❤️

The big day...

I didn't think I'd be nervous to marry Ryder but I am. I am freaking the fuck out. My dress is too tight from all of the ice cream I've been eating and my shoes are already hurting my feet. My hair feels fake and my face feels thick with make-up. I can't do this.

I escape to the bathroom to try to calm myself down without letting Carley catch on, even though I'm sure she already has. She is banging on the door like an angry gorilla and I'm pretending not to hear it.

"Addison, stop freaking out. Let's go," she says.

"No," I say quietly hoping she didn't hear me.

"Do I really have to get Ryder?" she asks banging on the door a few more times.

"Yes," I squeak out and try to control my breathing.

She sighs loudly, "it's bad luck to see each other."

"Do you think I give a fuck?!" I scream.

The other side of the door goes quiet, which means she must be getting him. I am sitting on the toilet in my wedding dress contemplating different ways to jump out of the third story window. I don't think I'd die, just break a few bones. It's a risk I'm willing to take.

"Ads?" I hear on the other side of the door. His familiar voice makes it a bit easier to breathe. I unlock the door and he walks in.

He looks perfect in his black tux. I almost wish I waited to see him when I walked down the aisle. His blue eyes are a bit watery as he looks at me with a small smile on his face.

"You're beautiful," he says.

"Are you going to cry?" I ask standing up and wrapping my arms around his waist.

He kisses the top of my head and laughs, "nah. You don't look that good."

I laugh and look up at him, "I don't want to do this."

He grows a bit more serious, "marry me or the wedding?"

"The wedding. I want to marry you. Duh," I roll my eyes and try to lighten the mood but I can't seem to trick myself. I still feel sweaty and shaky and like I'll faint when I see all those people. I don't even know this many people. But Ryder's whole life is sitting in the outside ceremony area.

"Just calm down. It will be over in minutes. Then we drink," Ryder says running his finger tips over my arms giving me goosebumps.

"Then we drink?" I ask, "we can get drunk at our own wedding?"

He shrugs, "why the hell not? It will be like old times."

I smile, "we can burp whenever anyone congratulates us?"

"I'm in if you're in," he says.

I shake my head, "okay. Let's just get this over with then."

"That's the spirit. Now act surprised when you see how sexy I look," he winks and heads out the door. I feel empty without him and can already feel the nerves threatening to take over again.

"Fuck, let's do this. Now," I say and head out of the door to find my dad.

Dad is sitting on a chair in the lobby of the building. He looks handsome in his tux with his beard. Him and Annie are still together and very happy. She's moving in with my dad soon, which is weird for me but I'm also very happy for them.

It's weird standing here in a wedding dress surrounded by flowers that I created without my mom. She was supposed to help pick the dress, help with the flowers, tell me that everything is going to be okay. I wanted that.

I wanted what I've seen on TV shows even if my mom didn't like the dress I chose. But at least my dad is here with a bright smile on his face ready to walk me down the aisle.

"I always knew it'd be him. I'm so proud of you, honey," my dad says making me tear up.

The outside deck is covered in yellow, orange, and cream flowers. I set up tall vases with bursts of color lining the aisle. The sun is just beginning to set over the lake and the colors of the sky mimic the flower colors perfectly. Just like I imagined.

Ryder is standing there staring at me with a smile on his face. He wipes his eyes, I smirk. We head towards him and it's like the whole rest of the wedding disappears and it's just us.

He grabs my hand when I reach him and I whisper, "I thought you weren't going to cry."

"Just something in my eye," he says.

It's quick. We decided not to write our own vows because we can't control our mouths and we didn't want any old people to have a heart attack.

Soon we are kissing and everyone is clapping. My face turns bright red so I burry my face in Ryder's chest. I can feel his chuckle as he leads me back down the aisle.

He kisses me again, "now you're officially stuck with me."

"There's always divorce," I wink.

He shakes his head, "not funny."

"A little funny," I say.

We go off to take pictures on the sand with Boomer and Oliver. They looks adorable in their tuxedo themed bandanas.

"Can we skip the reception?" Ryder asks holding me close.

"We have drinks to drink, Kid. Keep up," I say and head back towards the reception area. He catches up quickly and wraps his arms around me again, Boomer and Oliver trailing behind us.

We watch the sun finish setting before heading in to drink, dance, and burp.

I didn't think forever could be so much fun.