Worth the Wait?

The Vacation

Bonus chapter from my Episode story, "Nothing Can Separate". This scene follows the end of chapter 40, particularly if you chose to "Forgive Stefan" in the final scene in episode 28. This chapter contains mature and explicit content. 18+ readers only!

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Is this a dream?

"Wise men say only fools rush in," Stef's baritone voice croons as he sings along with the music. "But I can't help falling in love with you."

Standing in the arms of the man who loves me more than life itself, enveloped by the warm air of the Maldives while dancing in the moonlight, I worry that this is too good to be true.

I got engaged and married to the love of my life today! It doesn't matter that it wasn't legal, in our eyes, we have vowed and committed ourselves to each other forever. I've never been so happy in my entire life.

"What are you thinking about, beautiful?" the sound of his voice breaks through my thoughts.

I look into eyes that are filled with the purest love I've ever known and reply, "Just how you've given me so many 'best day of my life' moments. Every single one of them seems to top the one before".

He blushes for the briefest of moments, never taking his eyes off mine and says, "And I intend to give you many more because you, my love, deserve it and so much more."

"I hope one day I can love you the way you love me...endlessly."

"You already do, mon coeur," he assures me and calms my self-doubt.

Even after all this time, I can't escape the nagging feeling that I don't deserve this, that all of this could be taken away without a moment's notice.

I never imagined love could be like this. Growing up, I had no role models of what love was like. My mother left shortly after I was born and my father was the opposite of loving and kind. I thought I had found love with Marshall, but that turned out to be a painful illusion. I had given up hope that one day I would be lucky enough to experience any kind of love. Looking at Stef, my husband, I know that I finally found the type of love people only dream about.

"I mean it, Melody," he continues, "I'm the luckiest, happiest man in the whole world. And we've travelled across the world, so I know this to be true."

He shoots me a wink then pulls me in for a soft kiss. "Always the geek, Stef."

"Always your geek," he corrects.

Stefan cups my face and leans in for another kiss. As if he planned it, fireworks start going off and the faint sound of cheers and screams fill the air as people ring in the new year.

"Happy New Year, my gorgeous wife."

Hearing that word come from his lips fills my heart with a joy that is unexplainable. I am his and he is mine. It's unbelievable.

"Happy New Year, my handsome husband."

"I like the sound of that."

Stefan crashes his lips against mine again and lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, kissing him back just as fervently, signalling with my tongue that I want more. He responds by parting his lips and brushing his tongue against mine as he carries me inside the guesthouse.

He stops in the kitchen and sets me on the countertop, breaking our kiss. "Is there a problem?" I'm sure the puzzled look on my face is an accurate reflection of my confusion.

"Yes," he answers, frowning slightly. "I've had this burning question on my mind for the past couple hours."

"Well, you've already proposed so I have no idea what this question could actually be."