Page 87 of And Everything In Between

As they slid into the limo, laughing about how crazy they were for doing this, Paige suddenly froze. Her laughter died in her throat as tears sprang to her eyes.

“Oh my God.”

Blake and Emon sat waiting, Blake already dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, Emon with a bottle of champagne and four glasses balanced on his knee.

“Y’all...” Paige’s voice broke. “Thank you for being here.”

“Stop,” Blake said, reaching for her hand. “Family sticks together. We’re here for y’all in any capacity we can be.”

Giovanni caught Emon’s eye in a silent exchange of brotherhood. Then his thoughts turned to Spirit, he’d need togive his sister a raise. She deserved it. None of this would’ve been possible without her pulling these strings behind the scenes.

The Little White Chapel wasn’t what either of them had imagined for their wedding day. Not that Paige had spent much time dreaming about white dresses and flower arrangements, she was too practical for that. And Giovanni had been too focused on building his empire to think about who he’d share it with or if he would ever share it.

Yet here they were. Paige in a cream dress that Blake picked out when they parted. Giovanni was still in his premier suit, standing before an officiant who looked like he’d seen everything Vegas had to offer twice over and remained unimpressed. No flowers. No fuss. No extended family or childhood friends. Just them and Blake and Emon as witnesses.

When the officiant asked for their vows, Giovanni took her hands in his thumbs brushing over her knuckles.

“Paige...” He breathed her name knowing the weight it held. Like it was the only thing keeping him standing. “I spent years building everything I thought would make me whole. The shop, the name, and even the show. But none of it.” He paused, jaw tightening, voice threatening to crack, “None of it ever made me feel like this. Likeyoudo. Nothing I’ve ever created matters as much as what we're building together. I promise to acknowledge your dreams, honor your independence, and see you, not just as my wife, but as the complete woman you are, every single day for the rest of our lives.”

He swallowed; eyes fixed on hers. “You came into my life soft and loud at the same time. I knew from that moment that I’d be willing to do whatever to make it to today.”

She reached out and touched his face. Her big teddy bear was a mess. He leaned into her hand, placing a kiss to the inside of her palm.

“I haven’t always had the words. Still don’t sometimes. Because how the hell we get here?” He laughed. “But what I know is that I’m better with you. Calmer. Louder in the right way. And I promise, on everything, I won’t let this love sit idle.”

“I promise to honor your quiet days, hype your wild ones, and hold you through the in-between. I’ll be your safe, your steady, your soft spot to land,even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.”

He exhaled slowly, tears finally pushing past his control. He was a mess behind Paige, and he wasn’t ashamed to let the world know that. “You are... the best thing I’ve ever been part of building, Paige. The only thing I got right without a blueprint or a backup plan. And let me be clear you never needed that from me. It was always in you.”

He blinked through the tears. He never wanted to take away from who she was before, what she had accomplished, and experienced. “I’d do it all again. From scratch. Just to end up here,with you.”

Paige fought her tears; suddenly grateful she hadn’t bothered with complicated makeup. It was her turn now and she drew in a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“Vanni...” Her voice cracked on the first syllable, and she had to pause, blinking fast. “I told myself I wasn’t gonna cry.”

She laughed, quiet and trembling, He wiped the tear falling down her cheek. It was useless because that simple gesture made more tears fall. She looked over at Blake, needing a minute to calm down. Blake nodded her head, silently telling her she could do this. Giovanni didn’t need her to continue. This was enough but she did. She wanted him to know that she was just as in love with him as he was with her.

“I spent so long being the strong one. The one who held it all together because I thought that’s what made me worthy. Andfor a long time... I didn’t even know I was tired. I didn’t know I was lonely. I didn’t know I was waiting.”

She looked up at him, this man, hers now, in disbelief.

“You didn’t try to fix me. You justshowed up.Again and again, until I stopped bracing for the fall, for the disappointment. And now I can breathe.”

“I promise to choose us. Not just in the big ways, but in the quiet ones. In the moments no one sees. I’ll protect what we’ve built. I’ll make space for your silence, your rest, your joy. Just like you made space for me.” She stepped closer, fingers curling around his. “You are not just my peace. You are my everything in between.”

A tear rolled straight down her face, and this time, she didn’t bother with it.

“I love you, Giovanni. And I vow to love you loudly. Freely. And forever.”

When they kissed to seal their vows, the ground shifted beneath their feet. And as he’d just vowed to do, he caught her. They stayed together in each other’s arms until Emon cleared his throat.

“This was some beautiful ass shit. But we gotta get moving bruh.”

They stepped into the Vegas night as husband and wife, the reality of it hitting them in waves. Giovanni kept squeezing Paige's hand like he needed proof this wasn't a dream, while she kept catching glimpses of her ring in the neon lights. The limo waited to carry them back to LA, to the premiere, to the rest of their lives.

Once they were alone in the limo, the partition raised between them and the driver, Giovanni pulled her onto his lap, her legs straddling him.

“We just got married,” he whispered still in disbelief.

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