Until the End (Sea Breeze #9)(70)

“This is it,” Jax whispered when the music, which had been chosen after lots of debate and changing of minds, started up.

My chest tightened and then my heart started pounding as I waited for Jess to turn that corner of trees. White satin appeared first, and then came my girl. Her eyes found me immediately, and all the things that were ever wrong with the world were right now. I had never thought I would settle down. Then a wild, gorgeous blonde with a baseball bat waved down my car and climbed inside. My world had never been the same since.

I heard Jax’s sharp intake of breath, and I knew the cause. But right now all I saw was Jess. I couldn’t look at anything or anyone else.

She’d spent the past month making her dress. She had worked late into the nights and put so much love into it. It was perfect. She was perfect. When she reached me, I stepped down, took her hand, and pulled her to my side. My brother stepped down and took Sadie’s hand, and they stood to the left of us.

When they were planning this, Jess and Sadie both considered letting their mothers walk them down the aisle. They’d both been raised by just their moms. But in the end they had decided to walk down side by side to meet us.

“You’re breathtaking,” I whispered as I stared down at Jess in awe.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling so brightly it put the sun to shame. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” I said as I tucked her hand in my arm and held her beside me.

I glanced over at my brother, who held his bride on his arm, looking as completely consumed as I felt. Sharing this day with each other wasn’t our idea. The girls had come up with the idea of a dual wedding at Jax’s Sea Breeze home. They had wanted to get married where we all had good memories. Near the family and friends who had watched us fall in love. Who had been there through the ups and downs.

And it was perfect.

“We are gathered here today,” the minister began, and Jess squeezed my arm.

This was it.

It seemed, in my attempt to give Jess her fairy tale, she’d given me mine. And I hadn’t even known I’d had one. Until now. This was it.

The vows were said, and although my brother was famous for his lyrics, my vows were exactly how I felt. I didn’t try to make them as pretty as Jax’s would be. But mine were ours. Mine and Jess’s. Our story. Our beginning and our forever.

“You both may now kiss your brides.”

My favorite part of the ceremony. I cupped Jess’s face in my hands and stared down at the beautiful woman who was now my wife. “Hello, Mrs. Stone,” I whispered before taking her mouth and kissing her.

The cheers faded away as I held my wife in my arms.

My wife.

Damn, I was a lucky son of a bitch.

Blythe and Krit from Bad for You

Blythe

So many numbers . . . So many people . . . Oh my God.

I sat at my desk, staring at the screen of my MacBook. I hadn’t been able to do much else for the past hour. There were just too many freaking numbers. I hadn’t expected this. Never in a million years had I expected this.

But it was there. Was it wrong?

Gripping the edge of my desk, I blinked several times and took a deep breath. When the numbers remained the same, I pinched myself. Ouch. Yeah, I was awake. This wasn’t a dream.

I heard my phone ringing, but I couldn’t answer it. My eyes were completely glued to those numbers. Talking right now wouldn’t be possible. I was speechless.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting there when the door of our apartment flew open and Krit stalked in, frantically calling my name.

Hearing his voice snapped me out of my state of shock, and I lifted my gaze to see my beautiful boyfriend with his pale blond hair and striking blue eyes looking at me like he was terrified.

“You’re okay,” he gasped. “Fuck . . . Goddamn, love, you scared the shit out of me. I’ve been calling for the past hour. I even had Green come up and knock on your door.”

I hadn’t heard Green knocking, but, then again, I’d only noticed my phone ringing once. “Come here. Come see,” I managed to say.

“What is it?”

He came behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders as he pressed a kiss to my head. “Wait . . . are those your book sales?” he asked, awe in his voice.

“Yeah . . .” I nodded, then let out a laugh. “I’m just . . . Can you believe this?” I asked, turning to gaze up at him.

Krit’s smile was so full of pride my heart felt full. “Hell yeah, I believe it. Those stupid shits who sent you rejection letters didn’t know what they were doing. This proves it. You’re brilliant, baby. I never doubted that.”

I had spent seven months trying to get a literary agent for my finished novel. It hadn’t happened for me. After ten rejections, I did some research online and found out about self-publishing.

It took three more months of getting an editor and having the manuscript cleaned up, finding a cover artist to do my cover, and building an online presence. Two weeks ago I had clicked publish on the three top ebook retailers.

I hadn’t even let Krit tell our friends. Knowing my words were out there for people to read was terrifying. Within days bloggers had started reviewing it. I wouldn’t look at the sales numbers all week because I was afraid to.

“Can you believe that in two weeks’ time eight thousand people have bought my book? They’ve read it!” I was amazed.