Athena
“My toast will be meaningful and concise.”
“Boring and sterile, you mean.”
“Professional and well–crafted.”
“Soulless and overly rehearsed.”
They glared at each other across the table, and I could see Sarah trying not to laugh into her wine glass.
“You two are exhausting,” Orion finally said, though he was grinning. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
“She started it,” Derek said, which made Kiara gasp in outrage.
“I started it? You’re the one who critiqued my walking pace!”
“Because you were walking too fast!”
“I was walking at a perfectly normal pace!”
“For someone who’s late to catch a train, maybe…”
‘Oh my god, we’re back to this?” Kiara turned to me. “Athena, I’m sorry, but if I have to listen to Derek criticize one more thing about this wedding, I cannot be held responsible for my actions.”
“And I cannot be held responsible for wanting things to run smoothly,” Derek countered,
‘It’s a wedding, not a military operation!”
‘Tell that to the timeline!”
“The timeline is a suggestion, not a law!”
‘It’s a carefully constructed plan…”
“Okay!” I interrupted, laughing despite myself. “How about we agree that both structure and spontaneity have their place, and we’ll
need both to make next Saturday perfect?”
They both looked at me, then at each other, then back at me.
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18:24 Fri, Jan 30 M…
Chapter 368
“Fine, Derek said grudgingly.
“Whatever, Kiara muttered.
:
80
But I noticed that despite their apparent annoyance with each other, they both seemed… energized. Like the arguing was actually fun
for them, in a weird way.
Under the table, I felt Sarah’s foot tap mine. When I looked at her, she was grinning and nodding toward Derek and Kiara. Mission
accomplished.
The dinner continued with toasts everyone important. Sarah gave a beautiful speech about friendship and love that had everyone
tearing up.
Orion talked about watching Tristan and me fall in love, about how perfect we were for each other.
When it was time for dessert, a preview of our wedding cake, which was absolutely delicious, Tristan stood up and clinked his glass.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone here tonight,” he said, his voice carrying across the room.
“Three months ago, Athena surprised me with the most incredible gift anyone has ever given me, she made me her husband. And next Saturday, we get to celebrate that commitment with all of you, the people we love most in the world.”
He looked down at me, his eyes shining. “Athena, you’ve given me everything I never knew was possible to find anymore. A home, a family, a future. You’ve shown me what it means to be loved unconditionally, and I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you the
same way.”
I was crying now, not even trying to hide it. He leaned down and kissed me softly, and the room erupted in applause.
“Next Saturday,” he said, raising his glass, “we make it official in front of God and everyone we love. I can’t wait.”
“To next Saturday,‘ everyone echoed, raising their glasses.
As the evening wound down, people started heading out. Lily had fallen asleep curled up in her chair, exhausted from all the excitement, while Liam remained peacefully asleep in his bassinet. Sarah was collecting their things, thanking everyone for coming, while Orion carefully lifted Lily into his arms.
I noticed Derek and Kiara near the coat check, still somehow managing to find things to disagree about.
“I’m just saying, you should at least outline your toast,” Derek was saying as he helped her with her jacket (despite their bickering, he was apparently still a gentleman).
“And I’m just saying, you should try speaking from the heart for once instead of from your carefully prepared notes, Kiara countered, but she didn’t pull away when he adjusted her collar.
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Fri, Jan 30
Chapter 368
I do speak from the heart. I just also happen to organize my thoughts first.”
‘There you go again with the organizing.”
“It’s not a character flaw, Kiara.”
80
“Debatable,” she said, but she was smiling.
Leah appeared beside me, watching them with satisfaction. “So, when should we schedule their ‘coordination meeting‘? I’m thinking somewhere cozy. Maybe that coffee shop on Fifth? The one with the intimate booths?”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
