They put on a jaw-dropping show, the hula dancers eventually weaving through the crowd and pulling guests to join them. Collette, Carina, and Marley are the lucky culprits dragged out to show off their moves. The women do their best to keep up, but Marley completely steals the spotlight. Her hipsmove seductively with the music, sending a jolt of heat straight through my body, and it nearly brings me to my knees.
Marley catches me staring and flashes a knowing smile, and I can't help but laugh. When the performance concludes, the dancers hand the women a fresh yellow-and-white flower to tuck behind their ears.
“You looked amazing,” I tell Marley as she steps back into my space. I lean in, dropping my voice to a raw whisper meant only for her. “My dick was about to be harder than that lava rock over there.”
Marley coughs out a laugh as she leans into my shoulder. “Dance with me,” she says and grabs my hands in hers.
And then, without warning, a gentle, misting rain begins to fall from the darkening sky. It’s a typical January evening in Hawaii, barely enough to cause a ripple on the water. The drizzle is so light it just grazes our faces.
The passing shower catches the guests by surprise, but instead of running for cover, everyone just laughs, leaning into the magic of the tropical weather.
“Maui rain!” Carina hollers, tilting her head back to the sky. “In Hawaiian culture, rain at a wedding is the ultimate good luck. It means the heavens are blessing you and washing away the past.”
“Would it still be considered good luck if we didn’t get married?” Gavin asks thoughtfully.
Carina falls into his arms and kisses him hard. “Absolutely. This is still our wedding day.”
Gavin looks at Carina like she’s the only girl in the world, a look of profound relief washing over his features. Then, he turns and hollers over the ocean and the noise of the party. "Attention, everyone!" he shouts. “I want to say something real quick.”
He waits for the crowd to settle down, and when all eyes are on him, he continues. “I know today didn't go exactly asplanned. There was no ceremony, no vows. But looking out at all of you, I realize this week wasn't a waste. It brought family back together.” His eyes land on mine, and we share a shared understanding. “And it showed us that sometimes, the best things in life happen when the original script completely falls apart. So, let's celebrate the real love amongst us all!”
We all break out in cheers and applause, shouting over the surf while the band picks up again, their upbeat sound ringing out clear and resonant. The rain continues to dance lightly over our skin. Some people head back toward the atrium to dance, while others continue the party right here in the sand.
I pull Marley into my arms, my hands anchoring at the small of her back. Leaning down, I claim her mouth in a slow, deep kiss.
When I finally pull back, my hand drifts up to the plumeria flower nestled in her hair. I carefully slide the stem from behind her right ear.
“Wrong side,” I tell her.
“What?” she asks, her voice a soft whisper.
“When you’re single, the flower goes behind your right ear.” I tap her bare right earlobe lightly. “But when you’re taken...” My fingers drift to the other side of her face, brushing the delicate curve of her ear. My touch lingers, tracing the contour of her jawline before I slide the blossom securely behind her left ear. “You wear it on the left.”
Marley lets out a breathless sigh.
“Is this you, asking me to be your real girlfriend?” she asks.
“Yes, this is me asking you to be my real girlfriend, Marley Jacobs. If you’ll have me.”
Marley loops her arms around my neck, pulling herself flush against my chest as the warm Hawaiian rain slicks her skin. I look deep into her eyes, my heart full to bursting, completely certain of our future. I can’t even help myself; impatiently, I kissher before she can speak. Marley smiles against my lips. "All I want is you, Othello. My answer is yes. No more rules. I'm all yours."
I close the distance, capturing her mouth with mine as the crowd cheers around us in the sand. Our fake relationship is officially dead, and under the starry Maui sky, our true reality has finally begun.
45
epilogue
MARLEY
one year later
The first thingI notice when I step off the plane is how loud the world feels after a week so quiet you could hear a pin drop. For the past several days, I’d been waking up to nothing but the sound of the ocean outside my balcony door. Sun-warmed sand, salt air, and the kind of peace I’d been craving for months.
It was much needed, and Othello had insisted on it.
“You deserve the vacation you never got,”he told me. It was my birthday dinner. Just the two of us when he’d handed me a single plane ticket to Mexico.
A week in Azulik.
