Page 109 of The Monster and the Masochist

‘It could be a coincidence.’

‘It is not. Don’t be a fool.’

I frowned as I continued my slow walk toward the arch. Theo was next to me, her arm linked through mine, and our small, but tight-knit families were sitting in white wooden folding chairs facing the arch on either side.

Vox and Gnomes sat together on the left with Theo’s coach and Alyssa, whom I’d asked to stay as well. On the right were Iris, Cal, and Ryan.

My gaze snagged on Iris, who was looking serene yet somewhat teary as we passed, and my monster hummed in consideration.

‘Ask the witch. I’m sure she knows.’

Mentally, I nodded, making a plan to find Iris after the ceremony and ask her if she knew what was up with Theo and the Q-Tips.

The officiant I’d hired for the ceremony was smiling at us as we approached, and I gave him a practiced smile back.

I’d met with him earlier in the week and given him strict terms of engagement.

No mention of God or Jesus.

No use of the word obedient.

Any mentions of the ‘devil’ were strictly forbidden, as I wasn’t sure if it would send Cal into a murderous rampage.

The vows were a basic, standard, non-religious script I’d found on some wedding site. The whole thing should have been relatively efficient and impersonal.

So when we made it to the arch, and I turned to face Theo, the look on her face made me almost stumble.

‘This is not impersonal for her,’ my monster mused, and suddenly, my heart was beating unreasonably fast.

The ring she had given me seemed to be burning a permanent mark on my finger, and when she reached out to take my hands in hers, something deep inside my chest clicked.

I could barely hear what the officiant was saying, and I didn’t know if Theo could either. The way she was staring at me made me feel like I was her whole world.

Like she really was my wife… and she would stick by my side until death forced us to part.

I jumped slightly when the officiant addressed me, and he began to lead me through the list of vows I’d given him for the ceremony.

I said ‘I do’ at all the appropriate intervals, and found myself wishing he would hurry up and get through this so I could finally kiss Theo properly.

But… When the officiant addressed Theo next, she gave him a shaky smile and shook her head.

There was a moment of blind panic when I thought she was backing out.

She was saying no to the vows?

But the panic immediately turned to complete shock when she tugged her fingers out of mine and slipped her hand into the inner pocket of her suit jacket.

“If you don’t mind… I wrote my own vows,” she said quietly.

Her voice quivered as she spoke, and her hands were shaking so badly she seemed to be having a difficult time unfolding the papers she’d retrieved, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe.

There was a strange rushing sound in my ears as she looked up at me, her cheeks pink and her dark eyes adorably wide.

“You don’t mind, do you?”

I could barely move, but I somehow managed to minutely shake my head, indicating that she should proceed, and she smiled.

She cleared her throat softly, ruffling her papers one more time, before looking back up at me.