Page 13 of Say I Do

I got dressed quickly and used Reid’s pomade to do my hair to Taz’s liking. He was pickier than anyone I’d ever met, yanking this way and that on my hair to get it just right. By the time we were done, I had a headache.

“Girl’s are here!” Reid called out. I glanced at Bash again and he smiled broadly.

“You ready?”

“For what?”

He clapped my shoulder as he walked past me. All the guys looked at me, all smiling with wide, shit-eating grins. Slowly, I followed them down the beach until we rounded a giant rock. My heart lurched into my throat and I stopped, my boots digging in the sand, creating two huge craters.

Chairs were set up with flowers scattered haphazardly around them. In front of them was a small arch, flowers and greenery winded around it, some fairy lights strung throughout.

Kiwi started playing music somewhere behind me and grinned at me before patting my shoulder. He took a seat at one of the chairs, the other guys following him. Bash stood in the middle of the arch, though.

“Ax, come on,” he said, waving me over. I swallowed thickly, my heart hammering in my chest.

“What the fuck is going on?” I said under my breath as the guys talked amongst themselves, all looking too fucking happy.

“I think you know,” Bash murmured. “You’re about to marry your girl.”

12

TAKODA

“What are we doing here?” I whined, but the girls ignored me. Skye was vibrating beside me, a wide toothless smile on her cute little face. She was wearing her light blue dress and, of course, her motorcycle boots. She’d never be caught dead without them.

Addie parked Bash’s little sports car and caught my eye in the rearview mirror. Axel’s truck was parked beside us, but it was empty. Although, the windows were down and t-shirts and the guys cuts were thrown around inside. Tears lined Addie’s eyes, but she quickly brushed them away.

“You ready?” Heather asked as she turned to look at me.

“No,” I said slowly, flicking my eyes between them. “What’s going on?”

“Come on!” Skye screeched excitedly and threw her door open.

“Wait! Skye!” I grabbed at her, but her arm slipped through my fingers. I flung myself out of the car and saw her sprinting toward a part of the beach that was completely secluded. “Shit.” I lifted the hem of my dress and kicked my flip-flops off before I started sprinting after her.

“Koda!” Addie called, her voice humor-filled. “She’s okay! Axel’s over there. Stop!” I barely paused and turned to look at her. She and Heather were rushing toward me, both going as quickly as they could in their conditions.

“Axel’s over there?” I breathed and Heather grinned as she nodded. “What’s going on?” I asked again and looked back in the direction Skye had gone. She was standing a few yards from me, a giant smile on her face.

Faint music played somewhere in the distance and I could hear the soft rumbling of male voices. Heather and Addie each looped their arms through mine, both with tears in their eyes.

I let them lead me to Skye, her little body bouncing up and down as she watched us approach. When we got closer, she turned and stuck her thumb up and the music got louder. We rounded a rock and I paused, my heart lurching.

My eyes met a pair of amber ones first. They were bright, teary amber eyes—Amber eyes that held a future I couldn’t wait to unravel.

Then I look around.

He was standing to one side of an arch that was filled with flowers and greenery, fairy lights strung through it. Bash was standing slightly behind him, grinning at me, his hands clasped together in front of him.

I hadn’t noticed Heather and Addie had let go of my arms and found a seat in the first row of the chairs that had been set up. Skye raced down the aisle in front of me and gave Axel’s leg a quick hug before she ran to the other side, beaming as she stared at me.

“Don’t just stand there, babe, go to your man!” Kiwi shouted and everyone laughed.

“Wait!” Skye ran to Addie and they quickly rummaged around in her purse before she pulled out a bundle of construction paper. She ran toward me and stuck her hand out, her chest heaving. I took it without question and looked at the paper, my throat constricting. “Your flowers.”

“Thank you, Skye-Girl,” I said, my voice breaking. She gave me a tight hug and I held her head to my stomach, just needing to hold her for a second to ground me. She pulled away and smiled up at me before sprinting back to her spot.

When my eye’s met Axel’s again, I found him teary and with a broad smile on his too-handsome face. I laughed as I walked toward him, happy tears dripping down my face.

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