揥hat if you抮e struck by lightning after that? There are hazards to marrying a Poe.?
Her voice is no longer shaky.
I laugh. 揥oman, you抳e already bewitched me. If lightning strikes after surviving the bus, I抣l put the fire out and keep coming.?
揌ow??
揥hat do you mean how? Stop, drop, and roll. Did you skip elementary school??
Wyatt laughs beside me. 揧ou want me to tell her I抣l get you there??
I shake my head. I enjoy flirting with my wife-to-be even if she抯 being ridiculous. The huge, splendid house attached to the golf club slowly comes into view.
揘evermore, we抮e pulling up now. I抣l see you soon.?
揥e抮e in the woods,?she says absently.
揑 know. You抣l be the one in the white dress, right??
揢m, well…？
揧ou抮e not in a white dress??I can抰 tell if she抯 joking as I say, 揑 thought we picked the new Haughty But Nice line??
揥e did. I just had it dyed black. It felt right.?
For a second, I抦 planted in my seat.
揧ou dyed your wedding dress black??
Wyatt barks laughter beside me, head back and fingers in his eyes.
揗m-hmm. But I have cool peacock feathers in my hair! Hair accessories by day, pens by night.?
One more look at Wyatt and I lose my shit. I抦 doubled over in my seat, laughing so hard I need to wipe my eyes.
揕incoln??she says for the fifth time.
揧ou抮e lucky I love you. See you soon,?I promise.
揧ou抮e not upset I dyed the dress without telling you??she asks in a small voice.
揝urprised, yes. Not upset. As long as you抮e mine today, I don抰 care if you show up in palm leaves strapped together.?
揑抦 already yours,?she whispers happily.
I smile. 揂nd I want that on paper, Mrs. Almost-Burns.?
We抮e passing through the gated entrance, winding up to the walkway that will bring us to our spot in the woods where we have everything set up for the big show.
揝ee you soon,?I tell her one more time, already throbbing at how she抣l look in that dress.
Wyatt looks at me with some insufferable bullshit clearly on his lips.
揥hat??I prompt.
揧ou抮e getting married in the woods at dusk and your bride抯 wearing a black dress. You really are wifeing up a Poe, dude.?
揝hut up,?I warn, trying not to smile.
Because he抯 too right, and I wouldn抰 have it any other way.
He gets out of the car ahead of me when Louis looks back and gives me his best wishes.
I trail behind my best friend and we start down the walkway. He moves quicker than I expect, well adapted to his new leg now.
The walkway takes us to a circular clearing tucked in a thicket of huge old trees. A judge stands in the middle of the circle with the Bible. Two lines of tall white folding chairs are arranged neatly around the paved circle, and my mom waits at the end in a lace dress.
I take her arm. 揕et抯 find you a seat. I抦 sure you抳e been running your tail off.?
揙h, Lincoln, she抯 so beautiful today. You抣l cry when you see her.?She blots her eyes, already shedding enough tears for the entire guest list.
I laugh softly, pleasantly surprised.
I expected Ma to be taken aback by the black dress. Apparently, she抯 so happy I抦 tying the knot that she doesn抰 even mention it.
Wyatt and I lead her to the front row seating, and then I wait next to the judge. Wyatt stands beside me, adjusting his tie.
Then, with a swell of violins, my future begins.
Eliza steps out of the trees at the end of the aisle in a sleek blue Haughty But Nice bridesmaid gown, slowly walking toward us. She carries a small bundle of white baby抯 breath and moves like she抯 gliding on air, only stopping when she抯 next to us, leaving a space for my Nevermore.
Dakota and her dad come out of the trees next, and she抯梟ot wearing the black dress she promised.
My eyebrows pull down as I swallow a chuckle. My heart hits my rib cage at the same time.
揧ou fell for it,?Wyatt whispers conspiratorially.
I抎 dart him a look if I wasn抰 transfixed on the angel in front of me.
揝he loves to harass me,?I mutter, grateful that I抳e got an entire lifetime of that ahead.
The dress she actually wears is white, flowing around her flawlessly like silk fog. With tiny rosebuds pinned in her blond hair, she抎 be the envy of every runway model up and down the West Coast.
揝he抯…breathtaking,?I whisper, my voice stolen.
Wyatt smiles knowingly.
Her father, a large pleasant man with a round face and rounder gut, walks her to me and places her hand in mine.
揟ake care of her for me,?he whispers, clasping my hand so tight in his it almost breaks.
揑 will, Harold,?I promise.
揥e wrote our own vows,?Dakota says.
The judge smiles. 揋o ahead and get started, if you please.?
揑抣l go first,?she offers.
Oh, shit.
Dakota抯 first poetry book is already racking up acclaim with the critics. I don抰 want to go after her since it抣l be a tough act to follow.
揝weetheart, let me,?I whisper, taking her hand in mine as she nods.
I抦 grateful it抯 a small audience now.
The entire world seems to shrink and fall silent, condensing around us in this weird, remarkable bubble that抯 just her drumming heart and mine.
揇akota Poe, I never knew I needed anyone else in my life until the day you refused to give up a cinnamon roll棓
She giggles, so does everyone else.
揧ou were beautiful and feisty and strong. I never expected to see you again after our run-in. Then you danced into my office and wrapped my staff around your little finger. You made me think. You opened my eyes. You rocked my entire world. I love you more than life because you made me whole, and you still do every single day we抮e together. I know better than anyone that I抦 a work in progress. You, sweetheart, are my muse. Will you be my forever??
She smiles and nods vigorously with a heavy tear shining in her eye.
揧es,?she says breathlessly.
Then she pulls her hand from mine and finds a folded piece of paper inside the bouquet she抯 still holding.
揑抦 not done…？I remind her.
Though I wish I were because then I wouldn抰 be rendered nearly speechless. Her soft smile becomes a wide grin, and those dazzling emerald eyes stare up at me.
揊rom today forward, we抣l love with a love that抯 more than love.?
Her smile deepens, even as she looks a bit puzzled at how I抳e butchered Edgar Allan抯 line from 揂nnabel Lee.?
I don抰 think that抯 how it goes, her eyes say.
揌ad to tweak it,?I tell her, leaning in to meet her eyes. 揥ith us, it抣l never be past tense.?
I抦 not quiet enough. Mom laughs, and our entire wedding party beams at us.
揑 love you,?she whispers, looking down at the piece of paper in her hand. 揑抳e never been good at big speeches, but I did write this…？
She clears her throat and begins to read her latest epic while I stand there like a stone, listening.
揝he lives between the black of night and shades of grey.
Then comes an ivory Adonis, all spinning light.
He, who woke a heart from cold dead.
Her white knight.
Her heaven thread.
He made a withered heart beat red,
Terrified, she curled in dread.
揟his is no game,?he said.
揚lease take my name.?
Fear begs, 揃ut what if you change your mind?
Change your life? Leave me behind??
揘evermore, get a clue.
I can抰 live without you.?
揟his is no game,?he said.
揚lease take my name.?
He抯 a white knight, but she抯 not hunting for a wedding night.