Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“You lying twink!”
Hayden and Gary are in fucking stitches.
“Sorry. Did I mess up your Zen?” Evan jokes with a wink.
“When I see Frankie next, I’m going to make sure he spanks his little pup.”
“Pretty sure I’ll get a Reese’s Pieces for being a clever runt.”
“Just like Frankie to reward bad behavior,” I tease before the sound of the music starting up outside cues us.
“Thank God,” Hayden says. “Steph’s clearly good at stalling, but Jesus Christ, she was about to improvise an entire one-woman show out there.”
Although, after Jackson had recovered me, she’d been more than eager to offer to buy us some time, insisting, “Come on. Between all of us, we should be able to fix Cinderella’s dress and get her to the ball!”
As the music plays, a rush of adrenaline surges through me. I can tell by the way my body vibrates that it’s more excitement than nerves.
“Looks like we’re up, Bottom Boy,” Hayden says.
“Now get out there and claim your daddy,” Gary adds.
“Damn right I will.”
Evan hops up from the chaise to join us as we hurry to the door, readying to head out at our designated times, the ones we sorted through at the rehearsal last night. As the procession begins, Gary steps out to join Zane, who’s coming from a room across the hall, where my husband-to-be is waiting to marry his Bottom Boy.
Hayden follows after Gary, meeting up with Frankie. As they walk down the aisle together, I can’t hear what Frankie says to him, but by the way Hayden looks down briefly at his crutches before laughing, I figure it’s a joke to ease him up about how he’s having to hobble along. They finally reach the last row of chairs, where Jackson and I are cued to start our own journey, not just down the aisle, but toward our future life together as married men. As I head out, eager to see Jackson, I notice he’s taking a few moments longer.
Where is he?
Has he gone somewhere?
Holy shit, has he run off?
Where the fuck is my fiancé?
All these thoughts fly through my head in half a second before Jackson steps out from the room on the other side of the hall, calm as ever, sporting that sexy suit he was willing to ruin on my behalf before Evan’s generous donation of his backup shirt.
We approach one another, and he takes my hand in his. His gaze is right on mine, those gray eyes having the power to remind me once again what this day is really all about.
Us.
The life we’ve shared so far, and the life we’re just beginning.
“You ready, boy?” he asks with a wink.
“Ready, Daddy.”
We turn at the same time and start our journey to the archway, where Steph now stands with a broad smile on her face, Gary and Hayden to her right and Frankie and Zane to her left.
Evan tails behind us, carrying the box with the rings—something I double-check to make sure is in his hands, just to ease my paranoia, before I take a moment to appreciate the audience of family and friends who’ve come to witness our magical moment.
As stressed as I’ve been throughout the day, the moment is so surreal. I feel as though I’m floating down the aisle until we finally reach Steph and turn to each other once again. Her opening words sound so soothing, but I’m too busy admiring Jackson to really hear them. Until she addresses us, and I guess I get so caught up that I miss my cue…
Steph leans toward me, whispering, “This is the part where you say your vows.”
Jesus, this is why I should have been listening!
“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” I say quickly, and Jackson snickers.
It’s the reassurance I need, reminding me that no matter what I say, as long as it’s from my heart, it’ll be right…and enough for him.
“Well, I’d say I did pretty well by only nearly running away from my own wedding once,” I joke. Jackson beams at my silly intro. I don’t know what possesses me, but I take his hand and raise it, just gazing at it for a moment. “As most of you know, this paramedic gave me the best rideshare of my life…”
The guests erupt into a fit of laughter, all certainly knowing by now the story of how we first met.
“Really, I hardly remember the ride since I don’t think I remained conscious short of seeing this incredibly sexy man, who must’ve been confused as fuck about the twink crawling into his car. And then imagine my surprise to wake up on a couch, and the guy hasn’t even laid a hand on me. I wouldn’t have thought a tragic blackout night without any sex would have ended in a wedding, but here we are.”
I take a breath, looking at his hand once again. “I spent most of my life thinking I’d never want to get married. Or maybe, really, that I could never find someone I’d want to marry. Maybe I didn’t even believe I could find anyone who could want to be with me…love me…because I didn’t really ever want to let anyone get close enough to know who that even was. But then I found Jackson Gibbs…Jackson fucking Gibbs, and I guess this wall I had up had more cracks in it than I realized. At first you just started seeping through, and then you broke the whole fucking dam. Just wrecked right through it, and it was scary being so vulnerable, letting you see all the messy parts of my world, but you made something that was so hard for me to do feel so safe at the same time. You helped me see that I don’t have to do it all on my own, and in knowing you, I’ve become a better friend, nephew, and partner…not to mention a better bottom.”