Does that make me kind of fucked up?
Probably, but I don’t care.
“I have something for you,” he says, pulling back just enough to hand me the large envelope he had under his arm.
My brow dips in confusion as I tear it open and pull out a stack of papers, but it’s the big red stamp that catches my attention.
Perfect Match
“I’m confused,” I murmur, spotting the date in the corner as a few days ago.
“I had the matchmaker run our profiles through the algorithm, for real this time.”
“And we’re a perfect match?” I ask, tears brimming in my eyes.
I don’t know why the thought makes me so emotional because even after I found out what he did, I still believed we were made for each other.
If I’m honest, Colten has always been the other part of my heart, even when I thought we’d never have a chance.
“We’re a perfect match,” he confirms, his voice just as full of emotion as mine.
I step back into his arms, and he doesn’t hesitate to wrap me back up in his warm embrace. “Thank you, Colten.”
“You’re welcome, Wildcat,” he murmurs against the top of my head. “Did you want me to send Laken up? She arrived a little while ago and has been hanging out with Pancake.”
Yep, you heard him just fine.
The thought that I initially shut down because having a cat as a flower girl is a terrible idea quickly became reality when he hired a trainer for her to make sure she would be comfortable walking down the aisle with so many strangers.
I probably shouldn’t have been surprised after the whole babysitter for Mr. Whiskers saga, but I doubt I’m ever going to stop being shocked by the things this man does.
“Send her up.” I nod.
Our shared trauma has made us good friends, and although it took Colten days to convince her father to let her come alone, I’m so grateful she’s here today.
Colten disappears after dropping a gentle kiss to my lips, and I stand in the hallway watching his retreat like a lovesick fool.
I hope this feeling never fades: the excitement beating in my chest with every touch, the butterflies that erupt whenever I catch him staring at me.
Being in love is the best feeling in the world.
Laken appears a few minutes later, a black satin dress clinging to her curves perfectly. She’s put back on some of the weight she lost while Grant and Jay had her, and she’s looking much healthier for it.
Our captors are still in the wind, a reality that we’re both struggling with more than we’ll tell anyone apart from one another. It’s only a matter of time before Colten tracks them down, and when he does, we’ll be able to breathe easier again.
We hug, and I pull her into the hotel room where Mom and Riley are in the other room, probably getting dressed themselves.
“I’m so glad you made it!” I beam. “How are you? How was the flight?”
“I have a problem,” Laken admits.
“What kind of problem? Is it your dad?”
“No…not really. It’s the matchmaker.”
“You’re making me nervous.” I half laugh.
“I’ve been matched.”
