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And my only thought is how beyond grateful I am that I get to spend the rest of my life with her, Sierra.

My wife.

TWENTY-NINE

Sierra

The moment the first notes of the waltz begin, everything else fades.

Nick holds out his hand to me with a soft smile that only I get to see—one that says, “This is ours.” My heart is pounding, but the second my fingers slide into his, calm settles over me like a whispered promise.

We step together into the centre of the dance floor, under a canopy of string lights and stars, wrapped in the golden glow of night.

His arm slides gently around my waist, the other guiding my hand to his chest, and just like that—we’re dancing. Slow, graceful, floating. Like we practiced it, like this is not the first time, like this isn’t us improvising.

All around us, guests are watching, but I don’t feel their eyes. I only see Nick. His gaze never leaves mine. There’s a slight tremble in his fingers, or maybe it’s mine—I can't tell anymore where I end and he begins. His thumb brushes softly over the back of my hand as we spin, and I swear I can feel the way his heart is beating.

Every time we turn, I catch the way his eyes flicker to my lips for a second… like he’s trying not to kiss me in front of everyone. And when we pass close to the band, he leans in just slightly—the corner of his mouth brushing the shell of my ear.

“You’re mine.” Barely a breath. But I feel it everywhere.

When the song ends, he twirls me one last time and dips me gently, his lips brushing my cheek before they reach my ear again.

“I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you more,” I breathe back.

“Impossible.” He grins, biting my lower lip just enough to make me blush.

Cheers erupt from our families and guests, and I barely realize I’m smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.

A new melody begins—lighter and more playful. Nick keeps his arm around me and leans in, voice low against my temple.

“Should we bring them in?”

I nod with a grin, knowing exactly who he’s talking about. We both turn toward the edge of the dance floor, where Thalia and Ethan are standing, next to all our brothers.

Thalia’s eyes widen when I hold my hand out to her. She shakes her head like she wants to disappear, but Liam gently nudges her forward, smiling down at her with mischief.

Noah and Zayn do the same to Ethan, practically pushing him onto the dance floor. When they reach us, we all start dancing, and I feel my chest grow even warmer.

Ethan moves with ease, confident and relaxed, while Thalia tries to hide her blush, eyes cast down for a moment until he twirls her gently, making her laugh.

I catch her gaze and wink.

“Don’t fall for him too fast,” I tease, just loud enough for her to hear.

She mutters something I don’t catch, a terrified expression on her face, but the way she looks at Ethan says enough.

Nick squeezes my waist playfully from behind, spinning me back into his arms for just a moment.

“You’re gorgeous. Perfect. And, let’s not forget, completely mine,” he whispers, stealing a second of me before we’re swept back into the group.

And then it happens—one by one, our brothers begin to join us. Chris and Liam first, dramatically spinning in circles around us like it’s a competition. Then Zayn, Kai and Noah appear out of nowhere, grinning like fools and jumping right in. Ryan shows up with a glass of champagne in hand and casually walks over to the band, leaning into the microphone to sing along with the female lead vocalist as if he’s part of the show.

The crowd bursts into cheers and whistles, loving every second of it.

At one point, Nick catches my wrist, pulling me quickly toward him as Chris nearly bumps into me—and I land against his chest, laughing.