Page 197 of Chasing Infinity

We each say our vows, repeating the words Wyatt says first. Then finally, it’s the big moment.

“Noah Lockwood, do you take Addison Parks to be your wife? To love her, honor her, comfort and keep her in sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?”

My throat grows thick with the heaviness of the moment—of Addison and me committing ourselves together. I swallow the emotion down and give a brisk nod of my head, squeezing Addison’s hands in mine. “I do.”

Wyatt grins and then turns to Addison. “Addison Parks, do you take Noah to be your husband? To love, honor, comfort, and keep him in sickness and health for as long as you both shall live?”

Addison beams at me, a blinding smile that lights up her whole face. I worry that I might be going into cardiac arrest, but she brings me back when she says, “I do.”

“Then I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Wyatt says. He pauses briefly before adding, “Now might be a good time to kiss.”

A soft chuckle goes through our small group of friends. I step forward, closing the distance between Addison and myself. My hands frame her face, tilting her head slightly until she’s staring up at me, adoration seeping through her eyes.

Slowly, so slowly, I lower my lips down to hers. I give her a gentle kiss at first, loving the tender way her mouth presses against mine. When I pull back slightly, her eyes flutter open again to meet mine.

“I love you, Addison Lockwood,” I whisper, just for her.

Her eyes glitter, and she whispers, “I love you, Noah, so much.”

With that confirmation, I lean down and press my lips to hers, harder this time. Sealing our new marriage with a kiss to shame all other kisses.

* * *

Six months later

“Z-I-N-K-Y,” I say proudly as I lay down my Scrabble tiles, building off theNAddison laid a few plays before.

I look up at her with a satisfied smile to see her scowling at me.

“Zinky?” she asks, her voice deadpan.

“Yup,” I nod proudly, giving her a shit-eating grin.

“That’s not a word.”

“Look it up.”

Now that the gauntlet’s been thrown down, she can’t help herself. Addison whips out her phone faster than I would have imagined possible and types on the screen at a furious pace. Her scowl deepens as her eyes scan over whatever she finds in her search. She puts the phone back down on the table and glares at me. I give her a smirk.

“Well?”

“It’s a word,” she admits as her eyes narrow at me. “But I’m not happy about it.”

“And it’s on a triple word score spot,” I point out to my wife.

“Of course it is,” she grumbles. “Because why wouldn’t it be?”

“I do believe that’s—” I trail off, counting the points in my head. “Sixty-three points to me.”

Addison glares at me and huffs but writes down my score nonetheless. She sets the pen down on the wooden table just a little too hard and then crosses her arms as she stares helplessly at her tiles. When she suggested we play a board game before dinner to celebrate my birthday, I don’t think she quite expected she’d be losing so badly.

“Come on, Parks, don’t be a sore loser,” I tease her, unable to keep from further ribbing her.

Addison refuses to respond, instead narrowing her eyes and focusing on the task at hand. I lean my cheek against my fist and watch her in amusement. I can practically see the gears turning in her brain as she tries to develop the best comeback.

She takes freaking forever.

Finally, I see her eyes widen as an idea hits her. Her eyes dart to the board and then back to her tiles. The tiniest smirk plays on her lips as she reaches for a tile.

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