When I woke up this morning, a strange sense of clarity washed over me. Two things kept circling in my mind: marrying Riley and marking her as mine.
It wasn't a new thought; it had been building over the last few weeks, simmering under the surface. But today, it felt all-consuming, impossible to ignore.
I lay in bed for a while, my arm draped lazily over Riley's waist. Her slow, steady breathing brought a warmth to my chest that nothing else in the world could.
How did I get this lucky? Riley, with her soft, stubborn heart, was everything I needed everything I hadn't even realised I was searching for.
The thought of her belonging to anyone else, of her being unmarked, suddenly felt unbearable.
Ciara's wedding was only a few days away, and I couldn't help but think about how fast it had all happened.
