Page 78 of Their Deviant Love
“Are you?” she counters.
“Home is wherever you are. Let’s go.” I kiss her temple and hold her against my side.
“It went well?” Mr. Valentino glares at where I’m touching his daughter but doesn’t say more.
“Better than I thought,” I tell him.
“Good.” He nods and walks out the door, followed by his brother, and then Aurora and me, hand in hand.
“This isn’t the end, Connor,” she says.
“What do you mean?”
“This is the beginning. Our life together is only just starting and it’s going to be the most epic tale ever.” She smiles up at me.
“Well, I got the princess, so how could it not be epic?” I lean down and press my lips to hers.
She’s right. This isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning of our forever.
Epilogue
Ayear and a bit later
I was never the girl who dreamed about her wedding day. Honestly, I never thought it would happen for me. First, because I doubted my father and brothers would ever let any boy who showed an interest in me live to see the day. Second, because I never actually thought I’d find anyone who would love me for who I really am.
But he does.Connor loves me.
I smile at the thought. But this day isn’t really for us; it’s for my family. Connor and I have considered ourselves married for over a year now. Our little vow exchange back on the island was all we needed, and it was perfect. The grass ring Connor made me didn’t stand the test of time. I remember the day it broke. Connor found me sobbing. He fixed the ring, and then I stuck it in a glass container to preserve it.
I am glad I saved the legal wedding for my parents to see, though. My mom has been so excited through all the planning. My dad, not so much, but he hasn’t forbidden it either. He likes Connor, even if he won’t admit it. He helped Connor, and he often calls him just to talk about school.
Papa says it’s because he needs to make sure he’s staying on track of not becoming a bum, now that Connor doesn’t have family money to fall back on. Connor never needed or wanted his family’s money. He has more than enough on his own.
After we left Dublin, we stayed in New York until July. Then we made the move to Boston for the start of school. Connor and I found the perfect house here, and my mom did all the interior designing. Connor says he’s afraid to touch anything because the place looks like a magazine spread. I told him to get over itandget used to it because my mom would always be our designer.
“Are you nervous?” my cousin Mabilia asks me. She’s one of my bridesmaids, along with Tilly and Liliana. And Aisling. I’ve become really close friends with Connor’s cousin.
“Why would I be nervous?” I reply.
“Because you’re going to spend the rest of your life with him. Just one person,forever…” She puts emphasis on the word, and I laugh.
“That’s the plan,” I say. “I’m not nervous. I’m excited to finally be able to shout from the rooftops that Connor O’Malley is my husband.” My smile is huge.
“Let’s not go shouting from rooftops, Aurora. You can put out a newspaper ad or something,” my mother tells me as she continues lacing up the back of my dress.
I love this dress. It’s inspired by Princess Aurora, with a floral corset-style bodice and loose puffed sleeves that tighten at my wrists. The skirt is full, with layers and layers of tulle and lace, and a long train. It’s really the only thing about the wedding that I was excited about. When I told my mom I wanted a dress like Princess Aurora, she thought I was kidding. I wasn’t. Connor doesn’t know it yet, but he will the moment he sees me.
That’s the part I’mmostexcited about. That first look when I step into the aisle of the cathedral.
“Okay, all done,” my Mom says, her eyes watery. “You look absolutely beautiful.”
“Mom, don’t cry again.” I wrap my arms around her. “This is a happy day, remember?”
“I know. It’s just… you’re my baby and now… you’re going to be someone’s wife,” she says.
“But you love Connor,” I remind her, because she genuinely does love him. She once told me that if we ever broke up, she was still keeping him. I laughed and told her there was no chance of that happening.
“He is perfect for you,” she says. And he really is.
