KEIFER POV —
Getting her home was easier than expected.
Keeping my composure after?
That was the real battle.
She was pliant in my arms, half-asleep, still humming something under her breath as I carried her into the bedroom. I laid her gently on the bed, brushed her hair back, smiled despite myself.
"You're unbelievable," I murmured.
I reached for her heels first, slipping them off carefully. She sighed like she approved. When I leaned down to unfasten the zipper of her dress—slow, respectful, focused—
She moved.
Fast.
Her fingers curled around my tie and yanked.
Hard.
"Jay—" I warned, but it was already too late.
She pulled me down into a kiss that was messy, drunk, unapologetic. Not precise. Not careful. Just wanting.
I tried.
I genuinely tried to pull back.
"Love," I said softly against her lips, "you're drunk."
She smiled—lazy, dangerous—and pushed me back onto the bed instead, climbing over me with zero coordination and absolute intent.
"I'm marrying you," she said, like that explained everything.
It did.
I kissed her back, briefly, gently—enough to satisfy without crossing lines she'd regret tomorrow. My hands stayed where they belonged. My restraint held… barely.
Then—like a switch flipped—she sagged.
Her head dropped to my chest.
Breathing evened out.
Out cold.
I froze.
Then laughed quietly, disbelief and fondness tangling in my chest.
"Menace," I whispered.
I carefully shifted her, changed her into one of my shirts, tucked her under the blanket. She barely stirred. I kissed her forehead, lingering.
Pulled her close.
Her arms wrapped around me in her sleep instinctively.
Mine followed.
I stared at the ceiling for a long moment, heart full, chest warm, smile soft.
My little menace.
And God, how I loved her.
---
JAY POV — CONSEQUENCES (AND TEASING)
My head felt like it was being personally punished.
I groaned, rolled over—
—and collided with warmth.
And arms.
And a very solid chest.
"Oh no," I croaked.
Keifer shifted beside me. Too awake. Too amused.
"Good morning," he said sweetly.
I cracked one eye open. "Why do you sound like that."
"Because," he replied calmly, "you attempted to seduce me and then passed out on top of me."
I froze.
"…I did what."
He smiled. Slow. Victorious. "Pulled my tie. Pushed me onto the bed. Declared your intent to marry me again. Then fell asleep."
I buried my face in the pillow.
"Kill me."
He laughed and kissed the back of my head. "Drink water. You'll live."
Downstairs was worse.
Keigan saw me first.
"Oh look," he announced loudly. "The bride awakens."
Keiren smirked. "Red dress. Tequila. Dancing on a bar. Classic."
"I hate both of you," I muttered, reaching for coffee.
"You screamed you owned Keifer," Keigan added helpfully.
I pointed at him. "One more word and I will throw this mug."
Keifer sat beside me, hand warm on my knee, smug and entirely unhelpful.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown boutique number.
I answered cautiously.
"Ms. Jay?" the voice said brightly. "Your wedding dress is ready for pickup..."
The table went quiet.
I swallowed.
"…Okay," I said softly.
Tomorrow.
Keifer squeezed my hand.
Keigan grinned. "Well. Guess it's really happening."
I smiled—headache and all.
Yeah.
It was.
The Next Morning....
JAY POV —
I woke up warm.
Not blanket-warm. Not sun-warm.
Keifer-warm.
His arm was heavy across my waist, solid and familiar, like it had always belonged there. My face was tucked into his chest, his heartbeat slow and steady under my cheek. For half a second, I forgot everything.
Then it hit me.
Today.
I shifted slightly, and he stirred immediately—like he'd been half-awake already, waiting for me to surface. His chin dipped, nose brushing my hair.
"Five minutes," he murmured, voice rough with sleep and affection. "Five more minutes, wifey."
I laughed softly, the sound coming out breathless. "You're not allowed to call me that yet."
His arm tightened. "I am absolutely calling you that."
I tilted my head up, eyes barely open. "If you're late today—"
"I won't be."
"—I will run," I finished sweetly. "Straight out the venue. Dramatic. Traumatizing. Gone."
He opened one eye, looking down at me with that calm certainty that always undid me. "Never," he said. No teasing. No doubt. Just truth. "I'll be there before you."
I smiled, heart doing that stupid, full thing again.
I slipped out of his arms before he could pull me back in, grabbed his shirt from the chair, and tossed it at his face. "Get up, Watson. Don't ruin my plan."
He caught it, laughing. "I love you."
I paused at the door, suddenly overwhelmed, and looked back at him—hair messy, eyes soft, already mine in every way that mattered.
"I know," I said. And I meant it.
---
The venue smelled like flowers and morning.
White linens were being spread across long tables, glass catching the light as staff moved carefully, reverently, like they understood what today was. Chairs were aligned. Florals adjusted. Someone tested music, a low hum drifting through the open space.
I stepped inside slowly.
This was it.
Not the dress. Not the vows. Not the crowd.
This moment—quiet, almost ordinary—when the world was setting the stage for something that would change me forever.
I pressed my hand to my chest, grounding myself.
I wasn't nervous.
I was ready.
Somewhere, I knew Keifer was doing the same thing—standing still, breathing it in, steady as always.
Today.
I smiled to myself as I walked further in, sunlight spilling across the aisle.
Yeah.
This was the day,
I'll be his
And he'll be mine
Forever...