Ink

Air Catcher

Josh's POV
     It was the day of the wedding and I stood at the alter, my eyes trained on the doors at the other end of the room. To say I had pre-wedding jitters would be an understatement. I began to fidget with my tuxedo nervously.

     The doors opened and the crowd turned collectively, anxiously anticipating the bride. I waited breathlessly, eager to see the woman who would shortly be my life partner. I glanced at Tyler, my best man, who nodded and smiled reassuringly. He understood the feelings I was currently having, the butterflies and the excitement and nerves. He had mentioned to me as I was getting dressed that he felt the same way when he was marrying Jenna. Yes, I was nervous but in the best way possible.

     A soft wedding march tinkled into the air and the crowd let out a collective sigh as she came into view. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her.

     Sam's white dress hugged her frame beautifully as she slowly walked up to the alter with her father. While all the eyes in the room were on her, she had only eyes for me. We locked into a gaze as she walked down the aisle, her eyes telling me she was just as anxious as I was.

     They got to the alter quickly, her dad pulling me into an embrace and whispering, "take care of my baby girl."

     "I will. I love her more than anything in the world," I whispered back.

     He smiled and took his seat in the front row with Sam's mother. Our families were looking at us with pure excitement. I looked over at Sam and grinned.

     "Hi," she said with a giggle.

     "Hi," I laughed.

     The ceremony commenced. I was listening intently, but couldn't help but keep stealing glances at Sam. She was simply enchanting without even trying.

     "Now the couple will exchange vows, that they have both written themselves," the officiant said, gesturing towards us and smiling. Sam looked at her nervously and cleared her throat before starting her vows.

     "Josh, I love you so much there aren't enough words in the universe to describe it. I love you to the moon and back and I always will. I promise you that I'll always be here for you and support you in everything you do. I know that being with you means sharing you with the world because of your crazy band life, and that's okay," she said breathlessly, shakily placing the ring on my finger.

     My heart melted at her words and I fought every urge in the world to take her into my arms and kiss her right there and then. I smiled brightly at her and began reading my own vows.

     "Sam, my love for you knows no bounds. Every star in the sky is another year that I'll keep loving you. As the universe is infinite, so are the stars, and in turn so is my love. I promise I will make you the happiest woman alive for as long as I live," I told her, sliding the ring onto her finger.

     "By the power vested in me by the state of Ohio, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the county official declared.

     I took that as my cue to lift the veil and reveal her face. She was nothing short of stunning, and I don't mean because of the makeup. Her face looked like it was crafted by the gods above, and in that moment I knew this was perfect destiny. Our eyes locked into a deep gaze and our lips connected, the kiss reminiscent of our very first one.

     The crowd burst into applause and I heard a few wolf calls and whistles coming from the bridesmaids and groomsmen, who were the loudest out of everyone in the room.

     I swept Sam off her feet bridal style and began to walk back down the aisle. She laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck. The bridal party followed behind us closely to get into the limo we had gotten for the occasion, as it was time for pictures.

     We thought the best place to do a photo session was at the park where we first officially introduced ourselves. It seemed only fitting.

     After about an hour of pictures, it was time for the reception in an elegant hall room. Sam had taken charge of the decorations and it was gorgeous. Stars hung from the ceiling and gave the room a beautifully otherworldly atmosphere. The decor, like the bridesmaids dresses and the groomsmen's ties, were red. Sam mentioned that she initially wanted the color to be purple, but concluded it would clash horribly with my hair.

Sam's POV

     I simply could not take my eyes off of Josh. He looked absolutely gorgeous in his tuxedo, the bow tie and tuxedo vest complimenting his very fit body.

     After we finished eating, Tyler stood up to give his best man speech.

     "Josh, I noticed when you fell in love with Sam almost immediately. You were happier and had a brightness in your eyes that couldn't be from anything else. I'm so happy that you found love with such an amazing person, and I'm really excited for her to join us on our tour adventures. Who knows, she might even inspire you to write a song or two yourself. I wish nothing but the best for you both," he said, then he handed the microphone to Jennifer to give her speech.

     "Sam, you and I have known each other for over ten years and you're like a sister to me. When you met Josh, aside from the tattoos saying you two were meant to be together, I saw love flourish before my eyes. I see that he makes you very happy, and I know he's going to take care of you. I know you marrying him means you have to go away for a few months..." she paused and cleared her throat. Tears began to sparkle in her eyes and before I knew it, I was crying too.

     "I know it means you have to go away for a while," she continued, "but I'm excited that you get to travel the world with the person you love. I am nothing short of thrilled for you two to start your lives together. I love you both."

     Josh and I clapped for her and Tyler with the rest of the crowd furiously. I smiled through my tears as they came up to us and hugged us both.

     "I'll take that," a voice said behind us. We turned and saw Brendon standing behind us, holding his hand out for the microphone.

     "Brendon, please keep it PG, there are kids here," Dallon pleaded.

     Brendon smirked and said nothing as he walked around the table with the mic. My heart began to beat quickly. I had no idea what he planned to say in front of our families and I was very nervous.

     "Sam and Josh, what can I say? They're a hot couple," he said, earning laughter from the crowd.

     "Oh god," I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

     "Seriously though, kudos to them. I see how happy they make each other. Before Sam came along, Josh was already a pretty happy guy. But after they met, there was a new spring in his step. He once told me that he saw a new beauty to the world that he didn't know existed until he met her. Congratulations on meeting your better half, and I know your marriage will be a fucking success," Brendon finished, raising his glass of champagne for a toast.

     I sighed in relief as we all raised our glasses.

     "To the bride and groom."

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to @maiasky3 for being so supportive of this book. It means a lot to me.