Chapter 7
“You’re getting married,” Adam chuckles in disbelief, shrugging into his suit jacket. “Ask me ten years ago if I thought you ever would, and I’m pretty sure I’d have laughed my ass off.”
“You and me both,” I reply honestly, shoving my shirt into my pants.
Although wedding decoration and planning is all about what the bride wants, I asked for one thing—red—my color. Paige wanted pink. There’s only one pink thing of Paige’s I want on me and it sure as fuck isn’t clothing…unless it’s a lacy thong.
We settled on her bridesmaids in red and me in white. See. I can compromise.
“I’ve got Keza if you feel the need to bail. She’s a fast exit,” Adam says, patting his pocket where his keys jingle.
I smirk. “I’m not bailing, man. I’ve never been more certain.”
“It’s about damn time,” Adam grins, dropping to the side of the bed to shove into his shoes.
“Like you have any room to talk. You might as well be a made man yourself.”
He slices his view to me with a crooked grin. “You don’t worry your pretty little head off about me.”
I bat my eyes. “You think I’m pretty?”
Studies show using sarcasm can help ward off anxiety and nervousness. I call bluff and say it’s just a wittier way to be a dick.
As I step out to make my way to the front, all eyes watch me, and the low hum of chatter silences. I nod at the preacher and stand in my spot. I own this altar. The spotlight doesn’t make me nervous. I shine here…normally with a lot less clothes and pumped full of violent adrenaline.
There aren’t many people here, maybe twenty max. Paige wanted our wedding small. I had no arguments. I wanted Adam. He’s all I need.
Looking out over everyone, radiating in the spotlight, reality hits me and my pulse begins to batter my chest. This isn’t like a fight where if the opponent doesn’t show up, I win. In fact, this is quite the opposite. If Paige doesn’t show, I lose. Everything.
I fill my lungs, taking a long-drawn breath and close my eyes willing my calm.
The music starts and a few minutes later, Adam comes out with Holly latched to his arm. I glance to Matt who’s wearing a scowl. Fuck face better be glad he’s even here. I sure the hell didn’t want him here, but they’re a packaged deal. She made it clear to me she’s a part of Paige and Matt’s a part of her. Therefore, I needed to suck it up. I’m not happy about it. Not at all. Knowing the enemy’s best friend is here… Well, one can only hope he runs back to Ryker and rubs his nose in my shit.
Holly and Adam suppress a laugh, both their grins are cheesing like hell. Adam dips his head and whispers something to Holly. She yelps a laugh. Her eyes widen, and she quickly slaps her hand over mouth to quiet herself down.
It makes me chuckle.
Adam claps my shoulder as he steps up and man’s his spot beside me.
Blain steps out with Lacy. Ever since I met Blain, she was his “one” but just beyond his reach. I haven’t asked, because it’s none of my damn business, but something shifted in his thoughts and he made his way into her life. Proved he’s all she would ever need. Best decision of her life. They’re crazy about each other.
Kelsie steps around the corner holding Zayne in his little slacks and a shirt that matches Adam’s. Her hazel eyes are bright and vibrant, nervously staring at Adam.
“Damn…” he exhales.
Mark my words, the roles between him and me today will be reversed very, very soon. He’ll find a way past his fears and marry her. My boy hasn’t been this legit since Laura.
I may dominate my space. I can stand my ground with the fiercest men. I’m quick on my feet and with my mind. I’m able to adapt to anything. I’m programmed to for it. I’ve fought many men with thousands of spectators witnessing the possibility of my rise or fall. I’ve traveled, never once doubting myself or where I belong. I’ve watched my best friend’s soul all but die when he lost his girlfriend, and I stood there to help hold him up. I’ve made mistakes never knowing if I could come back from them. I lost both parents and made my life the way I wanted it…alone and with courage.
But nothing remotely close has ever prepared me for the sheer beauty of Paige, my wife-to-be, walking toward me.
My knees all but want to buckle. My breath is no longer. My heart is a solid hum. I widen my stance to keep my feet grounded. Pull my shoulders back to help my lungs expand and give me more air.
She flashes her sweet smile at me, the one that lights up her face and carries into her eyes. Her dress is stunning, more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen her in. It’s long to the ground, slender in the hips, and shows off her tits.
Yeah. I’ll indulge in her later before she takes it off. The last thing I need right now is a fucking hard-on for all to see.
I reach out and pull her to me. Her hands are sweaty as fuck…or maybe that’s mine. She’s shaking…pretty sure it’s not me.
“You look breathtaking,” I tell her.
She looks up to me from under her lashes and blinks back her tears. Everything moves in a blur around us, the sounds, the noises…it’s just her and me standing in the center surrounded by people. Although I’ve memorized her eyes—every fleck of green, every speckle of a darker shade—it feels like the first time I looked into them realizing I was in love with her.
A poke in my back clears the cloud around us, dissipating my tunnel vision.
“Sir? Your vows?” the preacher states, nodding at me.
I swallow. This is far more difficult than standing in the middle of an octagon fighting for my spot.
“Yeah,” I clear my throat. We decided to write our own vows. I have absolutely no idea what she’s got, and vice versa.
It took me no time to write mine. It all came to me one morning while at the gym. I scribbled it down and have rehearsed them like my life depended on it. Trained for it. I might screw up a lot, but this is my forever and I want my first step to be right.
I take one of the shakiest breathes I’ve ever…
“The sun shines on me today and has since the first time you ever smiled at me. I don’t have much to offer that you don’t already have, but I promise to grow along side of you, to cherish you like you deserve to be. I vow to always be true and faithful to you, to be your best friend and never your enemy…mainly because I know you’ll plot my death in my sleep.” Paige giggles through her tears and I continue. “I promise to love you as long as we shall live or however long you put up with me and even after. I walked alone for a long while just to meet you here at this altar, and I promise from here on out, we’ll walk together. It’s been you…always you, I tap out for.”
Her tears are running down her cheek and I wipe them with my thumbs before leaning in to kiss her cheek.
“Where did that come from?” she whispers, her chin trembling and tears dripping.
I place her hand on top of my chest, right over the tattooed heartbeat and smirk.
She’s trying to pull herself together, wiping her cheeks. She clears her throat and flicks her eyes to me. “No way I can compete with that.”
I grab her hands and squeeze them, offering a smile to ground her.
“You made me love you. No matter how hard I fought it, you fought harder. And it was the best decision I ever made when I finally let you in because I never knew love like this existed outside of fairy tales. I promise to be there when you need me, to fill your days with sunshine, to encourage you and help you meet your goals in life, together. I chose you for all the greatness you’ve already given me, right down to the heartache that taught us to love harder. You’re my lover and my teacher, my truest counterpart. Wherever our journey leads us I’ll walk with you proudly, hand in hand because when I’m with you there’s absolutely nothing I can’t accomplish.” She cocks her head to the side and purses her lips. “Yours was so much better.”
I chuckle through my tight throat and kiss her cheek again. Fuck the rules. This is my day and I’ll kiss her as many times as I want.
We repeat after the preacher and slide on our wedding bands. And the words that pack more of a punch than my name from the referee’s mouth stating I won the fight putting me into the MMAP…
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
I hook my arm around her waist, haul her sexy body against mine, and then claim her mouth. I groan, driving my tongue deeper. This is our first kiss as husband and wife and I’m making damn sure she never forgets it.
It’s hard.
It’s passionate.
And she’s my wife…