The Marriage Bargain - ENGLOT

Epilogue

Cadence's POV:

One year later, I'm standing in front of the mirror, taking in my wedding dress. It's grand, with a flared bottom that spreads out in a voluminous cloud of white tulle. The details are exquisite, and every now and then, I can't help but touch the shiny beads and intricate embroidery.

Today, I'm marrying the love of my life, Emory. We've been through so much together, and it feels surreal that we've finally made it to this point. We're finally getting our dream wedding, complete with an extravagant reception and honeymoon in Paris. It was everything I had hoped for and more, and we were both overjoyed to finally be getting a proper wedding.

Emory stands behind me, her arms wrapped around my waist. "You look stunning," she whispers, her chin resting on my shoulder.

I turn around to face her, seeing nothing but pure adoration in her eyes. "Thank you," I say, feeling a warmth spread in my chest.

Our wedding is a grand affair, with all of our friends and family gathered around us.

Amaya and Teagan had gotten married a few months before us and had recently adopted Amaya's beautiful niece. I look at the little one, sleeping peacefully in Amaya's arms, and I can't help but smile.

It's a bittersweet moment, knowing that the Amaya's sister didn't make it through childbirth, but Amaya and Teagan have stepped up to give the baby the life she deserves.

As for Quinn and Nevaeh, things had taken a bit of a different turn. They had broken up not long a few months back, and Quinn had gone back to her playgirl, laidback ways. Not looking for anything serious. Nevaeh, on the other hand, had started her own successful startup company and was thriving.

Thankfully I didn't had to beat up Quinn as the break up was amicable, with both of them realizing they have different goals plus they're still friends so no beating up happened.

The wedding ceremony is the most magical thing I've ever experienced. As I exchange vows with Emory, I realize that this is where I'm meant to be. I'm home. Emory's hand feels warm in mine, and I squeeze it gently, savoring the moment.

As we say our vows, I feel tears welling up in my eyes. Emory's voice is soft and sincere as she promises to love and cherish me for the rest of our lives. And I know with every fiber of my being that I will do the same for her.

As we kiss, I know that as long as we have each other, we can face anything the world has to throw at us. The future feels bright, and I can't wait to see what other adventures and experiences Emory and I will have.

...

"It's been 5 years?" I asked, looking at Emory and smiling.

We're relaxing on the hotel bed in Paris after arriving for our honeymoon when the conversation turned into how today is the day we got "married" for the first time.

"5 years." She replied, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "5 whole years of us being best friends, partners and even enemies. But it was all worth it."

"It's confusing actually." I said, rolling over on my stomach, freeing myself from Emory's hold.

"Huh?" She said, her eyebrows furrowed at me.

"Yep. Exactly. How could anyone be with me for 5 whole years? Well 2 years since we weren't actually together for 3 years but anyways it seems like one big lie right? How doesn't it seem like a bunch of nonsense? Why would you want to be with me for 2, 5 years?" I rambled on, staring at Emory.

"You're right." She said, sitting up and looking at me seriously. "I don't want to be with you for 5 years, even just 2 years."

She tilted her head to the side adorably, her hair framing her face. "I want to be with you forever."

I tried my hardest not to laugh, but my face ended up is something resembling a half smirk. "I hate you." I said, pushing her back down, straddling her. "I'm supposed to be upset or even angry, yet you still make me smile."

"I love you too." She mumbled into me as she pulled me closer. "I like you better when you smile, with the sunshine pouring out your face. Save the crying for the clouds."

"You're so silly."

"Never. Now you be quiet and lay down and spend forever with me."

And I did.

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(A/N:) ayyyy it's done! Thank you for hanging around and finishing this book with me!Especially to those I consider my OG readers who's been here since "All the Love songs about you" thank you for liking my writing!! 🥰

To those that takes the time to comment, I love you alllll! I remember your names and profile pictures and I appreciate you a lot! Y'all are the ones that pushes me to finish whatever I'm writing 😜

Now on to the next one! 🤟

-Ashley 💖

(Edit: I've decided to make a Ko-fi page as I've received DMs about it! You can show support by buying me a cup of coffee but pls don't be obligated to do so! Link is in my bio! I will be posting drafts and snippets there as well!)