapping his chest and shushing him, but he was right.
“Ceremony?” I questioned.
“Marry me,” Erica stated again.
“I already asked you that.”
“Marry me right now, Chase.” She looked back at where our friends stood and I looked at Jack, who was holding a notebook.
“Jack got ordained so he could marry you two,” Greg explained and shuffled us over to the side of the building, standing behind me with Max, and then Lilly and Alexa joined in on Erica’s side.
My mother, Tabitha, and Erica’s parents stood in front of us, watching and waiting.
“We are getting married now?” I asked, still not sure what exactly was happening, but I was loving every single second of it.
“If you’ll have me.”
I looked over at my mother, finally noticing that my father was nowhere in sight, and I nodded at her in understanding. This was his statement of do whatever you want, but I won’t be a part of it, and that was fine with me. I knew my mother was taking my father’s side in what he thought about my career choices, but I was glad she could put it aside for one day in order to be here to see me get married. Even though they didn’t want much to do with me, at least it meant I got a little bit more of Erica to keep to myself.
“Marry us, Jack.”
Jack opened his notebook at my words and started to read off the script he had in front of him.
“Today we are gathered here to celebrate Erica and Chase in a place where their journey made one of many pit stops. This building was formerly known as the location of The Ink Well, and where Chase and Erica were finally brought permanently back into each other’s lives.”
I stared down at Erica, who had tears in her eyes to match mine. I ran my thumb over her cheek, catching one that started to roll down. Jack was right, it was one of many stops for us, but the most important one that projected us to where we were now.
“Erica has asked that no vows be shared today, but that a simple question be asked by both parties in exchange of the wedding bands.”
Erica turned around to grab two rings from Alexa, handing a dainty band to me and her holding a black steel band in her hand.
“Chase.” Her voice broke and another tear slipped out. “Can I keep you?”
Who knew that one simple question that started all this would bring it full circle. She held my hand close to her, ring hovering over my ring finger, waiting for my answer.
“Yes.”
“Chase.” Jack directed me to go next and instinct followed. I grabbed Erica’s hand and placed the ring on her finger before the words came spilling out.
“Peaches.” I leaned down toward her, to ask the question only she could ever provoke out of me. “Can I keep you?”
“Yes.” Her word whispered against my lips only loud enough so Jack and I could hear.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife!” Jack exclaimed and cheers erupted around us as my lips crashed against Erica’s. My arm wrapped around her waist yet again and I joined us together as one, a unity that could never be broken, now that she was mine in all ways.
