Page 78 of The Devious Husband

Sierra gasps when we step off the jet, on our own runway. “This is incredible,” she says as she looks around and finds miles and miles of clear blue water around us. She looks so happy as she reaches for my hand and pulls me along, even though she has absolutely no idea where she’s going, and I just know I’ll follow this woman to the ends of the world if that’s where she chooses to lead me to.

“There’s something I want to show you,” I tell her as we get closer to our holiday mansion. Sierra looks over her shoulder, her eyes filled with curiosity.

I try my best to smile, but I’m just so goddamn nervous as we head toward the beach behind the house, down a trailing stone path. My hands are clammy, and I know she can feel it, but thankfully, she doesn’t say anything as she follows me down.

She tightens her grip on me, her breathing becoming a little shaky when she spots the giant stone book on the beach, texted carved into it before it was painted over. It’s a replica of The Story of Us, opened up to a page that isn’t in our version of the book — yet.

Sierra has tears in her eyes when she looks at me, and I think she knows what’s coming. “I had a more robust plan,” I tell her as we pause in front of it. “But then you took my hand and started to look at everything so excitedly, and I just knew I couldn’t want a second longer.”

She looks from me to the painting on the background of the left page, in which I’m down on one knee, and tears begin to gather in her eyes when she read the word Let’s Start a New Chapter written over it in big letters.

“Sierra,” I say, reaching for her hand and stealing back her attention. I smile up at her, my heart overflowing with happiness. “Every day, I’m fighting for my life against the romance heroes you love so much.” She bursts out laughing, her tears drying. “And it’s a worthwhile fight, Kitten. You deserve the world, and nothing makes me happier than trying to give it to you. You changed my whole outlook on life, made me want to be a better person than I ever thought I could be, and in my quest to become worthy of you, I began to learn how to love myself, scars and all — something I didn’t think would ever happen. That’s what you do, you know? You make everything you touch better. You saved me, a thousand times over, with each little smile, each note scribbled in the margins of a notebook at a meeting. Each little action kept me on the right path — the path that led me here.”

I tighten my grip on her hand, my heart pounding wildly. I’m already married to her, and somehow, I’m still terrified standing here. “I don’t regret any part of our story, because every single page we’ve written together made us who we are, and it made us stronger than I ever could’ve hoped. However, if there is one thing I could do over, it would be this…”

She gasps when I go down on one knee and reach for the ring box I’ve been hiding from her. She sniffles when I open it clumsily, and I notice the exact moment she recognizes the pink diamond I once bought at an auction, the one the media has been reporting about for years, pondering who its recipient would be.

I know she’s always dreamed of a proposal, and having an engagement ring. I should’ve proposed to her once I’d gotten her grandmother’s approval, so she wouldn’t have had to miss out on it. “I hope it’s not too late,” I say nervously, my heart hammering in my chest. “Sierra, you are the love of my life, and if you’ll let me, I’d love to make up for everything we’ve missed out on. If you’ll let me, I’ll show you that you’ve always been the heroine in my story, every single day, starting with this… Sierra Kingston, will you marry me — in a place of our choosing, with our friends and family around us as we make our vows?”

“Yes,” she says, a tear running down her face. “Yes. A thousand times, yes. I’d want nothing more, Xavier.”

Seventy-One

Sierra

My heart aches in a bittersweet way as I look into the mirror, taking in my wedding gown. Raven altered it for me, making it strapless, with a much longer, removable train that attaches at the waist. Wearing it feels different this time. It’s mostly the same dress, but today, I really feel like a bride. I just wish my grandmother and parents had been here today to see me marry the love of my life.

“You look stunning,” Raven says as she walks in. “It was beautiful before, but the alterations just look so… romantic.”

I grin at her. “I owe it all to you,” I tell her earnestly. “Thank you for creating the dress of my dreams, Rave. Twice.”

She smiles at me and gently brushes my hair out of my face. I had it up the first time, but today it’s loose and wavy. “It’s a true honor. Besides, thanks to Xavier’s antics with the billboards, my waiting list is now three years long.” I laugh as I remember what he’d done, a thrill running down my spine.

Raven looks down for a moment, and I follow her gaze, realizing that she’s holding an envelope. “This was delivered just now — by Grandma’s attorney.”

I raise a brow as I take it from her curiously, my eyes widening when I recognize Grandma’s handwriting. I’m trembling as I open the envelope and find a letter from Grandma, addressed to me.

Dear Sierra,

If you’re reading this letter, you’ll have followed in your siblings’ footsteps, and you’re about to marry Xavier Kingston once again — by choice, this time. I have no doubt that you look incredibly beautiful, and just like last time, Xavier won’t be able to take his eyes off you for even a single second.

I never told you this, but your match was determined long before Raven and Ares got married. I knew it’d be Xavier when he first began to meddle in your career, quietly taking an interest in projects that were far too small to warrant his attention. He spent more time than he reasonably should have guiding you, protecting you, without you ever even realizing it.

I knew then — this was the man that would eventually marry my precious granddaughter; someone who never asked for anything in return for everything he did for you, not even recognition. He was always just happy to see you thriving, and he never grew impatient with you, never demanded more than your attention.

I’d just scheduled a meeting with Xavier’s parents when he walked into my home, your five brothers in tow, all but begging me to marry you. He’d cloaked his request for your hand in a merger, but even then, there was clear love and commitment written all over his face. That love never wavered — not even when you both desperately pretended you weren’t struggling, going through great lengths to put up an act for me. I knew, even then, as I witnessed pain in both of your eyes, that you would find your way back to each other. I knew, then, that he loves you almost as much as I do.

Please be happy together, Sierra. Live a life filled with wonder, devoid of regrets, and overflowing with love. You deserve nothing less, my sweet child.

All my love, always, Grandma

I pull the letter to my chest and draw a steadying breath, something akin to comfort washing over me. For so long, the mere thought of Grandma made me cry, but today it brings a bittersweet smile to my face. “You were right, Grams,” I whisper, certain that somewhere, somehow, she can hear me. All of a sudden, I’m sure I can smell her perfume, and I sigh happily.

I look up at the sound of knocking, and my father-in-law walks in, only to freeze at the sight of me. My brothers all fought viciously about who would get to walk me down the aisle, but instead of choosing one of them and upsetting the rest, I chose the man I’ve come to consider my own father, the man that’ll be my dad for the rest of my life.

It just felt right to be walked down the aisle by the man that sat in my car with me when his son upset me, the man that walked into my kitchen to make me fresh pasta while he left his own son standing outside. He treated me like his own daughter even after I’d asked for a divorce, and I just know that’ll never change, no matter what the future brings.

“You look beautiful, sweetie,” he says, smiling at me so proudly as he offers me his arm. “Are you ready?”

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