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“That’s why I have you.” I share a sweet smile with him. “Youarethe best.”

“You’re fucking incredible.” Cole pulls me into a tight hug before releasing me.

“I think we have everything we need. We’re ready to do this.”

“Almost,” he says, a sly smirk on his face. “There’s one thing left to do.”

He pulls us off of the crowded sidewalk of the Las Vegas Strip to a more secluded area. Well, as secluded as you can get among the busy city.

“What are you doing?” I laugh as we come to a stop in front of some greenery.

Cole stands before me and takes my hands in his. “There’s one thing I still want to do. That Ineedto do first.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I love you, Rory. More today than yesterday, and I’m sure I’ll love you even more tomorrow.I know we haven’t officially been together long, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re meant to be mine, and I’m meant to be yours. We’re meant to betogether. And having you for the rest of my life would only be the start. But before we can get to forever, I need to make my intentions clear.”

“What do you mean?” I ask breathlessly.

He gives me a boyish grin before falling down on one knee, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, and pulling out a black velvet box. “You need to be engaged before you get married, Rory.”

“We’re already on our way to get married now,” I say, hands clasped over my mouth and tears pricking my eyes.

“Doesn’t matter.” Cole reaches out one of his hands, and I lower one of mine, letting him take hold of it. A crowd of people on the sidewalk have stopped moving, noticing the moment we’re having over here and watching to see how it unfolds. “I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anybody. I can’t think of a better way to spend my life than by spending the rest of it with you.” He uses his other hand to flip open the box, revealing a large, solitary diamond atop a gold band. It’s exactly the kind of ring I would have picked for myself. “Rory Elizabeth Fisher, will you marry me?”

The tears finally spill over as I nod my head before I can finally squeak out, “Yes.”

The waiting crowd claps and cheers as Cole slides the ring onto my finger. He quickly stands up and claims me in a searing kiss, ready to spend the next hour as myfiancé.

We finally stop outside of the famous wedding chapel that sits right on the Vegas Strip. The same one Harlow stopped us at during Ella’s bachelorette weekend. The same one where I toldLucia that I’d happily elope in Vegas as long as I loved the man I was with.

I didn’t know it then, but I was predicting my own future.

Cole squeezes my hand, gazing at me with stars in his eyes. “You ready for this?”

I smile at him. “Ready for anything with you.”

“Wow,” I say, staring at my reflection in the floor-length mirror.

I feelbeautifulright now.

The fact that I found the perfect outfit to marry my best friend just on the racks of the open stores seems like a feat, but it’s honestly stunning.

My dress is a one-shoulder white tea-length dress with a large bow on the shoulder strap and a gold metal band circling the waist. The skirt is loose and flared, flowing with every step I take. I dressed it up with a pair of matching strappy gold heels and a gold metal floral headband with my hair in a low bun, a few strands free to frame my face.

With the bouquet of deep red roses in my hand, I feel like abride.

And my groom is currently waiting for me at the altar.

“Are you ready?” the chapel worker asks me.

“Yes,” I say with a bright smile. “I’m ready.”

“Then follow me,” she grins. “He’s waiting for you just in the other room.”

I flatten my palms against the skirt of my dress, laying the fabric out exactly the way I want it before I follow after her, standing just outside the doors of the chapel.

Cole and our officiant must be getting into their positions while I wait, and I’m curious to see how he dressed for this. He doesn’t dress up often, but he looks so damn good when he does.

The music starts, and that’s my cue to move.

It was hard to narrow down the song I wanted to use for the processional. I considered going with either one of our favorite songs—Chasing CarsorHalo. I even thought about usingStarlightbecause I thought he might get a kick out of that.

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