Chapter 32

Chapter 32

POV: “Adelaide*

“Yes, I understand. Mmhm. Okay, Bye.”

I sighed as I hung up my phone, throwing it onto the coffee table. I threw myself onto the couch, my

head hitting the firm legs of the man beside me.

“Bad news?” Damon asked, with a smile as he reached out to run his fingers gently through my hair

attempting to soothe

1.

“The florist canceled,” I said, leaning into his touch. I curled into his lap, shutting my eyes as I sighed.

“Apparently, Corinna’s booked every florist in the city for her wedding day.”

“Of course, Damon rolled his eyes, sighing heavily.

“Our wedding is going to be a disaster,” I groaned, covering my face with my hands.

“No, it won’t,” Damon argued.

“Oh, really?” I snapped, sitting up as I leaned my weight on my palms. “We don’t have a florist, we don’t

have a caterer, we don’t have a decorator and almost fifty guests have canceled including both of our

fathers. Safe to say, it’s already ruined”

“So?” Damon chuckled, wrapping his hand around my head as he quickly stole a kiss from me. “All I

need is you. Who cares about anyone else? You’re all I’m going to see anyway.”

“Corny,” I deadpanned, despite the blush blooming across my cheeks. Despite the bad news, he had

me smiling. He was way too good at this.

“But it’s true.”

He grinned.

I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder. “We’re supposed to get married in two days, and nothing is

going right.”

“Addie.” Damon started, tilting my chin up so our eyes met, “I only wanted a ceremony to stop the press

from gossiping. I don’t care if I marry you in the middle of a hurricane or at the courthouse. As long as I

can call you my wife. I’m happy.”

I smiled, leaning forward so our foreheads were touching, and I could see my reflection in his e eyes.

“Same for me,” I admitted. “I don’t care about any of these theatrics. I just want to be married to you

already.”

“We should’ve just gotten married at the courthouse,” Damon commented. “That would’ve been easier.”

Both of our eyes lit up at the same time, a lightbulb clicking on in both of our minds as we turned to one

another with wide

eyes.

“Wait…” I started. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Probably.” Damon smirked, leaning forward to kiss my nose. “We need to go right now.”

“Right now,” I nodded fervently, a grin splitting across my face.

“Peter!” we both shouted into the empty house, scrambling to our feet in excitement.

There was banging from upstairs like someone had fallen on the floor and then the pounding of feet

rushing above us and down the stairs.

Finally, Peter appeared at the living room entrance, breathing heavily with beads of sweat rolling down

his face.

“What is it?”

He gazed around, alarm in his eyes as held himself defensively as if he was searching for a threat.

“We need you to drive us,” I said, kindly as I pushed past him to head upstairs.

“Where?” Peter asked, bewilderedly. He dropped his hands out of their defensive posture once he

realized there was no

threat.

“The nearest wedding chapel.” I heard Damon answer behind me.

“For what?” Peter exclaimed.

“We’re cloping!”

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Peter muttered with a desolate look on his face.

“Come on, Peter. It’s not like you’re getting married in a chapel by an Elvis impersonator,” I grinned

widely.

“No,” Peter agreed, but then glared at me and Damon as we waited in the lobby of the chapel. “But

you’re making me be the witness! I don’t want any part of this!”

“Too bad.” Damon said, coldly

I giggled, feeling like I was floating on clouds. Excitement and anxiety twirled around in my stomach. I

couldn’t believe we were doing it!

“Mr. Steyn and Ms. Hildebrand?” the receptionist called out.

1 downed the rest of my liquid courage, getting to my wobbly feet. I giggled as I fell forward and Damon

caught me, wrapping his hands around my waist trying to hold in his laughter.

“Ready to get married?” Damon drawled, smirking down at me.

“Yes,” I whispered to him, then leaned forward to pull his lips into mine.

He tasted like the liquor we’d been drinking since we’d arrived, but I’d never thought a rum and Coke

could taste so delicious.

