LOGINShe was teary by the end, which made me feel like I'd absolutely nailed it. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the officiant said. "You may kiss your bride." I pulled Paige into my arms and kissed her while everyone cheered. At the reception, Danny gave his best man speech with way too mu
ASHER I'd performed in front of millions of people, won three acting awards, and done my own stunts in a movie where I nearly died twice. But standing in this room waiting to get married, I was more terrified than I'd ever been in my entire life. Ten dates. That's what I'd told Paige we neede
When my parents came back from their conference, Damon told me he wanted our families to know about our relationship officially. I was nervous, but I agreed. The next evening, everyone gathered in the main living room. My parents, Aunt Sky and her husband, Victor, Ella, Asher and his new girlf
My heart started racing. "Really? You can do that?" "If you have the recording, yes. If not, I can go to Frank and get it from him." "I have it," I said quickly. "I made Frank send it to me. I thought if my dad ever found out and tried to go after Frank's mother, I could use the recording to thr
I'd missed this so much. Missed him so much. "I missed you," he whispered between kisses. "God, I missed you so much. It was driving me crazy." "I missed you too," I breathed. "So much." He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the bed. We fell onto the ma
PRINCESS After standing there for a while watching Damon walk away, I couldn't let him just leave. Not after everything. Not after searching for him all day in a wedding dress like some kind of romantic comedy protagonist who'd lost her mind. I followed him into the house and went straight
ESSENCE It’s funny how life throws you into war zones and then expects you to keep your lipstick intact. One minute I was checking if my unborn baby still had a heartbeat, and the next, I was planning school transfers like a suburban soccer mom. The moment we got home from the hospital, I colla
ESSENCE Time didn’t exactly fly, but it didn’t crawl either. It just… moved. Quietly, steadily, without asking for permission. One minute I was panicking about morning sickness and hiding my growing tummy under oversized blazers. The next? I was waddling into my third trimester with Lucian flutter
ASHER Earlier That Day The past few weeks had been like a nightmare that wouldn’t end. Ever since my Dad dragged me away from Daddy Lucian’s house, it felt like someone had ripped a hole through my chest. A big, cold hole. And no matter how much I cried, or shouted, or begged, nobody came to h
ASHER I came out of my room and saw Mommy laughing. Her head was tilted back, eyes squinting, hand brushing Daddy Lucian’s arm as he chuckled too. She looked... different. Not like the version of her who used to cry or force a smile in my Daddy's house. This one was lighter, brighter, like she







