Page 9 of Perfectly Wedded

FOUR

Vale

“Vegas is the city of love!” our driver, Tony, proclaims to us as we sit in the back of the rented limo.

“I thought that was Paris,” I mumble to Sloan, who’s entranced by the blinding lights of the city.

“With the number of wedding chapels we have, I’msureit’s Vegas,” Tony says with the confidence of a man who makes his money from tourists’ tips. In other words, he’s blowing smoke.

We pass extraordinary hotels, more casinos than I can count, and a few wedding chapels. Everything is dazzlingly bright, and my brain can’t fathom the fact that I’m in Vegas with Sloan.

As Tony weaves through traffic, Sloan’s leg brushes against mine, and heat floods the spot where our legs meet, spreading through me like wildfire.

“Sorry,” she mumbles as she scoots away.

As soon as Tony turns the corner, it happens again, and this time, my hand lands on her knee, holding it down. Her eyes cut to where my palm rests, but she doesn’t pull away. “What are you doing, Vale?” she whispers.

Honestly?I’m not sure.But this feels right.

“If we’re engaged,” I say, nodding toward our driver. “Shouldn’t we act like it?”

She swallows and looks out the window, trying to hide the flush on her cheeks.

Tony asks if we want to explore the city on foot while he gets gas. He lets us out at the corner, and points us toward a strip of tourist traps.

We pass by a wedding chapel with a pink sign from the 1950s that blinks, “Little Pink Chapel of Love.” A couple stumbles out the chapel doors, their cheeks radiant, their eyes hungry for each other. The bride is wearing a satiny pink dress that matches the sign, complete with a ribbon across her chest that saysJust Married!The groom drinks her in. He can’t keep his eyes—or his hands—off her.

They stop on the sidewalk and he sweeps her into his arms, kissing her intensely.

The bride’s eyes fly open. “We’re in the way,” she squeaks to her groom.

“Don’t stop for us,” Sloan says with a cheeky grin. “You deserve to hog the sidewalk.”

She steps away from her husband long enough to hold up a sparkly diamond. “My boyfriend and I came to Las Vegas on a whim and decided to get married! We weren’t even thinking about tying the knot before, but then we saw this chapel and thought,why not?”

I glance at Sloan and raise my eyebrows. “How long have you been together?”

“Two months,” the groom replies with a lovesick smile.

“Two months?” Sloan gasps. “Were you friends before that?”

“Nope!” the bride says proudly. “We were set up on a blind date. My family won’t believe this!” She squeals as the groom lifts her in his arms and kisses her again.

Sloan laughs. “Well, if that’s not a whirlwind romance, I don’t know what is! Good luck!”

We leave them to their celebrating as we head away from the chapel. Sloan keeps her eyes on the ground, like she’s thinkingabout something. “Can you imagine getting married after only two months?”

“I guess if you know someone’s right for you, why wouldn’t you?” I look at her for a beat before looking away.

“I’ve known you for a couple years, and that’s not enough time to know for sure. Buttwo months? That’snothingin comparison,” she says. “What if one of them gets sick or is in an accident? How can a two-month relationship survive that?”

I frown, thinking about Sloan’s situation. I’m not married to her, and I’d be willing to give my right arm to make her better. “That’s why you need to get on that medicine, no matter what it takes.”

“Well, it’s going to take about ten thousand dollars a month, so maybe if I sell my kidney illegally on the internet, I could afford it.” She looks up at me with a tired smile, and I want so badly to fix everything, to brush her cheek and tell her it’s going to be alright. This is really wearing her down. Exhaustion lines her eyes, and I can see the worry behind her smile.

That’s when an idea hits me.Marrying Sloan could be the solution.A temporary arrangement until she’s better. The clock is ticking on her health, and I can’t stand the thought of her getting worse. If she doesn’t get this treatment, she’ll lose everything she’s fought for—and I can’t watch that happen.

“You know, there’s another option,” I begin, glancing back at the chapel. “It doesn’t even require you to give up a kidney.”

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