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I looked around at my other friends. Theo and Cam were leaning against the wall by a window, laughing at some dumb video on Cam’s phone. Levi was pulling on his jacket and Jared was peering in a mirror, checking his hair. “Should I open it?”
Bennett nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. Do you want us to step out?”
I shook my head. “No. Stay. It’s almost time to head to the barn, anyway.” I slid a finger under the flap of the envelope and popped it open. Inside was a folded-up piece of notebook paper and when I pulled out the paper, a picture fluttered to the ground. Bennett ducked down and scooped up the picture before handing it to me.
It was a snapshot of Travis and me when we were kids. We must have been about twelve in the photo. Our arms were slung around each other and we had huge grins on our pink-cheeked faces, tucked together in the back of a hay-covered wagon, the sun nearly set behind us. I remembered it, the day the photo had been taken rushing back to me all at once.
Our moms had driven us to a pumpkin patch, letting us each choose an enormous pumpkin, and we’d both struggled to carry ours to the car. After we’d picked those pumpkins and downed hot dogs roasted over the fire, we’d talked them into letting us stay and ride the haunted hayride.
Just before we’d climbed aboard the hayride, I remembered my mom turning to Mrs. Weston and saying something like, “They really love each other, don’t they?”
Mrs. Weston had smiled warmly and nodded. “I hope it always stays that way.” Then she’d called for us to get closer and smile so she could take the photo.
Getting a little choked up, I unfolded the aged, tattered notebook paper carefully. Scrawled on it was Travis’s neat, angular handwriting. I would have recognized that handwriting anywhere. We’d passed notes in grade school so many times, and seeing a note from him was like coming home. It grounded me. My stomach settled and my heartbeat steadied.
Dear Parker,
I have something to tell you. Do you remember the haunted hayride we went on last weekend? I wanted to kiss you at the end. Would you be mad? I don’t want to mess up our friendship. Can I kiss you next time I see you? Check yes if it’s okay.
Love, Travis
I laughed as I read it, my chest squeezing tight, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. My mind flashed back to the night he’d looked at my yearbook.It’s always been you for me, too, I thought. I knew what I needed to do. “Does anyone have a pen?”
All the guys looked up at me and Levi pulled a pen out of his jacket pocket. “Here ya go.” He passed it to Bennett, who gave it to me.
I carefully drew a check mark in the “yes” box and folded the note back up before handing it to Bennett and returning the pen to Levi. “Can you take this back to him?”
Bennett furrowed his brow. “Now I’m your note-runner?” I gave him a pleading look, pushing my lip out in a pout. He sighed. “Fine.” With that, he slipped out of the room. When he returned, he was smiling again. “Mel says it’s time. Ready, big guy?”
With a nod, I stepped to the side to check myself in the mirror one last time. I smoothed my suit jacket and adjusted my tie.
“You look great,” Cam said, grabbing me by the arm. “Let’s go before you miss your cue.”
A few moments later, I was walking down the aisle alone, as planned, preceded by my five best friends. I looked around the audience as I walked, nodding at my parents, sitting next to Shelby, James, and their little ones. Marissa had the last spot in the row, and she was beaming. I cast my eyes forward, meeting Karl’s gaze. He was standing at the end in his spot as officiant, his smile so confident and warm. I finally took my place at the end of the aisle and the music shifted.
I turned to watch as Nick and Dylan, Travis’s closest friends, made their way up the aisle. I felt a wash of gratitude toward them, knowing they’d been the ones to get Travis on Fyre in the first place. They’d been the ones who started the whole thing. Travis came around the corner, a shy smile on his face, his gaze at his feet. He began making his way toward me. His dark suit clung to him perfectly, showing off his lean, toned body. He looked devastatingly sexy, but all I could think was, “He’s mine. I’m so glad he’s mine.” My heart leaped into my throat, my chest tightening. I couldn’t breathe—not until our gazes met. He smiled at me and everything unwound.
Once he’d made it to me, we immediately took each other’s hands, squeezing tight and holding on.
“Hi,” he whispered, his cheeks pink.
I stroked his hand with my thumb. “Hi.”
Karl cleared his throat and began the ceremony by making a little speech about marriage—actually keeping it moderately serious—before he shifted into our vows. Neither of us had written anything too personalized. If we were being honest, neither of us were very good at words, so we’d skipped that part. Finally,finallycame the most important part of the ceremony.
“Do you, Travis, take Parker to be your husband?”
Travis nodded, his gaze unwavering. “I do.” He slid my wedding band on my ring finger and gave my fingers one little squeeze.
Karl turned to me. “And do you, Parker, take Travis to be your husband?”
“Of course I do.” I did the same as Travis had, seating the ring neatly on his finger. They looked like they belonged there.
“In that case, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss the groom.”
I leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. When we parted, Travis was smiling.
“Thanks for checking yes,” he whispered.
