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Theo and his groomsmen and Gage are already at the altar. Ingrid walks down the aisle toward them, then Becca follows. I wait a moment and look at Tori.
“Ready?”
She beams. “Ready.”
I carry her down the aisle. A collective “aww” echoes from the guests. I hear a couple of people whisper, “Isn’t that sweet?”
When I reach the altar, I set Tori gently down on the stool that was set aside for her, then take my place on the other side with Theo.
He grins at me. Just then the music changes to a soft instrumental version of “Here Comes The Bride.”
Maya makes her way down the aisle. She beams at Theo, her eyes teary. He grins like he’s never been this happy as he watches her make her way to him. He tears up and starts to blink quickly. A few tears fall and he chuckles softly as he wipes them away. Maya’s tearing up too when she makes it to him. They stand together and chuckle and sniffle.
As the officiant starts, I glance over at Tori, dabbing her eyes as she looks at Maya and Theo. When she catches eyes with me, she beams.
She mouths “I love you,” and my heart ceases beating.
“I love you,” I mouth back.
In my head, an image flashes of Tori in a white dress, holding hands with me as we exchange vows.
I blink and focus back on the moment. I gaze at the woman I’m head over heels in love with.
I can’t wait to marry her.
I stand in the kitchen and look over at Tori across the room, chuckling with Ingrid as the guests dance to the music playing through the speaker system.
I glance down at the shot of tequila I’m holding. I take a breath and down it.
Ever since the reception started an hour ago, I’ve been working up the nerve to ask Tori to go outside with me so we can get a moment alone. Dinner is done, the speeches are over, the cake’s been cut, and people are dancing and chatting. I can finally ask her.
I walk over to Tori right as Ingrid walks away. She’s sitting in a chair with a glass of champagne in her hand.
She grins up at me. “Hey, you.”
I smile and hope she doesn’t pick up on how nervous I am. “Hey. Wanna head out to the deck with me for a sec? I want to show you something.”
“Sure.”
I take off my suit jacket and drape it over her shoulders so she’ll be warm. I lean down, scoop her in my arms, and then walk us through the crowd to the doors that lead to the massive deck.
Since it’s New Year’s Eve and close to midnight, everyone has a champagne glass in hand. A bunch of people have noisemakers too.
Once we’re outside and away from all the commotion, I kick the door shut with my leg. I set Tori down to sit on a cushy outdoor bench and sit next to her.
She gazes up at the night sky. It’s clear with zero clouds and a million stars in the sky.
“So pretty,” she says before resting her head on my shoulder for a long moment. She turns to look at me. “What did you want to show me?”
Fireworks are blasting off inside of me, I’m so nervous. But I swallow them back and dig my hand into my pocket, pulling out the black velvet box I’ve been holding onto the entire night.
Heart pounding, I get down on one knee in front of her.
Her eyes go wide at the sight of the diamond ring in my hand.
“I know this is soon, but…I’m so in love with you, Tori. I spent almost two years being your friend, wishing I had the guts to ask you out, but never doing it. And then when we finally got together, I was the happiest. I’m the luckiest man in the world to call you mine. I know this thing between us started out as fake, but it’s always felt so real to me. I love you so much. Will you marry me?”
Those beautiful golden eyes shimmer with tears as she smiles and nods at me. “Yes!”
