Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“Hate to break it to you,” Aleks said, making Isabella jump a bit as he rounded from where he’d walked up behind her and put his arms around me. He pulled my back to his chest, kissing my neck as I flushed red hot. “But I used up all my stupid in the years I didn’t admit how I felt about our girl. Afraid I’ll be nothing but a loyal, devoted husband now.”
Isabella pouted. “There goes our future Grammies.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Aleks said, kissing my neck again. Chills swept over my skin. “I’ll give her plenty of inspiration. Promise.”
“Ew,” Isabella said, but she smiled as she said it. “That’s so cute. I hate it. Is there traffic on this street when it’s snowing? Think I’d like to throw myself in front of a plow right now.”
I rolled my eyes at her dramatics, kissing her cheek when she shoved Aleks off me long enough to give me a hug.
“I’m happy for you, babe,” she said sincerely. “Now, go enjoy the rest of your wedding night. We have a flight in the morning.”
I smiled, both at her sentiment as well as the fact that the flight she mentioned would carry us to yet another sold-out stadium show. It would be my first performance as a married woman, and I couldn’t wait to share that with my fans.
When Isabella left us, Aleks wrapped my hands up in his, kissing my knuckles before he toyed with where my engagement ring hugged the new diamond wedding band beneath it.
“Let’s grab you a coat and some boots,” he said. “I’d like to take my bride for a walk in the snow.”
• • •
The soft sound of snow beneath our boots was the only sound breaking the stillness of the night when Aleks led me outside. It was still snowing now, and it was the soft kind of snow that made it seem like the whole world had turned down the volume, a kind of quiet like nothing else.
Through the windows of the house, I could still see our family and friends in the warm glow of candles and fairy lights, all of them smiling and laughing and eating and drinking. It warmed me in a way I couldn’t explain, to see our worlds mixing like that — Giana and Isabella taking selfies, my mom holding Ava’s hand as she pointed out each of our Christmas ornaments, my father geeking out as he talked hockey with Vince, Jaxson, and Carter.
Aleks had been a part of our family for years, but this felt different. It felt… permanent.
It was permanent.
I leaned into him as we strolled past the twinkling lights strung up along the path in Mom’s garden, his arm wrapped firmly around my waist as snow fell on our heads and shoulders. The garden didn’t look like much right now, but it bloomed beautifully every spring. And in a way, the plants hibernating for the season felt right tonight. It felt like the end of one season in my life and the promise of another on its heels.
My breath puffed out in little clouds, mingling with his as he turned to kiss the top of my head.
“Sorry we have to wait to take our honeymoon,” I said softly, glancing up at him. “We should be exiting under a stream of sparklers and rushing to the airport right now.”
Aleks shook his head, his dark eyes glinting under the soft glow of the lights, snow clinging to his lashes. “I’m not sorry. I’m excited for you to tour, and I have my season ahead. We can vacation in the summer.” His lips curved into a wicked grin. “Until then, I very much look forward to fucking you in every hotel from here to Tokyo.”
“Tokyo, huh?”
“You’ve got a show there, don’t you?”
“Not yet.”
“Yet being the keyword.”
“I do have a European leg kicking off in February, though. What do you think about London?”
“I think anywhere with you is exactly where I’m meant to be.”
My eyes flicked between his, heart swelling at his words, at the sincerity I saw behind them.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” he said, voice soft as he swept my hair back with glove-covered hands. “I can’t believe you said yes.”
“I’ve always crushed on you. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that.”
“I thought you did in high school,” he said, his breath visible against the dark night. “But after that drunken attempt at a kiss, you blew it off like it was nothing. And then you were dating every guy who was the exact opposite of me.”
“You wouldn’t touch me.” I argued, poking his rib.
“Your father made it clear I couldn’t.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Trust me, that was the hardest night of my life.”
“What about after?”
“Well,” he said, sighing like there were a hundred regrets in that one word, “like I said, you blew off what happened like it was a mistake. I thought it was just a drunken slip. And the one time I did get the nerve…”