“Well, I think I speak for all three of us when I say I hope they leave you alone. You’ve been through more than enough.” The audience cheers, signaling that I’ve managed to win them over too.
“So what’s next for you two love birds?” Taylor asks, right before the segment comes to an end.
“I just want to go back to Star Mountain, hug my friends, kiss my horse, and fall more in love with my husband. I’ll figure out the rest as it comes.”
Outside of the studio,still flush with energy from the show, I launch myself into Jonah’s arms and pepper his face with kisses.
“That went absolutely perfect! And you were amazing. You had every woman in the room swooning over you by the end of it.”
“All I did was speak the truth,” Jonah says gruffly.
It’s so like him—honorable, honest, without any artifice. What you see is what you get with Jonah. Before coming to Star Mountain, I spent so much of my life pretending to be someone I wasn’t up on stage. It’s no wonder I hated him at first, and then quickly fell head over heels in love with him. He was everything I wasn’t, and everything I wanted to be.
“You were the real star, Win.”
“Oh yeah?” I do a little twirl in front of him and wink.
“Not because of any of that. You look gorgeous, but it was your brave words that won people over. Your courage. Your honesty. I’ve never been more proud to have you as my wife than when we were up on that stage together.”
“You’re going to make me cry.” Truth be told, I’m already sniffling.
“No crying.” He wipes a tear off of my cheek.
I nod and smile up at him. “Let’s take a photo. I want to post one on my social media accounts. Nothing too elaborate and I’m not writing a caption but…I’m ready for people to see me. The real me, this time. And I want you there by my side.”
“Hard launching the relationship, are we?” He smirks.
I gently swat his arm. “We’re married!”
“Oh really? Are we?”
“Yes! Now get over here and let me show you how to take a good selfie.” I tug him into the frame of the shot, and position us just so, both smiling. At the last moment, though, right as I take the photo, Jonah leans in and kisses my cheek.
The result couldn’t be more perfect. I post it and then close out of my apps, and decide not to waste one moment caring about the comments or likes. I just take Jonah’s arm and together we walk out in the city.
47
JONAH
Winnieand I spend the day seeing some Manhattan sights. We eat delicious two dollar pizza, and stare up at the Empire State Building. We dig through racks at a vintage store that Winnie has followed online for years. She leaves with bags full of clothing, and a few things for me, too, including a leather jacket that she insists will look good on stage. We stop by the Met for an hour or two, and look at paintings until we’re glassy eyed.
After, we head back to the hotel, where Winnie collapses on the bed like a star fish.
“Who knew museums could make you so tired! And we didn’t even get to the costume wing,” she pouts.
“We’ll come back next year.”
“Promise?”
“Absolutely.” I lean down and place a kiss on her cheek, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Should we nap before dinner? I’m not sure where to go but maybe the hotel has decent food.” I pull my phone out to start looking at restaurants.
Her hand finds my collar, and with a swift tug, she brings me down onto the bed with her. “Dinner can wait.”
It hits me that Winnie is my wife—for good now. We’re together, really together, and we don’t have a single thing toworry about right now. Not her parents, not bills, not work. It’s just me and her. My cock surges in my pants as she drags a hand down my chest, and I pull her closer, finding her mouth with my own.
The urge to claim her completely shoots through me, sharp and wild.
“I almost lost you,” I say against her mouth, my voice cracking. I barely gave myself the chance to think about it, to process all that was happening.
