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“Look. If it makes you happy, we can order pizza like that every single day. I don’t care because I’ll always have my own right there for you to steal when you realize that your food is gross. I just hope that our baby gets their taste buds from me and not you.”
“So what you’re saying is that you love me.”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Even though?—”
I cut her off by stepping into her space and cupping her face with my hands, effectively silencing her.
“You are the love of my life. I didn’t even know what breathing was before I met you. Not really. I had this stupid idea that my life was perfect. That went out the window the moment I saw you sitting next to Sori in that courthouse. You had these dark shadows under your eyes, and without even thinking about it, I knew that I had to give you a hard time. You were there, under my skin, before you ever said a word. And the first time I saw you cry, I wanted to find the reason for those tears and make sure that it never bothered you again. Then I found out why, and I knew that you weren’t just someone broken or looking for a reason to let go for a minute. You became my reason to hold on. The reason I look forward to waking up in the morning. The reason I can sleep in the silence. Because I’m not just protecting you. You’re protecting me. And I’ll fight for this feeling for the rest of my life. I love you.”
“Damn,” she whispers against my lips. “Good game, champ.”
“Nah.” I kiss her. “When it comes to you, Casper, it’s not a game. It’s everything.”
EPILOGUE
CASPER
New York in the middle of August doesn’t smell any better than it does in the middle of May. I never thought that four months after I arrived to pack my sister’s belongings, I’d be back to plan a wedding.
“Are you coming or not?” Sori taps her foot impatiently on the marble floor, looking like she’s barely gotten any sleep. She isn’t alone, either. My sister looks like something the cat dragged in. All I can do is snicker at their obvious misery.
“I’m recovering from a gunshot wound, and I’m pregnant. You can wait a little bit.”
Sori and Kennedy just roll their eyes. “I’m hungover as fuck,” Kennedy snaps. “You don’t get to use that excuse. You’re in better condition than we are.”
“Speak for yourself.” Sori just rubs her stomach. “I didn’t plan on being sick today. But the parasite I’m growing is determined to be a pain in the ass.”
Snickering, I follow them into the exclusive boutique that Sori has been able to get us into at the last minute so that I could pick out the wedding dress of my dreams.
“You know you’re calling your precious baby a parasite, right?” Kennedy doesn’t bother pulling her punches with Sori. We’re all family, or will be soon enough.
“Yep.” Sori pops her lips together. “There’s something growing inside me, a foreign body if you will. It’s eating my nutrients, making me sick, and refusing to leave until it’s done growing and taking what it wants from me. So yes, technically I’m calling my baby a parasite. But it’s better than smothering my husband in his sleep.”
She’s saying all that with a smile, though, so I know it’s just the hormones talking and not the fact that Emmett’s been treating her like she’s made of glass since he found out she’s pregnant.
Tactfully, I change the subject. “Are you sure they’re gonna be able to get thirty different types of dresses last minute for the girls to choose from?”
I am waiting on the rest of my bridesmaids, who are all picking their dresses today. And since Cole insists on getting married as soon as possible, we are in the city to get everything picked out because apparently New York is the only place where we can get everything we need and want without wasting time.
“Saturdays are for sleeping in,” Ridley announces as she flounces into the room with a bottle of wine in her hand. “Not for dress shopping.”
“Hey,” I defend. “I didn’t want to do this at all. I wanted to elope.” The lie almost makes me smile. I didn’t want to elope. I wanted the wedding. The dress. All of it. Not just for me, but for Cassie too.
“You absolutely, without a doubt, cannot elope.” Kennedy grabs the bottle from Ridley. They pop it open while I sit in an oversized chair and watch with envy. “Our mother would hunt you down and burn your body. Then she’d make me get married just so she could have a wedding. Not only that, but you’re pregnant. You don’t want people thinking you just got married for the baby, do you?”
We all laugh at that very bad attempt at a reason for me and Cole to ever get married.
Cole loves me.
I know it the same way that I know that the sun will rise every single day of my life.
Anyone can see how much we mean to each other with the way he hovers and makes me want to stab him with a rusty spork every time he gets in my way. Or the way he finds a reason to hold my hand or touch me when he gets within reach.
“Did your wedding planner have any luck finding the spork?” Ridley takes a giant sip of wine and my mouth waters slightly at the sight.
“No, but she better. That’s the most important part of the wedding and we’re getting married in a month.”
