Alyssa was going to kill me.

But I was out of brilliant ideas.

Out of romance.

And the seagulls were officially guarding my escape, even if I did get a better idea than the one I was currently losing faith in.

The door dinged open.

Alyssa filed through with Kiersten and Saylor holding an umbrella over her head. The rest of her small family and Pris followed.

But my eyes, they were trained on my girl and how gorgeous she looked.

Her dress was strapless with lace covering the bodice. The lace spread out around her hips and dipped below her knees in pieces, making it so I could get a glance at her tan legs and garter. Dear God, I wanted to see another flash of that thing. It was blue, taunting, sparkly.

“Dem?” Alyssa snapped her fingers.

“Sorry.” I glanced up. “You look… beautiful.”

Her grin was mesmerizing. It transported me back to a time when I didn’t know who I was or what I was doing with my life. All I’d had was music and a drug addiction.

Then she’d walked into my world.

Or, actually, had stomped across the street and thrown my taffy bucket in my face.

I’d never been so turned on or surprised.

It was like she’d looked past the image I’d tried to put out and seen the insecure asshole inside.

We’d found each other.

And then purposefully, had lost our pasts when we joined. That was how it should be when you found your other half. Rather than dwelling on your past or even constantly looking at it so you don’t mess up again, you lose it. You throw away the bad and take only the good. Besides, why fixate on something horrible when you could focus on the positive?

I was a firm believer in focusing on the triumph — not the tragedy.

Alyssa was lost.

I was just starting my journey.

And rather than let her consume me, I took her with me, carrying her when she needed it, holding her hand when she didn’t have the strength to keep walking, and in the end, she’d returned it all, full force.

That was love.

When you don’t go at it alone.

Because you don’t have to anymore.

I still remembered the day I told her she didn’t have to carry the burden of her scars on her shoulders anymore. She’d been pissed, pissed that I’d intervened, and pissed that I’d been right.

Love was telling someone the truth, even if the truth could cause you to lose the very love you’d spent so long trying to establish.

“Dem?” Alyssa tilted her head. “Why are we in the taffy shop?”

“Because…” I grabbed her hands. “…this is our love story.”

She smiled.

“This is where everything started. The smell of sugar reminds me of your smile…”

“And the bleach?” Jaymeson just had to pipe in.

“Not now, England,” I barked and turned back to Lyss. “The beach fell through, and then it started raining, and honestly… I just want to make you my wife, and I want to do it in a place that matters to both of us.”

She reached up to cup my face. “It’s perfect.”

I shrugged and looked around at the taffy decorations. “Yeah, it really is.”

Wes coughed. “I hate to be the person to break this up, but… don’t we need a minister?”

I burst out laughing. “Dude, do you really think I’d forget the minister?”

Wes gave me a look that said he thought that and more.

“Jaymeson...” I turned behind me. “Where’s he at?”

“Er…” Jaymeson scratched his head. “…I, um, may have forgotten to tell him we moved to the taffy shop.”

“So call him,” I said through clenched teeth.

Jaymeson pulled out his cell phone.

Thank God, someone picked up on the other end.

Jaymeson nodded his head and smiled at all of us, his face going paler by the second. Fantastic.

He stared at his phone when the call ended.

“Jay?” Alyssa whispered. “Is he coming?”

“We have the license.” Jaymeson nodded. “That’s all that matters, and I played a minister once. I can do this.”

“You were five!” I shouted. “And it was for a commercial!”

“Back off, I was awesome!” He slammed his phone onto the counter. “I can do this.”

“Not legally you can’t.” I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Wes will do it,” Gabe offered in a calm voice as if it was the sanest idea he’d had all day.

“What?” Lyss and I said in unison.

Wes’s eyebrows pinched together. “I did that as a joke.”

“Did what?” I asked in a desperate voice.

“He said he was going to marry Gabe and Saylor, so he got all legalized through some silly online program,” Kiersten piped up.

“So technically…” I nodded. “…you could do it?”

“Yeah, but—”

“You’re up!” I pushed him toward the counter. “Just try to do your best.”

“Ah…” Wes’s mouth dropped open before he closed it again and cleared his throat, his eyes darting between us. “Alright, are you guys ready?”

I turned to Lyss and kissed her soft cheek. “I’ve been ready for an eternity.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Alyssa

EVERY BRIDE WANTS PERFECTION on her wedding day. If she says she doesn’t, she’s a liar from the pit of hell.