“This is too much,” she whispers. “You’re already doing too much.”
I don’t respond for two reasons. One, there’s nothing I can say to that. And two, we’re now in the ceremony room, and the judge in his black cloak thing is waiting for us with a warm, friendly smile.
“Good evening. Welcome. You both look happy, if not a little nervous.”
I chuckle lightly, and Skylar does the same. I glance down at her and bend to kiss her cheek, but more importantly, to whisper in her ear. “This needs to look real. Pretend you love me and try not to argue with me for the next ten minutes.” Itake a small inhale, just a tiny torture for myself to hold onto, and pull away, releasing her as we greet the judge.
“Both of you over here.” He points to the spot in front of his podium. “Aston, you on this side and Skylar on the other. Are these the only people who will be joining us today?” he asks, motioning toward Braelyn and Alden.
“Yes,” I answer.
“Great. Let’s get started. As you know, this isn’t a religious ceremony, so we’ll be skipping over those parts. But if there’s anything you’d like to say to each other, feel free to do so. Please take each other’s hands.”
Alden stands beside me, and Braelyn is moving around, taking pictures or videos or both for all I know. But both of them fade into the background as I take Skylar’s trembling hands in mine, and we stare at each other.
The judge begins by saying our names before launching into a speech. “The step that each of you is about to undergo is one of the most important events in life that any two people can undertake. It is entering into a union founded upon mutual respect and love. Because of this unique relationship that you both are voluntarily partaking in, your individual lives will change.”
My thumb drags over the ring on her finger, and she squeezes my hand. I squeeze hers back and take a step closer, almost magnetized. Her green eyes are sparkling, and I can’t look away. I don’t even want to blink.
“If you are sincere with your pledge that you are about to make to one another today, I will now have you exchange vows followed by rings. Do you, Aston Oliver Hughes take Skylar Fritz Davenport to be your legal wedded wife, to love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her, forsaking all others, for so long as you both shall live?”
I stare into Skylar’s green eyes and say, “I do.”
Skylar sucks in a breath as the judge turns to her, repeating the same words for her.
“I do,” Skylar states.
“Aston, please place the ring on Skylar’s finger and say, ‘With this ring, I thee wed.’”
I pull the boxes out of my pocket and hand one to Braelyn, then open the other. I pull out the diamond band and slip it onto her left ring finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
Tears roll down Skylar’s cheeks as the judge instructs her to do the same with me. Skylar slides the cold, platinum band onto my finger and whispers, “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“Let these rings be given and received as a token of your affection, sincerity, and fidelity to one another. Skylar and Aston have consented together in wedlock and have witnessed the same before this company and pledged their vows to each other. By the authority vested in me by the State of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
I release her hands and do exactly as I wanted to do when I first saw her. I cup her face, slide my hands up into her hair, and lower my lips to hers. The first touch comes with a spark. A current that has me tilting my head and seeking more of it. Her lips are sticky with gloss and sweetness, and I press in deeper, shifting my body so we’re flush, and her heart pounds against mine.
Her hands grip my biceps, but for this moment, she’s not pushing me away, simply holding on, and I go with it. Blood thrums through my veins, and much like it was two years ago, her kiss awakens every nerve ending I’m comprised of. It’ll only be this once, so I hold her tight as I move her lips with mine.
I kiss her. Deep and steady but not nearly as passionately as I’d like.
The moment I split her lips with my tongue, she pushes me back and stares up at me, her eyes dark and glazed. I wantmore. I want to do that again, and I start to when Braelyn lets out an excited cheer.
“Ah! That was amazing. Congrats, you two!”
I force myself back and put a smile on my lips. Skylar does the same, only now she won’t look at me. We thank the judge, and Skylar gives Braelyn a hug while Alden throws his hand around my shoulder and gives me a poor bastard squeeze.
“Let’s get you drunk,” he whispers in my ear as he leads me toward the exit. Skylar and Braelyn are already ahead of us. Skylar throws me a backward glance over her shoulder, offers me a tight smile, then continues on without me.
“Yes,” I say to him. “Let’s.”
18
SKYLAR
“How long have you two been married?” the waiter at La Bella Mia asks us.
“It’s our wedding night,” Braelyn tells him. “That’s why we’re celebrating.”
