We stayed like that for a long moment, breathing hard, hearts pounding against each other.
"In a few more days," he began. "You'll be mine. Legally, officially, irrevocably mine."
"I'm already yours."
"I know." He kissed my temple. "But I want the world to know it too."
Later, after we'd cleaned up and crawled into bed, Dez pulled out his laptop.
"I'm going to answer some emails," he said. "You're going to write your vows."
"Now?"
"Now." He handed me a notebook and pen from his nightstand. "While it's fresh. While you're still feeling everything."
I stared at the blank page, anxiety rising.
"Just start with 'Dez,'" he said gently, not looking up from his laptop. "And go from there."
I took a breath and wrote.
Dez…
And then the words came. Not perfect. Not polished. But honest and raw and real. I wrote about the night we met. About the terror and excitement of saying yes to his proposal. About the way he'd spent three months showing me what love could look like even when it wasn't called love.
I wrote about trust and partnership and the future we were building together. I wrote until my hand cramped and tears were streaming down my face and the page was full of words I'd never said out loud but needed him to hear. When I finished, I looked over at Dez. He'd abandoned his laptop and was watching me with an expression that made my heart clench.
"Done?" he asked.
"Done."
"Good." He took the notebook and set it aside, then pulled me into his arms. "Now let me hold you."
"I love you," I whispered into his chest.
I felt him freeze. We hadn't said it yet. Not even after I'd agreed to marry him. We'd danced around it, implied it, shown it in a thousand different ways. But we hadn't said the words. Until now.
"Angelina—" His voice was rough.
"You don't have to say it back," I said quickly. "I just needed you to know. Before the wedding. Before everything changes. I needed you to know that this isn't just business for me anymore. It hasn't been for some time."
He was quiet for a moment that felt like an eternity. "Look at me."
I tilted my head back, meeting his gray eyes.
"I love you too," he said, his voice steady but his eyes showing vulnerability. "I don’t know when it happened, but… Probably since the moment you attacked me with kisses when you saw the Valentine's setup. But I was afraid?—"
"Of what?"
"That saying it would jinx it somehow. That admitting how much I need you would give the universe permission to take you away." He kissed my forehead. "But I'm done being afraid. I love you, Angelina. I'm going to marry you and spend the rest of my life proving it."
I kissed him then, pouring everything I felt into it.
And when we finally broke apart, we fell asleep tangled together, my engagement ring catching the moonlight, our vows waiting to be spoken.
Now, I really couldn’t wait until our wedding. I wanted him mine already.
Angelina
