“Y-Yes,” Rosalie said, her hands back in mine as we stared at one another. “Klaus. Before you, my life felt like a storm I couldn’t escape. I was lost in it for so long that I forgot what peace felt like. Then you came along in your fancy car, wearing all black, and flashing your smile at me. You humored my questions and never shied away from answering them. You became my calm. My safe place. The arms I could run to whenthe world felt too heavy. You were the heart that reminded me I never had to carry everything alone when I was hurting and scared.” She paused and gave me a shaky smile. I stepped closer to her.
“The funny thing is,” she continued, “the first time I met you, you terrified me. Not because of who you were. But because of how you made me feel. Because for the first time, I could see a future that looked different. That looked… safe. And that scared me more than anything. You walked into my life and somehow became my favorite part in it. You gave me a home, not a place… a feeling. A feeling of being loved, protected, understood, and chosen. Today, I promise to choose you back every single day. I promise to stand beside you no matter what. I promise to love you when life is easier and when it’s hard. I promise to never take a single moment with you for granted. Building a life with you feels like a dream I never thought I’d get to live. You are my home, Klaus. You areourhome. I will spend the rest of my days loving you with everything I have. Forever.” The ring she slipped onto my finger fit perfectly.
I couldn’t stop the first tear that slipped free. She reached for me and thumbed it away, a gentle smile on her pretty face.
“How did I get so lucky?” I murmured.
“Meant to be,” she replied.
Thank fucking god.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister said proudly. “You may kiss your bride.”
I grinned before surging forward and claiming her lips, my hands on her, holding her to me as people clapped around us.
This was the best day of my fucking life.
28
ANSON
Istood waiting for my turn at the altar, smiling as I watched Rosalie and Klaus kiss. I clapped and whooped loudly before he released her to me, the smile so big on his face that it warmed every fiber of my being.
“Anson,” the minister said, turning to me. “Your vows.”
I took Rosalie’s hands and smiled at her. My heart raced as I drew in a deep breath. I’d waited for this moment my whole life, it seemed.
“LeeLee,” I began. “I loved you before I ever had the courage to admit it. The moment I saw you, something inside me settled and unraveled all at once. After that, I found every excuse I could to be near you. One more conversation. One more smile. One more minute in your presence. One more song.” I grinned at her as I held her hands in mine. Her eyes sparkled for me, making me relax.
“I still think about our first kiss. And if I have one regret, it’s that I didn’t take that chance sooner. You are my everything. The breath I need to live. The dream I didn’t know I was searching for until I found you. Today, I vow to spend my life making your dreams come true the way you’ve made mine. I vow to honoryou, cherish you, protect you, and love you for eternity and beyond. I vow to stand beside you through every season, every triumph, every heartbreak, and every miracle. Because loving you isn’t simply part of my life. Itismy life. If love is measured by what remains when everything else is gone, then know this: When time takes my strength, when years steal my memories, when this world finally asks me to leave it behind, my soul will still know your name. And I will spend eternity looking for yours so we can do it all over again.”
A fresh wave of tears trickled down her cheeks.
“I love you, LeeLee, today, tomorrow, always, forever.” I slid her new band from me onto her finger, which was engraved with my words for her.
Today. Tomorrow. Always. Forever.
Her lips trembled as she tried to contain her emotions. Fuck, I wanted to kiss the pink from her lips right now, but I held back, knowing she had vows for me.
“Rosalie, your vows,” the minister said.
She breathed out, holding my hands. “Ani, your love saved me in a way you’ll never fully understand. It kept me alive through the darkest days. It gave me hope when I had none. It reminded me how to dream, how to laugh, and how to keep moving forward when everything felt impossible. You have always been my light in the dark. And if I have one regret, it’s that I didn’t kiss you sooner, too. Maybe even on the very first day I saw you. Because some part of me knew then what I know now—that you were a forever kind of love. Today, I vow to protect you the way you’ve always protected me. I vow to stand beside you through every joy, every storm, and every chapter still waiting to be written and every song yet to be sung. I vow to love you fiercely, faithfully, and completely for the rest of my life. You are one of my greatest adventures. If souls are real, I think they recognize each other long before we do. Mine hasbeen finding its way back to yours from the very beginning. And it always will because you were the song I was meant to sing. I love you, Ani. So damn much. Forever.” She pushed a wedding band onto my finger.
“Mine,” I murmured fiercely.
“Yours,” she whispered back, her voice shaking.
“Anson, Rosalie, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
I didn’t hesitate. I lunged forward and dragged her against me, kissing her hard and deep. She moaned softly against my lips, her hands on my chest.
“I love you,” I whispered against her lips.
“I love you,” she answered back before kissing me again.
Fuck. YES. I got the girl. Officially.
I didn’t know such joy existed, but this? It was definitely real.
