“Ready?” Evan called out to us softly as the music began to play. As far as close gatherings went, ours was nice. Plenty of those we cared about showed up, and those who couldn’t were watching a private live stream.
Cole didn’t show, not that I really expected him to. And as far as I knew, he hadn’t called either. I was going to kick that little fucker’s ass the next time I saw him. I hoped that this wedding would make Rosalie forget about him for a moment since I knew his odd behavior was bothering her.
I breathed out and stared down the aisle as Rosalie’s friend Jamie appeared out of the pretty white tent they’d set up. She came down to us in a soft lavender satin dress, her dark hair hanging down in a straight sheet.
She smiled at us as she ended her walk and moved to her place, her bouquet in hand. Ellis came down with Jameson.Jameson was hell in Velcro shoes. He had colorful eyes and a shock of white blond hair in the front of his black hair, which I guess was some genetic trait he’d inherited from Sirena’s side, since she had those colorful eyes of hers. I had no idea if the two genetic things with the eyes and hair were related, but I dabbled in real estate, not fucking genetics.
He steered Ellis down the aisle as she tossed her white rose petals. Evan reached out for Jameson, and Jamie took Ellis when they reached the end of the aisle.
And then there she was.
Our girl.
“Fuck,” I whispered, mesmerized by her as she walked down the aisle towards us in the prettiest long white dress that hugged her curves. The beadwork sparkled in the sunlight.
“Beautiful,” Anson murmured, looking exactly how I felt.
When she reached us, we took each of her hands.
“You are otherworldly, hummingbird,” I murmured to her. Her cheeks tinged pink with my words, making me smile. I really did win the damn lottery with her.
“You leave me breathless, LeeLee,” Anson said softly to her as he kissed her cheek. The pink in her cheeks darkened, and I smirked at Anson.
We had the entire wedding night planned out. The room we got for it was decked out, and we planned on making love to her all night long. We invited Evan to join us, but he said he wanted to give us time alone in the beginning and would join later.
I had been worried he’d duck out altogether, since he was a sweet prick like that. If that transpired, I had no problem finding his ass and dragging him to the room so I could watch him fuck our wife.
“Dearly beloved,” the minister began.
I squeezed Rosalie’s hand tightly, my heart thrumming hard. I didn’t hear most of what the man said, but finally, he turned to me.
“Klaus, you’ve written your vows?”
I cleared my throat as Rosalie turned fully to face me.
“Hummingbird,” I started, staring into her pretty green eyes. “There was a time when I thought I was searching for a second chance. I thought life had already happened to me. I thought I had already lived, already loved, already become the man I was meant to be. Then I met you, and I realized I had been wrong. Because nothing before you feels like living now. You are not my second chance. You are my first. The first person who ever made me understand what home felt like. The first person who ever made me believe tomorrow could be better than today. The first person who ever made me want to be more than I was.” I breathed out and tried to keep my voice from cracking. The last damn thing I wanted was people to see me cry.
“Before you, I was surviving. After you, I started living.” I smiled at her. Her eyes glimmered with tears. “I still remember the first time I was close to you. Close enough to hear you laugh. Close enough to breathe the same air. Close enough to imagine what it would be like if you were mine. And when I had to walk away, it felt like something inside me was being ripped apart. I remember thinking,This is ridiculous. People don’t die from this.But I swear to God, it felt like I was. Because for the first time in my life, I knew exactly where I belonged. And it wasn’t beside anyone else. It was beside you. I think some part of my soul recognized you long before my mind did. Before my heart did. It knew you were the woman I would spend the rest of my life chasing. The woman I would fight for. The woman I would protect. The woman I would build a family with. Today, standing here before you, I make these promises.”
I licked my lips and let out a soft breath. “I promise to choose you every day, even when life is hard and neither of us is at our best. I promise to protect your heart as fiercely as I protect my own. I promise to stand between you and anything that threatens our peace. I promise to hold your hand when you’re afraid. When you’re tired. I promise to remind you who you are whenever the world makes you forget. I will always celebrate your victories, share your burdens, and love you through every version of ourselves that time creates. And if someday, many years from now, my memory fades and my body fails me, I believe there will still be one thing I’ll remember.” I paused and reached out to cradle her face, her pretty veil tickling my hand.
“You,” I whispered to her, making her tears slip free from her pretty eyes. “I loved you yesterday. I love you today. And for every tomorrow I am blessed to see, I will love you then too. Forever, my sweet hummingbird. You own me.” I placed my ring onto her finger.
You own me, hummingbirdwas engraved along the band. I meant it, too.
I swallowed, finishing my speech.
“Klaus,” she choked out, reaching for me.
“Oh, baby,” I murmured.
“I love you,” she said.
“And I, you, my sweet girl.”
She steadied herself as the minister spoke.
“Rosalie. You’ve prepared something for Klaus?”
