Page 124

The world could fall apart, go up in flames, and I wouldn’t care right now. Because today, in this beautiful backyard, surrounded by the people we love most, I get to marry my best friend.

Forever.

Epilogue Two

Matty looks like he’s trying not to cry, his fingers fiddling with the sunflower pinned to his suit. He shifts from foot to foot like he can’t decide whether to stand still or run down the aisle to meet me halfway and damn, he looks good.

The navy suit fits him perfectly, but it’s the way he wears his heart on his sleeve that gets me. It always has. He’s grinning at me like the rest of the world doesn’t exist, and I’m the only person in his universe.

I take another step, and another, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat.

It’s not nerves—well, maybe a little—but mostly, it’s how he looks at me. Like I’m everything.

Like I’m his.

When I reach the altar, his hand is already outstretched, palm open, waiting. As soon as our fingers thread together, I feel our connection like electricity, skittering up my arm and lighting me up from the inside out. My heartbeat thuds wildly at the sensation, a deep breath filling my lungs like I’ve been dormant for years and am finally awake—shocked back to life by his touch.

Everything I’ve ever wanted, everything I thought I’d never have, is right here in front of me. It almost feels like a dream.

“Hi,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion, and I smile at him.

“Hey, big guy.”

The officiant starts talking, but I barely hear a word. All I can focus on is Matty—his eyes, the way they’re shining, the way his thumb brushes over my knuckles like he can’t stop himself. Hannah moves in between us, grabbing both our hands, and it’s the most perfect thing I could ever ask for.

“Bring forth the duck,” Taylor calls when it’s time to exchange rings, causing Salem to snort. Chicken is currently terrorizing Logan’s pants, so the poor guy has the unfortunate duty of picking him up to walk down the aisle.

He gives Salem a wide berth, keeping his eyes down when she snaps a few photos, and from the way her face tightens, I can tell that she’s upset. Part of me thinks she liked him pining, but after the whole situation with Devon, he wants nothing to do with her. His own wife. They’re both going on tour with Christian and Taylor this summer, which is causing some tension, I’m sure.

That’s a whole mess I’m glad I’m not part of.

Matty starts to unfasten the rings, but they slip from his hand before he can get a good grip on them. “Ope.”

They bounce into the rocks, and Hannah scrambles after them as our friends groan in unison while I snicker.

“Way to go, butter fingers.”

“Nice one, hermano.”

“Shut up, I’m sweaty.” Grabbing them from Hannah, he takes my hand and slips one onto my finger, clearing his throat. “Xed, you’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember. You’ve seen me at my worst and somehow loved me anyway. You’ve been my anchor, my compass, and the reason I’m standing here today.”

He pauses, licking his lips with a shaking breath, eyes glistening. “I know I’m sometimes oblivious, but Ducky, you’ve always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. You make me want to be better, not just for you but for us. For Hannah, for the family we’ve built together. Today, I promise to love you the way you deserve. To never take you for granted, to fight for us. You’re my best friend, my heart, my home. And I’m so damn lucky to be yours. You’ve given me something I never thought I’d have, and I promise to spend every day making sure you know how much you mean to me.”

Matty’s voice echoes around the quiet yard, and by the time he finishes, I’m not sure I can even speak.

I pull a crumpled paper from my pocket, but with one glance at it, I know it’s useless. Whatever I wrote feels silly now, but what I want to say needs to come from my heart.

Tossing it aside, Matty laughs as I lift his hand, sliding on the ring. When I look up, the crowd disappears, the world fades, and it’s just him. My Matty. All I see is the man who’s been my everything since the moment I followed him home.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I admit, my voice shaking. “Matty, you… you’ve always been the loud one, the bright one, the one who shines so damn much it’s hard to look at you sometimes. But you never let me stand in your shadow.”

His grip tightens on mine, lips trembling as tears spill onto his cheeks, and I wipe them away as I continue.

“You drive me insane, yet you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I belong. With you, love isn’t perfect. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and sometimes it hurts like hell, but it’s also the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. I promise to be your partner through all of it. You’re my best friend, my everything. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I deserve this family.”

My voice catches as I kneel down in front of Hannah, who beams at me. “I know we don’t share blood, but you’re the best part of both of us, Creetch. I don’t just promise to be your dad’s partner. I promise to be yours, too. To love you, protect you, and make you feel as loved as you make me feel.”

“I love you so much,” Matty chokes out, fully sobbing now as he pulls me up for a kiss before we’re given the go-ahead.