Page 48 of Age of Shade

Adina blinks, watching with confusion as I roll out of bed and stride to the small closet in the corner. “Where?”

I wish I had more time to plan this. Adina deserves a hell of a lot more than to rush it, but I don’t want to leave her feeling the slightest bit unsettled for even a few more hours. After she fell asleep last night, I booked the earliest appointment available and texted Liam to call in about two decades worth of favors.

Now, I just need to tell her.

“You have your birth certificate, right?” I ask as I strip off the remains of yesterday’s clothes.

Adina blinks up at me, brow furrowed. “Yeah, I had to get it to enroll in school. Why?”

I pull a fresh pair of boxers up my legs. “We need it.”

“Asher.” She huffs impatiently, tugging the comforter over her bare chest and flopping back into the pillows. Sunlight catches in her hair, and something inside me tugs. “What is this about?”

I straighten up, temporarily distracted by how fucking beautiful she is. “My third request.”

Her lips purse. “Are you being purposely infuriating?”

No, but maybe I should in the future, because watching her get all huffy with me is adorable. I grin as I take a clean T-shirt out of the closet and pull it over my head. “To be clear, you can say no. It won’t change anything. I want you to know I’m in this, though, one hundred percent. No take backs.” My pulse throbs as I move back to sit at the edge of the bed. “We’re getting married. In about an hour.”

The look of shock I get in response to this pronouncement is instant and perfectly predictable. “What!”

“We’re getting married. Come on. I had Liam call in some favors. There’s a department store on the way that will have someone waiting to open early for us. You can get a dress, there’s someone there to do makeup, and we can pick out rings.” I feel my face split in a huge smile, beyond pleased with myself for pulling it off. “There will be a photographer and flowers waiting at City Hall. If you want to do a big thing, we can make that happen too. Maybe after you graduate?”

Her bottom lip trembles, and those beautiful green eyes are suddenly shining with tears. “It’s only been, like, six weeks! People don’t get married after six weeks!”

My answering smile is effortless, because she didn’t say no. “We do. You have every right to be scared, Adina. A lot of people have let you down. I’m never going to be one of them, though, and this is the best way I can think of to show you I mean it. I’m not going anywhere, and I want you—all of you.” I reach out totake her hand. “I’m going to make you so happy, angel. You just need to trust me.”

Adina lifts a hand to press over her own mouth, like she’s trying to keep herself from answering too quickly.

I feel so full right now, though, because Iknowher. She wants this every bit as badly as I do, and needs it in a way I’m only just beginning to understand.

We’re getting married today, and I’m going to be her home, her safe space, and her anchor point when the world turns everything upside down.

I’m a man of science, but there’s not a single part of me that doesn’t believe in fate now. How could I not, when the evidence is right in front of me, staring at me like I’m insane? She’s everything I never knew I needed, and living proof that I was wrong about my capacity to love someone more than myself.

“Angel.” I laugh, reaching out to wipe away a single tear that tracks down her cheek. “Not to rush you, but if we’re going to do this, you’ll need to put some pants on.”

Her hand falls to her lap. “So, like… right now?” She half laughs, half cries.

“Right now,” I confirm, grinning like a lunatic.

One second passes, then two.

“Oh, god.” Her voice breaks, and then her entire face is scrunched up, trying to hold back tears. Then, my chest feels like it’s going to burst, because she’snodding.

Holy shit.

“Is that a yes?” I demand incredulously, my heart leaping into my throat.

Adina sniffs, and nods again through the tears.

It’s good enough for me. I’ll take it.

With a whoop of excitement that’s loud enough to wake the neighbors, I gather her face in my hands and kiss every inch ofher tear-streaked skin. At some point, her sobs turn to laughs, and then we’re both scrambling out of bed to get dressed.

Adina beams up at me as we go to leave the apartment, and I reach over her head to take the knit hat she forgot off the hook and pull it over her ears. We need to get going, but I can’t resist stopping to stare at her, trying to memorize every last detail of this moment. It’s the happiest of my life, hands down. There will be more because, though, because she’s going to be mywife.

“Ready?” Her hand slips into mine, and then it’s her pulling me out of the apartment, leading the way down to where a black town car is waiting to take us downtown.

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