A week later, I stood in front of a mirror, staring at my reflection, trying to recognize the woman looking back at me. I didn't look like myself, not really.
I looked like... someone else. Someone who was about to get married.
The dress was simple, ivory satin that clung to my curves in all the right places, the hem skimming the tops of my bare feet. I hadn't wanted anything flashy, anything that screamed 'wedding.'
But here I was, standing in a dress, my hair pinned up in loose curls, a bouquet of white roses and greenery sitting on a small table nearby.
I wasn't sure how things changed. How Caleb and I had gone from kissing under the stars to this. But in the days that followed that night, something had shifted between us. It wasn't just about the sex and the agreement—it was about everything.
We had opened up parts of ourselves to each other, parts we hadn't even known were locked away. And somehow, it made things… real.
We were supposed to have a big wedding, with all the aplomb that any celebrity and billionaire heir should have. But, that night under the stars flipped a switch between us.
Suddenly, the wedding was all intimate. Just us. Our closest friends. And family if they could manage.
Obviously, my mom couldn't come but Britney was here, of course. She had been beside herself with happiness when I'd told her what was happening, though she had given me a look that said she didn't quite believe it.
But she hadn't questioned me. She had just hugged me tight and promised to be there for whatever I needed.
And then there were Caleb's friends. A few, maybe five or six, who had flown in for the occasion.
I didn't know them well, but they seemed kind enough. They hadn't questioned the abruptness of it all, at least not to my face. They were just... here.
Supporting him. Supporting us.
None of Caleb's family had come. I wasn't surprised, and neither was he. His relationship with his family was complicated, to say the least.
But his grandfather had sent a gift—a watch, vintage and elegant, with a note that simply read, "For the future."
I hadn't asked Caleb about it. I didn't need to.
The ceremony was in the small garden behind the house, under the shade of a large oak tree. The weather was perfect—warm, with a gentle breeze that carried the scent of blooming flowers.
Britney stood beside me as I walked down the makeshift aisle, her arm linked with mine, her smile wide and bright.
Caleb waited at the end, looking impossibly handsome in a tailored suit, his dark hair slightly tousled, his eyes locked on mine.
My heart pounded in my chest as I reached him, as his hand found mine, warm and steady. The officiant spoke, but I barely heard the words.
All I could focus on was Caleb, on the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the world. Like this was real.
And maybe it was.
The vows were simple, short. We hadn't written anything elaborate. We had just promised to be there for each other, to stand together, no matter what.
And as I slipped the ring onto Caleb's finger, I felt a strange sense of peace settle over me. Like maybe, just maybe, this wasn't a mistake.
The reception was small, just dinner under the stars with Caleb's friends and Britney. There were toasts, laughter, and for the first time in a long time, I felt... happy.
Genuinely happy, like I wasn't pretending anymore.
Caleb gave a speech, something short and off-the-cuff, but it still made my chest tighten with emotion. He thanked his friends for being there, for supporting him over the years, and then his eyes found mine.
"And to Megan," he said, his voice softening. "You've changed everything for me. I didn't think I was capable of this... of love. But you made me believe again."
His words hit me hard, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. I felt guilty, like we were lying to all these people who seemed so happy for us.
When the dancing began, Caleb pulled me to my feet, his grin playful. "Come on," he said, tugging me toward the small clearing where his friends were already swaying to the music. "Dance with me."
I laughed, the sound light and carefree, and let him lead me to the middle of the makeshift dance floor. The music was soft, slow, and Caleb wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close.
We swayed together, our bodies moving in perfect sync. His hand rested on the small of my back, his thumb tracing gentle circles, and I rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes.
For a while, it felt like the rest of the world had disappeared. Like it was just the two of us, alone under the stars.
His friends teased us as the night wore on, calling out for a kiss, and Caleb obliged, dipping me low before pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that shook me to my core.
And in that moment, I realized something I could no longer run away from by deluding myself:
I had fallen irrevocably in love with him.