He beamed at me when we parted and I grinned-feeling like a schoolgirl with her first crush. I took his

hand and the two of us headed into the chapel.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” the Elvis Impersonator greeted us as soon as we stepped foot

inside the building. He had a ukulele with him and was dressed in the classic Elvis gear. “I hear y’all

would like to tie the knot today.”

“That’s right,” 1 smiled as we followed him up to the podium. My mother’s dress was as comfortable as

I thought it would be, not too tight and easy to breathe and walk in. My veil trailed behind us as Damon

led me up the aisle.

“Groovy.” Elvis shot finger guns at us and I tried my best not to laugh. A quick glance at Damon said he

was doing the same.

The Bible was sitting on the podium as he stepped behind it, Peter standing just behind us.

I clutched Damon’s hand, sending him a massive grin.

It was all surreal as Elvis played us one of his famous songs on the ukulele and then began the vows.

“We are here to celebrate these two people in the sacred ceremony of matrimony,” Elvis bellowed

before the empty theater.

Damon grasped my hands as we stared at one another deeply. Peter shifted on his feet anxiously at

Damon’s side, but we

didn’t care.

“Do you, handsome man.” Elvis turned to Damon with a grin, “take this beautiful woman to be your

lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer

or poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” was his immediate response.

And do you, this beautiful woman,” Elvis winked at me, “take this handsome man to be your lawfully

wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer or

poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

I stared into Damon’s eyes, seeing the passion and love he held for me there, and I smiled brightly.

“I do.”

“Now, you both may exchange your rings!” Elvis swung his hips, grinning at us. He stepped back from

the podium, beginning to strum a soft ballad on his ukelele.

“I’ll go first,” I grinned, holding my hand out for Peter. He sighed as he slunk forward to hand me the

ring.

“Damon, I never imagined we’d ever be here, I admitted with a watery laugh. “But I wouldn’t change

anything. I’m glad it’s you I’m standing here with. With this ring. I promise you my heart.”

I slid the ring onto his finger and gathered all my courage, looking Damon in the eyes, and confessed

what I’d been longing to tell him for so long.

“I love you.”

I bit my bottom lip, nervously as I snuck a peek at him from under the veil. Damon’s eyes shined with

an emotion I couldn’t name. He looked like he had stopped breathing as he just stared at me

dumbfoundedly.

But then, he exhaled, still shaken but determined.

“Adelaide.” Damon started, pulling out a box I recognized from his jacket. “I have loved you for twenty

long years, and I knew the moment I met you. I would always love you. With this ring. I promise you my

heart, my soul. my life. Everything I am has always belonged to you.”

My breath hitched. He opened the box, and inside was the most gorgeous ring I’d ever seen. It was old

and very loved but no less beautiful.

“Damon, that’s…” I breathed.

“My mother’s ring,” he finished, swallowing.

He smiled, more vulnerable than I had ever seen him as his eyes wavered with emotion in the lights.

He stepped closer, gently holding my hand as he slid the ring right above my engagement ring. The two

matched perfectly-like a set

“I would have waited an eternity for you.” Damon whispered, softly.

I felt like the world had fallen out from under my feet. The rawness in his eyes, the depth of his love for

me, was far beyond what I could even imagine.

“By the authority vested in me,” Elvis declared though we were barely listening, “I now pronounce you

married! You can now kiss your lovely bride.”

As soon as Damon gently lifted the veil from my face, I jumped into his arms, knowing he would catch

me as I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with everything I had.

I kissed him like I was dying, as if nothing else in this world mattered, because to me, it didn’t.

“I love you,” he murmured as we practically devoured one another in front of Elvis and Peter.

“I love you, too,” I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

It was the happiest day of my life, and I never would have expected it.

Damon carried me out of the chapel, grinning ear to ear as I kept bursting into giggles. I was too drunk

on happiness, however, to see the press members hiding in the bushes, snapping pictures of us.