Page 79 of My Downfall

***

“Nowyou may kiss the bride.”

Bride.

She’s my wife.

I lean down and kiss her like no one is watching. I kiss her like I won’t survive without it. Without her.

I’m not sure I would.

“I love you,” I breathe against her lips.

“Hudson,” she gasps at my confession.

“I haven’t said it before now because I wanted to do it today as we stood up in front of our friends and I promised you forever. You’re my wife, baby girl, but you’re so much more than that. You’re the love ofmy life, you’ll be the woman who bears our children, and the woman I cannot wait to grow old with. You’re my fucking everything.”

I kiss her before she can respond, before she can break my heart by not saying it back. I know she’s not there yet, that all of this has happened sooner than she expected. When she says those words to me, I want her to mean them. I want them to be as real for her as they are for me.

Chapter Forty-three

Hudson

The night is winding down, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. I want to be alone with my wife.

I want my wedding present.

River, Reed, Grayson, and I are sitting on the day beds by the pool, which has hundreds of flickering candles floating on its surface. Our girls, Paige included, are dancing, their arms round each other forming one giant circle on the deck.

It’s just the nine of us left, all the family left about an hour ago.

“How did we get to be such lucky fuckers?” Grayson murmurs beside me.

“Amen to that.” Reed raises his glass of scotch and we all toast to landing women way out of our league.

“I’m going to drag my wife away soon, we’ve got three nights without Charlie and I want to make the most of every moment of them.”

“You know she’s already pregnant, right?” I smirk at him.

“You’re doing it wrong if you think that’s the only time you do it.” Reed snorts into his glass next to me. I just shoot him the finger.

“Fuck, I need to marry Ava soon. My wife sounds so much better than my fiancée.”

“It’s a good club to be a part of,” I agree.

“Daddy makes it even better.” Grayson gives us a cocky grin.

“Oh, Hudson’s already one of them,” Reed chuckles.

Grayson frowns over at me. “What’s he talking about?” We just look at him as we wait for the moment he realizes. I know Reed already spilled to River, not that I care.

I see the moment it clicks; his eyes widen and an absolute howl of laughter leaves him.

“Oh, fuck me. That’s pure gold.” He can barely speak around his laughter.

“And now you all need to fuck off because I want to hear that name coming from mywife’slips.”

“I may have to give it a try,” Grayson mumbles as he climbs up from the daybed next to mine.