Page 106 of Tear Me Down
He takes a small breath and pulls me closer, obviously not caring about the unspoken rule of space during a wedding.
“My entire family is sitting in those chairs right now, surprised as hell that I’m standing up here.” Everyone laughs, and I notice Carter’s subtle nod in agreement behind him. “But I’m not.” The laughter dies down, and the room is plunged into his sermon. “I always knew something was missing, that a part of me lived somewhere else. It was like my soul was on a constant search for the piece that would make me whole again. I found it one day out of nowhere. In the middle of the darkness, shining through the cracks of this depraved wasteland, there you were, flinging your head around and dancing while you cleaned, and my entire existence fell into place. Me being on this planet finally made sense, and I knew then that my sole purpose was to love you.”
“My universe revolves around you,” he continues. “I was created in your image, constructed solely to nurture you, support you, protect you, and I bow as your humble devotee. You are what I worship, a pillar of strength and compassion that not even the most celestial of tragedies could crumble. I aspire to be as pure as you are, as balanced. A perfect combination of light and dark, and the true presentation of divinity. You are the love of my life, and I know that we are everlasting. I will remain completely devoted and enraptured with you through the recesses of time, and even after it stops, the only thing that will remain is me and you. You, my little wolf, are my forever and always.”
My chest swells with so much love, I’m afraid my heart will burst. A sob escapes my trembling lips, and I don’t resist lifting up to kiss him, tasting a mixture of our tears as our lips move together. Regardless of my fears, I know his devotion is true, and every word is spoken with conviction. Tears fall freely down my face, and I’m not sure why. This moment is the best one in my entire life, but he’s not looking at me any differently. He loves me as much right nowas he always has, and perhaps that’s why. He’s not doing it for the moment, or because we’re in front of our friends and family. It’s just us. Just like it always has been.
“You’re not supposed to do that yet,” Charlie whispers, and I can’t help but laugh against Damien’s lips, pulling back enough for him to wipe my tears away.
“Sorry.” I laugh through sobs and everyone else does as well. I look back at Ser’s tear-stained face, and I have to look away because that’s just going to make me cry more.
“It’s your turn, dear.” Charlie gestures his hand in my direction.
“You should’ve let me go first, how the hell am I supposed to follow that?” The courtyard fills with laughter and as Damien kisses my forehead again, I take a deep breath, hoping that I can put even half of what I feel into words.
“You always say that you waited a lifetime for me, that you knew I was out there somewhere, but never thought you’d find me. I have only ever been able to dream of someone as astonishing as you. Hoped and prayed to a God I wasn’t sure existed that someone half as remarkable as you was real. You are everything I have ever wanted, everything I need, and someone I thought could never exist. You’re right, you were made for me, but that same God created me for you. We may live in two separate bodies, but our souls are one in the same. You worship me just as I worship you, and nothing else exists when we’re together.”
I take another breath, and allow his warmth to seep into my bones, making sure that I blink a few times so I don’t have to break the connection while I promise my soul to him.
“There’s no fear anymore, there’s no doubt, everything that has happened led me right to you, to this moment, and now I realize that it was all the pain I begged for. It wasn’t for nothing, it was all a journey to you. You’re the storm I chase—the one that I throw myself into without hesitation. You’re moments under the stars, and just before the thunder cracks—every gust of wind that carries the promise of tomorrow, the air I breathe. You’re everything. A lifetime with you will never be enough. You, Damien Alexander Hartley, are my always and forever.”
His bottom lip quivers beneath my hand as I swipe my thumb across his cheek, stopping his tears before they can fall. He nuzzles into my hand and kisses my palm before turning to Charlie.
“Hurry up, old man. I need to kiss my wife.” He tearfully chuckles and everyone joins in, filling the small space with so much love and happiness, it feels like it will never go away. Mr. Hartley then stands and steps forward, holding out two matching silver wedding bands like his approval is forged in the metal. I take Damien’s as he takes mine, and we both grip them in our palms, silently transferring our vows to the rings themselves.
