Page 135 of Breakout
I smile. “I love you, Wyatt. You’re an amazing guy. I hope you find your forever one day.”
“I love you too, Peyton. You’re our sister now. Nothing will change that.”
Then he takes my arm, leading me to the beginning of the aisle.“Are you ready?”
I smile wider. “Take me to my husband.”
He knocks on the door, then waits. The music starts. Then the doors open.
There are several people on both sides of the aisle, but I don’t pay them any mind. There is only one person who captures all of my attention.
Beckett Hayes.
My husband.
He looks so handsome in his black tux, and he has his hair slicked back. He was looking down until the doors opened. Then his head jerked up as his eyes landed on me.
The pure love and adoration in them make my breath catch in my throat.
I love this man.
I try to pick up my pace, making Wyatt laugh, but he keeps his slow, steady pace. I let him walk me all the way down the aisle, kissing my cheek before he hands me off to Beckett, taking his spot at the end of the groomsmen line.
“You came,” he whispers.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Then we turn toward Brett as he begins the ceremony.
When Beckett squeezes my hand, I know everything will be okay. As long as I have him by my side, I can handle anything in life.
I lean into his side, closing my eyes for a moment.
Yeah, this feels right. This feels like I’m meant to be here.
For once, I feel like I belong.
Watching Peyton float down the aisle toward me in a beautiful white dress is like a dream come true.
This is the wedding we deserved to have. The one with our friends, who have become family, present to witness us proclaim our love for one another.
We invited all the house staff to attend with their loved ones and even sent an invitation to my family. I was surprised when they actually showed up. At first I didn’t want to extend the olive branch, but with everything Peyton went through with her family, I didn’t want any regrets. I think they were just as shocked to hear from me as I was. While things aren’t great between us, they are slightly better. Hell, the last time we had dinner together I wasn’t forced to eat lamb, so that was a win.
“My dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…just kidding. We are here for one reason only. To celebrate two of the best people I know. Beckett Hayes and Peyton Anderson. Love is a special thing. It comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s a parent to a child. A friend toward another. A stranger on the street showing love to another for one reason or another. Even the love for a sport like the love we all share for hockey. The love that we are here to celebrate today is a special one. It’s the kind that only comes once in a lifetime. Beckett and Peyton have found ineach other the kind of love that poets write about. The soulmate kind that lasts forever. It’s both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because they will never know what it’s like to be unloved again. A curse because there will never be a high quite like the one they’ve found in one another. Together, they make the perfect couple, complementing one another. Where one lacks, the other fits like a puzzle piece. It’s the kind of love we can only dream about. That we ache to find. Beckett, you’ve prepared your vows?” Brett asks.
“I have.” Turning toward Peyton, I take her hands as I look into her eyes. “Peyton, I’ve told you this before, but I want the world to know it. I knew I loved you the moment I met you. It was like a spark lit inside of me, telling me that you were the one. I was floating through life aimlessly until you tethered me to your soul and showed me the way. I came alive that day and every day since. I feel blessed to have you in my life in any capacity, but even more so that I get to tell everyone who will listen that you are mine. My love. My life. My wife. Until the very last breath I breathe, I will love you. Then I will love you all over again in the next life and every single one after that.”
Peyton is crying silently at my words. It makes me want to reach out and kiss her, but I don’t. I wait for her to collect herself.
“Peyton,” Brett prompts.
“Beckett, you always tell me that I saved you, but the truth is you saved me. You saved me from a lifetime of loneliness. From the insecurities that were debilitating to both myself and those around me. You showed me that it’s okay to trust others and allow our friends into my life. That I don’t always have to wait for that other shoe to drop. Most importantly, you taught me that I deserve to be loved. By you. By others. I might have had a tragic beginning, but you walked into my life and showed me that Idon’t need to end that way. I love you more than any words could express, so I’ll show you instead.”
Turning toward Cora, she holds out her hand. When she turns back around, the tears fall from my eyes freely and without shame. In her hand is every single paper ring I’ve made her, fixed into a bracelet and coated in epoxy so that it will never deteriorate.
“When you proposed the first time, you gave me one of these rings. Then you continued to give me one each and every time we were together. At the time I thought it was silly, yet I kept them. I liked the way they made me feel. Little did I know you were chipping away at the ice surrounding my heart, one paper ring at a time. You were showing me that you loved me even back then.” She holds up her hand, showing the engagement ring I bought her. Then she taps her finger, making me smile. “It’s always been you and me, and it always will be. For the rest of our lives.”
She grabs my hand, placing the bracelet she had made over my wrist. It’s the best thing she could have gotten me. A symbol of our love.
