Page 8 of Rose Red (Once Upon a Happy Ever After 4)

Both men ran out of the ballroom. I wouldn’t tell Kase but I’d bet my last dollar he’d find out. This was just too juicy. Someone was definitely going to blab about it. This was the Upper East Side after all.

As the crowd dispersed I decided to clear up one last thing. “While I have you all here.” I looked at Chase and Luca, beckoning them closer. “The reason he burst into my room was because I fell in love.”

“Abigail, what are you doing?”

“Shush love. They can’t use it against us if we’re not hiding, can they?” I looked out to the crowd of my peers. “Not just once though. I fell in love twice, with two of the most amazing men I’ve ever met. Last year’s Page Six headline? That was me falling for these two. Think what you will but I dare you to find a “couple” more in love, more devoted to each other’s happiness, and more committed to each other than us. So, if anyone has a problem with it, they can come see me.” I hopped off my chair and my two men and I walked out of the ballroom.

Chapter Eight

Luca

“You were absolutely incredible. Honestly, Abigail, I had no idea you had that in you.” Chase gave words to the exact thought running through my mind since we left the ballroom.

The three of us piled into the back of our limo and headed to the condo Chase and I shared. Well, we didn’t really share it. He had his wing and I had mine. But both our names were on the lease. We hadn’t meant to buy a property together but it seemed like we shared more than just taste in women.

Abby snuggled between us, all of us choosing to sit in the smallest bench instead of stretching out on the longer, adjacent one. It was fine by me. I couldn’t speak for Chase but I needed to touch her.

Abby smiled and shrugged. “I didn’t know I had it in me either. But the last thing I wanted was a repeat of last year, and there was no way I going to let the only two things in the world I wanted be taken away. I did what had to be done.”

I took her hand in mine as we sped uptown.

Chase looked at me, a question in his eyes. I nodded, knowing exactly what he’d silently asked.

“Abigail?” he asked.

“Mmm?” she murmured as she leaned against his shoulder.

“When we proposed all those months ago, the expectation was never that you should marry us both, not really. But I suppose we didn’t consider that proposing to you was, in a way, asking you to choose between us. The last thing we want is for you to feel like you ever have to choose between us.”

“So,” I continued where Chase left off, “if you like, we can take the whole marriage thing off the table and just be together? How does that sound?”

“That sounds awful,” she said and climbed over us to the other seat so she could give us both a puzzled look. She took a few moments then started again. “Did you know that sea captains can’t actually marry people?”

“Um— okay?” I looked at Chase to see if I was the only one stumped by her apparent non sequitur.

“Unless they’re also a justice of the peace or a minister in addition to being a captain, they have no legal right to officiate a wedding. It’s such a common myth it’s the first thing that pops up when you Google ‘marriage at sea’.”

“And why were you Googling that, my love?” My question brought a flush to Abby’s cheeks as well as that same puzzled look to her features.

“What do you mean? Because I want to marry you. Both of you. And I wanted to figure out a way to make this work.” She looked at us, trying to read our expressions. “I left because I had to puzzle it out, not because didn’t want to be with you two. You know that, right?”

Chase shook his head and I looked at the floor.

“Oh god. Chase, Luca, I’m so sorry. I thought... I’m so sorry. I thought I made it clear.” Abby sighed. “I never wanted to leave but I had to find out if there was a real possibility for us to have a future. I’m so sorry I didn’t make that clear.”

I didn’t want to think about how different the last few months would have been if I wasn’t convinced Abby left because she needed to time decided if she could handle a three-person relationship. “Let’s not dwell on it. Tell us more about your non-marrying sea captains.”

“Well, before I get to that I want you to know something. When that little shit burst into our room and threatened everything I wanted for my life, for our lives, I showed myself just how strong I was, proving that I could handle our business. That I could keep the tabloids from ridiculing us, and once I ‘came out’ to the entirety of the ball, there really wasn’t anything left to be afraid of. Everyone already knew. I’m ashamed to say that’s what I was trying to figure out. I was so afraid of everyone’s reaction and I thought finding a way to be ‘legal’ would keep people from judging us. But now everyone already knows and I don’t even care anymore. I just want to be married to you two.”

As happy as her words made me I thought better of pointing out the one person who still didn’t know. Her father.

Abby took a big breath, eyes lighting up with excitement as she continued. “So, back when I was researching, my first thought was to find a place with lax or unclear marriage laws. That’s when I discovered captains couldn’t marry, while sifting through pages and pages of maritime law. Anyway, most places are very clear about it— one couple equals one marriage, that’s it, no gray area. But then I came across this tiny sovereign nation tucked away in the mountains of Spain whose wording was so ambivalent, it was like the law was written specifically for us. So I did a little more digging. Turns out, in the 1600’s the nation’s ruler went a little mad and decided he was the reincarnation of Solomon, like, the biblical one, which of course meant he need just as many wives as he’d had in antiquity. He changed the laws to suit his crazy and the country never bothered changing them back.”

Abby grinned from ear to ear.

Chase said the words before I could. “So, are you saying—”

“I’m saying take me to Spain and marry me!”

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