Page 146 of Love is a Game

We sign the marriage license—skip the prenup. No fine print, no clauses. I’ve already given her everything. There’s nothing left to negotiate. She’s mine. I’m hers. Finally.

In the blur of celebration, we somehow score a moment alone as people spread out to set up tables, serve food, and open more champagne.

Pen’s fingers sink firmly into my arm as the next song begins, the music swelling like a wave, rich and orchestral with a sweeping flourish of strings.

“You know, putting this together, I kept thinking about how to capture our story,” she says, her face lit up. “All the detours and blind corners it took to get here. I thought I could start with our song. But with our history? We need an entire movie soundtrack to sum it up. But then, this…” Her eyes soften. “This song really spoke to me.”

Adele’s powerfully rich, velvet voice drifts through the speaker. As the lyrics unfold, I tenderly stroke Pen’s cheek, her eyes filled with the vulnerability she’s finally ready to let me witness.

“All your expectations

of my love are impossible

Surely you know

that I’m not easy to hold…”

I slip my hand to Pen’s waist as her eyes search mine, conveying just how much she’s gone through to arrive at this moment of trust. To let me in, to commit to our love.

“…My heart speaks in puzzle and codes

I’ve been trying my whole life to solve…”

Adele continues her vent, building to a chorus that calls us out for being “fools” to dare to love when the hurt is practically guaranteed. It’s not exactly a classic wedding pick, but then, Pen is anything but conventional.

She manages a rueful smile against the brimming tears.

“The way I was, Tuck—always making the first move to hurt you before you could hurt me? That’s not who I am anymore. And, sure, maybe wearefools, taking this risk, but somehow it feels like the surest thing I’ve ever done.”

I finger the strand of her hair curling loose against her collarbone.

“What do I know, Pen? Our story is filled with momentum. You kept me guessing at every juncture, but I wouldn’t change a damn thing—because it got us here. And yeah, it’s a risk, but this thing between us? It was never about playing it safe.”

I glance over toward the rocky ledge. The drop below. The sky wide open.

Pen follows my gaze, her smile tilting, half nervous, half wicked. I see it in her eyes—the spark, the dare.

“Our love isn’t about staying within the boundaries,” I say.

She nods slowly, catching the rhythm. “It’s about taking a leap of faith.”

I pull out my phone, keys, and wallet, handing them off to Violet, who’s arranging the tables. Pen kicks off her shoes.

Violet looks up with a questioning frown, then glances between our faces and reads trouble.

“What are you two up to?”

And it’s like being a kid again, ready to bound into the unknown, free-falling into space without a backward glance—because you’re doing it with someone you truly believe in.

Already, my pulse is picking up as the old thrill kicks in. The wind, the height, the anticipation of letting go. That glorious second when you’re weightless, fearless, all-in.

I reach for Pen’s hand. She laces her fingers through mine, tight and sure.

We move toward the ledge, and Violet quickly catches on.

“You can’t be serious?!In your dress?” she calls out, alarmed.

Then Mom chimes in. “Tuck? What are you—” She follows our trajectory. “You wouldn’t! That’s crazy!”

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