Page 115 of Banter & Blushes #1

brIELLA - ONE YEAR LATER

“ T oday’s the day!” L acey sings, holding a curling wand in one hand and a banana muffin in the other.

I laugh, but the sound comes out a little breathless. “I know.”

My voice trembles even though I’m trying so hard to keep it together.

Aurora smiles softly from the other side of the bungalow, where she’s arranging a bouquet of white plumeria and pale pink orchids for me to carry down the aisle. “You okay?”

“I think I’m . . . excited. And a little nauseous.”

“Totally normal,” Lacey says, patting the spot on the bed beside her. “Getting married is kind of a big deal.”

She helps me curl the last strand of my hair while Aurora pins it back into an elegant twist, then tucks in a few fresh flowers. The air smells like salt and coconut oil and nerves.

Somehow, we manage to get me into my dress without smudging my makeup. It’s a soft ivory mermaid-style gown with a sweep of lace along the hem, and as I glance in the mirror, my heart skips.

It’s really happening.

The three of us share a quiet moment before the photographer knocks on the door. I take one last deep breath as Lacey hands me my bouquet.

“Let’s go marry your best friend,” she whispers.

The beach is warm with late-afternoon sun, the waves slow and rhythmic like they’re calling me down the aisle. A uku lele strums gently from the beach behind the driftwood arch, and the scent of salt and flowers fills the breeze.

I take my father’s arm and step onto the petal-strewn aisle.

My mom’s in the front row, already dabbing her eyes with a tissue even though she swore she wasn’t going to cry. Reid’s mom sits beside her, smiling so proudly it makes a knot tighten in my chest.

Knox is trying to keep Matti from bolting into the ocean. Lacey stands to the side of the arch and gives me a thumbs-up and a misty grin.

And then I see him.

Reid.

Barefoot in a slightly wrinkled linen shirt, standing under that arch like it’s the most natural thing in the world to wait for me right here.

His eyes find mine and never waver. And just like that, the nerves disappear. It’s just the two of us in this moment. He’s all I see.

When we reach the front, my dad kisses my cheek and slips my hand into Reid’s.

“I can’t believe we’re back here,” I whisper. “Can you believe we’re getting married?”

“It was always going to be you,” he says, and I swear the whole island swoons.

The officiant begins, but all I hear is the rush of the tide and the sound of my own heart racing.

I go first with my vows. I unfold the piece of notebook paper I’ve been carrying in my bouquet, hands only slightly trembling.

“I promise to love you on the good days and the hard ones. To laugh at your terrible jokes. To make you coffee when you’re running late. And to always choose you—especially when you leave blueprints all over the kitchen table.”

There’s laughter from our friends. I catch Aurora wiping her eyes. Matti claps like it’s the grand finale.

Then Reid starts his.

“I promise to protect your heart like it’s my favorite thing—which it is. To make you laugh when you’re tired. To bring you takeout after long shifts. And to never, ever forget the day I fell hopelessly in love with you at the dolphin lagoon.”

He pauses. “I’ll be your safe place to land . . . your sweaty—” He stops, grimaces. “I mean, steady hand.”

Laughter bursts from the guests. Even the officiant chuckles.

“Definitely sweaty,” I tease. “You nervous?”

“I am not,” he whispers.

But his palm is a little damp.

We exchange simple gold bands, warmed by the sun, and when we kiss, everyone cheers.

Even Matti yells, “Again!”

And honestly? I would. A thousand times if it meant I got to spe nd the rest of my life with my best friend.

After the ceremony, as our family and friends drift toward the bonfire and the sky turns lavender, Reid pulls me close. I press my cheek to his chest and breathe him in—sunshine and salt and home.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small glass bottle.

“Our turn,” he says, handing it to me.

Inside is a single note. I unroll it, my hands steady now, and read the words aloud.

“True love is worth the risk.”

I slip the message back into the bottle and seal it with the cork. “It really is,” I whisper.

Then I kiss him—slow and soft and sure.

“I love you, Mr. Bennett.”

“I love you, Mrs. Bennett.”

Hand in hand, we walk to the tide. The water brushes our ankles. The stars begin to appear. And together, we toss the bottle into the sea.

Maybe someone will find it.

Maybe not.

But we did.

We found everything that matters.

Each other.

Forever.

The End

Thank you for reading Sunkissed by My Best Friend .