“Do you, Ashia Morgan Carpenter, take Damien to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“Of course, I do,” I say confidently, and he shakily turns to look at Damien.
“Do you, Damien Alexander Hartley, take Ashia…”
“I do,” he interrupts, making us all laugh again, and we don’t waste a moment slipping the rings onto each other’s fingers.
“I now pronounce you man and wife, you may…”
Before Charlie can even finish, he yanks me over and crashes his lips into mine, slipping us into a world all of our own. The applause and cheers that ring out in the small courtyard practically fade to nothing as we melt against each other, only finally pulling apart at the feeling of tiny rain drops tapping against our foreheads. I look up in just enough time to see the grey storm clouds roll in and take over the sky, bathing us in the beautiful darkness we find ourselves at home in. The partially open glass panels of the roof give us the right amount of exposure to the elements, perfecting the moment and solidifying our dream come true into history.
Chapter thirty-nine
Ashia
Unfortunately, our perfect moment had to end, and we were back to business. Almost everyone is coming back to the Attic, apart from the Andersons, Jamie, and Charlie. I almost felt bad leaving them out on what Dani called ‘an appropriate celebration’, but then, as Charlie and Jamie walked outside with us, a luxury BMW pulled up to the curb and a tall, tan, model of a woman got out and walked up to us. She had long, perfectly waved, voluptuous blonde hair, boobs the size of bowling balls—which I only know because they were popping out of her small dress—and an ass that made me envious. When Charlie greeted her and revealedthatwas Lucielle, we all but fainted.
My jaw dropped, almost all the way to the concrete. Damien stayed composed, but was clearly shocked, and Zeke did nothing but whistle and add a ‘damn Charlie’ to make things worse. I thought for sure that Jaimie was going to lash out and bite her, but she bit her tongue instead and helped Charlie into her car. My first thought was that she’s using Charlie for his money, but as they pulled off, the arrogant old bastard smirked and winked at me, obviously not caring one way or another if she is or not.
After that, the ride to the Attic was quiet, but in a funny way. Serena crept the conversation along like the horny bitch she is, curious about what Charlie could even still do at his old age, and that almost made me puke. I love the old man, but that is thelastthing I want to think about. She was trying to imagine a way that Charlie could prop her leg up on his walker, and I had the sudden urge to hit her.
As we walk in, I can tell Damien is in pain, his body is taut as he walks, and though I can tell he is almost doubling over in torment with every few steps, he holds strong. He definitely walked away with more injuries than I did, but I think he’s still in that defensive mode, and I’m not sure he’ll be coming out of it anytime soon. In his mind, he has unfinished business, and knowing how tortured his mind is, he’s going to try and manifest those feelings into real pain. Just not for himself.
Something about the Attic feels foreboding today, as if the building knows it’s harboring evil.Heis in here somewhere, and while I know he’s most likely downstairs and locked up so tightly that not even a breath could escape, the feeling is uneasy. Damien clearly added more security to the outside, at least. The mercenaries are walking around, and even Duke and his owner are out patrolling. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Daisy, but Damien promised they would be here soon.
We walk past the last door, Carter and Ser in front, and Zeke and Taylor behind us. The moment we come into sight, Alex starts stalking his way over, looking more like a hardened prison guard than the normal, laid back, stoicgiant we usually see. He and Damien instantly clap hands and do that bro side-hug thing, and then, surprisingly, he turns to me.
“How you feeling, trouble?” He gives me a gentle side-hug as well, careful not to hit any of the wounds on my back. I reciprocate that gesture, and pull back, slightly shocked that I had deserved such a hug from someone normally so standoffish.
“I'm okay, asshat. How’s it going?”
“Not bad,” he says back and gestures his head to point down the hall. We walk along with him, staying in our formation as almost all of Damien’s cousins file in behind us.
