Page 173 of Dangerous Encore

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Iam.

I'm nervous as fuck, but I'mready.

Fuck, I never thought I'd bethisguy.

I never thought I'd be happy with a woman much less desperate tomarryher.

ButIam.

And all I fucking want is her happiness. Her smile.Herjoy.

I want it more than I want music, more than I want respect, more than I want my familytogether.

No, that's notright.

Lacey is myfamily.

Dangerous Noise is myfamily.

This is the fucking culmination of my family beingtogether.

I let out a deep breath and I take my first step forward. The second. Thethird.

I don't sink into the sand or float intothesky.

I don't dissolve into the clear, blueocean.

I make it down the aisle, past our friends andfamily.

All the way to thealtar.

The officiant smilesatme.

Iturn.

Everyone is smilingatme.

Then Carrie and Ethan are walking down the aisle together. She looks nearly as happy as he is, which is fucking hard to believe. Nobody is as joyful and bouncy asEthanis.

Nobody butLacey.

He kisses Carrie's cheek and takes his seat on my side of the aisle, next toViolet.

Carrie takes her seat, next toPiper.

Piper waves and shoots me athumbsup.

Of course she's sitting onLacey'sside.

That's so fuckingPiper.

I take a deep breath and exhaleslowly.

There's no more heaviness inmybody.

Onlynerves.

Then the wedding marchstarts.

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