Chapter 156: Every Version of Forever
Chapter 156: Every Version of Forever
Travis’s POV
I’d never been the kind of man who believed in fate.
Never thought that some things were just meant to be.
But fuck—
Standing at the altar, watching her, waiting for her to walk toward me—
There wasn’t a single doubt in my goddamn mind.
She was mine.
And this?
This was always meant to happen.
The garden was exactly how I imagined it.
Warm golden light filtering through the trees.
Flowers everywhere, freesias woven through the arch above us, filling the air with that soft, familiar scent.
A gentle breeze moved through the crowd, but nothing—
Nothing could pull my attention away from her.
And then—
She stepped into view.
And fuck—
My lungs forgot how to work.
I’d seen Sophia in every way possible.
In business mode, cutthroat and commanding.
In my arms, bare and undone.
In my home, half-asleep and wearing my shirt.
But this—
This was something else entirely.
She was breathtaking.
The champagne-colored dress clung to her perfectly, the lace catching the sunlight like something out of a dream.
Her hair was pulled back just enough to reveal her face—
That face that had ruined me from the very first moment I saw her.
And fuck—
She was smiling.
At me.
At us.
Like she already knew this was exactly where she was supposed to be.
But there was something else.
Something different.
A shift, subtle but undeniable.
She looked—
Softer.
Like there was something more, something deeper.
I didn’t know what it was.
Didn’t understand why it made my chest tighten.
But fuck—
I knew I’d figure it out.
Because nothing about Sophia would ever go unnoticed by me.
She walked toward me, her arm linked with my mother’s.
And fuck—
I barely registered the rest of the world.
Barely heard the murmurs from the crowd.
Barely remembered how to breathe.
She stopped in front of me, her eyes locking onto mine, and that was it.
Nothing else mattered.
Nothing else ever would.
The officiant began speaking, but I barely heard him.
Because fuck—
The way she was looking at me?
Like she already belonged to me, like she’d never belonged to anyone else—
That was enough to bring me to my knees.
"You ready, sweetheart?" I murmured, my voice low, just for her.
She smirked, her fingers brushing against mine. "I’ve been ready, Cole."
And fuck—
I wanted to kiss her right then and there.
But first—
Vows.
We had agreed on no traditional bullshit.
No scripted words, no generic promises.
Just us.
Exactly how we were.
And fuck—
That was enough.
She was first.
"Travis Cole," she started, her lips curving slightly. "I never planned for this."
A few quiet chuckles from the guests.
She exhaled, shaking her head. "I never planned for you."
Her fingers tightened around mine.
"But you showed up, and you refused to be ignored. You fought me, you challenged me, and somehow, you made me love you more than I knew I could."
Fuck.
She was gonna wreck me.
"You are frustrating, and impossible, and absolutely insane—"
More laughs from the guests.
"—but you are also the most loyal, most loving, most infuriatingly wonderful man I have ever met. And I can’t wait to spend forever with you."
I grinned, shaking my head. "Damn right you can’t."
She laughed, squeezing my hands.
And then it was my turn.
I cleared my throat, looking at her—
At the woman who had turned my entire goddamn world upside down.
"Sophia," I started. "I was an idiot before you."
More laughs from the guests.
"I thought I had life figured out. Thought I didn’t need love, didn’t need commitment, didn’t need forever."
I swallowed hard, my fingers tracing the back of her hand.
"Then you showed up, and you proved me wrong in every single way."
Her eyes softened, her breath hitching slightly.
"You are my home. My greatest challenge. My biggest win. And I swear to you, I will spend every single day proving that I was always meant to be yours."
Her eyes glistened, her lips pressing together like she was trying not to cry.
And fuck—
I was already gone for her.
Had been for a long time.
"By the power vested in me—"
I barely waited for the words.
Barely gave the officiant time to say it.
Because the second I was given permission—
I grabbed her face, crashed my lips against hers, and kissed her like my goddamn life depended on it.
The cheers were loud, the whistles obnoxious, but I didn’t give a single shit.
All I cared about was her.
Her lips.
Her hands pulling me closer.
Her body pressed against mine.
My wife.
Mine.
The rest of the day was a blur of perfection.
Dinner. Laughter. Drinks.
A dance floor filled with our people.
And then—
The first dance.
She was in my arms, her fingers playing with the back of my neck, her head resting lightly against my shoulder.
"Did I mention you look gorgeous, sweetheart?" I murmured, my lips brushing against her temple.
"Not nearly enough times, Cole," she teased.
I spun her slowly, watching the lights catch the soft fabric of her dress, watching the way her eyes never left mine.
"We did it," she whispered.
"Damn right we did."
Her breath shook slightly, her fingers tightening.
"Are you happy?" she asked.
I tilted her chin up, meeting her gaze.
"Sweetheart, I have never been happier in my entire goddamn life."
Her smile was soft, almost secretive.
Like she was holding something back.
And for a split second—
I wondered if she was about to tell me something.
But instead, she just pressed her lips against mine, stealing whatever thought had just formed.
And fuck—
If this was what forever felt like?
Then I was never letting go.