CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Stacey
Life is sometimes crazy, you know? Pax, Peyton and I were thrown together unexpectedly, step-siblings one second, and then forced to walk through hell together. Or I should say I was forced to walk through hell, they came along for the ride.
And I appreciate it because my steps didn’t have to. They could have ignored me, brushed me off as some girl they barely knew. But they didn’t. They stuck by my side, a steady hand on the wheel when I needed it most, the star by which to sail my ship.
And I feel like that’s what relationships are about, hanging through the thick and thin, when things look bad your SO is someone that’s there for you. I’d had serious doubts about that before. Actually, take that back, even worse. I thought they were heartless bastards, nowhere even in SO territory.
So it’s amazing that things have done a one eighty now. Yep, you guessed it. I’m now standing in a white dress with my groom waiting, best man at his side.
I’m getting married, can you believe it? After all the trauma, the roller-coaster, the agony, I’m now here on the best day of my life, about to tie the knot with Peyton, Pax as our best man.
It was amazing, the proposal. We’d just finished another hot session, my limbs entangled with theirs in the sheets, our skin hot and flushed, our breathing still coming fast and hard.
“Brothers,” I heaved, smiling at my twin lovers, taking their hands. “That was incredible, I loved it.”
And they smiled back, growling their pleasure, taking in my ample curves, the blonde hair spread on the pillow.
“Stacey,” Pax growled. “We have something for you.”
And I figured I knew what it was. We’d been talking about going to Tahiti during the off-season, take some time off when things weren’t busy. The beach would be amazing, palm fronds waving in the air, a cool tropical drink in my hand, my lovers by my side.
And sure enough, out came a bulky envelope, the kind with plane tickets inside.
I toyed with it, examining the envelope closely, running my finger along the seam.
“Ooh, wonder what it could be,” I giggled. “Tickets to Tahiti anyone?”
My brothers looked at me with hunger but also anticipation.
“Open it,” growled Peyton.
“Now,” added Pax. “Please sister.”
“Okay, okay,” I laughed. “The season’s been tough on you guys, I know a vacation’s in order.”
And sure enough, when I pulled open the file there were three first-class tickets to Tahiti. Awesome, it couldn’t be better timing.
“Thank you, thank you,” I cooed, throwing my arms around my steps’ massive frames, covering them with kisses. “I’m going to start packing right away.”
“Um, sister,” said Pax, “I think you’re missing something else in there.”
“Really?” I asked. As far as I could tell, it was just a sheaf of bulky papers, probably offers for travel insurance and carry-on rules and regulations. Airlines were always changing the rules with that kind of stuff. “Are you sure?” I asked, riffling through the mass.
But then my fingers slowed and stopped. Because besides the requisite junk mail there was an application … for a marriage license.
I pulled the form out from the papers slowly, my fingers trembling. Could it be? Sure enough, there was my name and date of birth printed on the license, with Peyton listed as the prospective groom.
“Brothers,” I said, my voice quivering. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Yes,” rasped Peyton. “We want you … forever.”
I was elated, out of breath and beyond excited, but I wasn’t sure how our ménage could continue if only two of us were married. My eyes filled with tears and I could feel them begin to spill over, trailing down my cheeks hotly.
“What, what is it?” growled Pax. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just that … what about you?” I asked tremulously. “The application only lists Peyton and me. What about you? I want you to be a part of this too, I’m in love with you both,” I confessed.
And my brothers descended on me, stroking me, petting me, growling words of comfort into my hair.
“No worries, we’ve already talked this through,” replied Pax. “You obviously can’t get married to us both, but we want to keep you with us, bind you to us in the best way we know how.”
“But how did you decide on Peyton?” I asked plaintively. “I don’t love one of you more than the other, I love you equally.”
“It was simple,” said Peyton, “we flipped a coin. Heads me, tails Pax.”
I gasped. Something this momentous had been decided by a coin toss? That was way too simple for something as complex as marriage.
But my brothers only nodded.
“It’s okay,” soothed Pax, “I’m used to it. We begin every football game with a coin toss, even the Super Bowl. It’s just how life is,” he concluded simply.
I threw my arms around him.
“But you’ll live with us, won’t you?” I breathed into Pax’s ear. “The three of us together?”
“Oh yeah sweetie,” he growled, stroking my back. “I’m with you every day … and every night.”
And with that, I kissed him deeply, willing him to feel the gratitude and excitement I had for our future life.
He returned my kiss passionately before pulling back and pressing a pen into my hand.
“Now sign that application,” he growled, “before I change my mind.”
And I laughed joyously, excited about our future life.
So here I am in Tahiti, about to step out onto the beach clad in a white slip dress, my feet bare, hair blowing in the wind except for a wreath of white flowers. It was the perfect opportunity – we’d go on vacation and have the ceremony here, before returning to New York and filing the certificate with the registrar.
I was almost lost in a reverie of happiness when the harp began strumming the wedding march. With a delighted smile, I stepped onto the sandy walkway, each step bringing me closer to my future.
The twins waited for me at the edge of the water, their eyes watching me every step of the way, hungry, waiting, eager for the next phase of our lives.
“And do you, Stacey, take Peyton as your true and wedded husband?”
I took a deep breath, looking deep into Peyton’s eyes, clasping his hands in mine. But then I averted my eyes just a bit, looking directly behind him, deep into the baby blues of Pax and nodded yes, never breaking eye contact.
“Yes, yes, I do,” I sighed, my eyes still locked with Pax, my hands joined with Peyton.
And that’s how I married both my steps. And you know what? It couldn’t have turned out better because we weren’t going out with a bang. Rather, we were doing a double bang … for keeps.
THE END