Effortless (Thoughtless #2)(83)
Author: S.C. Stephens

My jaw dropped to my chest. Kellan lifted my chin with his finger, smirking as he closed my mouth. "Wife?" I whispered. Was he serious? Was he really proposing to me?

Grinning, he ran his finger along my jaw. "We’ve gone about as slow as I can go, Kiera. I love you. I’m sure that I want my life to always have you in it." Shrugging, he shook his head. "Are you sure about me?"

Staring into the deep azure eyes that could carry me away for hours, I nodded. "Yes, I’m sure," I whispered, no doubt about my statement in my body.

He grinned then kissed me. I tried to deepen the kiss, but he pulled back. Removing my hands from around his neck, he grabbed my right one. I furrowed my brow as I watched him remove the promise ring encircling one of my fingers. Smiling wider than I’d ever seen him, he slipped the ring onto my left finger. Then he mimicked the action with his own ring.

Lifting my left hand with his left hand, he beamed at me. "There, now we’re married."

Tears in my eyes, I shook my head at him. "I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work like that, Kellan."

He shrugged. "Semantics." Smiling softly, he placed my left hand over his heart, and his left hand over my heart. "We’re married…you’re my wife." He nodded, staring at me intently.

The tears streaming down my cheeks now, I nodded back. "And you’re my husband…"

Exhaling with relief, he grabbed my face, sealing the deal with a heart-stopping kiss. I knew that our marriage wasn’t legitimate, but that was all a legal technicality that we could change whenever we wanted. In our hearts, we were married, and in the end, that’s the part of a marriage that mattered the most.

After we finally pulled apart, both of us crying at this point, I waved Denny and Abby over. I had to tell somebody that I’d just gotten married. Abby teared up when I showed her our "wedding" rings, and hugged us both. Denny shook his head, containing an amused smile since he knew our "marriage" was symbolic, at best. But then he gave Kellan a hug.

"Congratulations, mate." Clapping him on the back, he laughed a little. "I’m glad I could be here for it."

Kellan laughed and looked at the ground. "Yeah, me too. It seems…" he looked back up at Denny, "appropriate."

Smiling, Denny nodded. Then he gave me a hug. I had to wipe my face on a napkin Abby handed me, I was crying so hard. In my ear, he whispered, "I’ll admit, I’m surprised you guys made it," he pulled back to look at me, "but I’m happy that you did."

"Thank you…so much."

I started sobbing again and Kellan wrapped his arms around me. Grinning, he rocked me back and forth. "Should we go home and celebrate?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and I laughed, Abby laughed too.

Shaking my head, I told him, "No…we’re going to go rent the best hotel room in the city." Kellan lifted one eyebrow and I giggled. "I am not spending my wedding night in the room right next door to my parents."

Kellan laughed and nodded and I hoped my dad didn’t kill my new husband when we came back home tomorrow. Or my mom…she was going to be pissed that she’d missed this. Although, I’m sure I could talk Kellan into a formal ceremony, just to please her. Personally, I didn’t need it. Our quiet moment on the dance floor of the bar where we’d first laid eyes on each other…was perfect.

Kellan started pulling us away, then looked back at Denny and Abby starting to slow dance on the empty floor. I watched them for a second, happy for them, happy for me. Kellan chuckled, then called out, "I could probably scrounge up a couple of rings if you guys want to get married, too?"

I thumped Kellan in the chest and Denny laughed. Abby raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no, I’m not getting married in a bar. I’m getting the whole shebang." Denny looked back over to her and she lifted her other eyebrow, almost daring him to tell her otherwise. Wisely, Denny didn’t say anything, only smiled and hugged her tight.

Kellan laughed, then shook his head. Grabbing my hand, he pulled us from the bar into a future that seemed chock full of possibilities. We were young…we were in love…and we were about to go off into the unknown and make a treasure-trove of stories that we could tell our children about someday. But I embraced the sea of change before me, because there was one thing that wouldn’t be changing, and it was the most important thing of all.

Kellan was mine and I was his…forever.

***The End***