Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 138981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
He’s such a big, gorgeous, adorably annoying asshole.
More importantly, he’s a gentle, thoughtful, wonderful man with a heart bigger than the sky.
Beneath that sky, I kiss him with my all.
I promise the fireflies that we’ll be together for the rest of our lives.
Months Later
We get married among the fireflies, too.
It’s not an extravagant wedding.
It doesn’t need to be.
I also barely notice the late summer humidity making the night sticky. We chose a late hour to say our vows for a reason.
Our love will always have a touch of darkness along with the fireflies and stars.
And it’s even more glorious than I could ever imagine with everything we truly need.
Family means so much to us.
All that really matters is having everyone we consider family here with us on our big day.
My mother drove down from NYC the second she could. Although she’s met Lucas before, she hugs him like she’s seeing him for the very first time.
Nora’s there too, hugging me until I nearly pop out of my corset.
Of course, all the boys from the police station show up too.
Grant Faircross looks like he’s about to burst out of his tuxedo as he stands in as best man, while his girl Nell is our charming little flower girl.
I couldn’t ask for a more perfect wedding in this intimate cluster of people and so many amazing tiny lights scattered around. A reminder of the night we made our real promise to each other, not so long ago, only now it’s floating there in the open for everyone to see.
I don’t think anyone walks off to the reception with a dry eye.
There’s this sweet, heavy moment right before the ceremony starts where a few night birds perk up in the trees, pulling my gaze up.
I swear, it feels like Emma Santos is here, too. Wishing us well among the fireflies.
And Celeste Graves.
I’ll never meet her, but somehow I know she’s watching over us in the stars and chirping crickets, giving her blessing from the Great Beyond.
The ceremony feels sweetly informal and that’s totally us.
We don’t need pomp to make it real.
When the music swells, when I step out of the little alcove in the trees where Janelle was fussing with my hair, when I see Lucas standing there looking so handsome in his three-piece tux on the other side of the field with a universe of fireflies between us...
Yes.
God, yes.
I promise I’ll never ask for anything else when this is all I want.
I can’t take my eyes off him as I start down the makeshift aisle that’s really just a narrow lane of flowers between the packed rows of our friends.
He’s my Hercules to the end.
He’s perfection itself.
He’s—yelling?
“Delilah!” My name flies out of his mouth as my heel catches the soft earth and I pitch forward, nearly flinging my bouquet.
Everyone around me gasps.
Lucas runs forward, hand outstretched, but I catch myself in time—just barely—and pull myself up, clearing my throat and flushing hotly.
The wedding march is still playing and my face is redder than a fire engine.
Everyone stares, even Lucas.
Then it happens.
I laugh.
I just laugh and laugh until I can’t stop.
I don’t know why, but it feels right.
Me tripping over my clumsy feet, turning something solemn into pure whimsy.
Thankfully, everyone relaxes with huge sighs of relief, grinning and laughing along with me.
Lucas eyes me with concern for a few more seconds before a slow, warm smile spreads over his lips. Then the priest beckons, clearing his throat with gentle amusement.
“Slowly now,” he teases. “We don’t want any accidents today.”
No way.
No accidents.
Only a very deliberate choice to spend the rest of my life with Lucas Graves.
I’m extra careful as I continue the procession up the aisle, though.
Nell traipses around me with high-skipping steps, throwing flower petals everywhere. When I reach the spot where Lucas waits with the priest, Lucas holds his hands out, his eyes glittering.
“You in such a hurry to get to me you can’t walk straight, New York?”
Smiling, I slip my fingers into his. “Don’t get too full of yourself, dork.”
“Can’t help it.” He grins. “Prettiest girl in the big city’s about to be my wife. I must be pretty hot shit to have a babe like her falling for me.”
I roll my eyes, trying not to laugh.
The priest clears his throat again with a chuckle, giving Lucas a mild look.
“Language,” the priest teases. “We are technically in the middle of a religious ceremony. Are we ready?”
Lucas nods firmly.
“I’ve never been more ready in my life,” I breathe.
That earns me a gentle look from the priest and a fierce one from Lucas, right before the priest begins.
“Dearly beloved,” he says. “We are gathered here today...”
Gathered is right.
Friends, family, people I never imagined having in my life when I’m so used to being alone and unwanted.
Yet this man wants me, and so do they.