Craven Cove Royalty (Craven Cove)

“We all know there is only one person I’ll be celebrating with.” In this and in everything else life brings us. Always together. Wherever that might be.

Epilogue

Apollo

Four years later…

“Knock, knock,” my dad says as he enters the small room. “Are you doing okay?” He smiles as he comes to stand in front of me and helps me with my bowtie.

“I’m just ready to see her.” I flex my hands a little at my sides, and I’m not sure why I’m nervous.

“She feels the exact same way.”

“You saw her already?” Hope springs in my chest.

“I just left her room, and she would very much like to see you before the ceremony.” He places his hands on my shoulders. “I think it would go a long way to calm her down.”

“But she was so insistent I didn’t see her dress.” Part of me wants to run out of here, and the rest of me wonders if she’ll regret not waiting a few more moments.

“If you want, you can stand outside her door. Maybe that will be enough for her.”

“Okay.” I nod, already in motion.

“I’ll go check on Anna,” he says as he makes his way over to where she’s standing.

Celeste is on the other side of the estate, getting ready in the room that’s usually reserved for afternoon tea. The space was big enough to hold all of the people pampering her today and close enough to the outside terrace where we’re having the ceremony. I've been shoved into the wine room so I wasn’t tempted to go after her.

With a light knock on the door, I place my ear against it. “Celeste?” I hear the click of her heels rush to the door, and I grab the knob before she pulls the door open. “Beautiful, I’m right here, and I know how much you wanted this dress to be a surprise.”

“Apollo, I just need to see your face, and then I’ll be okay.” I feel her press against the door.

Closing my eyes tightly, I groan. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I think I’m just scared of all of those people staring at me.”

“So my idea of a Vegas weekend is sounding like it was the better option?”

“You’re an ass,” she says, but I can hear the smile in her voice.

“Come on, you know they’ll all be looking at me anyway,” I tease, and I can practically hear her rolling her eyes.

“You would think that.” She lets out a long sigh, and my heart aches to hold her.

Even all these years later, I can’t stand to be separated. We graduated college two months ago, and she agreed to marry me the second we were finished. She also agreed to stop taking her birth control then too. My plan is for a honeymoon baby, because there’s nothing more I’m ready for than to become a father and start a family. I’m sure some people think we’re still rushing into this, but I’ve known from the moment we met that she was it for me. Why delay the inevitable when we can spend the rest of our lives living our dream?

“Want me to come in?” I ask softly.

“No.” She pauses. “Yes.”

“How about I keep my eyes closed?” I offer.

“Okay, I think that will work.”

When I let go of the doorknob, I close my eyes and then I feel it open in front of me. She takes my hand and pulls me forward, and then I hear the door close behind us.

“You look so handsome.” I hear the crack in her voice, and I’m worried she’s going to start crying.

“Celeste.” I reach out, not knowing where she’s at, but she comes straight into my arms. I can feel the silk of her dress as my hands rub down her back, and there’s some kind of beading and lace too. Her shoulders are bare, and I lean down, kissing one of them. She relaxes against me and takes a deep breath.

“I love you so much, Apollo,” she says against my chest. “I’ve waited for this day for so long, I don’t know why I’m so emotional.”

“Because this is it,” I say, kissing her bare shoulder again. “And I can’t fucking wait to marry you.”

“You always know the right thing to say to me.” I feel her lean back as she looks at me. “Open your eyes.”

“Celeste,” I warn.

“I’m serious, Apollo. The dress is just a dress. This is our wedding day, and I need to look into your eyes.”

“Okay,” I agree and then open them.

I’m stunned speechless at the sight of her. My beautiful girl looks like something out of a magazine. It’s still Celeste, but something about her is different. She’s glowing from head to toe, and seeing her in the white dress looking up at me like she’s the luckiest girl in the world literally brings me to my knees. I lower myself to the floor as my hands go to her waist.