As he placed her over his shoulders and reminded her of the childhood that she had had and how fleeting it had been, she caught his eyes once she was placed against the slide, her hand effortlessly being placed onto his chest. Theo was good to her, god was he. The woman had been able, to be honest about Liam and it hadnât deterred him from taking a chance on her, on them. The pace that they were going on was perfect for her â not too much and not too less. The moment between them reminded her why she was in love with him, he was the calm to her storm. The lighthouse that would always guide her back home no matter how far she went away. Not that she actually ever had strayed away from Theo. Liam was just a stop that she had needed to put an end to. âNervous, you? Color me shocked,â she ended up replying to him, with a smile forming on her thin rose-colored lips. The woman had no idea how she had managed to get it right with him. How her parents had not managed to fuck this one up. That was the thing with life, when one stopped chasing what they thought they wanted and looked at what they needed that usually ended up being two different things, or in this case two different individuals. âMaybe we can just have the courthouse part just you and I â Andrea and one of your best friends. That way we can say those vows to just each other. Have it be our moment and no one else.â The blond was never one for a huge wedding, the show was for her mother and stepfather more than it was for her. Though if someone actually forced her, to be honest, she would have to come to admit that she was enjoying the food tasting and the wedding shopping had not been too terrible. The things she had found herself never wanting to do had taken a different turn when she found out that it was for Theo â or rather with him. She lifted her hand to run her fingers through his hair, âMy vows are actually coming out perfectly fine.â The words kept flowing out but she didnât know how to tie them or to make them be everything that he deserved. How did you tell someone that they had saved you and completed you at the same time? That somehow they had made you finally realize what home felt like? That against all odds you found yourself excited to become one with someone, even with her hardcore feminist fundamental beliefs. âIt is ok. No, he is not going to come,â she wasnât trying to get lied to and she knew the truth of the matter. Liam knew that he had lost her, that he had lost something great and Tess knew that he could utter all the words she had been dying to hear and it would not change a single thing. Her emerald hues laid on his hazels as her forehead landed on his, âDo you have any idea how much I love you?â she question as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, âWe did not fall in love like most people. I donât even think we did. We kind of ended up being parallels of each other if you think about it.â she explained herself, wishing the words to convey her emotions actually existed. Questioning the entire vocabulary that she had done her best to enrich throughout her entire life, âI was this frozen, cold â block of emotions and you were warmth. That is the best way I can put it. Around you, I melted. I melted with you, we kind of melted in love, and we became one.â A soft chuckle fell from her lips, âAh, I can handle your mother. i just know this town and its rumors. I donât want to ever lose us or have you doubt me.âÂ
He smirked at Tess with her jest, shaking his head. If you told Theo heâd be the type to enjoy such teasing and flirting, heâd have just shook his head and kept on walking. But Tess had managed to pull such a different person from inside of Theo, âI do not get nervous unless you are involved.â His head shook, hoping she knew how it was the best kind of nervous there was. The kind of nervous where he never knew what he would say or do next. He felt so totally out of control and in control all at the same time with Tess. And control, that was something he liked because knowing outcomes, that was always an asset. But Tess had taught him the power of being out of control and letting emotions take control instead. It made him feel alive. Theoâs eyes narrowed as he trained his upon hers with her suggestion. Now, would Theo happily avoid all of this madness and go the courthouse, you can bet he would. But it wasnât so much about the courthouse for him, but about how he wanted the moment to be between just the two of them. But more importantly than his own wants or needs, he noticed how Tess had lit up when she returned from looking at wedding dresses. And how engaged sheâd been when they were picking out flowers which he had insisted would be choice they would make, much to their motherâs chagrin. But Theo wanted Tess to embrace her enjoyment of the wedding process without their shadows on it all of the time. So her suggestion, was simply out of the question. His head shook as he smiled at her, his thumbs still rubbing circles gently into her hips. A reminder that he was there and always would be. âWell that is very sweet of you to suggest to your shy fiancĂ©âs sake, but that just simply would not do!â He chuckled as he raised his voice in jest. âBut to that end, and so I stop worrying about how the vows will sound to others. What if before we leave each other for the night, we give each other.â He paused, realizing that he shouldnât be so worried right then and there as he looked into her eyes. âWell I was going to say that we could say our vows to each other. Or even a preview. But as Iâm thinking about it right now, this is what Iâll be looking at when I say them. And I donât need to worry about anyone else because youâre all that matters.â His head shook. âSee what you do to me Tess? Iâm a mess.â Again, that nervousness settled in his stomach. The person before her so foreign to the surefooted man he knew so well. A soft smile touched his lips at her words as their foreheads pulled together to form one. The logical mind of his jumping at the chance to answer but he quieted it, staring into her eyes and letting them do the talking for him. âIf itâs anything like the love I feel for you then I know we are in for the most incredible life together.â Tess could just melt him like putty that way. He felt her love radiating off of her and couldnât fathom how heâd managed to get her to fall in love with his quirky self. But here they were, madly in love. His head shook, âWe didnât. People donât really understand do they? But it doesnât matter that they donât understand.â He thought back to trying to explain what had happened with him and Tess with Elijah. His arms moved up her lower back, wanting to truly hold her and pull her in closer, intending to show her the warmth sheâd sought out in him. âThat is better than any words I mightâve used.â He smiled, leaning up to place a kiss on her forehead, one that lingered in hopes of transferring the love her felt for her through that kiss. âI was lost in a land of logic and numbers. You blew up my entire world, and yet gently took me along with you down a mysterious path and Iâve never once looked back. Youâve always just--just appreciated me for me. And I find myself consistently wanting to give that kind of love back to you.â His head shook as he leaned to place a kiss on her lips this time. He pulled back after a moment, placing a lock of hair behind her ear, âYouâre simply wonderful.â His head shook with immediacy at her worries about his faith in her. âOne of things I love about us is that we respect each otherâs lives together and a part. You had a life before me and still have a life that doesnât involve me. It is yours. What we have is completely separate from all of that and I pay it no mind. Itâs like our vows, they are ours and everything thatâs ours, thatâs what I care about.â He wasnât sure he was making sense, but he hoped he was able to convey that his faith in her had never wavered. And only the words she said to him were what he would listen to.