“Well, I do hate you.”
The old Luan would’ve stood up from the floor and ran away, or tried fighting Grey, put him down, but now I just smirk. “So much that you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”
“I guess even someone like me could use a little sunshine every now and then. I mean, I could technically go outside for sun, but that seems dangerous. The sun could burn off my entire skin.”
If I told anyone that Grey Davis is anything but the stern-looking bad guy he pretends to be, nobody would believe me. But that’s alright because at least that way I get to have one side of Grey that nobody else sees. Sure his friends know this side of him, but they’re more like family, and I always liked sharing secrets with family.
“Now, get off me. We’re getting married in two hours.”
“WHAT?!” I’m back up on my feet in seconds, but not because Grey told me to get up. I stare at him with huge eyes, telling myself that he’s joking. Surely he is.
I watch Grey get off the floor, taking his sweet time before he even attempts to give me an explanation. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine, but I figured we should elopetoday, obviously without telling anyone. You’ll still get a wedding in a few months or a year, I don’t know how long planning a wedding to your expectations takes, but since you want to get marriedbeforeturning thirty, we won’t have to rush anything that way.”
I think I just fell even more in love with my fiancé, or apparently very soon-to-be husband.
Clearing my throat and shaking offsomeof my nerves, I say with as much calmness as I can offer—so barely any calmness at all, “Alright, let’s get married then.”
Chapter 10
“I’m in love now”—Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran
November 2028
When Luan saidhe wanted a not-all-that-typical wedding, I didn’t think he meant making one of my best friends a flower girl.
I suggested having two of the kids do it, so basically Brooke and Eden because Kieran, Colin and Lily’s son, and Jamie, Aaron and Sofia’s son, are too young. The twins Miles and Emory had at the beginning of last year are too young as well, and they’re a few months older than Kieran and Jamie.
Eden didn’t want to do it because he’s afraid of crowds, but Brooke agreed immediately,ifReece got to do it with her.
We had two flower girls, or one flower girl and one flower boy, but either way, we had two. Until Luan decided that Colin should most definitely be the third to do the job. I know my husband has a thing for all things coming in threes, but my best friend, seriously? Of course Colin agreed in less than a heartbeat, said he even had an amazing idea how to do it. He was also the only one who would’ve ever thought to agree without any complaints.
Brooke and Reece went first,shedid an amazing job spreading rose petals, and she looked cute doing it. Then again, Brooke’s my little princess, so whatever she does, no matter how bad of a job it might ever be, she’ll excel in my eyes.
Reece was okay, too, I guess.
Anyway, now that Brooke and Reece are done, it’s Colin’s time to shine, and shine he does.
Colin comesjumpingthrough that door like a little girl—mind you, we’re on a soccer field and he demanded we put up an arch with some sort of door for this very moment—, wearing a white tank top paired with a white tutu. And fairy costume wings. I almost choke on the air when the image of twenty-one-year-old Colin in that very same outfit flashes back into my memory like a shooting star. At least now he’s not wearing skates and a helmet, however he’s wearing ballerina shoes and a crown, so I don’t know which one is better.
He dances down that aisle like he has no care in the world, like he’s not embarrassed by any of this at all, throwing rose petals around like he was born to do it.
All of Luan and I’s guests are cheering Colin on, laughing, whistling as though they’re at a live striptease show. The music he chose isn’t helping the situation either.
Had I known my ‘official’ wedding day would turn into this, perhaps I would’ve tried talking my husband out of it. I mean, we’ve already been married for a little over a year anyway.
When Colin’s finally done with his show, he walks up to me even though he wasn’t technically supposed to do that, I think.
“Aren’t you cold?” It’s snowing and we’re outside—why am I even asking? He spends most of his days in an ice hockey arena, on the ice. We’re all used to the cold.
Colin shrugs. “I thought you were, so I brought some heat.”Of course. “I have not seen you smile even once today. Shouldn’t you be happy?”
“I am happy,” I say, my voice monotonous.
“Really? Because you look like you’re about to run away. Well, either that or you have to pee really badly.”
“I’m about to run away fromyou.”
“Fair enough.” He laughs, then slaps me on the back before he turns around to stand by his wife. I would’ve loved to have him as one of my groomsmen, but since he already had a job, I refused to give him another. Not even Miles got two titles, he’s my best man and that’s it.
