Page 205 of Hayden's Stalker

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Does Tati have any idea?”

We went to the charity concert April invited us to two weeks ago, and it was one of the most enjoyable concerts of my life. Being in the audience with Tati while she watched her favorite artist perform was wonderful. After the show, I managed to get a moment alone with April, and I asked her if she’d be willing to be one of the witnesses for our wedding.

I grin and shake my head. “Not a clue. She knows you’re coming, but she thinks Lita’s signing the wedding certificate with Sebastian.”

“You know I’d be happy to give her an autograph on literally anything, right?” April laughs.

“I know, but I also know that she’s going to be adorable as fuck when she realizes your signature will be on our wedding certificate.”

April grins at me. “Well, I’m honored.” As she says it, Lita, Heather, and a very pregnant Ariana appear next to her, and April looks at them. “You look great, by the way. Just think, Heather, it could’ve been me up there today.” She gives adramatic sigh. “April Vega. It has a nice ring to it. What a shame.”

The women burst into laughter, and I join them as I say, “It really does. Just not quite as nice a ring to it as Tatiana Vega does, I’m afraid.”

When all of our guests have arrived, I smile at my family. I know the names of every person here, and all of them are either family or close friends of Tati and me. Her friend Mark takes a seat near Tati’s family, and I nod at him. He’s the one who recommended Tati to Cooper and helped her to track me down when I was taken. I push away thoughts of my time with Sarah, and it’s easier today. Knowing that I’m going to end this day married to the woman I love is like a shield against anything bad that could happen.

The “Wedding March” begins to play, and the guests all stand and turn to the entryway. My heart pounds in my chest as the song plays for a few moments before Tati appears. She’s wearing a cocktail length wedding dress that Heather designed for her. The tulle skirt stops two inches above her knees, and the bodice is made of satin, which is covered in beaded lacework with long sleeves.

At once, the butterflies in my stomach disappear, and I have never been more sure of anything in my life. Tati’s hair is half up and half down. The top half is in intricate twists around the crown of her head, while the bottom half flows down her back. I feel like I’m the luckiest man on the face of the planet when she takes her place next to me at the front of the aisle.

I take her hand in mine, ready to swear my love to this woman in front of all of the people in our lives who are important to us.

When the time comes for us to exchange our vows, I look into her beautiful blue eyes as I recite the vows I prepared for today.

“Tatiana Audrey Swanson, I loved you before I should have, and I will continue to love you until the day I die. Nothing in my life has ever felt as right as this because I know that I would move heaven and earth to be with you. I felt for a long time that I would never find someone who made me feel that way.”

I smile at her, grateful that after all the years I spent wanting a love like this, I finally have it with her.

She squeezes my hand as I continue, “I promise to worry about you at midday whenever we’re apart. I promise to take you to April’s concerts”—I look over at April, and our guests laugh—“and I promise to let you drive my Lamborghini whenever you want to.”

Tati laughs at that, and I wink at her because she has no idea that before the day is done, she’ll be the proud owner of a Lamborghini Aventador.

“Most of all, though, I promise to be there for you every day for the rest of our lives. I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are always as happy as you are today. Life won’t always be easy, but we will always have each other, as well as the support and love from our friends and family, to help us get through it.”

I smile at our guests because I know that the people in this room will always be here for us.

When it’s Tati’s turn, she takes a deep breath and says, “Hayden Luis Vega. I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. I would bite a cyanide capsule if it meant I could save your life, but I promise not to do that and to fight for you instead.”

I laugh, and I’m sure that in whatever theoretical fight this is, she would probably win. I’m still in absolute awe of my fiancée and the life she’s had sometimes.

“I will always be grateful to Mark”—she looks over at her friend before she turns back to me—“for recommending me towork for you. You’re the best Monday morning I’ve ever had, and I’m so happy that you’re also the rest of the week for me now.”

She looks into my eyes, and the world seems to glow around us. I love her with every fiber of my being, and I’m so glad that we get to have this relationship. I’ve come to peace with the fact that we had to meet the way we did and that it’s okay to wish I had never had a stalker, even though that would mean I wouldn’t have met Tati. In my heart, I feel as though we were meant to be, and we would’ve found each other anyway.

“I promise to never crash your Lamborghini. I promise to accept that you will need to finish reading your chapter before you can do anything else, and I promise to never tell your friends where your library is.”

Sebastian groans from nearby, “Not fair, Tatiana!”

Our guests all laugh, and she grins at him before she looks back at me again. “I swear to you, though, that I will always come home to you. If I’m ever in trouble, I will find a way out of it because I know that you need me to come home safely.”

A tear rolls down my face, and I wipe it away as she finishes her vows. This one is the most important vow to me because I need Tati to return to me every time she leaves, and I know it’s going to be hard not knowing if she’s safe when she’s gone. I can only trust that she will stay true to her vows and always make it home to me safely.

“The bride and groom will now be signing the wedding certificate with their witnesses. It will take about ten minutes,” the celebrant announces to our guests after our vows are exchanged, and we’re wearing our new wedding rings.

I walk hand-in-hand with Tati to a table at the side of the room, where we sit in front of the fancy certificate to sign. The photographer is snapping away with his camera when the celebrant asks our witnesses to join us. Sebastian walks over, and then April stands from her seat to join us.

Tati’s mouth drops open, and she gasps before she turns to blink at me. “April’s the other witness? I thought Lita was signing?”

“We thought since April signs so many autographs for people, what’s one more today?” I joke.

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