Page 54 of Side Out

“Yes,” Theo answers eagerly, looking me dead in the eye. His stare suddenly feeling far more intense than it has since that waitress brought us our first shot. I swallow harshly as his thumb brushes along the back of my hand.

“Well alright! Rings?”

Letting go of one hand, Theo and I reach in our pockets and pull out one another’s rings. “Jackson, you’re first.” I grab Theo’s left hand and hold his ring between his fingers. “Repeat after me. Theodore Young, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love today, tomorrow, always, and forever.”

Oh shit, that’s a long one.

I slide the ring on Theo’s finger, look him in the eyes and say, “Theodore Young, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love today, tomorrow, always, and forever.”

Theo lets out a shaky breath as Elvis nods at him and says, “Now you. Jackson Baker, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love today, tomorrow, always, and forever.”

Theo grabs my hand and slowly slides the black ring over my finger, and so calmly, like he’s the soberest he’s been in his entire life, repeats, “Jackson Baker, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love today, tomorrow, always, and forever.”

“Before these witnesses, you have pledged to be joined in marriage. By the authority vested in me by the great state of Nevada, and the power of rock and roll, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your hunk of burning love.”

Theo grabs the sides of my face and crashes his mouth to mine. I let out a deep moan as the taste of him coats my tongue. And when the thought of “holy shit, I’m kissing my husband” flashes through my mind, I feel as if I could melt right into this beer stained carpet.

?*“Viva Las Vegas” begins to blare through the chapel, and Theo and I manage to pull our lips from one another. The two of us stand there, staring at each other breathlessly. Then, in a tone barely audible above the music, he asks, “Does this officially make me a cougar?”

“It sure as shit does, Mr. Young.”

“Come on boys, I’ve got marriage certificates for you to sign!” Fern yells from the lobby.

“Ready, husband?” I ask Theo.

“So fucking ready, husband.”

Come Fly With Me - Michael Bublé

It’s Now or Never - Elvis

Viva Las Vegas - Elvis

CHAPTER34

NOTHING STAYS IN VEGAS

THEODORE

Who is this random man dressed up as Elvis?

?*I’m looking at him, and his mouth is moving, but nothing’s coming out, or maybe I can’t hear?

Yeah, I don’t think I can hear. The only thing in my head is the sound of my heart thumping.

Turning my head slightly to face forward, I’m holding hands with Bridget.

Fuck!

Did she fucking drug me and bring me to Vegas? Did she fly in without me knowing and drag me to get married before I slipped out of her hands?

As my panic starts to rise, her face begins contorting into what I can only imagine she will look like when she’s eighty. I’m still holding her hands, not squeezing, but she starts to scream, and I look down where our hands meet, and her bones are cracking.

What the fuck is going on?

I feel a hand slap my cheek, and it’s definitely not this old-lady version of Bridget, but it’s enough to pull me out of wherever I was.

Suddenly, I hear Jax’s voice and realize the horror of marrying a geriatric Bridget was nothing more than a nightmare. “Please… for the love of all that is good, stop fucking screaming. It feels like my head’s three seconds away from imploding. And you’re in the blast zone.” He lets out an exaggerated groan. “Holy shit I don’t think I’ve been this hungover since I put those cameras in—uh, since Clay and I won the beer pong tournament during sophomore year homecoming.”

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