Eternal

I wanted the cake, the music, the beachside waves crashing in the background.

What I got?

Taffy.

But in a way, it kind of made sense. I was marrying Demetri Daniels in a taffy store, in my parents’ taffy store where we’d initially met.

My eyes stung with the memories as they washed over me: our first kiss, our first fight, him crawling through my window and forcing me to face my demons.

His proposal on the plane.

I didn’t need extraordinary, because I was marrying it. I was marrying him.

“Wes?” I cleared my throat. “Let’s make it fast. I want to be his wife… right now.”

Demetri’s sparkling blue eyes found mine. He winked and mouthed “I love you” just as Wes started to speak.

My family circled around us.

Kiersten, Saylor, and Pris stood to the left, while Gabe and Jaymeson stood to Demetri’s right.

“Marriage...” Wes bit his lip and folded his arms across his chest. “…isn’t to be taken lightly. It’s a commitment to be with another person during their worst times and their absolute best. It’s hard… thinking about the person you love suffering or being at their worst, or possibly thinking about them letting you down. But they will. That’s life. That’s also marriage. It’s promising to stand by someone even when you aren’t proud of them, even when you’re upset, even when they do something horrible. It’s helping correct them when they’re wrong and forgiving them over and over again until it hurts. Marriage truly is like cutting out a part of your soul and watching it fuse with someone else’s, hoping they mold together, hoping it takes.” He paused, “It’s a beautiful thing to watch two people join their lives together. It’s purity at its finest, when you can look at another broken human being and say I take you… just as you are, and I think you’re incredible.”

Tears welled in my eyes as he continued.

“Demetri and Alyssa… I’m going to do something a bit different because I can… but I want you to face each other while you answer in unison. Do you, take one another in sickness and in health, in good times, in bad, through hospital visits, tough times, and an uncertain future. Do you… even if the cards are fully stacked against you... still choose one another?”

“I do,” I whispered at the same time Demetri did. His eyes filled with tears, mirroring my own.

“Demetri, do you promise to honor Alyssa, your wife, with your body, with your finances, with more good days than bad, with every inch of your soul? With your whole heart?”

Demetri’s voice was clear, loud as he said, “I will.”

“And, Alyssa, will you honor, respect, and love Demetri with everything you possess? Do you promise to try every day of your life to be his other half?”

“Yes.”

“We aren’t promised tomorrow.” Wes’s voice cracked. “We aren’t even really promised today, or that next second, or minute that ticks by. We’re gifted with moments, each one precious, each one different. So take those moments and use them. Don’t let them pass by in anger. Don’t let those moments build up into silence between the two of you, because you never know if they’ll be taken, and we never know the final number of moments we’ve been awarded. Let no moment go unused. Let no moments escape where you could have expressed love for one another.”

A tear streamed down my cheek as Demetri’s hands clenched mine harder. Talking of moments had me thinking about all the times I’d wasted thinking about Brady, my ex, who’d died. I’d been wasting my life away until Demetri had come and stolen every waking moment from my existence, changing it with his presence.

“So...” Wes clapped his hands together. “…by the power vested in me by that fun little Internet site whose name I can’t even remember, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your—”

Demetri hoisted me into the air and slammed his mouth against mine before Wes could even finish.

His kiss was hungry.

Passionate.

Totally Demetri, because he didn’t do things halfway — ever.

“Parents.” Jaymeson coughed under his breath.

Demetri released me but didn’t put me back on my feet. Instead, he spoke against my lips. “I’ll love you for eternity.”

“And I’ll love you longer than that.”

“We’ll see.” He smirked. “We’ll see.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Demetri

“WELL, THAT WENT BETTER than planned.” Gabe nodded.

I turned my head and glared. “How do you figure? The pastor’s car wouldn’t start, the beach was hounded by fangirls, most of them yours, btw, and the seagulls from The Little Mermaid almost crashed into the taffy store windows.”

“But...” Gabe nodded. “…the great Wes Michels did just marry you, and you did just get to sign a legal document stating that you’re officially leg-shackled and tied forever to that girl.” He tipped his drink toward Alyssa, who was busy dancing with Wes and laughing.

She threw her head back and laughed at something he said. My eyes were drawn to every inch of her delectable skin.

“Easy tiger, you’re going to attract the seagulls again.” Gabe laughed.

“Hilarious.”

“You know…” He leaned back in his chair. “…I think I’m going to like going on tour with you guys.”