Page 164 of Four Fiances & I

“Never,” I answer, taking a strand of her hair in my finger and playing with it. “It’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to be the one to marry you legally,” I admit as she frowns. Looking deep into her blue eyes, I let the hair slide from my fingers. “I don’t think it is possible to call you anything but Shorty.” Jasmine bursts out laughing as I wink. “That first day we met, I gave you a one-arm hug and immediately noticed how perfectly you fit against my side. Nothing has ever felt as perfect as you did that day and every day since. Even as you grew a few more inches, you still moulded perfectly to me, and I knew I had found the piece of me that had been missing for so long. You always have and always will be my Shorty.” Lifting my hand, I run my knuckles down her cheek, unable to look away from her eyes and how they sparkle just for me in this moment.

“I thought I was your brat?” she teases as I burst out laughing.

“You are most definitely my brat, and I love you for it.” Taking a deep breath, giving myself time to blink back the tears, I take her hand, which is resting on my chest and hold it to me.

“You told me I gave you the strength to finally stand up for yourself and be the real version of you, and I couldn’t be prouder. But you need to know the truth, and I couldn’t have done that without you showing me what it was like to care for someone. Before you, there were just my brothers and me. No one else mattered; all my strength came from the need to impress them. But then you danced your way into my life, and I no longer cared what they thought of me; the only person whose opinion I truly cared about was yours. There is nothing I’m not willing to do to protect you and show you how loved you are.

“I love you, Shorty. Even when you are not in my arms, you are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing before I fall asleep and dream about. I love that I never know what you're going to do next or how you will make me laugh. You make me curse, but most importantly, you make me feel alive; you make me want to be more than the idiot who gets knocked around in the ring, and I want to promise you that I will always be more for you. I will be more than a husband; I will be your best friend, your biggest fan and, one day, the best father I can be to our kids. I may be far from perfect, but I will always do my best for you.”

Jasmine reaches up and cups my cheek, wiping away a single tear that’s slipped down my cheek.

“You are perfect, Daddy. There is not one part of us I would change. I know that no matter what is going on in our lives, you are the one who will help me laugh, with that mouth which has no filter,” she teases as others laugh around us. “Even when all I want to do is cry. When I’ve had a bad day, and I want to escape reality for a while, I find you because, with us, there’s no need to pretend; you accept me, whether it’s the quiet version or the one who throws water over you because I feel like it.” Throwing my head back, a laugh bursts from me, remembering that evening, which feels like a lifetime ago and yesterday, all at the same time. “I never worry that I will make you mad because you understand that side of me and have helped me accept that it's okay to be that version of myself. You’ve given me the strength to accept all parts of me, and for that, I love you beyond words. No matter how much of a brat I am for you, I know your love isn’t something I have to earn. Your love for me is unconditional, no matter what. I love being your Shorty and will always be in your corner when you need me.”

“Bloody brat,” I mumble as I reach into my pocket and pull out a hankie to wipe my eyes and give myself a second to compose myself as Jasmine giggles in my arms.

Shoving the material back in my pocket and unable to hold back any further, I kiss my wife as I hold her body tightly against mine. Keeping her as close as possible without fucking her right here in front of everyone.

* * *

Christian

“Is there anything you would like to add, Christian?” Lucinda asks as everyone turns to me. Jasmine smiles as she turns in Maximus’s arms and looks at me.

“I would like to say something first,” Jasmine declares, smiling.

“Oh, of course,” Lucinda grins.

Jasmine leans back in Maximus’s arms as she reaches for my hand.

“If I don’t say this now, there is a real chance I’ll be too emotional to say it at all.”

Reaching up, I wipe a tear from her cheek.

“I am so proud of you,” she starts, taking me by surprise. “You take on so much and have let others drag you down to protect those you love, and I’m honoured to be one of those who holds your heart. There is nothing you wouldn’t do for your brothers and me, and I can honestly say there is nothing we wouldn’t do for you.

“You have taught me so much by your rules and guidance. Do you remember the bath we had that afternoon after the five of us made love for the first time?” I nod as Lucinda starts coughing beside us. But Jasmine just winks with that mischievous grin she gets before continuing. “You scolded me for not using my words, and I asked you to be patient with me, as I had spent nearly fifteen years being told to sit down and shut up. I could see how much that admission angered you. I saw it wasn’t what you wanted for me, and it made me want to change for you.

“You might all joke that I’m a brat and talk too much and say the wrong thing, but before that afternoon, Daddy, I didn’t use my voice, not in the way you have taught me to. You have shown me it's okay to say what's on my mind. To use my words and speak out. Because those words can make such a difference to not only my life but all of ours; by making me use those words, you have helped me to understand all the feelings I have pushed down all my life, and you have shown me that it's okay to have these emotions, even when they mean becoming a little childish; because my feelings matter too. Because of you, I will ensure I never lose my voice again and that our children are never silenced like I was. But most importantly, I have found my voice and will use it every day for the rest of our lives to tell you how much you are loved and appreciated for everything you do for us. But most importantly, I will be your voice when you lose yours.”

“I am so proud of you,” I whisper, squeezing her hands. Looking into her eyes, I know I have to say what I planned before I break down.

“Standing by and watching my brothers declare their love for you, I can't help but think back to that day when we all realised how special you were to us. There were so many ways things could have gone wrong from that evening, but they didn’t.” Stepping closer to her, Maximus releases her so she can lean into me as I hold her close and look at my brothers.

“You three have always been everything to me. All I cared about was looking out for you and fulfilling the promise I made our mum the night she died. I promised her I would protect you, and although I have failed in many ways, I have always done my best. But there was one thing I wasn’t willing to do, and that was walk away from Jasmine without knowing if she returned my feelings or not.” Kissing the top of her head, I tighten my hold on her.

“Deciding to share her wasn’t an easy decision, but it always felt right. It could have made things so much harder, but we fell into our new dynamic quickly and without too many incidents.” I look at Maximus and smile as he shrugs while trying to hide his grin. “This amazing woman has made us even stronger than we were before, and I know that whatever the future brings, the five of us will face it together. Because as I’ve always said, ‘You hurt one O’Reilly, you hurt us all,’ and now that includes someone who has not only become the brains of the family but, most importantly, the heart.” My brothers nod in agreement as we all turn our attention to Jasmine.

“I love you, Sweetheart. We all do, and I think it's safe to say we all promise to ensure you have the best life, filled with fun and laughter, but most importantly, love. Because you have held all our hearts from the day we met you and deserve to be shown how loved you are every day.”

“I love you all too,” she whispers, turning to the others. “You are my family, and I promise to always have each of your backs. No matter what’s happening, I will be in your corner, cheering you on and being there when you need to breathe. There is nothing that could ever come between us.”

We all turn to Lucinda, who is wiping her eyes with a tissue.

“Here, they made sure I had extras,” Maximus winks, holding a hankie for her as everyone laughs.

“Thank you,” she smiles, dabbing under her eyes. “I think it's time for the rings.” Jasmine steps out of my arms and meets the girls as they step forward, each with a ring box in their hand.

“I’ve got Uncle Jason’s!” Luna calls out, smiling proudly, holding out the box.

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