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I touch my hand to his cheek with the hand I have resting on his shoulder. “Yes, and no.”
Sighing, his smile fades, his grasp tightening. “After the….” He stops and doesn’t expand.
“Yeah,” I finish. “But I think all this happened for a reason.”
He doesn’t say anything, his gaze going to Ethan. “Sometimes. But I don’t know.” He looks at my face and brushes my hair back, his brows pinching together. “I could go without some parts.”
I know what he means. “Me too, but I like where we’re at now.” I take a breath and push away any sad thoughts. I don’t want them today. Today is about us moving forward.
“Husband and wife,” he says, winking at me.
As the song ends, toasts begin and that’s when a very drunk and funny Wyatt steals the microphone. Stumbling his way to the dance floor, he drops the mic.
“Someone should stop him,” Grayson notes, staring at his dad with apprehension. Probably for good reason.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Wyatt begins after picking up the microphone. “Today we witnessed a unique event in history. It’s the first, and presumably last time, anyone has trusted me with a microphone drunk.” Julia shakes her head, sighing as she hidesher face. “Oh, honey, relax,” Wyatt says to her, winking. Then his eyes drift to me and Grayson, smirking.
Grayson drops his forehead to my shoulder from behind me. “He’s going to say something stupid. I know it.”
Reaching over my shoulder, I bring my hand to the back of his head, laughing. “It won’t be that bad.”
“In all seriousness, those two kids right there have been through hell and back, and came out the other side stronger, ready to fight for one another.” Wyatt’s glassy eyes land on mine. “Evie, you’re my favorite daughter-in-law.”
I laugh. “I’m your only daughter-in-law.”
He waves his hand at me. “Which will always make you my favorite.” His eyes move to his son. “And, Grayson, I’m really glad you found someone to ride on your rocket ship with you.”
“I’m gonna kill him,” Grayson growls, but cracks a smile regardless.
The microphone is passed around the crowd but Grayson and I, we’re lost in a moment together. The one where we realize that we did fight for our happy ever after. It wasn’t pretty. And if you looked at us a year ago, you wouldn’t have thought those two people would be the same ones we are today.
But here we are, living proof that when you fall in love, you fight for it.
Even when the love’s not there.
Even through the ugly parts, we knew we weren’t alone.
71
EVIE
Costa Rica is fucking hot. I’m not talking about the southern heat we get in Alabama where you think you’re drowning in your own sweat. I’m talking about being stuck in an oven on high with a wet blanket wrapped around you. That kind of miserable heat.
Grayson flops down beside me on the bed, naked after his shower. “It’s too hot for clothes, and sadly, too hot to fuck.”
I giggle, staring at the wedding ring on my hand. I’m married. Freaking married to the boy I’ve loved since I was four. How crazy is that?
I glance over at Grayson, lying at the mattress like he can’t bear to move. “Are you feeling okay?”
“No.” He looks over at me, dead serious and raises an eyebrow, as if I should know what he’s talking about. “I shouldn’t have ate those tacos. They gave me heart burn.”
I snort. “How are you supposed to put a baby in me if we can’t have sex?”
He motions me forward. “Crawl on top of me. I’ll stick it in and see what happens.”
I laugh. “Crawl on top of you? Soundssoromantic.”
He turns his head, grinning, suggestively. He even bites his damn lip. “I can be romantic.”